Hidden signatures of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Iberia: The pine marten (Martes martes, Linnaeus 1758) and beech marten (Martes foina, Erxleben, 1777) from Cova Fosa (Spain)

Abstract

Zooarchaeological and palaeontological records indicate that whereas the pine marten (Martes martes, L.) constitutes a genuine element of the European fauna, the beech marten (Martes foina E.) is a recent colonizer whose invasion was fostered by the spread of the Neolithic economies. In this paper: (1) we provide the first direct radiocarbon date for the appearance of the beech marten in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe, (2) assess the evolution of the abundances of the two species in the eastern Iberian site of Cova Fosca (13,360–4522 cal BC), and (3) explore the causes that may have played a role in the expansion of the beech marten and the retreat of the pine marten to the northern fringe of the Iberian Peninsula. Our study suggests that whereas the beech marten might have benefited from landscape transformations that the Neolithic agropastoral communities fostered, hunting pressure along with a combination of natural and anthropic landscape changes that took place in eastern Iberia after the onset of the Neolithic (ca. 5600 cal BC onwards) may have sealed the fate of the pine marten in the region.