Paleoenvironment of the Fore-Baikal region in the Karginian interstadial: Results of the interdisciplinary studies of the Bol’shoj Naryn site Takao Sato a, * , Fedora Khenzykhenova b , Alexandra Simakova c , Guzel Danukalova d , Eugeniya Morosova d , Kunio Yoshida e , Dai Kunikita f , Hirofumi Kato g , Kenji Suzuki g , Ekaterina Lipnina h , German Medvedev h , Nikolai Martynovich i a Department of Archaeology and Ethnology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan b Geological Institute, Siberian Branch (SB), Russian Academy of Sciences (RUS), Ulan-Ude, Russia c Geological Institute, RAS, Moscow, Russia d Institute of Geology, Ufa Scientific Centre, RAS, Ufa, Russia e The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Japan f Tokoro Research Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, Kitami, Japan g Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan h Department of Archaeology and Ethnology, Faculty of History, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russia i Krasnoyarsk Regional Natural Museum, Krasnoyarsk, Russia article info Article history: Available online 30 January 2014 abstract As a result of integrated researches on two Paleolithic sites of the Fore-Baikal region e Bol’shoj Naryn and Gerasimov’s, the first representative mammal fauna of the Karginian interstadial been dated and characterized. That provided the basis for reconstructing the paleoenvironments in the Fore-Baikal re- gion during MIS 3. The species composition of the faunal remains recovered from the Bol’shoj Naryn site in the course of five-year excavations since 2003 was examined in details. Since 2010, the cultural layer was studied layer-by-layer (at 5 cm intervals), all the artifacts and faunal remains (of mollusks, birds, and mammals) being described. In addition, the lower, middle and upper parts of cultural layer were sampled for palynological analysis. The geological and paleontological data thus obtained suggest a moderately cold and humid climate in the Fore-Baikal region during MIS 3, with predominant open landscapes of steppes and relatively limited areas under taiga forest, tundra, and wetlands. There are abundant data on significant environmental changes in the Fore-Baikal region during MIS 3 previously obtained by investigators, such as pollen spectra recovered from the Lake Kotokel bottom sediments or faunal remains (including small mammals) excavated from the Bol’shoj Naryn site. The present study, however, differs from the earlier ones in that it included multidisciplinary analysis of a large number of faunal and floral remains recovered from the same section and characterizing the same region. The data thus obtained from the Bol’shoj Naryn site are extremely important for better under- standing of the Late Pleistocene environments of the Fore-Baikal region. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The Fore-Baikal region, which has never been glaciated even during the Last Glacial Maximum, is regarded to be the best for studying adaptive devices of humans that made possible human colonization of the northernmost lands of Eastern Eurasia (north of 70 N) and their dispersal into the New World. The authors took part in numerous international surveys in this region since 2003. The studies were particularly focused on the interdisciplinary analysis and included specialists in several fields, such as archae- ology, paleontology, geology, molecular phylogeny and archeo- logical chronology of the Bol’shoi Naryn sites (Suzuki et al., 2006; Sato et al., 2008; Sato and Suzuki, 2010). The given below data on the Karginian interstadial (MIS 3) environments are based on the results of field and laboratory work performed on the sites over ten years. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: sato@flet.keio.ac.jp (T. Sato). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Quaternary International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quaint 1040-6182/$ e see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2013.12.050 Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155
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Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155
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Quaternary International
journal homepage: www.elsevier .com/locate/quaint
Paleoenvironment of the Fore-Baikal region in the Karginianinterstadial: Results of the interdisciplinary studies of the Bol’shojNaryn site
Takao Sato a,*, Fedora Khenzykhenova b, Alexandra Simakova c, Guzel Danukalova d,Eugeniya Morosova d, Kunio Yoshida e, Dai Kunikita f, Hirofumi Kato g, Kenji Suzuki g,Ekaterina Lipnina h, German Medvedev h, Nikolai Martynovich i
aDepartment of Archaeology and Ethnology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, JapanbGeological Institute, Siberian Branch (SB), Russian Academy of Sciences (RUS), Ulan-Ude, RussiacGeological Institute, RAS, Moscow, Russiad Institute of Geology, Ufa Scientific Centre, RAS, Ufa, Russiae The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Japanf Tokoro Research Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, Kitami, JapangCenter for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, JapanhDepartment of Archaeology and Ethnology, Faculty of History, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, RussiaiKrasnoyarsk Regional Natural Museum, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
1040-6182/$ e see front matter � 2014 Elsevier Ltd ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2013.12.050
a b s t r a c t
As a result of integrated researches on two Paleolithic sites of the Fore-Baikal region e Bol’shoj Narynand Gerasimov’s, the first representative mammal fauna of the Karginian interstadial been dated andcharacterized. That provided the basis for reconstructing the paleoenvironments in the Fore-Baikal re-gion during MIS 3. The species composition of the faunal remains recovered from the Bol’shoj Naryn sitein the course of five-year excavations since 2003 was examined in details. Since 2010, the cultural layerwas studied layer-by-layer (at 5 cm intervals), all the artifacts and faunal remains (of mollusks, birds, andmammals) being described. In addition, the lower, middle and upper parts of cultural layer were sampledfor palynological analysis. The geological and paleontological data thus obtained suggest a moderatelycold and humid climate in the Fore-Baikal region during MIS 3, with predominant open landscapes ofsteppes and relatively limited areas under taiga forest, tundra, and wetlands.
