Amphibians and reptiles as palaeonvironmental proxies during the Late Pleistocene (MIS3): The case of Stratigraphic Unit V of El Salt, Alcoi, Spain

The locality of El Salt (Alcoi, Spain) is a key site for understanding the extirpation Neanderthals in eastern part Iberia. In this paper, we analyse an assemblage amphibians and reptiles from Stratigraphic Unit V (45.2 ± 3.4 ka to 44.7 ka), which corresponds one last regional records Neanderthals, improve knowledge palaeoecology palaeoclimate event. comprises three anurans (Pelodytes sp., Alytes obstetricans, Epidalea calamita), two lizards (Lacertidae indet. Chalcides bedriagai), five snakes (Colubridae indet., Coronella sp./Zamenis Natrix maura, Vipera latastei). Palaeoclimatic reconstruction, based on Mutual Ecogeographic Range method, indicates that climate was cooler slightly wetter than present day Alcoi area. Applying Habitat Weighting Method, infer area surrounding dominated by open dry regions, alternating with rocky areas scarce scrubs forest patches would have developed under mesomediterranean conditions. These results are not entirely consistent those obtained other proxies (charcoal small mammal assemblages) same site, suggest warmer drier We hypothesise these divergences may be partly related current wide distribution across A finding Iberia coincided aridification.