The Sichuan Basin was a part of the Yangtze Carbonate Platform (YCP) during the Cambrian–Ordovician, and marine carbonates were deposited in the basin during this interval. Although previous studies have evaluated the paleogeography, paleoclimate and paleoecology of this basin, they have primarily focused on the paleoecology and biological evolution in the basin; however, analysis of paleogeography and paleoclimate is lacking. This study integrated outcrop sedimentological and magnetic fabric data to document sedimentary differentiation and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) within the YCP. The aims of this study were to infer paleowind directions during each epoch of the Cambrian–Ordovician and to constrain the paleogeographic location of the YCP. The northwestern, central and southeastern sides of the YCP were characterized by high-energy deposition (e.g. sub-angular to rounded intraclasts), medium-energy deposition (e.g. sub-angular to sub-rounded intraclasts) and low-energy deposition (e.g. angular to sub-angular intraclasts), respectively. The centroid D-Kmax values for the Early, Middle and Late Cambrian were 116° ± 52°, 145° ± 57° and 159° ± 62° from the present north, respectively; corresponding values for the Early, Middle and Late Ordovician were 169° ± 70°, 139° ± 73° and 91° ± 68° from the present north, respectively. Sedimentary differentiation and AMS results indicated that the prevailing wind directions during the Early Cambrian, Middle Cambrian, Late Cambrian, Early Ordovician, Middle Ordovician and Late Ordovician were 296° ± 52°, 325° ± 57°, 339° ± 62°, 349° ± 70°, 319° ± 73° and 271° ± 68° from the present north, respectively. The present study provides evidence for the location of the YCP during the Cambrian–Ordovician via the correspondence between the paleowind directions over the YCP and the trade winds in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The novelty of this study lies in the following aspects: (1) it integrates microfacies and AMS analyses to establish paleowind patterns; (2) it constrains the paleo-hemispheric location of the YCP during the Cambrian–Ordovician; and (3) it provides a reference for further studies of the paleoclimate and paleogeography of the YCP during the Cambrian–Ordovician.

The extent of glaciers in the western French Alps foreland during the last glacial maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka) has not yet been determined, so understanding glacial paleogeography during the LGM remains an open question. This study focuses on the glacial chronology in the western French Alps piedmont using 10Be surface exposure ages on nine glacial boulders and 12 erratic boulders. Results indicate an LGM glacier advance between ca. 24 and 21 ka. During the late LGM, a smaller glacier readvance or stabilization phase occurred at ca. 19 ka, which was followed by a withdrawal phase between ca. 19 and 16.5 ka. Our outcomes show that the LGM extent in the western French Alps was similar or slightly less extensive than the pre-LGM ice extents during the last glacial. Such paleogeography has also been suggested in the western Italian Alps, which share the same accumulation zone with the western French Alps glaciers. The LGM dynamic of the western French Alps foreland glaciers highlighted by our exposure ages is consistent with the timing of the LGM glacier advances and deglaciation with the western Italian ice lobes.

This paper describes the results of research at Volchia Griva, the largest site in Asia containing mammoth fauna in situ. It is situated in the south of the West Siberian Plain in the Baraba forest-steppe zone, and occupies an area of several hectares. Analysis of sediments and taphonomy of the site allows us to suggest that thousands of megafaunal remains were buried here in mud pits and erosional depressions. The favorable geochemical landscape of Volchia Griva attracted animals during periods of mineral starvation. This is reflected in the high mortality in two intervals, ca. 20–18 14C ka BP and ca. 17–11 14C ka BP. The results of palynological analysis of samples from the upper part of the Volchia Griva section made it possible to reconstruct the history of landscape changes of the Baraba Lowland during the MIS 2. Forb-mesophytic meadows were common at the beginning of this period, with taiga type forests. At ca. 20 14C ka BP, an abrupt and significant aridization of the climate occurred, which led to the degradation of forests. The mammoth steppe was widely developed, dominated by forb-grass association and with areas of alkali meadows and soils. Such conditions existed probably until the mid-Holocene.

The Lower Meuse Valley crosses the Roer Valley Rift System and provides an outstanding example of well-preserved late glacial and Holocene river terraces. The formation, preservation, and morphology of these terraces vary due to reach-specific conditions, a phenomenon that has been underappreciated in past studies. A detailed palaeogeographic reconstruction of the terrace series over the full length of the Lower Meuse Valley has been performed. This reconstruction provides improved insight into successive morphological responses to combined climatic and tectonic external forcing, as expressed and preserved in different ways along the river. New field data and data obtained from past studies were integrated using a digital mapping method in GIS. Results show that late glacial river terraces with diverse fluvial styles are best preserved in the Lower Meuse Valley downstream sub-reaches (traversing the Venlo Block and Peel Block), while Holocene terrace remnants are well-developed and preserved in the upstream sub-reaches (traversing the Campine Block and Roer Valley Graben). This reach-to-reach spatial variance in river terrace preservation and morphology can be ascribed to tectonically driven variations in river gradient and subsurface lithology, and to river-driven throughput of sediment supply.