There are abundant data on significant environmental changes in the Fore-Baikal region during MIS 3previously obtained by investigators, such as pollen spectra recovered from the Lake Kotokel bottomsediments or faunal remains (including small mammals) excavated from the Bol’shoj Naryn site. Thepresent study, however, differs from the earlier ones in that it included multidisciplinary analysis of alarge number of faunal and floral remains recovered from the same section and characterizing the sameregion. The data thus obtained from the Bol’shoj Naryn site are extremely important for better under-standing of the Late Pleistocene environments of the Fore-Baikal region.
� 2014 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
The Fore-Baikal region, which has never been glaciated evenduring the Last Glacial Maximum, is regarded to be the best forstudying adaptive devices of humans that made possible humancolonization of the northernmost lands of Eastern Eurasia (north of
nd INQUA. All rights reserved.
70�N) and their dispersal into the New World. The authors tookpart in numerous international surveys in this region since 2003.The studies were particularly focused on the interdisciplinaryanalysis and included specialists in several fields, such as archae-ology, paleontology, geology, molecular phylogeny and archeo-logical chronology of the Bol’shoi Naryn sites (Suzuki et al., 2006;Sato et al., 2008; Sato and Suzuki, 2010). The given below data onthe Karginian interstadial (MIS 3) environments are based on theresults of field and laboratory work performed on the sites over tenyears.
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155 147
2. Location of sites and excavation methods
The Bol’shoi Naryn site is located at 53�N and 103�E on thesouthern coast of the Bratsk Reservoir and further on the abruptright bank of the Angara River (Fig. 1). The hills enclosing the cul-tural layers previously formed the left bank of the Osa River. Atpresent they are subject to severe wave erosion due to fluctuationsof thewater level in the reservoir. The erosion produced steep bluffs2e10 m high stretching for several kilometers in the site area.Numerous artifacts made of stone, bone and antler, as well as an-imal fossils, have been washed out of the bluff sediments and arescattered on the beach at the base of the bluff.
At the initial stages of the survey, the authors established thepresence of the artifacts and animal fossils accumulated on thereservoir beach. Then large-scale topographic mapping of the sitewas performed using laser instruments, the position of every arti-fact and fossil on the beach having been recorded. In search of theoptimum place for excavation, the survey area was chosen near thehills, where the finds occurred closely to each other on both sides ofa small river with steep banks. For the sake of convenience, the areawith the traces of human habitation was divided into two parts,designated as Bol’shoj Naryn I Site on the right bank and Bol’shojNaryn II on the left. The location of the survey area excavated since2004 is shown in Fig. 2.
3. Chronology of paleosol layers and artifacts
The general structure of the strata at the Bol’shoj Naryn site asrevealed by a number of cores and confirmed by excavations isalmost the same everywhere on the site. As was established byexcavations in 2004 (Bol’shoj Naryn I, locus 1), sandy loess depositsdated to the Sartan glacial stage occurs immediately under themodern soil and go down to a depth of 1e2 m; they are underlainby a high viscosity paleosol layers up to 1 m thick developed duringthe Karginian Interstadial (Fig. 3).
The paleosol layers contain numerous stone tools and animalfossils. There were distinguished 24 thin laminawithin the paleosollayer in the east wall of the excavation at locus 1. However, manywere heavily distorted due to cryoturbations and may not bepersistent enough to be traced over the entire area under study.
