Les rongeurs du sondage Séronie-Vivien de la grotte d’âge Pléistocène moyen de Pradayrol à Caniac‑du‑Causse (Lot)

A significant discovery of rodent remains, including the extinct hamster Allocricetus bursae and the steppe lemming Lagurus lagurus, was made during a survey at the Pradayrol cave in Caniac-du-Causse (Lot), part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'The Causses and the Cévennes.' The analysis suggests that the cave's sediment layers represent an ancient phase of marine isotope stage 6, characterized by severe droughts but cold winters. The biodiversity observed indicates a transitional climate between arid and more humid conditions, likely due to the cave's strategic location on the edge of a high plateau overlooking a vast irrigated valley. This finding provides valuable insights into the paleoenvironmental history of the region during the Middle Pleistocene.

Marquet, J.-C., & Séronie‑Vivien, M.-R. (2016). Les rongeurs du sondage Séronie-Vivien de la grotte d’âge Pléistocène moyen de Pradayrol à Caniac‑du‑Causse (Lot). Quaternaire, vol. 27/2, 111–131. https://doi.org/10.4000/quaternaire.7616