宁晋泊晚更新世孢粉组合及其古环境演变

宁晋泊是河北平原南部三大古湖群之一,通过LN42．5m厚沉积剖面的孢粉分析,获得古植物群演替达近20次,反映古气候变化具明显冷暖气候旋回5次以上,其中有2次寒冷期,3次湿暖期。结合6．4m以上~(14)C年龄数据推断计算晚更新世与全新世界线在7．5m,这一界线与孢粉植物群、古气侯与古环境等分异界线非常吻合。因此作者推断宁晋泊的形成、发展与消亡时代相应在晚更新世早期的温暖期,全新世高温期再次复兴,后被河流沉积物所掩埋而消亡形成洼地。     

西沙群岛晚中新世以来有孔虫生物地层界限及古环境变化

西沙群岛西琛一井和西永二井丰富的有孔虫动物群,揭示了第四系下限在两井中分别为210m和235m井深;上上新统和中上新统的分界分别位于236.5m和284.5m井深;中上新统与下上新统的分界分别位于289m和337m井深;上新统与中新统的分界在西永二井位于350m井深。 动物群的特征显示,两孔的古环境在晚中新世为泻沏湖滨环境;上新世至更新世早期,以水深较大的开放泻湖环境占优势,其中有几次大的海平面相对变化;第四纪时期,大部分为礁坪环境,后期出现一次水深不大的开放泻湖环境,尔后转为灰砂岛。     

宁晋泊晚更新世孢粉粉组合及其古环境演变

宁晋泊是河北平原南部三大古湖群之一,通过ＬＮ４２．５ｍ厚沉积剖面的孢粉分析,获得古植物替达近２０次,反映古气候变化具有明显减暖气候旋回５次以上,其中有２次寒冷期,３次湿暖期。结合６．４ｍ以上＾１４Ｃ年龄数据推断计算更更新世与全新世界线在７．５ｍ,这一界线与隐的群,古气候与古环境等分异界线非常吻合,因此作者推断宁晋泊的形成,发展与消亡时代相应在晚更新世早期的温暖,全新世高温期再次复兴,后被河流沉积所     

南海北部珠江口盆地PY30井早中新世-更新世钙质超微化石生物地层及沉积环境

本文对南海北部珠江口盆地PY30井早中新世―更新世地层中的钙质超微化石进行了系统研究,发现490-690m和1 040-1 170m井段化石丰度和分异度均较高,700-1 035m和1 179-1 809m化石丰度中等,井段下部1 818-3 478m化石稀少,种类单调。根据钙质超微化石标志种的存在,对该井的生物地层进行了划分。在490—3 478m地层中识别出12个钙质超微化石带或联合化石带,地层时代为早中新世―更新世,据此建立了该井的钙质超微化石生物地层框架,探讨了下中新统与中中新统、中中新统与上中新统、上中新统与上新统以及上新统与更新统界线划分的钙质超微化石标志。根据钙质超微化石总丰度、分异度及特征性环境指示种丰度的变化,划分了8个沉积环境演化阶段,从而讨论了早中新世至更新世沉积环境演化特征。     

3．2MaBP以来河北黄骅地区孢粉地层学与古气候变迁

依据河北省黄骅市八里庄村HB1孔孢粉、古地磁和光释光等资料,发现第四纪以来渤海西岸的古植被演变受气候变化的影响,也受沉积环境的制约.1.6-3.2 Ma BP期间河流发育时期孢粉不丰富;孢粉富集带多出现在湖相地层,而且持续时间短,孢粉贫乏带多出现在河流相沉积地层,持续时间较长;O.8-1.6 Ma BP期间植被以疏林草原为主,局部草原存在,古气候温和偏干.O.13 Ma BP以来,随着明显的古季风变化,孢粉丰富,气候序列分辨率高,可与海洋氧同位素分期对比;11 ka BP以来气候变暖湿润,为针阔叶混交林草原或沼泽草甸植被,3 ka BP之后为海退时期,气候变凉变干,植被由沼泽草甸演变为盐生草甸.尽管该孔是目前沿海平原深孔分析孢粉样品最密的钻孔,但是未能发现连续丰富的孢粉,可能与该孔位于相对较高部位,多与河流沉积环境有关;故而,平原区内并非每一个钻孔皆足以反映整个第四纪孢粉地层学的全貌.     