The objects (tools and fossils) have been found from both upperand lower parts of the paleosol layers. The radiocarbon age of 11charcoal samples taken from the upper layer appeared to be25,000�26,500 BP, and samples from the lower part were dated to27,000�31,500 BP. As well, 12 charcoal samples taken from the NW
Fig. 1. Location of the Bol’shoj Naryn site.
part of the Bol’shoi Naryn II site in 2004 gave results within therange of 25,000�29,000 BP (Kunikita et al. 2006a,b). It may besafely suggested that the fossil remains were deposited in thesepaleosol layers for more than several thousands of years during thesecond half of the Karginian interstadial.
After five years of survey, the number of stone tools and flakesexcavated from the paleosol layers amounts to more than 10,000items at the Bol’shoj Naryn I site and 129 items at the Bol’shojNaryn II site. Stone tools recovered from both site I and II are mostlyblades, scrapers and core tools made of quartz (Maksimenko, 2010).Besides, a small number of bone and antler tools were collectedfrom the Bol’shoi Naryn I site.
Incidentally, one projectile point made from deer antler wascollected from the reservoir beach and dated by radiocarbon to27,750 � 320 BP. Moreover, some hand axes and Levallois pointsquite different from the above described in technical typology andtentatively attributed to the Middle Paleolithic were also found onthe beach. No paleosol that could enclose them, however, has beenfound, even after digging 6 m below the ground surface in locus 2.
4. Fossil pollen and spore
At the end of the 2010 field season, 28 soil samples were takenfrom the wall of the excavation to a depth of 3.8 m beneath theground surface and analyzed for pollen and spores. The resultingpollen spectra are shown in Fig. 4.
The maximum amount of pollen grains and spores was obtainedfrom paleosol layers, both upper and lower ones. All the spectraappear to contain redeposited (Jurassic) pollen and spores in smallproportion, as well as algae (Botryococcus, Spirogura). Pollen as-semblages from the lower humus horizon of the Early Karginianpaleosol (at depth 3.75 m) are typically dominated by Pinus sect.Cembrae and Betula sect. Albae. Occasional pollen grains of Abies,Pinus sylvestris, Juniperus, Betula sect. Nanae, Asteraceae, Brassica-ceae, Primulaceae are found, as well as spores of clubmoss Lyco-podium clavatum. Judging from the pollen spectra, the territory wasdominated by pine and birch forest (Palynocomplex 1 e PC 1).
Pollen spectra recovered from the upper horizon of the LowerKarginian paleosol (3.3e3.6 m) feature an increase in spruce pollenproportion (up to 15%), while birch pollen is less abundant. Herbpollen (Chichoriaceae, Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae) and sporesform a sizable part of pollen assemblage. Areas of forest around thesite seem to shrink and give way to meadow phytocoenoses andwetlands (PC 2).
Pollen assemblages from overlying sandy loam (2.1e3.3 m)display a slightly higher number of pine pollen grains and adecrease in Asteraceae pollen. Forest species, such as clubmoss (L.clavatum) are replaced by forest-tundra Lycopodium annotinum,Lycopodium alpinum,Ophioglossum. A slightly higher amount of treeand shrub pollen in the gleyed horizon (at 2.6 m depth) arenoticeable in this horizon, along with the appearance of Abies.Meadow and tundra plant assemblages somewhat enlarged theirranges (PC 3).
In the lower part of the Upper Karginian paleosol and near thetop of underlying compact brownish sandy loam (depth 1.7e2.1 m)the proportion of spruce markedly increases (up to 55%). Dominantare pollen of Picea, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus sect. Cembrae. There arealso occasional grains of birch and fir pollen. Among herb pollen areAsteraceae, Artemisia, Plumbaginaceae, Caryophyllaceae. Spores arerepresented by Botrichium, Polypodiaceae, Lycopodium selago,Ophioglossum, Hepaticae e typical inhabitants of wet forest glades,meadows, shrublands and open forests. At that time forested areasalternated with patches of meadows and wetlands (PC 4).
The pollen assemblages extracted from the uppermost part ofthe paleosol and overlying deposits (1.4e1.7 m) show a noticeable
Fig. 2. Location of the excavation areas. 1. BN I Site Locus 1 (2004e2005 excavation point). 2. BN I Site Locus 2 (2009e2011 excavation point). 3. BNII Site (2004 excavation point). 4.Basic stratigraphic confirmation point (2003 excavation point).
