Fossil footprints at the late lower Paleolithic site of Schöningen (Germany): A new line of research to reconstruct animal and hominin paleoecology

Flavio Altamura; Jens Lehmann; Bárbara Rodríguez-Álvarez; Brigitte Urban; Thijs van Kolfschoten; Ivo Verheijen; Nicholas J. Conard; Jordi Serangeli

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108094

Fossil footprints at the late lower Paleolithic site of Schöningen (Germany): A new line of research to reconstruct animal and hominin paleoecology

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research

Standard

Fossil footprints at the late lower Paleolithic site of Schöningen (Germany): A new line of research to reconstruct animal and hominin paleoecology. / Altamura, Flavio; Lehmann, Jens; Rodríguez-Álvarez, Bárbara et al.
In: Quaternary Science Reviews, Vol. 310, 108094, 15.06.2023.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research

Bibtex

@article{9afb97cb83984fee90a18f1e2d08e99e,

title = "Fossil footprints at the late lower Paleolithic site of Sch{\"o}ningen (Germany): A new line of research to reconstruct animal and hominin paleoecology",

abstract = "The ca. 300 ka Paleolithic sites of Sch{\"o}ningen in northern Germany yielded a number of localities with archeological and paleontological remains representing a rich paleoenvironmental record of the late Middle Pleistocene in northern Europe. An important line of research focused on the ichnology of two localities: Sch{\"o}ningen 13 I-Fs2 and Sch{\"o}ningen 13 II-2 Untere Berme. Here we present the first detailed study of these fossil footprints, which provides insights on Sch{\"o}ningen's paleoenvironment and a snapshot of the mammals once living in the area. Herds of elephants and other species of herbivores congregated along the muddy shores of a paleolake during birch, pine and grass-rich woodland phases. In addition, three potential hominin footprints, probably belonging to a late Homo heidelbergensis, are recorded at Sch{\"o}ningen 13 II-2 Untere Berme. This confirms the complementary potential of ichnology in reconstructing a reliable picture of prehistoric sites.",

keywords = "Hominin footprints, Homo heidelbergensis, Middle pleistocene, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, Paleoenvironment, Vertebrate ichnology",

author = "Flavio Altamura and Jens Lehmann and B{\'a}rbara Rodr{\'i}guez-{\'A}lvarez and Brigitte Urban and {van Kolfschoten}, Thijs and Ivo Verheijen and Conard, {Nicholas J.} and Jordi Serangeli",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2023",

month = jun,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108094",

language = "English",

volume = "310",

journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",

issn = "0277-3791",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fossil footprints at the late lower Paleolithic site of Schöningen (Germany): A new line of research to reconstruct animal and hominin paleoecology

AU - Altamura, Flavio

AU - Lehmann, Jens

AU - Rodríguez-Álvarez, Bárbara

AU - Urban, Brigitte

AU - van Kolfschoten, Thijs

AU - Verheijen, Ivo

AU - Conard, Nicholas J.

AU - Serangeli, Jordi

PY - 2023/6/15

Y1 - 2023/6/15

N2 - The ca. 300 ka Paleolithic sites of Schöningen in northern Germany yielded a number of localities with archeological and paleontological remains representing a rich paleoenvironmental record of the late Middle Pleistocene in northern Europe. An important line of research focused on the ichnology of two localities: Schöningen 13 I-Fs2 and Schöningen 13 II-2 Untere Berme. Here we present the first detailed study of these fossil footprints, which provides insights on Schöningen's paleoenvironment and a snapshot of the mammals once living in the area. Herds of elephants and other species of herbivores congregated along the muddy shores of a paleolake during birch, pine and grass-rich woodland phases. In addition, three potential hominin footprints, probably belonging to a late Homo heidelbergensis, are recorded at Schöningen 13 II-2 Untere Berme. This confirms the complementary potential of ichnology in reconstructing a reliable picture of prehistoric sites.

AB - The ca. 300 ka Paleolithic sites of Schöningen in northern Germany yielded a number of localities with archeological and paleontological remains representing a rich paleoenvironmental record of the late Middle Pleistocene in northern Europe. An important line of research focused on the ichnology of two localities: Schöningen 13 I-Fs2 and Schöningen 13 II-2 Untere Berme. Here we present the first detailed study of these fossil footprints, which provides insights on Schöningen's paleoenvironment and a snapshot of the mammals once living in the area. Herds of elephants and other species of herbivores congregated along the muddy shores of a paleolake during birch, pine and grass-rich woodland phases. In addition, three potential hominin footprints, probably belonging to a late Homo heidelbergensis, are recorded at Schöningen 13 II-2 Untere Berme. This confirms the complementary potential of ichnology in reconstructing a reliable picture of prehistoric sites.

KW - Hominin footprints

KW - Homo heidelbergensis

KW - Middle pleistocene

KW - Palaeoloxodon antiquus

KW - Paleoenvironment

KW - Vertebrate ichnology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161165771&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108094

DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108094

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 310

JO - Quaternary Science Reviews

JF - Quaternary Science Reviews

SN - 0277-3791

M1 - 108094

ER -

Related by journal

Neanderthals in changing environments from MIS 5 to early MIS 4 in northern Central Europe – Integrating archaeological, (chrono)stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental evidence at the site of Lichtenberg

Weiss, M., Hein, M., Urban, B., Stahlschmidt, M. C., Heinrich, S., Hilbert, Y. H., Power, R. C., von Suchodoletz, H., Terberger, T., Böhner, U., Klimscha, F., Veil, S., Breest, K., Schmidt, J., Colarossi, D., Tucci, M., Frechen, M., Tanner, D. C. & Lauer, T., 15.05.2022, In: Quaternary Science Reviews. 284, 107519.