Neanderthal environment in Liguria during the Upper Pleistocene. Pollen analysis from Caverna delle Fate (Finale Liguria, Italy).

Pollen analysis of the Middle Palaeolithic site of Caverna delle Fate documents the vegetation mosaic contemporaneous to its Neanderthal occupation. The pollen sequence is typical of a semi-forested to forested landscape, reflecting mild climatic conditions. The development of meso-thermophilous taxa suggests a temperate climate, while the raise of Mediterranean taxa attests the temperature increase. The four climatic episodes can be assigned to different chronological phases between isotopic stages 5e and 3.