Human adaptation to environmental and climate conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum

CO-LEADS: James King (UdeM), Masa Kageyama (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement)

Projet financed by the Fonds d’amorçage Université de Montréal - Université Paris-Saclay

This collaborative project aims to shed light on the dynamics of human migration under the influence of climate and environmental change by reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions in Northern Europe during the LGM, answering the following questions:

  1. Were the extreme environmental conditions during the LGM conducive to the establishment of seasonal habitats in northern Europe?

  2. Can high-resolution palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions during the LGM improve our understanding of the impact of climate on human migration?

The project is uniquely attractive in that it elegantly combines three complementary areas of expertise that aim to bring together cutting-edge geomorphological observations in the field, advanced studies in mineralogy and geochemistry based on precise geochronology, and state-of-the-art modelling tools to achieve the project's objectives, which are coordinated by teams from the University of Montreal and Paris-Saclay University:

  1. Identify the sources and chronology of sediment input into loess deposits in northern France during the last glacial period (DMG);

  2. Reconcile the transport of mineral dust and loess sediments in northern France with simulations of atmospheric circulation during the LGM in Europe by assessing the influence of extreme climate variability on atmospheric circulation, plant species succession and seasonal weather conditions;

  3. Estimate the chronology and seasonality of prehistoric settlement in northern France during the LGM in order to improve our understanding of human culture's adaptability to extreme climate disturbances.

The project will be developed jointly by research teams from both institutions through a series of exchanges and research workshops focused on the production and analysis of modelling results. The seed funding will enable a specific part of the above-mentioned spatial domain to be explored in a controlled and formative environment in order to promote student success.

The project articulates with the doctoral project: “Impact of loess transport on the suitability of human habitats during the Last Glacial Maximum in Europe .”