The Holocene is generally considered a climatically stable period, yet a prominent perturbation occurred around 8.2 ka BP. Evidence of its impacts has been identified in many palaeoclimate archives across Europe. However, outside the Atlantic seaboard, no clear high-resolution signal for this event has emerged from southwestern Europe. Here, we investigate the potential impact of the 8.2 ka event in southern France through high-resolution multiproxy analyses of two speleothems from the Ard & egrave;che region. Variations in Mg / Ca and Sr / Ca of the speleothem calcite are mainly attributed to the prior calcite precipitation effect and indicate switches between drier and wetter conditions. The delta 13C signal is likely influenced by soil development and biological activity, integrating both regional climate conditions and local geomorphology and hydrology. The pattern of speleothem delta 18O changes do not correlate with regional palaeotemperature reconstructions and is therefore more likely related to hydrology, such as variations in the seasonality of karst recharge and/or the moisture source. During the 8.2 ka event, no distinct geochemical anomaly is recorded by the Ard & egrave;che speleothems, suggesting either a limited climatic impact in southern France or a lack of sensitivity of these speleothem proxies to respond to an event of this magnitude. While the muted delta 18O response may be explained by its insensitivity to temperature changes and buffering by Mediterranean influences at the time, the absence of a clear hydrological response in Mg / Ca, Sr / Ca and delta 13C remains unresolved. Therefore, despite a likely southward displacement of the mid-latitude westerlies induced by the 8.2 ka event, the Ard & egrave;che region may have remained under their influence, preventing a marked shift towards drier conditions. Consistent with other records from southern France, the lack of significant changes in our results that time challenges the spatial extent and uniformity of the impacts of the 8.2 ka event across western Europe.

Recent and ongoing fieldwork at Bacon Hole, located on the Gower Peninsula, South Wales, is being conducted by an international team of researchers. This work includes pigment analysis and a chronometric dating programme focused on a vertical painted surface within a side chamber. The painted surface is considered a product of human agency, specifically applied haematite. Originally identified in 1912 by Professor William Sollas and Henri Breuil as Palaeolithic cave art, the painted panel was dismissed by 1928. In September 2022, the painted surface, along with other potential paintings, was rediscovered. In April 2023, the First Art team sampled the pigments for organic residues, while a team from the University of Southampton collected samples from several calcite flows overlying the painted surface for uranium–thorium dating. As a scientific control for the initial dating programme, the First Art team, in collaboration with scientists from Nanjing Normal University, conducted a second round of sample collecting and analysis in May 2024. This paper presents a discussion of the history and archaeological significance of the site, along with the results of the pigment and dating analysis carried out in April 2023 and May 2024.

High-latitude or high-altitude caves often preserve ice deposits that contain valuable signals of past climate conditions, sometimes even reflecting regional and local atmospheric variability. Phases of aggradation or degradation of underground ice can also provide insights into the temporal evolution of Alpine permafrost. Such data are typically obtained from ice cores, which require a well-constrained chronological framework to be meaningful. In recent years, several dating methods have been developed or refined for glacier and ice sheet cores. However, some of these techniques have not yet been applied to cave ice. In this study, the 39Ar dating technique using Argon Trap Trace Analysis is applied for the first time to an underground ice deposit in the southeastern Alps, specifically in the Canin-Kanin massif (Julian Alps). The results are compared with pollen markers extracted from the ice, with U-Th dating of cryogenic cave carbonates found in situ within the same ice block, and with radiocarbon (14C) dating of the water-insoluble organic carbon fraction embedded in the ice. This integrated approach enabled dating the ice deposit to the end of the Little Ice Age, at the onset of the subsequent warming phase.

The Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world, has witnessed green, humid phases in the past. It is clear that large areas of what is now arid/hyper-arid desert became vegetated, that currently fossil rivers flowed sufficiently to reach the Mediterranean, and that the African Monsoon is key in regulating this variance on the southern margin of the desert. However, what is happening on the northern margin, what regulates those changes and how the different northern and southern rainfall systems combine to affect the interior of the Saraha are poorly known. Closing this knowledge gap is an urgent priority, because climate models predict an enhanced drying under future global warming, but the IPCC give this forecast only “Medium” confidence and it contrasts strongly with those paleoclimatic records which indicate a greener Sahara during the warmer times through the Pleistocene. So, to understand what controlled the northern Sahara in the past, we use a multi-proxy approach using the longest absolute-dated speleothem records from Tunisia in central North Africa. This unique resource allows us to decipher periods of significant rainfall in this region through isotopic measurements and a direct indication of possible moisture sources through fluid inclusions. The records indicate a strong orbital control on past hydroclimatic changes suggesting enhanced rainfall during MIS 3, 5, 7 and 9. The fluid inclusions are consistent with a Western Mediterranean source for most rainfall, with some derived from the Atlantic. For much of the record, deuterium excess is highest in the samples with the most depleted d18O and d2H, which is consistent with some rainfall being derived from Mediterranean-derived high-intensity events, analogous to modern “medicanes”. High deuterium excess is also found during MIS5e, which is the only time the fluid inclusions we report from Tunisia are similar in composition to those we have already published for Libya, indicating an enhanced Eastern Mediterranean source occurred during the Eemian which is not reflected during other times of MIS5.

U-Th dating of associated carbonate crusts has been applied to date parietal art in Maltravieso cave, Extremadura, Spain. Known for its large collection of red hand stencils (>= 60), one example previously dated to >66.7 ka was taken to suggest Neandertal authorship. Here we present a more detailed U-series study of hand stencils within the cave, and place the results in the context of the chronology of these motifs worldwide. Twenty-two carbonate samples overlying pigment of hand stencils were dated from the cave's Sala de las Pinturas and the Galeria de la Serpiente. Minimum ages for the art range from the Holocene to the Middle Palaeolithic. Alongside published dating results from other sites, this demonstrates that Neandertals as well as modern humans could create these motifs.

<p>Gibraltar climate is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in a boundary area between polar and subtropical air masses. Speleothem proxy records from Gibraltar caves provide opportunities to improve understanding of the long-term interplay of climatic features of this key location at the southern limit of tracks presently taken by the North Atlantic depressions delivering rainfall to Europe.</p> <p>Deployment of logging instruments from 2004 to 2012 plus water and air sampling in two Gibraltar caves - St. Michaels and Ragged Staff - revealed that seasonality in speleothem growth rates is most strongly influenced by seasonally reversing convective ventilation that permeates the entire Rock. Average rates over longer timescales depend on drip rates (reflecting hydroclimate at the surface), combined with conversion into dissolved inorganic carbon of organic matter washed down by deep percolation into the epikarst and bedrock. The geochemistry of calcite precipitation is thus regulated by environmental conditions including net organic production by vegetation, temperatures and water balance. The monitoring results provide a robust foundation for palaeoclimate research. Data from twenty-four dated speleothems provide a palaeoclimatic framework with insights into regional climate as recorded by chemical proxies over seasonal to multimillennial timescales, over the last half-million years.</p> <p>Here, we concentrate on the last glacial period and present a composite record based on four speleothems: two from near present sea level in Ragged Staff (Gib 10d and Gib 10e) and two (Gib 06a and Gib 06b) from an altitude of 255 masl in St. Michaels Cave. The composite chronology is constrained by over 170 U-Th dates and provides a continuous δ<sup>13</sup>O<sub>calcite</sub>, δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>calcite</sub> and trace element proxy record of palaeoclimate from 100 ka to 10 ka, at a resolution that varies between ~5 and ~100 years. The Gibraltar δ<sup>18</sup>O record is strikingly similar to NGRIP but with a range of variation notably more subdued than other long speleothem records such as Soreq and Hulu that appear to have insolation forcing of monsoon strength as their dominant control. Our δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>calcite</sub> data show clear imprints of Alboran Sea SST associated with D-O cycles during MIS 2-5, superimposed on a general trend of higher δ<sup>18</sup>O during stadials and lower values in interstadials and interglacials. The latter trend may have multiple causes including changes in cave temperatures, ocean δ<sup>18</sup>O and isotopic disequilibrium during calcite deposition. Changes in atmospheric circulation are another possibility but currently difficult to evaluate as neither δ<sup>18</sup>O of individual rainfall events nor the GNIP monthly record show any relationship to modern synoptic circulation patterns. The δ<sup>13</sup>C record is interpreted as signaling changes in vegetation and water balance. Higher δ<sup>13</sup>C values are caused by greater degassing due to lower drip rates and/or weakened net organic matter production and downwash during cooler periods with less recharge. The trace element records across DO events provide supporting observations.</p>

