A quantitative paleoclimatic reconstruction of the non-analogue environment of oxygen isotope stage 3: new data from small mammal records of southwestern Germany

A unique paleoclimatic environment characterized by arctic tundra, temperate deciduous woodland, and intermittent arid steppe existed in the Ach Valley of southwestern Germany during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 (OIS 3), spanning ~60,000 to 35,000 years ago. This non-analogue landscape featured significantly colder conditions than today, with higher annual precipitation and pronounced seasonal temperature shifts. Researchers used small mammal records from two Paleolithic cave sites—Geißenklösterle and Hohle Fels—to apply the Bioclimatic Method, which combines linear discriminant functions analysis and transfer functions to quantify past climate variables. The findings align with broader European reconstructions, reinforcing the absence of climatic volatility as a primary factor in Neanderthal decline during this period.

Rhodes, S. E., & Conard, N. J. (2021). A quantitative paleoclimatic reconstruction of the non-analogue environment of oxygen isotope stage 3: new data from small mammal records of southwestern Germany. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 13(12). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01363-8