Adaptive response of prokaryotic communities to extreme pollution flooding in a Paleolithic rock art cave (Pindal Cave, northern Spain)

A sudden flood event in Pindal Cave, part of the UNESCO-listed Altamira rock art complex, introduced significant pollution from nearby cattle farming, altering the cave's microbial community and biogeochemical dynamics. The study found that the flood triggered a rapid increase in methanogenic archaea and denitrifying bacteria, along with microorganisms linked to mammalian intestinal tracts, while also elevating ammonium and nitrate levels—a sign of ongoing nitrification. One year post-flood, microbial populations associated with the pollution began to decline, yet the cave's ecosystem remained fundamentally reshaped by persistent anthropogenic influence. This research highlights the resilience and adaptive capacity of cave microbes to environmental disturbances, offering critical insights for conservation efforts in culturally significant underground ecosystems.

Martin-Pozas, T., Cuezva, S., Fernandez-Cortes, A., Gonzalez-Pumariega, M., Elez, J., Duarte, E., de la Rasilla, M., Canaveras, J. C., Saiz-Jimenez, C., & Sanchez-Moral, S. (2024). Adaptive response of prokaryotic communities to extreme pollution flooding in a Paleolithic rock art cave (Pindal Cave, northern Spain). Science of the Total Environment, 921, 171137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171137