Integrating Aegean Last Interglacial faunas into the Mediterranean palaeobiogeographic framework: New evidence from Karpathos (Greece)

Abstract

The Last Interglacial (LIG) or Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e, spanning 129 to 116 kyrs ago, is recognised as one of the warmest periods in the Quaternary, with global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) 1°C–2°C higher than today, sea levels 5–10 m above the current level and biogeographical range expansion of specific tropical species into the Mediterranean. We present new stratigraphic, palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographic data from the uplifted marine terraces of Kastellos Bay, Karpathos (Aegean Sea, Greece). Detailed sedimentological analysis reveals that the so-called “Tyrrhenian” terrace comprises multiple depositional cycles, with only the uppermost bed attributable to MIS 5e. From this unit, we document 64 molluscan taxa, including members of the “Senegalese fauna” and several species not previously reported from Greek LIG deposits. Ecological affinities of the assemblage indicate a heterogeneous infralittoral environment with mean annual SSTs of around 20°C, consistent with other Mediterranean records. By revising and integrating Greek species lists into a Mediterranean–Atlantic framework, we demonstrate that the Aegean Ecoregion forms a key link between eastern and western Mediterranean faunas and shares affinities with the Saharan Upwelling region. These results refine the palaeobiogeographic interpretation of tropical species dispersal into the Mediterranean and highlight the need for robust chronological calibrations of Greek LIG sites to improve reconstructions of faunal dynamics under warm climate scenarios.