The principles of cave ventilation and ground air advection are outlined. CO2 concentrations were monitored every 2-4 h from 2006 to 2012 at twelve locations in two Gibraltar caves, New St. Michael's (240-275 m altitude) and Ragged Staff (0-70 m), providing detailed records of spatial distribution and temporal changes responding to transient meteorological conditions and seasonal cycles. Cave atmospheres are dynamic mixtures of external air and CO2-rich ground air containing soil-respired CO2 augmented by CO2 derived from oxidation of organic matter washed down into the vadose fracture porosity. The dominant feature of the cave air records is seasonal alternation between high and low CO2 states caused by reversals in ventilation and ground air advection into or away from the caves. The high and low pCO(2) states are tightly coupled between the two caves in an antiphase relationship, with rapid switching in response to temperature-controlled density differences between external air and isothermal ground air at mean annual surface temperature (18 degrees C). The diurnal temperature cycle modulates this pattern, producing four ventilation-advection modes. Summer and winter modes occur when diurnal temperatures are respectively entirely above or below the core temperature of the Rock. During transitional modes the core temperature lies within the diurnal range and pCO(2) fluctuates rapidly as the flow of low-CO2 external air through cave entrances alters in response. Strong easterly winds reduce CO2 concentrations in ground air entering the caves and progressively lower cave air CO2. The effects of the CO2 regime on delta C-13 in speleothem are restricted to variations of 2-3 parts per thousand, suggesting that larger changes of up to 6 parts per thousand across major climatic transitions probably reflect changes in production, transport and oxidation rate of organic matter in the vadose zone. Direct observations of these processes would improve future understanding of the climatic significance of delta C-13 records in speleothems. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The chronological framework for Neanderthal occupation and demise across Europe continues to be debated. In particular, there is still uncertainty regarding the nature, timing and regional expressions of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition associated with the disappearance of Neanderthals and the broader expansion of modern human populations in Europe around 42–40 thousand years ago (ka). The geographical and chronological distribution of Neanderthal populations also remains difficult to evaluate owing to the practical challenges of directly dating human fossils at many sites, and the fact that a large proportion of Neanderthals sites lie close to, or well-beyond, the limits of radiocarbon dating. Cova del Gegant – one of the few sites in north-eastern Iberian Peninsula to yield Neanderthal fossil remains, associated Mousterian archaeological layers, and occupations related to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic transition – is a key locality for informing these ongoing debates. Here we provide a comprehensive chronological framework for the Cova del Gegant site using multiple radiometric dating techniques (uranium-thorium (U–Th), radiocarbon and luminescence dating), sedimentological and micromorphological analyses, and Bayesian modelling. This integrated chronostratigraphic approach enables us to reliably reconstruct site formation processes and history, and undertake improved correlations with other sites regionally. The results allow us to sub-divide the Cova del Gegant sequence into three sections spanning ∼94 ka to ∼32 ka, namely: a Middle Palaeolithic sequence covering ∼94–59 ka, a Châtelperronian/Aurignacian section spanning ∼43–39 ka, and a Late Aurignacian/Gravettian section spanning ∼34–32 ka. The Neanderthal fossil remains accumulated in the cave between the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5/MIS 4 and the beginning of MIS 3, during two different events dated to ∼72–67 ka and ∼60–52 ka. The chronological framework for Cova del Gegant is in accordance with that reported for other Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, and reveals a record of successive human occupation coinciding with a period of progressive global cooling and lowering sea levels (end of MIS 5 through to MIS 2). Sedimentological evidence points to the emergence of a coastal platform in front of the cave and indicates that local palaeoenvironmental conditions likely benefited human displacements along the littoral margin, and favoured repeated occupation of the cave during the Late Pleistocene.

