Micromammals (rodents and insectivores) from the early Late Pleistocene cave site of Bois Roche (Charente, France): Systematics and paleoclimatology

We present the study of rodents and insectivores from the 1995 season of excavation at the early Late Pleistocene site of Bois Roche (Charente, France). The site is a small cave with a low ceiling, used as a den by hyenas. It contains a large herbivore assemblage (mainly bovids and equids) with a smaller representation of medium-size taxa (cervids), many microvertebrates, abundant coprolites and deciduous hyena teeth, and a few lithic artifacts (Middle Paleolithic) introduced into the cave by gravity and slope wash. The rodent fauna consists of Eliomys quercinus cf. quercinus, Apodemus sp., Microtus gregalis, Microtus oeconomus, Arvicola terrestris and Dicrostonyx torquatus. Insectivores are represented by Neomys cf. fodiens. The most common species is M. gregalis which forms 93.7% of the total MNI. The micromammal fauna suggests an open landscape, with some vegetation mainly of the steppe or tundra type, with areas of water and more wet vegetation and some areas with trees. The micromammal association of Bois Roche is characteristic of a cold or very cold dry climate.