Stable isotope composition of Late Pleistocene-Holocene Eobania vermiculata (Muller, 1774) (Pulmonata, Stylommatophora) shells from the Central Mediterranean basin: data from Grotta d'Oriente (Favignana, Sicily)

Colonese, A.C., Zanchetta, G., Drysdale, R.N., Fallick, A., Manganelli, G., Lo Vetro, D., Martini, F. and Di Giuseppe, Z. (2011) Stable isotope composition of Late Pleistocene-Holocene Eobania vermiculata (Muller, 1774) (Pulmonata, Stylommatophora) shells from the Central Mediterranean basin: data from Grotta d'Oriente (Favignana, Sicily). Quaternary International, 244, pp. 76-87. (doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2011.04.035)

Abstract

<p>This paper presents stable isotopic results (oxygen and carbon) from both modern and Late Pleistocene-Holocene shells of the land snail <i>Eobania vermiculata</i> (Müller, 1774) from Favignana Island (Sicily). It aims to contribute to the understanding of climate and vegetation history of this region during formation of Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Meso-Neolithic deposits of Grotta d’Oriente (ORT). Results from both an evaporative model (FBM) and an empirical regional isotopic model (i.e. linear relation between oxygen isotopic composition of shells (δ¹⁸Os) and those of local precipitation (δ¹⁸Op)) indicate that the δ¹⁸Os values of modern specimens are mainly controlled by local temperature, relative humidity and δ¹⁸Op at the time of snail activity. Data also suggest that the modern snails are nocturnally active almost all-year round in the study area. The carbon isotopic compositions of shells (δ¹³Cs) of the same specimens indicate a diet prevalently (or exclusively) composed of C3 vegetation.</p> <p>The δ¹⁸Os values of Late Pleistocene specimens suggest that climate conditions at ∼14.2 ka cal BP were similar to the present day, in agreement with additional δ¹⁸Os records from southern Italy. By contrast, early-middle Holocene shells are notably 18O-depleted and suggest wetter conditions, possibly combined with a decrease in isotopic composition of precipitation source, compared to the present day. When compared with regional palaeoclimatic records a large-scale isotopic response to millennial-scale changes in atmospheric and hydrological conditions (e.g. enhanced rainfall) in the central-eastern Mediterranean is observed during the early-middle Holocene. The δ¹³Cs of Late Pleistocene and Holocene specimens are consistently higher than those of modern ones. For the Late Pleistocene, this could be reasonably explained in terms of water-stressed vegetation. On the other hand, this seems to be less valid for Holocene counterparts when the climate was wetter. Probably δ¹³Cs values result from the combination of distinct competing factors, involving atmospheric CO₂ concentration, seasonal water budget, vegetation type-cover and other carbon sources. Results reveal coherent relationships between regional δ¹⁸Os and δ¹³Cs, demonstrating that Late Pleistocene-Holocene land snail shell remains from archaeological sites may provide useful snapshots of past seasonal climate conditions.</p>

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Fallick, Professor Anthony
• Authors: Colonese, A.C., Zanchetta, G., Drysdale, R.N., Fallick, A., Manganelli, G., Lo Vetro, D., Martini, F., and Di Giuseppe, Z.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Quaternary International
• ISSN: 1040-6182