The European climate during the Holocene period is characterised by frequent changes of temperature and precipitation. The North Atlantic plays a major role as a driver for European climate and is a dominant precipitation source, particularly for the western European and north African realm. Atmospheric pressure gradients over the Atlantic (North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO), Atlantic circulation patterns (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, AMO) or positioning of the Atlantic jet stream have been suggested to be responsible for precipitation patterns across western Europe. However, proxy data provide an inconsistent picture on how precipitation responds to changes in the Atlantic realm such as changes of Atlantic temperature (IRD), atmospheric pressure (NAO), water circulation (AMO) or the jet stream. Here we present a record of speleothem-based winter precipitation amount from Portugal. The record covers most of the Holocene and demonstrates that wetter conditions were synchronous in western and southern Iberia during early and mid Holocene. The record also shows a correlation between increased winter precipitation amount in western Iberia and Atlantic cooling, evidenced by Bond events, between 10 and 4 ka.

Based on previous radiocarbon and U-series (Diffusion/Adsorption) dating of bone samples, the Middle Palaeolithic has been thought to persist at Gruta da Oliveira until-37 thousand years (ka) ago. New U series ages for stratigraphically constraining speleothems, coupled with new luminescence ages for sediment infill, show that the site's-6 m-thick archaeological stratigraphy dates entirely within a < 30 ka interval spanning substages 5a-5b of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. Significant technological change is observed across the sequence, akin to that seen in the Upper Palaeolithic over similar timescales. Flake cleavers and bifaces, normatively definitional of the Vasconian facies, are restricted to a short interval correlated with Greenland Stadial (GS) 22, 85.1-87.6 ka ago. In cave and rock-shelter sites of southern and western Iberia, intact archaeological deposits securely dated to the-37-42 ka interval remain elusive. Geological dynamics (e.g., erosion, sedimentation hiatuses, palimpsest formation) and human adaptive responses to climate-driven environmental change (e.g., abandonment of now forest-covered low-and mid-altitude karst areas, concentration of settlement in alluvial plains and coastal settings) are possible explanations for this pattern. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Holocene climate in Central Europe was characterized by variations on millennial to decadal time scales. Speleothems provide the opportunity to study such palaeoclimate variability using high temporal resolution proxy records, and offer precise age models by U-series dating. However, the significance of proxy records from an individual speleothem is still a matter of debate, and limited sample availability often hampers the possibility to reproduce proxy records or to resolve spatial climate patterns. Here we present a palaeoclimate record based on four stalagmites from the Hüttenbläserschachthöhle (HBSH), western Germany. Two specimens cover almost the entire Holocene, with a short hiatus in between. A third stalagmite grew between 6.1 ± 0.6 ka and 0.6 ± 0.1 ka and a fourth one covers 11.0 ± 0.4 ka to 8.2 ± 0.2 ka. Trace element and stable isotope data allow to compare coeval stalagmites and to reconstruct potential climate patterns in the Holocene. In addition, Sr isotopes reveal soil processes and recharge of the aquifer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consistency of the proxy data recorded by the individual stalagmites and to validate the results using a multi-proxy approach. Due to the close proximity of HBSH (<1 km) to the intensively investigated Bunker Cave system, this dataset also provides the unique opportunity to compare this record with a time-series from another cave system in the same climate region. While the initial growth phase at the onset of the Holocene shows similar patterns in both caves, the data show an opposing trend in the past 6 ka, most likely induced by the effect of disequilibrium isotope fractionation, resulting in a strong increase in δ 13 C and δ 18 O values. The stable isotope data from Bunker Cave do not show this pattern. Trace element data support the interpretation of the HBSH stable isotope data, highlighting the importance of a multi-proxy approach, and the need to replicate speleothem records both within a cave system and ideally using other caves in the region.

Shell beads from Bizmoune Cave (Morocco) show the early appearance and continuity of symbolic behavior among early Homo sapiens .

Marine food-reliant subsistence systems such as those in the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) were not thought to exist in Europe until the much later Mesolithic. Whether this apparent lag reflects taphonomic biases or behavioral distinctions between archaic and modern humans remains much debated. Figueira Brava cave, in the Arrábida range (Portugal), provides an exceptionally well preserved record of Neandertal coastal resource exploitation on a comparable scale to the MSA and dated to ~86 to 106 thousand years ago. The breadth of the subsistence base-pine nuts, marine invertebrates, fish, marine birds and mammals, tortoises, waterfowl, and hoofed game-exceeds that of regional early Holocene sites. Fisher-hunter-gatherer economies are not the preserve of anatomically modern people; by the Last Interglacial, they were in place across the Old World in the appropriate settings.

