Iberian Neanderthals in forests and savannahs

The development of this work was supported by Projects CGL2015-69160-R, CGL-BOS2015-68604-P, funded by FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation - Agencia Estatal de Investigacion, Project (PID2019-1049449GB-I00), funded by FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation - Agencia Estatal de Investigacion and Fundacion Seneca (grant no. 20788/PI/18). A.B.M.A.'s work has been partially funded by the Spanish Science Ministry (HAR2017-84997-P) and the ERC-CoG project (SUBSILIENCE Ref 818299).This article aims to delve into the reality of glacial refuges of forests and tree species (including conifers, mesothermophilous angiosperms and xerothermic scrub) during the cold dry phases of the Iberian Pleistocene in which there is evidence of occupation of Middle Palaeolithic people. The research framework focuses on the eastern sector of the Iberian Peninsula due to the physiographic, palaeobotanical and archaeological peculiarities, substantiated by recent studies. We contend that some Neanderthal occupations developed in the context of high geobiological complexity, high biological diversity and highly structured forest ecosystems. We highlight the importance of glacial refuges as local anomalies that, however, would be contingent on vegetational development, and on the survival of Palaeolithic groups in areas with a broad diversity of natural resources.FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation - Agencia Estatal de Investigacion PID2019-1049449GB-I00 CGL2015-69160-R CGL-BOS2015-68604-PFundacion Seneca 20788/PI/18Spanish Science Ministry HAR2017-84997-PERC-CoG project 81829