广东江门西江全新世有孔虫群落及其古环境意义

本文通过对广东江门市蓬江区沉积物钻孔产出有孔虫的鉴定与定量统计分析,结合沉积物中双壳类壳体AMS~(14)C测年结果,揭示了该区晚更新世末期以来经历了陆相-海陆过渡相-陆相的沉积古环境演变过程。海陆过渡相地层中的有孔虫分异度极低、但丰度较高,以近岸浅水种Ammonia beccarii vars.和Elphidium magellanicum为优势种,反映三角洲平原环境受径流影响强烈。位于同一剖面的多个钻孔横向对比显示海水最远达到江门市蓬江区弓田村附近。最大海侵发生应晚于7540aBP(日历年)。     

珠江三角洲晚第四纪环境演变的微体生物记录

珠江三角洲是主要由西江、北江和东江在珠江口湾内堆积而成的复合三角洲,自晚更新世开始形成。微体生物是珠江河口三角洲晚第四纪沉积记录中的重要组分,是重建第四纪环境变化极为有效的指标。本文样品取自PD孔岩心,钻孔位于珠江三角洲中部(113°28′35″E, 22°53′41″N),孔深16．7 m。代表约25 100年以来的沉积。PD孔中见有孔虫6属10种,其中以Ammonia beccani为优势种。根据地层分布特征,可识别3个有孔虫层位。介形类共7属9种,丰度较低,以Sinocytheridea impressa和Neomonoceratina delicata为代表,在5个层位相对富集。根据微体生物分布特征,并结合有机碳、氮以及磁化率数据,PD孔晚第四纪沉积可划分为6个沉积环境阶段。A．三角洲前缘阶段(-16．7～-13．5 m;25 100～24 000 aB．P．):岩性为粗砂、砂至砂质粉砂。主要含Ammonia属的4个种(A．beccarii、A．sp．、A．tepida、A．annectens),丰度均较低,其中Ammonia beccarii为优势种。不见适应于正常浅海的Elphidium属。介形类以滨岸类型Sinocytheridea impressa为主。出现少量双壳类。代表河口附近水深10 m以内软泥底质、受河流影响大、水体动荡的半咸水环境。有机碳含量和磁化率较低,同样指示低海平面时期的沉积。B．河口湾阶段(-13．5～-10．6 m;24 000～22 400 aB．P．):岩性为粘土质粉砂至粘土。前一阶段出现的Ammonia 4个种的丰度比较高,且出现浅海底栖分子Elphidium advenum和E．hispidulum,以及浮游有孔虫分子Globigerinoides sp．。介形类出现Bicornucythere leizhouensis、B．bisanensis、Alocopocythere goujoni、Pistocythereis bradyformis等适应水深较大的分子,而滨岸浅水分子较少。有机碳含量和磁化率相对升高。代表海平面相对较高时期的沉积。C．三角洲平原阶段(-10．6～-9．2 m;22 400～21 700 aB．P．):底部为一薄层花斑状风化粘土,表明曾短期露出水面。向上变为富含有机质的深灰色粉沙质粘土。不含微体生物和双壳类,反映不稳定的环境条件。由于海平面降低,磁化率表现为持续低值。有机碳和C/N比值很高,表明有丰富的陆源有机质输入,海洋影响较小。D．陆地风化阶段(-9．2～-7．4 m;21 700～3 700 aB．P．):岩性为1．6 m厚的杂色粘土,不含任何生物化石,有机碳含量极低,是长期强烈风化作用的产物,对应于末次冰盛期。E．潮坪沉积阶段(-7．4～-2．5 m;3 700～2 600 aB．P．):互层状深灰色粉沙质粘土、灰色粉沙和细沙,含广盐性有孔虫Ammonia beccarii和Arenoparrella asiatica,以及少量介形类,如Sinocytheridea impressa。典型的半咸水双壳类Potamocorbula amurensis较为丰富,另外还见藤壶和虫管碎片,指示盐度频繁波动的潮间带环境。F．上三角洲平原阶段(2 600 aB．P．以来):未见任何有孔虫和双壳类,顶部见少量陆相介形类Cypria yanchengensis,磁化率变化频繁,C/N比值较高,表明陆相影响不断增强,且环境条件不稳定。研究区晚第四纪古环境的演化是由海平面升降变化控制的。上述沉积环境变化序列表现出两次海进一海退旋回,分别对应阶段A至阶段D和阶段E至阶段F,相应于晚更新世和全新世的两次海平面上升事件。     