Fig. 3. Positions of dated charcoal samples and typical artifacts on eastern stratigraphic profile of the Bol’shoj Naryn I site (1: wedge shaped core, 2: notched scraper, History, IrkutskState University, Irkutsk, Russiask, Russiablade, 9: drill, 11, 12, 13: small blade, 15: scraper, 14, 16, 20: end scraper, 17, 19: small core, 18: point scraper).
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155148
Fig. 4. Pollen and spore diagram of Locus 2 of the Bol’shoj Naryn I site.
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155 149
reduction in arboreal pollen. Abies pollen disappears completelyand Pinus sect. Cembra becomesmuch less abundant. An increase inthe number of Sphagnum and L. alpinum spores is noted, whilespores of Ophioglossum, L. selago fade away. Pollen assemblages
from the lowermost part of the sandy loam overlying the UpperKarginian paleosol are dominated by Polypodiaceae (up to 60%).The upper part of the soil developed under conditions of a colderand more continental climate than the lower part. At that time
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155150
forest-tundra communities were dominant. The forests were sparseand consisted of spruce and Pinus sibirica. Some areas of the forestseem to turn into wetlands (PC 5).
The overlying sandy loess layers (0.7e1.4m) display a noticeablyreduced proportion of spores in the pollen spectra, along with aslight increase in the quantity of pine pollen. Pollen assemblagesextracted from gleyed horizons (at depths of 0.9 m and 1.3 m)reveal an increase in proportion of arboreal pollen and a presenceof Abies. Wetlands become gradually reduced in area as the climatebecomes more and more dry (PC 6).
Pollen spectra from the upper part of the sequence (0e0.7 mfrom the top) are noted for a sharp increase (up to 75%) in herbpollen content (Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia, Ephedra).Spruce and fir pollen practically disappear. The areawas dominatedbymeadow and steppe plant communities characteristic of the LatePleistocene maximum cooling (PC 7). The driest and coldest con-ditions existed at the time the upper part of sandy loess layers (to adepth of 0.7 m) were deposited.
The optimum climatic conditions for forest types of vegetationexisted during intervals when the lower horizons of the paleosoldeveloped: the early Karginian time was marked by pine-birchforests, and the late Karginian e by spruceepine forests. A slight
Table 1Mollusc remains from the Upper Karginian paleosols of Locus 2 of the Bol’shoj Naryn I site.
Each value shows the NISP (Numberr of Identifed Specimens).
increase in forested area is noted at the time of development ofgleyed horizons. The wetland phytocenoses were widely distrib-uted around the site during the deposition of the upper half of thelate Karginian paleosol and the overlying sandy loam. It seems quitepossible that the upper part of the paleosol was essentiallydisturbed by solifluction processes.
As far as we can judge from the palynological data, the upperpart of the paleosol developed under conditions of a colder andmore continental climate than the lower part. At that time forest-tundra communities were dominant, the forests were of opentype, partly waterlogged and turned to wetlands. During formationof the lower part of the Upper Karginian paleosol, the forest com-munities consisted of fir and birch trees and alternated withpatches of meadow and wetland plant communities.
5. Faunal remains
All the artifacts and animal remains recovered from the paleosollayers were meticulously documented, their 3D coordinates havingbeen recorded. During the 2010 and 2011 excavations small
mammal remains were collected from paleosol layers 5 cm thickeach using water sieving through 1 mm mesh. In this way, thenumber of faunal remains rose to 2464mollusk shells,111 birds andover 10,800 mammals.
5.1. Mollusks
2464 micro-snails and the shells of three keelback slugs(Limacidae) were collected using water sieving from the paleosollayer of the Bol’shoj Naryn I Site (locus 2) in 2010. In particular,shells of six land species and two freshwater species of spiral shellswere identified in the materials recovered from the upper andmiddle portions of the paleosol layer (Table 1). It appears, however,that the overwhelmingmajority of the fossils are just the three landsnail species of Pupilla muscorum, Succinella oblonga and Valloniatenuilabris. Upon comparisons with the ecology of modern species,the fossil species composition suggests the grassland and forestlandscape around the site at the time the paleosol layers formed.Noteworthy, that a mollusk fauna remarkably similar to the abovewas recovered from a paleosol layer dated at ca. 27,000e30,000years BP in the Gornovo region in the Southern Urals (Danukalovaet al., 2002).
