Pleistocene climate change, natural environments and palaeolithic occupation of the upper Yenisei area, south-central Siberia

Abstract

The upper Yenisei River area is of major importance for mapping the Pleistocene climate evolution over Siberia. An extensive loess cover with a suite of buried palaeosols from the Northern Minusinsk Basin has provided one of the most complete, high resolution Late Quaternary palaeoclimatic archives in north-central Asia. The loess-palaeosol records indicate establishment of periglacial steppe-tundra during cold stadial intervals, replaced by parkland steppe and boreal forest during warm interstadial intervals.