The eastern part of Romania, bordering on the Black Sea, is generally poor in speleothems and only Piatra Cave has important speleothem occurrences. This cave is positioned close to the present-day shoreline, forcing the local aquifer to completely flood it when it rose synchronously with sea level. The flooding of the cave prevented speleothem formation. Conversely, sub-aerial carbonate deposition took place when the sea level was lower than today and the cave was dry. The study of speleothems from Piatra Cave could bring more insight on past Black Sea level fluctuations, as well as on the isotopic composition of percolating water. Some 50 km to the south of Piatra Cave, around the town of Mangalia, botryoidal calcite has been deposited inside small voids formed between Sarmatian limestone beds. Such calcite formations are considered to form close to the water table, at the contact with the underground atmosphere. If so, they could be used to track the position of past water tables, as well as the isotopic composition of those waters. Moreover, as these samples are found only close to the present-day shoreline, they might have been deposited from underground water whose level was directly controlled by the sea. Here we present the results of δ18O and δ13C measurements on 75 samples and sub-samples of botryoidal calcite. We explore the implications of their isotopic variability, by comparison with speleothems from Piatra Cave as well as to other speleothems from Romania. Moreover, we explore their isotopic variability across the sampling area, in order to better assess their possible use as sea level markers.

In the Central Atlantic archipelagos - the Canaries, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Azores - tsunami hazard is often regarded as low, when compared with other extreme wave events such as hurricanes and storms. The geological record of many of these islands, however, suggests that tsunami hazard may be underestimated, notwithstanding being lower than in areas adjacent to subduction zones, such as the margins of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Moreover, tsunamis in oceanic islands are generally triggered by local large-scale volcanic flank collapses, for which little is known about their frequency, making it difficult to estimate the probability of a new occurrence. Part of the problem lies in the fact that tsunami deposits are usually difficult to date, and few islands in the world exhibit evidence for repeated tsunami inundation on a protracted timescale. This study reports on the presence of abundant tsunami deposits (conglomerates and sandstones) on Maio Island (Cape Verde) and discusses their stratigraphy, sedimentological characteristics, probable age and tsunamigenic source. Observations indicate that four distinct inundation events of variable magnitude took place during the Pleistocene. One of the tsunami deposits yielded a high-confidence U/Th age of 78 center dot 8 +/- 0 center dot 9 ka, which overlaps within error with the 73 +/- 7 ka age proposed for Fogo volcano's flank collapse, an event known to have had a significant tsunami impact on nearby Santiago Island. This shows that the Fogo tsunami also impacted Maio, resulting in runups in excess of 60 m above coeval sea-level at ca 120 km from the source. Two older deposits, possibly linked to recurrent flank collapses of the Tope de Coroa volcano in Santo Antao Island, yielded lower-confidence ages of 479 to 390 ka and 360 to 304 ka. A younger deposit (<78 ka) remains undated. In summary, the geological record of Maio exhibits well-preserved evidence of repeated tsunami inundation, reinforcing the notion that tsunami hazard is not so low at volcanic archipelagos featuring prominent and highly-active volcanoes such as in Cape Verde.

The presence of rock and portable art on Sicily has been recognized since World War II. This record has been unanimously attributed to the Upper Palaeolithic in the published literature, based almost uniquely on stylistic reasoning. Here we present the first absolute dates in direct association with the Sicilian art record. These data provide new insights into the life of Southern European hunter-gatherers and their relationships with coeval groups from Western Europe, contributing a fresh perspective on the ongoing discussion about the development and co-existence of different art traditions in Europe during the final phases of the Pleistocene and at the beginning of the Holocene.

