Pinus sylvestris L. in the upper Pleistocene of the Duero basin (Vega Cintora, Soria, Spain)

Abstract

During some hydrological prospecting works on the River Duero banks (in its way through Vega Cintora, Soria) several vegetal fossils were found (cones, bark and wood), that are studied in the present work. After describing the site sedimentology, the identification of the vegetal fossils is undertaken. The presence of Pinus sylvestris and Betula sp. in this place (29.000 years ago - Upper Pleistocene) is pointed out. The results enlarge the palaeobotanical knowledge in the river Duero basin, otherwise very sparse, and allow us to precise the floristic composition of the pleistocene landscapes. Finally, the meaning of these results in the landscape at the end of the Pleistocene in this region of the Iberian Peninsula is assessed. In some ways, the studied site fills a gap in the paleobotanical information, not only from a geographical point of view but also chronologically, linking the holocene sites with older ones from the Middle and Upper Pleistocene.