Southernmost Eurasian Record of Reindeer (Rangifer) in MIS 8 at Galería (Atapuerca, Spain): Evidence of Progressive Southern Expansion of Glacial Fauna Across Climatic Cycles

A reindeer (Rangifer) tooth from the Atapuerca site, Spain, provides the southernmost Eurasian record of glacial fauna during Marine Isotope Stage 8 (~300–243 ka), predating previous evidence by ~100,000 years. This discovery challenges assumptions about the timing and intensity of glacial conditions in the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting that cold-adapted ecosystems expanded earlier and more extensively than previously believed. The fossil's morphological analysis, alongside archaeological context—including human fossils and lithic artifacts from Units GII and GIII—reveals that early humans coexisted with these species during colder climates. This study advances understanding of biogeographical patterns in Pleistocene glacial fauna and human adaptability across climatic cycles.

van der Made, J., Lazagabaster, I. A., García-Medrano, P., & Cáceres, I. (2025). Southernmost Eurasian Record of Reindeer (Rangifer) in MIS 8 at Galería (Atapuerca, Spain): Evidence of Progressive Southern Expansion of Glacial Fauna Across Climatic Cycles. Quaternary, 8(3), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8030043