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The checklist of 34 marine gobiid species (Actinopterii: Gobiidae and Oxudercidae) with confirmed records is compiled for the Atlantic coast of Europe, including four alien gobiid species found in transitional waters or in the low salinity waters of the Baltic Sea. An identification key for the gobiid species known from the area is also provided. The latitudinal distribution of native goby species in this area is presented and discussed. Finally, the second northernmost record of a Gobiidae fish is reported, corresponding to Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770) from Tromsø, Norway.
Individuals of sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770), were photographed underwater in their natural habitat at Breivika, Norway, from October 2022 to January 2023. Of the 67 individuals collected, 58 were subsequently confirmed in the laboratory as P. minutus. Quantified coloration profiles were generated and statistically tested for the influence of substrate type, depth, time of day (daylight vs. night-time), and the sex and developmental stage of the individuals on the in situ coloration variability of P. minutus. Lateral body coloration showed a significant difference across bottom substrates but no significant difference for the factors of sex, developmental stage, time of day, or depth. Dorsal body coloration showed no significant difference across substrates, sex, or developmental stage; however, a significant difference was found for depth and time of day. This study provides the first detailed description of the live coloration patterns of P. minutus in its natural habitat, including a documented analysis of its qualitative variability in relation to background substrate. The found coloration plasticity highlights a sophisticated and rapid adaptation for crypsis. The ability to adjust coloration to both substrate and light conditions likely represents a significant survival strategy for this small, benthic fish against visual predators.
Climate has changed considerably throughout the Holocene and humans have continuously adapted to environmental change. However, research is not clear on how, to what extent and in relation to which environmental factors popula- tions have adapted. The mid-Holocene period c. 6200–2200 bce in Scandinavia involved the transition from purely forager-based (Mesolithic) economies to the establishment of farming-based (Neolithic) economies. In southern Norway there is evidence of a limited introduction of farming and husbandry in the Oslo fjord region in the early fourth millennium bce, and of foragers experimenting with farming during the Neolithic period. This paper hypothesises that short- term cold events (or Little Ice Age-like events) had negative impact on human demography in southern Norway also during the mid-Holocene. The current record of Little Ice Age-events is compared to a long-term population trajectory based on archaeological data, showing little or no negative impact on human demography during the mid-Holocene.
During the course of masonry restoration work at Stavanger Cathedral in southwestern Norway, numerous holes were discovered in rubble stone walls in the Gothic sections of the building. These holes were identified as putlog holes linked to the construction of the cathedral in the medieval period. The holes resulted from the use of scaffolding; remnants of wooden logs were found in all the holes, although in varying states of preservation. Detailed examination of the characteristics of these putlogs and holes provides new insight into the structural features of the medieval scaffolding used in constructing the cathedral’s Gothic elements, shedding light on the use of timber in medieval stone construction in Norway. A total of 38 putlog holes were recorded in the rubble stone walls. Of these, 12 samples were selected for radiocarbon dating of the remaining timber remnants. Apart from two outliers, likely due to reused putlogs, the calibrated ages of the conifer logs indicate two distinct building phases within the 13th and 14th centuries. The radiocarbon results provide new evidence for the different construction phases. The results have enabled a revision of Stavanger Cathedral’s building history, producing a revised timeline for its Gothic construction period. Evidence suggests that the choir and towers predate the city fire of 1272 AD , while the cathedral’s vestibule can now be securely dated to the 14th century, the youngest structural element of the building. The study demonstrates the potential of radiocarbon dating for reassessing the chronology of medieval stone structures.