蔚县盆地吉家庄旧石器遗址的形成过程

泥河湾盆地发育着我国北方第四纪典型的河湖相沉积体系,因其间富集众多早-中更新世旧石器时代遗址为学术界所关注。本文对泥河湾盆地蔚县吉家庄遗址（JJZ-B和JJZ-E地点）的遗址成因进行分析。地貌和沉积物特点表明,JJZ-B地点埋藏于湖滨相环境的湿地或沼泽环境,JJZ-E地点则属于湖滨相环境下的沙坝沉积体系。遗物的多项指标（遗物空间分布特点、石制品风化磨蚀状况、石制品技术组合与空间产状特征等）分析显示,JJZ-B地点属于近原地埋藏,形成过程中受到微弱的入湖片流改造,遗址完整性较高;JJZ-E地点的遗物连同砾石被湖滨片流搬运至遗址堆积区,后期受到了湖水的淘洗作用,显示异地埋藏的特点。研究表明,泥河湾古湖在中更新世仍保留有丰富的古人类活动信息,湖滨不同部位对遗址成因产生重要影响;该研究对正确解读古人类对吉家庄遗址不同地点的利用方式具有重要意义。     

南海中央海盆更新世以来浊流沉积层的有孔虫记录及古环境意义

本文研究IODP349航次U1433站岩芯上部0～300m更新世沉积物样品中的有孔虫,目的是寻找深水海盆钙质沉积的证据并探讨其古环境意义。该站位于南海西南次海盆残留扩张脊,水深4 379m。沉积物主要由泥质、砂质及钙质软泥层组成,具明显的深海浊流沉积特征。结合古生物、古地磁和颜色反射率的年龄框架指标,确定本段岩芯年龄为0-2.23Ma,包含氧同位素MIS 1-85期。结果显示,有孔虫丰度变化很大,个体普遍较小、分选好,持续分布差,属典型的远端浊流沉积。不同沉积层之间相对应的有孔虫特征(如丰度和保存情况)不对称,可识别17个浊积层组,标志超冰期尺度的浊流活动大事件。浊积物的源区,主要为南海西北部河流以及南部的巽他陆架和婆罗洲-巴拉望岛以及周围岛礁,而南海东北部和西部陆源区也可能有所供给。远端物源的证据是更新世浊积物含渐新世-中新世浮游有孔虫属种,这些老地层多见于南海北部和东南部陆坡。因此我们推测,U1433站的更新世浊流沉积物,主要来自周边地区,部分原产于北部陆坡,可能以与现代相似的涡流方式被搬运至西南次海盆。     

湖南省大通湖百余年环境演化历史及营养物基准的建立

科学有效地治理退化湖泊需要知晓湖泊的演化历史, 并设立合理的参照目标(即环境基准)来及时评判治理效果。湖南省大通湖位于经济发达的长江中下游地区, 发挥着重要的湖泊水生态系统服务功能。在强烈的人类活动干扰下, 该湖近年来生态系统退化严重, 但其水环境演变的历史缺少详细的记录。研究对大通湖沉积钻孔的年代、烧失量、化学元素、沉积物总磷(TP)和沉积硅藻等沉积指标进行了分析, 重建了大通湖百余年来的环境变化历史。结果表明: 在人类干扰加强和气候变化的共同作用下, 大通湖生态系统及环境发生了显著的变化, 硅藻群落由中营养属种Aulacoseira granulata占优过渡到以富营养浮游类型Stephanodiscus hantzschii、S. minutulus占优的过程, 揭示了该湖自1980s以来显著的富营养化过程; 对应的, 其他沉积指标亦发生了显著的变化。冗余分析揭示出沉积物总磷(TP)和铅(Pb)含量是影响湖泊环境演化的2个显著变量, 这表明工农业发展带来的营养和重金属输入对大通湖环境演化影响巨大。利用区域-总磷转换函数重建了大通湖过去百余年湖水总磷变化历史, 选择1850s人类活动相对较弱时期的湖水总磷(50—60 μg/L)及沉积物磷的浓度(600 mg/kg)值作为该湖的基准环境, 为湖泊的富营养化治理提供修复目标。     

