Vegetation Maps of the Early Pleistocene Guadix-Baza Basin

Following a methodology based on fossil material, paleogeographic data and paleoclimate calculations allows generating maps of the Early Pleistocene vegetation units of Guadix-Baza Basin for both glacial and interglacial scenarios.

The resulting vegetation maps represent a great diversity of vegetation types in the Guadix-Baza Basin, with seven different units which change their distribution according to climatic changes, i.e., dry (glacial) and humid (interglacial) periods. During dry periods the dominant vegetation type is the steppe, with Mediterranean woodlands and deciduous and conifer forests largely reduced and restricted to valleys or mountainous areas. During humid periods, the steppes are replaced by open Mediterranean woodlands, while deciduous and conifer forests occupy larger areas in the mountain ranges.

For additional information check the publication: Altolaguirre, Y., Schulz, M., Gibert, L., Bruch, A.A., 2021. Mapping Early Pleistocene environments and the availability of plant food as a potential driver of early Homo presence in the Guadix-Baza Basin (Spain). Journal of Human Evolution, ----.