Extreme glacial cooling likely led to hominin depopulation of Europe in the Early Pleistocene

The oldest known hominin remains in Europe [similar to 1.5 to similar to 1.1 million years ago (Ma)] have been recovered from Iberia, where paleoenvironmental reconstructions have indicated warm and wet interglacials and mild glacials, supporting the view that once established, hominin populations persisted continuously. We report analyses of marine and terrestrial proxies from a deep-sea core on the Portugese margin that show the presence of pronounced millennial-scale climate variability during a glacial period similar to 1.154 to similar to 1.123 Ma, culminating in a terminal stadial cooling comparable to the most extreme events of the last 400,000 years. Climate envelope-model simulations reveal a drastic decrease in early hominin habitat suitability around the Mediterranean during the terminal stadial. We suggest that these extreme conditions led to the depopulation of Europe, perhaps lasting for several successive glacial-interglacial cycles.

Automated summary

Through analyzing deep-sea sediment samples from the Portuguese margin, researchers found pronounced millennial-scale climate variability during the glacial period around 1.154 to 1.123 million years ago, including a terminal stadial cooling comparable to the most extreme events of the last 400,000 years. Climate simulations indicate a drastic decrease in suitability of early human habitats around the Mediterranean during the terminal stadial. These extreme conditions led to the depopulation of Europe, potentially lasting for several successive glacial-interglacial cycles.