Genetic differentiation, structure, and a transition zone among populations of the pitcher plant moth Exyra semicrocea: implications for conservation

Pitcher plant bogs, or carnivorous plant wetlands, have experienced extensive habitat loss and fragmentation throughout the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, resulting in an estimated reduction to <3% of their former range. This situation has lead to increased management attention of these habitats and their carnivorous plant species. However, conservation priorities focus primarily on the plants since little information currently exists on other community members, such as their endemic arthropod biota. Here, we investigated the population structure of one of these, the obligate pitcher plant moth Exyra semicrocea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Examination of 221 individuals from 11 populations across eight southeastern US states identified 51 unique haplotypes. These haplotypes belonged to one of two divergent (～1.9-3.0%) lineages separated by the Mississippi alluvial plain. Populations of the West Gulf Coastal Plain exhibited significant genetic structure, contrasting with similarly distanced populations east of the Mississippi alluvial plain. In the eastern portion of the Coastal Plain, an apparent transition zone exists between two regionally distinct population groups, with a well-established genetic discontinuity for other organisms coinciding with this zone. The structure of E. semicrocea appears to have been influenced by patchy pitcher plant bog habitats in the West Gulf Coastal Plain as well as impacts of Pleistocene interglacials on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. These findings, along with potential extirpation of E. semicrocea at four visited, but isolated, sites highlight the need to consider other endemic or associated community members when managing and restoring pitcher plant bog habitats.     

The influence of climate and sea-level change on the Holocene evolution of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon: Evidence from ostracod palaeoecology and geochemistry

Coastal lagoons provide an excellent basis for the study of processes controlling the evolution of a coastal zone. We examine the relative importance of these processes during the middle to late Holocene through a study of an 8.5 meter-long sediment record from the Albufera de Valencia (Spain). We combine sedimentological analyses with investigations into the palaeoecology, taphonomy and geochemistry (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) of ostracod valves in order to assess the effects of sea-level changes, storm events and effective moisture on the evolution of a Western Mediterranean coastal wetland. The late Pleistocene sediments represent a subaerial environment, which was followed by a hiatus in deposition. The first Holocene unit (～8700–7500 calendar yr. BP) is composed of typical lagoon-barrier and backshore sediments, deposited when seawater intruded into the lake and the climate was arid. The upper part of the sequence (between 7500 and 3400 yr.) is characterized by two sedimentary units, which correspond to Holocene progradation phases and humid climate associated with an increased freshwater influx to the lake accompanied by several high-energy events (palaeostorms). Overall, the record shows that an arid climate prevailed in the western Mediterranean area between 8400 and 7600 yr. The main marine transgression and accompanying progradational phases occurred between 7000 and 3400 yr., which is confirmed by other studies of coastal evolution along the Mediterranean coast. The multiproxy reconstructions demonstrate that controls on sedimentation and palaeoecology in this Mediterranean coastal lagoon were complex.     

Les premières occupations humaines dans le Sud du Brésil : une vision géoarchéologique intégrée

Between ≈13,000 and 7000 BP, the territory of southern Brazil was occupied in a stable and diverse manner, with the main anthropic trace being in lithic material. Archaeological research has provided more consistent evidence of occupation in different environments and associated with different stratigraphic formation processes since the Late Pleistocene. Therefore, this paper proposes to analyse the history of the earliest evidence of pre-colonial occupation in southern Brazil from a geoarchaeological point of view, focusing on stratigraphic and chronological data and the process of formation of archaeological layers. Thirty-three stratigraphic sections were analysed from 31 archaeological sites distributed along the Paraná, Uruguay and Atlantic basins. Evidence of archaeological levels was found in different geomorphological contexts: plateau, slopes, valley bottom, alluvial plains and rockshelters. The results indicate that the oldest archaeological levels in the region were formed in the Late Pleistocene, associated with periods of fluvial incision that signal important changes in the southern river systems, characterized by the formation of alluvial and colluvial-alluvial terraces in the valley bottoms. This is followed in the Lower Holocene by widespread colluvial processes in the incised valleys, alluvium in the middle river courses and anthropogenic deposits in the rockshelters that formed the main ancient levels. In the early Middle Holocene, sedimentary deposits containing archaeological material decrease significantly, marking regional changes in lithic industries. The data indicate that there appears to be a threshold between deposition and archaeology in the Early Holocene, characterized by high stratigraphic resolution, where stratigraphic sequences show greater thickness and density of archaeological levels. Finally, the diversity of inter-regional lithic assemblages is clearly highlighted, marked by the predominance of industries on pebbles and blocks, the debitage of flakes and blades as a support for various tools in the interior basins and the shaping of small projectile points on the Atlantic slope.     