Therefore, the Mollusca species composition testified that theclimate was temperate and humid during the Upper Karginian soilformation. The environments of the Karginian interstadial weremore severe continental in the Fore-Baikal region than in Europeand in the Southern Urals.
5.2. Birds
111 bird remains were also collected from paleosol layers of theBol’shoj Naryn I Site locus 2 through water sieving. The contents,including data of 3 species and 1 genus, are listed in Table 2. Willowgrouse (Lagopus lagopus) is the representative bird species of themammoth fauna complex e inhabitants of tundra. Closely relatedspecies to the Swinhoe’s snipe (Gallinago cf.megala) are also seen asspecies that inhabited the tundra or the tundra steppe. Meanwhile,species closely related to the yellowhammer (Emberiza cf. citrinella)are also likely typical forest-steppe inhabitants. Based on the recentecology of Gallinago megala, it is highly probable that the samespecies inhabited shrub areas at the edge of woods that borderedthe grasslands.
Table 2Bird remains from the Upper Karginian paleosols of Locus 2 of the Bol’shoj Naryn I site.
Each value in upper row show the NISP (Number of Identified Specimens), value in lower row shows the MNI(Minimum Number of Individuals).
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155 151
Thus species composition of birds indicates the existence oftundra-forest-steppes around the Bol’shoj Naryn site in Karginianinterstadial.
5.3. Mammals
The Number of Identified Specimens (NISP) and the MinimumNumber of Individuals (MNI) have been calculated (taking intoaccount differences in side, age and size) for large land mammalremains collected during five excavation seasons. The results arelisted in Table 3. As stated in earlier papers (Sato et al., 2008), re-mains of horse (Equus sp.) and steppe bison (Bison priscus) mark-edly stand out among medium to large animal fossils excavatedthus far from this site. Of the cold-tolerant species well adapted tocolder conditions, including structural species of the mammothfauna complex, only a small number of arctic fox (Alopex lagopus)
Table 3Mammal remains hand-picked from the Bol’shoj Naryn site.
Taxon English name Site number and the investi
I
2004 2005
Ochotona sp. Pikas 11
Lepus timidus (L.) Mountain Hare 91
Gulo Gulo (L.) Wolverine 11
Alopex lagopus (L.) Arctic Fox
Cervidae Deers 21
Bison cf. priscus (Boj.) Bison or relatives 4 7
and wolverine (Gulo gulo) remains were found. Such a compositiondeserves a special attention taking into consideration the presenceof reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and arctic fox at the Mal’ta Paleo-lithic site dated to 21,770 BP (that is, close to the Sartan glacialmaximum) and located about 130 km south west of the Bol’shojNaryn site (Ermolova, 1978). Caution is needed, of course, in dis-cussing paleoenvironments based on the remains of wild animalsfound at archeological sites that also include artifacts of humanhunting activities, but the incredibly contradictive composition ofmedium to large fauna remains seen at both sites forces one tothink that this was due to extreme environmental differences be-tween the Karginian interstadial and Sartan glacial periods in theFore-Baikal region. Based on these differences in composition, itcan be safely assumed that the Fore-Baikal region was mainlyoccupied by tundra-forest-steppe during the Karginian interstadialand by tundra-steppe during the Sartan glacial period.
gative year Total
II
2009 2010 2011 Subtotal 2004
1 11 1
1 10 101 2 2
1 11 1
1 11 1
3 5 4 91 2 2 42 5 2 18 4 22
(continued on next page)
Table 3 (continued )
Taxon English name Site number and the investigative year Total
Each value in upper row show the NISP (Number of Identified Specimens), value in lower row shows the MNI(Minimum Number of Individuals).
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155152
The composition of small mammal remains also indicates thepaleoenvironments of the Bol’shoj Naryn site to be not completelyuniform during the Karginian interstadial (Khenzykhenova et al.,2011). During 2010 excavation season, remains of 1 species ofInsectivora, 3 species of Lagomorpha and 16 species of Rodentiawere recovered by sieving from paleosol layers of the Bol’shojNaryn I Site locus 2. Table 4 lists faunal remains taken successivelyfrom every layer 5 cm thick. By going through every paleosol layersample, there have been established the presence of the narrow-skulled vole (Microtus gregalis), common vole (M. arvalis), Mid-dendorff’s vole (Microtus middendorffi), North-Siberian vole(M. hyperboreus), tundra vole (M. oeconomus), Amur’ lemming(Lemmus amurensis) and wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor).Considering the present-day habitats of those species, it may beconcluded that their environmental requirements are by no meanssimilar.
