An international team, involving researchers from the University of Seville, the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences in Granada and the University of Huelva, has identified the first fossilised vertebrate footprints from the Quaternary period in fossil dune deposits in Murcia, attributed to the elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, known as the straight-tusked elephant.

The study 'New vertebrate footprint sites in the latest interglacial dune deposits on the coast of Murcia (southeast Spain). Ecological corridors for elephants in Iberia? published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, reconstructs the movement routes of megafauna during the Last Interglacial, some 125,000 years ago. This record of footprints in coastal landscapes provides remarkable information about Iberian palaeoecology.

The research was based on prospecting campaigns on the Murcian coast, in the areas of Calblanque and Torre de Cope, coordinated by Carlos Neto de Carvalho, from the Geology Office of the Municipality of Idanha-a-Nova and the University of Lisbon. The researchers Fernando Muñiz Guinea and Miguel Cortés-Sánchez, from the University of Seville, Francisco J. Jiménez Espejo and Jon Camuera, from IACT-CSIC (Granada), and Luis M. Cáceres, from the University of Huelva, participated in these campaigns. The team was completed by experts from Portugal, such as Noel Moreira (University of Évora) and João Belo (University of Coimbra).

Not only elephants, but also wolves and deer

Thanks to this work, the study has confirmed the existence of four areas with fossil footprints that evidence the presence of a very diverse community of mammals in a coastal forest ecosystem during the marine isotopic stage (MIS 5e) of the Earth.

The main finding comes from Torre de Cope, where a 2.75-metre-long proboscidean trackway has been preserved, consisting of four rounded footprints 40–50 cm in diameter. The arrangement, typical of the quadrupedal gait of elephants, has made it possible to estimate that the trackway belonged to an adult Palaeoloxodon antiquus about 2.3 metres tall at the hip, over 30 years old and weighing approximately 2.6 tonnes.

Moreover, traces of a medium-sized mustelid have been found in Calblanque. The trail, one and a half metres long and consisting of ten almost circular footprints arranged in pairs, suggests slow movements near water sources. An isolated footprint of a canid, measuring 10 × 8 cm, with claw marks, has also been found in this area, pointing to the presence of predators such as wolves (Canis lupus) in wooded habitats.

In addition, bifid footprints up to 10 cm in size have been identified as compatible with red deer (Cervus elaphus). Their westward orientation indicates movement through dunes and scrubland. Meanwhile, the trail of a young equid (Equus ferus), with footprints measuring approximately 10 × 12 cm, represents the most recent record of this species in the south-east of the peninsula.

Taken together, these data support the hypothesis of coastal ecological corridors for seasonal migrations, connecting Mediterranean forests with beaches in a more humid landscape.

Coastal corridors and Neanderthal life in the Iberian Pleistocene

The possible megafaunal corridors located on the coast of Murcia open up a broader reflection on the role played by the Iberian Peninsula during the Pleistocene. This territory would have acted as a climate refuge for fauna and flora, as well as serving as a route for large mammals, including elephants.

In this study, the authors establish a connection between these coastal ecological corridors and palaeoanthropology, showing a geographical coincidence between the routes followed by elephants in south-eastern Iberia and the sites with Neanderthal presence. These coastal areas would therefore have been rich in resources and key areas for hunting and subsistence for Neanderthal populations.