Magnetostratigraphy and sedimentologically derived geochronology of the Quaternary lacustrine deposits of a 3000 m thick sequence in the central Qaidam basin, western China

The Qaidam basin is a large basin in western China where the thickness of Quaternary deposits has a range of 2000–3000 m at its subsiding depocentre. This study investigated the chronology of the Quaternary deposits, including palaeomagnetics, biostratigraphic correlation, rates of sediment accumulation, seismic reflection surveys and electrical property correlations. The results give a full interpretation of ages for the sequence from bottom to top. The oldest sequence age was defined by the first appearance of Microlimnocythere sinensis Huang, and was placed in the Gauss Epoch, estimated at approximately 3 Ma by extrapolation of accumulation rates. The M/G boundary occurs at the base of the third fossil zone of Ostracoda (the first appearance of Qinghaicypris crassa Huang), or at the marker layer K₁₀ of the electrical log in the Sebei anticline area, considered here to be 2.48 Ma. The Olduvai event in the fifth fossil zone, spanning electrical layers K₄ and K₃ in the Sebei area, occurs at reflection layer T₀⁻¹ of seismic stratigraphy which could be stratigraphically correlated in the whole basin. The boundary of Early/Middle Pleistocene such as the Brunhes and Matsuyama (B/M) boundary, falls within the eighth fossil zone and coincides with electrical marker K₀¹. Two boundaries corresponding to Middle/Late Pleistocene and Pleistocene/Holocene occur at the bases of the 11th and 12th biozones respectively, neither of which can be correlated with seismic stratigraphy and electrical logs in the basin due to the lack of widely distributed lacustrine deposits since the Middle Pleistocene. The ages of the boundaries can be tested by deposition rates of different facies derived from the varves and synchronous deposits. As a result, geochronological sequences of subsurface stratigraphy could be established within a basin-wide area on the synchronology of seismic reflectors and correlations of electrical logs as well as biozones.     

The isotope hydrology of Quaternary climate change

Understanding the links between climate change and human migration and culture is an important theme in Quaternary archaeology. While oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes in high-latitude ice cores provide the ultimate detailed record of palaeoclimate extending back to the Middle Pleistocene, groundwater can act as a climate archive for areas at lower latitudes, permitting a degree of calibration for proxy records such as lake sediments, bones, and organic matter. Not only can oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes be measured on waters, but the temperature of recharge can be calculated from the amount of the atmospheric noble gases neon, argon, krypton, and xenon in solution, while residence time can be estimated from the decay of the radioisotopes carbon-14, chlorine-36, and krypton-81 over timescales comparable to the ice core record. The Pleistocene-Holocene transition is well characterised in aquifers worldwide, and it is apparent that isotope-temperature relationships of the present day are not necessarily transferable to past climatic regimes, with important implications for the interpretation of proxy isotope data. Groundwaters dating back to one million years, i.e., to beyond the Middle Pleistocene, are only found in major aquifer basins and information is relatively sparse and of low resolution. Speleothem fluid inclusions offer a way of considerably increasing this resolution, but both speleothem formation and large-scale groundwater recharge requires humid conditions, which may be relatively infrequent for areas currently experiencing arid climates. Both types of record therefore require caution in their interpretation when considering a particular archaeological context.     