Two lake records document Holocene changes in sea level, vegetation, and climate on the Okhotsk and Pacific sides of central Iturup Island, southern Kuril Islands. The sediment cores originated within tidal flats that subsequently developed into a marine strait which crosscut the island as sea levels rose during the early Holocene. Brackish lagoons and eventually freshwater lakes formed by ~7100 cal yr BP associated with warmer than present conditions. Past vegetation changes indicate a clear Holocene thermal maximum recorded on the Pacific coast but a less distinct optimum on the western shores (~7200–6100 cal yr BP). A gradual cooling toward modern levels occurred ~6100–3500 cal yr BP. Four prominent layers of coarse sediment found in mid- to late Holocene lake deposits may correspond to intervals of climate cooling/dune formation previously documented in coastal sections. Although chronological limitations question the synchronicity of these events across the south Russian Far East, it seems probable that they have a regional signature. However, the mechanisms responsible for Holocene climatic changes are likely the result of complex interactions of hemispheric-scale atmospheric patterns, marine characteristics, and regional feedbacks rather than simply fluctuations in sea levels as suggested in the current interpretative model.

Species distribution models (SDMs) for the last interglacial (LIG), the global last glacial maximum (LGM) and the Holocene climatic optimum (HCO) were generated for three extinct South American Pleistocene mylodontid giant sloths, Glossotherium robustum, Lestodon armatus and Mylodon darwinii. They are recorded co-occurring in some localities including Arroyo del Vizcaíno site (AdV) in Uruguay. Co-occurrence records were studied based on the overlap of their generated areas of potential distributions, and compared with the available biome reconstructions of South America during the LGM to analyze their distribution patterns, ecological requirements and possible interactions between them. Our results suggest that these sloths could have co-existed mainly in the Chaco-Paraná Basin and the plains in the Río de la Plata area. Areas of high suitability were observed for submerged parts of the continental shelf that were exposed during the LGM showing an overall increase in potential habitat compared to the LIG and HCO. This suggests that there was a drastic reduction in total available areas of preferred habitat at the end of the Pleistocene. The co-occurrence of these sloths at the AdV site suggests the presence of vegetation indicative of mainly open, cold to temperate habitats but with mixed patches typical of humid climates.

A Bison antiquus cranium and partial skeleton from Ayer Pond wetland on Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, Washington, date to 11,760 ± 70 14C yr BP. They lay in lacustrine sediments below peat, unconformably above emergent Everson Glaciomarine Drift (> 12,000 14C yr BP). Several bison finds in similar contexts on Orcas and Vancouver Islands dating between 11,750 and 10,800 14C yr BP indicate an early postglacial land mammal dispersal corridor with reduced water barriers between mainland and islands. New bison dates and published shell dates allow estimation of early postglacial relative sea-level trends for the San Juans, with a drop below modern datum ∼ 12,000 14C yr BP, and assist in evaluation of marine reservoir corrections. Emergence by ∼ 60 m is suggested by data from nearby areas. A tundra-like or meadow community and succeeding open pine parkland before 11,000 14C yr BP supported bison but horn-core reduction suggests suboptimal forage or restricted habitat. Expanding mixed-conifer forests after 11,000 14C yr BP contributed to bison extirpation. Dispersing ungulates such as bison must have influenced island vegetation establishment and early succession. Possible evidence for butchering by early coastal people adds significance to the Ayer Pond discovery, given its pre-Clovis age.

The Late Glacial landscape of the Netherlands was a landscape with changing geomorphology and vegetation. Glacial, eolian and fluvial processes in the time before the Late Glacial initially had formed the main landscape types that still existed during the Late Glacial. In these landscape types, geomorphological processes persisted, particularly during intervals when the vegetation cover was discontinuous. Vegetation development initiated soil formation and stabilised the substratum. On the other hand, the abiotic landscape influenced vegetation development, and particularly vegetation patterns.

The Late Glacial vegetation patterns, changing in time, have been reconstructed on the basis of a palynological database containing the data from over 250 pollen diagrams from the Netherlands. Patterns of vegetation and abiotic landscape appear to compare to each other in many instances, indicating the close interrelationship between vegetation and the abiotic landscape.

The marine Eemian (marine oxygen-isotope substage 5e: MIS 5e) is represented by shallow-water deposits in southern and western Denmark, while relatively deep-water environments occurred to the north and north-east, where complete interglacial successions seem to be present. We present an overview of the marine Eemian deposits in Denmark, and discuss in more detail indications of climate variability, both for the late Saalian and within the Eemian.

Pluvial lake deposits are found throughout western North America and are frequently used to reconstruct regional paleoclimate. In Death Valley, California, USA, we apply the beach particle technique (BPT) of Adams (2003), Sedimentology, 50, 565–577 and Adams (2004), Sedimentology, 51, 671–673 to Lake Manly deposits at the Beatty Junction Bar Complex (BJBC), Desolation Canyon, and Manly Terraces and calculate paleowind velocities of 14–27 m/s. These wind velocities are within the range of present-day wind velocities recorded in the surrounding area. Sedimentary structures and clast provenance at Desolation Canyon and the Manly Terraces indicate sediment transport from north to south. Lake level, based on the elevation of constructional features, indicates that the hill west of the BJBC was an island and that the BJBC spits formed during simple lake regression. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the present wind regime (velocity and direction) formed the pluvial Lake Manly features.

Metacrangonyx ilvanus n.sp. is described from Elba Island; this is the first record of the family Metacrangonyctidae from Italy. The new species belongs to the M. panousei - group, and more exactly to the M. gineti - subgroup, previously known only from Morocco. This fact supports the idea of a multiple colonization process of continental groundwaters from the sea. It is hypothesized that the ancestor of M. ilvanus n. sp. colonized brackish waters along the coasts of the Tethys sea and survived the oligomiocenic fragmentation of Thyrrhenis. A persistence of the species on a fragment of Thyrrhenis in the Tuscan archipelago or a more recent colonization of the older part of Elba Island from the Sardo-Corsican plate during the Messinian salinity crisis is suggested. More distributional data are needed to delineate the evolutionary scenario of the genus in the Mediterranean area.