Table 4Small mammal remains from Upper Karginian pareosols of Locus 2 of the Bol’shoj Naryn
Depth fromthesurface (m)
Taxon
Insectivoragen. indet.
Lepustimidus(L.)
Ochotona cf.hyperborea(Pall.)
O. cf.pusilla(Pall.)
Ochotonasp.
Eutamiassibiricus(Laxm.)
Spermophilusundulatus(Pall.)
Cletruti
<1.70 11
1.70-1.75 7 3 11 1 1
1.75-1.80 211
1.80-1.85 3 1 2 11 1 1 1
1.85-1.90 51
1.90-1.95 1 4 3 21 1 1 1
1.95-2.00 4 3 1 11 1 1 1
2.00-2.05 3 81 1
2.05-2.10 111
2.10-2.15 2 2 4 11 1 1 1
2.15-2.20 4 3 21 1 1
2.20-2.25 11
2.25-2.30
Total 10 1 15 12 62 1 1 33 1 5 4 12 1 1 2
Each value in upper row show the NISP (Number of Identified Specimens), value in lo
Based on the ecological knowledge of modern species, the smallmammals unearthed from the Bol’shoj Naryn site can be widelydivided into the five groups as follows.
a. Inhabitants of open landscapes: steppe pika (Ochotona pusilla),long-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus), steppelemming (Lagurus lagurus), narrow-skulled vole (Microtus gre-galis), common vole (M. arvalis).
b. Wood edge and forest inhabitants: alpine hare (Lepus timidus),northern pika (Ochotona hyperborea),chipmunk (Tamias sibir-icus), Amur’ lemming (Lemmus amurensis), wood lemming(Myopus schisticolor), northern red-backed vole (Clethrionomysrutilus), grey-sided vole (C. rufocanus)
c. Intrazonal inhabitants: field vole (Microtus agrestis), tundra vole(M. oeconomus)
I site.
hrionomyslus (Pall.)
C. rufocanus(Sundev.)
Clethrionomyssp.
Lemmussibiricus(Kerr.)
L.amurensis(Vinogr.)
L. Amurensisout Myopusschisticolor(Lill.)
Dicrostonyxsp.
1 31 11 51 12 1 11 1 12 2 41 1 1
1 31 1
7 22 21 111 27 2 15 42 1 3 14 1 2 53 1 1 2
2 32 1
2 5 11 1 12 11 1
29 9 15 5 44 114 8 3 3 12 1
wer row shows the MNI(Minimum Number of Individuals).
Fig. 5. Habitat composition of the bird and small mammal remains recovered from the Upper Karginian paleosols of Locus 2 of the Bol’shoj Naryn site in 2010.
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155 153
e. Nival zone inhabitants: mountain vole (Alticola sp.)
The species composition of these various small animals in-dicates the climate was by no means stable and went throughrepeated fluctuations during the Karginian Interstadial.
?Alticolasp.
Laguruslagurus(Pall.)
Lagurussp.
Microtusgregalis(Pall.)
M. gregalis-arvalis
M. cf.arvalis(Pall.)
M. arvalis-agrestis
M. cf.middendorffii(Poljak.)
M. cf.hyperbor(Vinogr.)
2 41 14 18 1 42 7 1 2
1 1 15 1/1 3 11 1 6 1 1
4 7 2 32 3 1 1
1 1 6 1 31 1 2 1 22 9 1 171 3 1 6
8 1 2 112 1 2 2
10 4 4 44 1 2 29 75 1
1 191 5
2 8 4 1 201 4 1 1 4
9 12 1
2 9 3 114 1/1 35 6 5 622 5 2 42 13 4 4 19
In Fig. 5, species are divided into five groups (as shown above)based on the habitats of identified specimens of each species thatare shown in Tables 2 and 4, and the % MNI is displayed for eachdepth interval. As seen in the figure, remains of birds and smallmammals living in various environments are mixed within thesame paleosol layer. However, caution is needed in interpretation ofthese data, because of specific features of the topographic positionof the site: it is located in an area of gently sloping hills, so that the
Fig. 6. Jaccard and Sørensen similarity coefficients calculated for teriofaunas of the Baikal region.
