Impact of climatic changes in the Late Pleistocene on migrations and extinctions of mammals in Europe: four case studies

Abstract

21Climate changes that occurred during the Late Pleistocene have profound effects on the distribution of 22 many plant and animal species and influenced the formation of contemporary faunas and floras of 23 Europe. The course and mechanisms of responses of species to the past climate changes are now 24 being intensively studied by the use of direct radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses of fossil 25 remains. Here, we review the advances in understanding these processes by the example of four 26 mammal species: woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), cave bear (Ursus spelaeus s. l.), saiga 27 antelope (Saiga tatarica) and collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx ssp.). The cases discussed here as well 28 as others show that the migrations, range shifts and local extinctions were the main responses to 29 climate changes and that the dynamics of these climate driven processes were much more profound 30 2 than it was previously thought. Each species reacted by its individual manner, which depended on its 31 biology and adaptation abilities to the changing environment and climate conditions. The most severe 32 changes in European ecosystems that affected the largest number of species took place around 33-33 31 ka BP, during the Last Glacial Maximum 22-19 ka BP and the Late Glacial warming 15-13 ka BP. 34 35 37 38 84 2008; Palkopoulou et al., 2013). The divergence of lineages I and II was previously estimated to ca. 1 85 Ma ago (Debruyne et al., 2008; Gilbert and Drautz, 2008), however, most recent estimations suggest 86 much younger date about 300 ka BP (Palkopoulou et al., 2013). Coalescent simulations suggested 87 that actual split of three mammoth populations took place around 200 ka BP and was followed by a 88 demographic expansion that started around 121 ka BP (Palkopoulou et al., 2013). This expansion 89 coincides broadly with the end of Eemian Interstadial, which suggests that mammoths survived this 90 4 warm period confined to refugial areas and expanded as climate got cooler at the beginning of 91 Weichselian glaciation (Palkopoulou et al., 2013). Surprisingly, this was not supported by the analyses 92 of the whole paleogenomes, which indicated a much earlier expansion ca. 280 ka years ago and the 93 maximum effective population size during Eemian (Palkopoulou et al., 2015).94 95 96 Fig. 1. Woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). A -Bayesian phylogeny of Holarctic woolly 97 mammoths based on mtDNA cytochrome b sequences. The tree is a chronogram where branch 98 lengths denote time elapsed since divergence and the position of tips corresponds to calibrated 99 radiocarbon age of samples; B -distribution of paleontological sites with woolly mammoth 100 remains radiocarbon-dated to the indicated periods. Colours indicate mitochondrial DNA lineages 101 (modified after Palkopoulou et al., 2013). 103Despite, the ambiguities in the early history of mammoth populations, ancient DNA revealed also two 104 more recent population turnovers. In the Eemian Interglacial and Early Weichselian, woolly mammoths 105 that belonged to clad...

Polish suture zone as the goblet of truth in post-glacial history of mammals in Europe

“…Present-day species distribution in Europe is a result of rapid climate warming after the LGM that induced abrupt post-glacial re-colonization from glacial refugia (Hewitt 1999;Stewart and Lister 2001;Sommer and Nadachowski 2006;Pazonyi 2004;Stewart et al 2010;Tzedakis et al 2013;Baca et al 2017;Quinzin et al 2017). Since various genetic changes have been retained in organisms that survived in glacial refugia, separate phylogenetic lineages (haplogroups), that reveal the evolutionary history of a species, can be identified (Hewitt 1999;Taberlet et al 1998;Avise 2000Avise , 2004Michaux et al 2003).…”

Reframing the mammoth steppe: Insights from analysis of isotopic niches

“…A lack of clear patterns in δ 15 N could also result from shifts over time in a region's correspondence to the steppe or tundra model. Species responded to Pleistocene climatic changes with individualistic migration patterns and adaptations (Baca et al, 2017). As such, the considerable variability in the isotopic response of species to regional differences is perhaps unsurprising.…”

The history of bears (Ursidae, Carnivora, Mammalia) from Silesia (southern Poland) and the neighbouring areas

“…The two main Eu ro pean forms, U. s. spelaeus and U. ingressus sep a rated prob a bly be tween 420 and 180 ka (Knapp et al, 2009). U. s. spelaeus lived mainly in West ern Eu rope, al though it has also been re corded in the Altai re gion (Rabeder et al, 2004b;Knapp et al, 2009;Baca et al, 2017), while U. ingressus in hab ited mostly south-east ern and Cen tral Eu rope (Rabeder et al, 2004b;Baca et al, 2014).…”