白洋淀地区全新世以来植被演替和气候变化初探

 根据对白洋淀白4号孔的孢粉分析、放射性碳年代测定和野外考察研究表明,白洋淀形成于中全新世。晚全新世以来,随着气候的变凉变干,古白洋淀开始收缩和解体,但在人类活动的利用改造下,使逐渐解体的白洋淀得以保留下来。依据气候地层学的观点,并结合放射性碳年代测定,白洋淀地区的全新世地层可以划分为四期：即古全新世(距今11000—9000年),气候温和湿润;早全新世(距今9000—7500年),气候偏凉偏干;中全新世(距今7500—3000年),气候温暖湿润;晚全新世(距今3000年至今),气候温凉偏干。     

Late Pliocene and Quaternary Eurasian locust infestations in the Canary Archipelago

Meco, J., Muhs, D.R., Fontugne, M., Ramos, A.J.G., Lomoschitz, A. & Patterson, D. 2010: Late Pliocene and Quaternary Eurasian locust infestations in the Canary Archipelago. Lethaia, Vol. 44, pp. 440–454. The Canary Archipelago has long been a sensitive location to record climate changes of the past. Interbedded with its basalt lavas are marine deposits from the principal Pleistocene interglacials, as well as aeolian sands with intercalated palaeosols. The palaeosols contain African dust and innumerable relict egg pods of a temperate‐region locust (cf. Dociostaurus maroccanus Thunberg 1815 ). New ecological and stratigraphical information reveals the geological history of locust plagues (or infestations) and their palaeoclimatic significance. Here, we show that the first arrival of the plagues to the Canary Islands from Africa took place near the end of the Pliocene, ca. 3 Ma, and reappeared with immense strength during the middle Late Pleistocene preceding MIS (marine isotope stage) 11 (ca. 420 ka), MIS 5.5 (ca. 125 ka) and probably during other warm interglacials of the late Middle Pleistocene and the Late Pleistocene. During the Early Holocene, locust plagues may have coincided with a brief cool period in the current interglacial. Climatically, locust plagues on the Canaries are a link in the chain of full‐glacial arid–cold climate (calcareous dunes), early interglacial arid–sub‐humid climate (African dust inputs and locust plagues), peak interglacial warm–humid climate (marine deposits with Senegalese fauna), transitional arid–temperate climate (pedogenic calcretes), and again full‐glacial arid–cold climate (calcareous dunes) oscillations. During the principal interglacials of the Pleistocene, the Canary Islands recorded the migrations of warm Senegalese marine faunas to the north, crossing latitudes in the Euro‐African Atlantic. However, this northward marine faunal migration was preceded in the terrestrial realm by interglacial infestations of locusts. □Locust plagues, Canary Islands, Late Pliocene, Pleistocene, Holocene, palaeoclimatology.     

The Dry Holocene Megathermal in Inner Mongolia

The paleoclimate since 14 kyr BP (¹⁴C age) was reconstructed based on a 16.22-m-long sediment core collected from Lake Yanhaizi, a saline lake located near the northern limit of the East Asian summer monsoon in Inner Mongolia. Coarse sediments were deposited there during a shrinkage phase of the lake when sand dunes reactivated. These sediments have low organic carbon contents but high maturity indices, indicating that they were deposited in an arid environment. By contrast, based on high organic contents and low maturity indices, fine sediments were deposited during periods of high lake stand in a humid environment. It was in general dry between 8.0 and 4.3 kyr BP. The above dry and wet phases are consistent with those recovered from the arid-semiarid transition zone elsewhere, but are unlike the widely perceived humid Holocene Megathermal reported in east China and the newly reconstructed record in the alpine Retreat Lake in Taiwan. The discrepancy may be due to a relative insensitivity to humidity changes in these two areas since they have both been under the total influence of the summer monsoon. On the other hand, much enhanced evaporation over higher monsoon precipitation at Lake Yanhaizi reduces the effective humidity in the warm climate near the northern boundary of the summer monsoon. This also accounts for the fact the high-temperature Holocene Megathermal, as revealed in the Okinawa Trough and the northern South China Sea, is correlated to the dry phases at Lake Yanhaizi. Conversely, the 4-2-kyr BP coldest period in the Holocene corresponds to a wet phase at Lake Yanhaizi.     

The geographic ranges of Martes species (Carnivora,Mustelidae) in the Middle Urals in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene

Martes mandibles from Late Pleistocene and Holocene sites in the Middle Urals were identified to the species level using discriminant analysis. As has been shown, sable lived there in the Late Pleistocene, with its geographic range covering all this area until the end of the 18th century; however, its range started to reduce towards the north and northeast in the early 19th century. Over 150 years, the southwestern boundary of the sable range shifted by 3° to reach the current position by the mid-20th century. The pine marten appeared in the Middle Urals in the Holocene no later than 8000 years ago and inhabits this territory at present.