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155154
sedimentary layers and paleosols are also inclined and are involvedinto mass movement downslope. In addition, the soil has gonethrough repeated freezing and thawing cycles after sedimentationand often occurs in irregular folds. As a result of those post-sedimentary deformations, objects of different age could occurtogether in a horizontal layer 5 cm thick (see Fig. 6).
As stated above, the Upper Karginian paleosol was dated oncharcoal fragments by radiocarbon. Several 14C dates thus obtainedfall within the range between 31,460 and 25,230 BP. Therefore itmay be suggested that the paleosol and embedded cultural layer ofthe site took about 6230 years to form, and the formation of everyof 12 thin lamina composing the soil took approximately 500 years.Fig. 5 shows the dynamics of relationship between five smallmammal groups different in environmental preferences. Belowwe’ll try to consider transformation of the small mammal speciescomposition during 12 phases of the Karginian paleosol develop-ment. Table 5
Table 5Dynamics of small mammal fauna recovered from the Upper Karginian paleosols of Locu
Phase Depth fromthe surface (m)
Estimated period(years BP)
Characteristics of small mammal fau
I 2.25e2.20 31,460e31,000 Open landscape dwellers e 30%, foremammals (40%) suggests rather coldlandscapes around the site, including
II 2.20e2.15 31,000e30,500 Proportion of tundra species is slightrecorded (6%). The proportions of inhhalf. It was a cold phase with mosaic
III 2.15e2.10 30,500e30,000 The phase corresponds to a climate wwhile tundra, intrazonal and nival sp
IV 2.10e2.05 30,000e29,500 The climate is noticeably colder: parParticipation of open landscape spec
V 2.05e2.00 29,500e29,000 A further cooling is marked by increadwellers is slightly reduced (to 44%)
VI 2.00e1.95 29,000e28,500 In common with phases I and II, dom(15%) decreased in number. The proplandscapes.
VII 1.95e1.90 28,500e28,000 Tundra species are reduced to 30%, aintrazonal species e to 10%. The env
VIII 1.90e1.85 28,000e27,500 Open landscape species gained in imrespectively) did not change, while twhen the paleosol developed.
IX 1.85e1.80 27,500e27,000 A drastic decrease of tundra speciesopen landscapes and forest species ilandscape pattern is still mosaic.
X 1.80e1.75 27,000e26,500 Tundra species continue to decrease (There is noticeable growth in proporlandscape pattern.
XI 1.75e1.70 26,500e26,000 The tundra species proportion is trebforest animals reduced to 53% and 2
XII <1.70 26,000e25,460 Open landscape species presence is nthat of wetland dwellers to 20%. A w
6. Comparison of MIS 3 teriofauna of the Fore-Baikal regionwith faunas of Transbaikalia and of south-western Baikalregion of the same age
As follows from the cluster analysis of similarity between faunasdated to MIS 3 and belonging to three natural zones in the Baikalregion (Kosyrev et al., 2012; Shchetnikov et al., 2012), the fauna ofsouth-western Baikal region had more in common with those ofTransbaikal region than Fore-Baikal region. That may be attributedto the fact that the south-western Baikal fauna was dominated byCentral Asian species commonly found in Transbaikalia but absentin Fore-Baikal region. Unlike the southwestern Baikal region andTransbaikal region, the fauna in the Fore-Baikal region includedtundra species. The distinctive features in the faunal assemblageswere due to subtle differences in the environments of the threenatural regions of the Baikal region. It may be confidently suggestedthat during the MIS 3 environments in which Paleolithic people
s 2 of the Bol’shoj Naryn I site.
