The Atapuerca mountain range has once again become the epicenter of paleontology. Thanks to a discovery that rewrites the history of glacial fauna on the Iberian Peninsula. In this Burgos enclave, famous for its archaeological treasures, a small fossil tooth of immense importance has come to light: it demonstrates the presence of reindeer in the heart of the peninsula between 243.000 and 300.000 years ago, shedding light on the climate and landscape of the Middle Pleistocene.
This discovery It marks a before and after in research on the dispersal of species adapted to cold. in southern Europe. Not only because it is located south of the usual distribution area of these animals in Eurasia, but because it confirms that Atapuerca witnessed the coexistence of glacial fauna and the first human settlers. of the region.
A fossil that changes the map of glacial fauna
El small tooth, identified as a reindeer milk molar (Rangifer), appeared in unit GIIIa of the Gallery of the archaeological complex of Atapuerca. This dating places it as the oldest and southernmost record of reindeer known in Eurasia during the Middle PleistoceneBefore this discovery, the arrival of this species to the peninsula was estimated to be much later, but the fossil advances the presence of glacial fauna in southern Europe by tens of thousands of years.
El Detailed analysis of the fossil, carried out by researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH) and the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA), has ruled out the possibility of human transport; The tooth belongs to an animal that naturally inhabited the area.
Refuge, border and testimony to the glacial climate
La presence of reindeer in such southern latitudes It reflects that during the harshest glacial cycles, the frozen steppes and their inhabitants advanced far beyond their usual limits. This phenomenon is repeated in several climatic periods, but the dating of Atapuerca forces us to reconsider models on the colonization of the southern peninsula by boreal species. You can find more information about the formation of tombolos and coasts to better understand these geographical phenomena.
During these cold stages, the so-called "Mammoth Steppe» expanded, welcoming reindeer, mammoths, and woolly rhinos in territories that are unthinkable for them today. Some records indicate that these animals reached areas as far south as Madrid or Granada during other glaciations, demonstrating the enormous climatic variability that characterized Iberian prehistory. To better understand how glaciers modified the landscape, you may be interested in glacier modeling.
The Atapuerca mountain range acted as a temporary refuge for these species, ensuring a scenario in which northern species interacted with the first human communities on the peninsula. For further geological and paleogeographic context, see solar radiation and its effect on the climate.