The Carpathian island-type glaciokarst has a great potential of preserving signals of past environments, archived in cave deposits like speleothems and clastic infills. We present here the geomorphology and structural control of several relict alpine caves and the surrounding glaciated marble karst in the Fagara. Mountains. Four truncated and partially unroofed caves remained on the ridge-top of Museteica Mountain, above the glacial cirque, while a ponor cave that developed on the cirque bottom could be related to the Last Glacial Period. Structural measurements and cave morphology showed that the conduits formed at the intersection of foliation planes and tectonic fractures on the NE-SW and NW-SE directions. Cave development reflects three speleogenetic stages: 1) texture- and fabric-controlled dissolution and distension; 2) structurally-controlled breakdown; and 3) truncation, unroofing, and cave infilling with sediments. Slow diffuse dissolution was typical for the ridge-top caves, whereas M1 Cave developed by pressure flow. Further, we report the first U-Th speleothem ages, related to the evolution of alpine caves and island glaciokarst in the South Carpathians during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Dating results show a minimum estimated age of similar to 560 ka for the ridge-top caves, and that speleothem deposition met optimal conditions only during warmer periods, largely corresponding to interglacials. Stable carbon isotope values in speleothems range between-9.96% and-4.11%, indicating the presence of plant and soil organic activity at the time of deposition. In total, five speleothem growth phases were distinguished during the last similar to 560 ka. We excavated the sediment infill of a ridge-top doline down to a 2-m depth. Radiocarbon dating revealed that it was deposited during the Late Holocene, and preliminary pollen analysis identified a plant assemblage dominated by grasses. Using the relationships between karst development, glaciation, and cave sedimentary archives, we present a time slice chronology of alpine landscape evolution at >560 ka, similar to 400 ka, similar to 330 ka, the Last Glacial Period (70-12 ka), and the Late Holocene. Our geomorphological, isotopic, and geochronological results also support the existing hypothesis that the South Carpathians may have experienced at least two glacial phases during the Pleistocene. Glacial erosion rate during the Last Glacial Period, and most likely during the penultimate glaciation, averages around 0.6 mm yr(-1). (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maltravieso cave (Estremadura, Spain) was recently the subject of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy of 8 figures (four hand stencils, a red horse figure, a black bull figure, a pair of black lines, and a pair of brown lines). These artistic representations are composed of different colors including red, brown, and black figures. The analyses showed that different naturally occurred material compounds in the cave (such as kaolinite) were used in the creation of the ochre to obtain different hues. Hand stencils are made of earth pigment that is naturally present in the cave which contained hematite, magnetite, and goethite as chromophores material. The red horse figure was made with kaolinite-based ochre. The black bull figure was made with charcoal (identified with Raman spectroscopy). The pigmental composition analyses show that they are composed of the same natural matter found inside the cave. Our results suggest that different paintings in the cave have been produced by different techniques and these techniques are linked to different chronological periods.La grotte de Maltravieso (Estremadura, Espagne) a récemment fait l’objet d’une spectroscopie ATR-FTIR de 8 figures (quatre pochoirs de main, une figure de cheval rouge, une figure de taureau noir, une paire de lignes noires et une paire de lignes brunes). Ces représentations artistiques sont composées de différentes couleurs, dont des figures rouges, brunes et noires. Les analyses ont montré que différents composés matériels présents naturellement dans la grotte (comme la kaolinite) ont été utilisés dans la création de l’ocre pour obtenir différentes teintes. Les pochoirs de main sont faits de pigments naturellement présents dans la grotte et contenant de l’hématite, de la magnétite et de la goethite comme matériaux chromophores. La figure du cheval rouge a été réalisée avec de l’ocre à base de kaolinite. La figure du taureau noir a été réalisée avec du charbon de bois (identifié par spectroscopie Raman). Les analyses de la composition pigmentaire montrent que les pigments sont composés de la même matière naturelle que celle trouvée à l’intérieur de la grotte. Nos résultats suggèrent que les différentes peintures de la grotte ont été produites par différentes techniques et que ces techniques sont liées à des périodes chronologiques différentes.

Central Africa is known as a major center of diversification for extant Old World Monkeys (OWM) and yet has a poorly documented fossil record of monkeys. Here we report a new colobine monkey (Cercopithecoides bruneti sp. nov.) from the Central African hominin-bearing fossiliferous area of Toros-Menalla, Chad at ca. 7 Ma. In addition to filling a gap in the spatial and temporal record of early OWM evolutionary history, we assess the ecomorphological diversity of early OWM by providing evidence on the onset of a folivorous diet and a partial reacquisition of terrestrial locomotor habits among Miocene colobines. We also support the phylogenetic affinities of the genus Cercopithecoides among the stem group of the extant African colobine monkeys.