na and climate
st species e 20%, and intrazonal species e 10%. The dominance of tundra smallclimate at the time of the paleosol formation and a considerable diversity ofsteppe, forests, taiga, meadows, tundra and wetlands.ly increased (41%), as well as of open landscape dwellers (35%). A nival species isabitants of forest and intrazonal animals (12% and 6%, respectively) are reduced bypattern of landscapes.arming. Species of open habitats make up to 54%, forest species are in excess of 18%,ecies occur in approximately equal amounts (w9.3%). Mosaic landscape pattern.ticipation of tundra (23%) and intrazonal (15.5%) species is more than doubled.ies fell to 46% and that of forest animals e to 15.5%. Mosaic landscape pattern.se in proportion of tundra (34%) and forest (22%), while proportion of open habitat. The landscapes keep a mosaic pattern.inant are tundra species (40%), while species of open landscapes (35%) and forestsortions of nival and intrazonal animals amount to 5% each. Cold phase, with mosaic
nd steppe ones e to 25%. Proportion of forest inhabitants grew to 30%, and that ofironments are less cold than at phases I, II and VI. Mosaic landscape pattern.portance (to 40%), proportion of tundra and intrazonal species (30% and 20%,hat of forest species dropped to 20%. The phase is less cold than I, II and VI phases
proportion (to 14%) and less conspicuous e of intrazonal ones (to 7%). Species ofncreased to 50% and 29%, respectively. That indicates a climate warming. The
7%), so do forest and intrazonal species, though less conspicuously (to 22% and 6%).tion of open landscape (66%) indicative of warming still in progress. Mosaic
led (21%). It suggests a climate cooling. The presence of open landscape species and1% respectively. The intrazonal species proportionoticeably reduced (40%), while proportion of forest species increased to 40% andarm phase, Mosaic landscape pattern.
T. Sato et al. / Quaternary International 333 (2014) 146e155 155
lived were colder and more humid in the Fore-Baikal region ascompared with the south-western Baikal region, while those in theTransbaikal region was dry at that time.
7. Conclusion and prospects
This concludes the report on the contents of fossil faunal re-mains of the Bol’shoj Naryn sites recovered during 6 excavationseasons since 2003. The remains of land snails and large mammalsstrongly suggest the widely spread forest-steppe environmentsduring the Karginian interstadial as the climate was warmer andmore humid at the time than at the Sartan glacial period. However,the pollen data and the species composition of birds and smallmammal assemblages indicate that the climate was not continu-ously warm even during the Karginian interstadial; there areseveral spots in vicinity of the site where cold environmentsresembling tundra could exist.
Some information on considerable climatic fluctuations andenvironmental changes during the Karginian interstadial was pre-viously obtained by studies of pollen spectra from Lake Kotokel (e.g.Shichi et al., 2007; Shichi et al., 2009; Bezrukova et al., 2010) andsmall mammal remains of the Gerasimov’s Site (Khenzykhenovaet al., 2011). But the study presented here is the only example ofintegrated analysis of various faunal and floral remains recoveredfrom the same strata at the same point in the same region.Therefore, the results obtained at the Bol’shoj Naryn site may beessential for understanding of the Upper Pleistocene environmentsin the Fore-Baikal region.
As mentioned above, the analysis of small mammal remainsextracted from horizontal layers 5 cm thick revealed the animalsdifferent in their environmental preference found together. It doesnot mean, however, that forest and tundra ecotopes coexisted inthe vicinity of the site. It is quite possible that faunal remainsdifferent in age appeared included together in the paleosol due toheavy distortions of the latter by cryogenic processes and repeatedfreezing and thawing. When comparing results of pollen analysiswith the composition of small mammal fauna, the discrepanciesmay be partly ascribed to difference in sampling technique: sam-ples for pollen analysis are of smaller volume and taken in a pointon the excavation wall, while faunal remains are collected from apaleosol layer horizontally extended over a wide range.
Considering the available geological and paleontological evi-dence we can conclude that living environments of the Paleolithichumans were diversified and the landscape distribution wasmosaic during the Karginian interstadial (MIS 3). The regionalclimate and dynamics of landscapes has been reconstructed withon average time resolution of 500 years during 31,460e25,230 BP.
With a hope to get a better insight into the problem, the authorsare working actively on radiocarbon dating of animal remainsdifferent in ecology though found at the same depth in the exca-vation. Once these results are obtained, the Fore-Baikalian climatechanges through the second half of the Pleistocene can be discussedin more detail. In addition, the ultimate goal of the authors’research is to understand how Paleolithic peoples adapted to theclimatic environment of the Upper Pleistocene. To accomplish thispurpose, the authors are also going to publish more detailed andinterdisciplinary excavation reports of the Bol’shoj Naryn Site in thenear future.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for ScienceResearch (A) (Grant No. 21251009, Title: “Overall Research on theAdaptive Behavior of Late Paleolithic Man in Northeastern Eurasia”,Head Researcher: T. Sato). Many of the staff and students of IrkutskState University and the Geological Institute, Siberian Branch ofRussian Academy Sciences also helped with the projects. We wishto express our special gratitude to them, in particular to Dr.Margarita Erbajeva and Dr. Sergey Kuznetsov who gave us materialand moral support.
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