Auel - Frozen Forests -

: The data suggests that Neanderthals and later Anatomically Modern Humans were attracted to these areas by the abundant food supply. Crucially, researchers from the Nature journal study conclude that megafauna were not "overkilled" by humans but were instead victims of the drastic vegetation shifts caused by climate change. Ecological Resilience

: As the climate cooled toward the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) , the landscape underwent a "stepwise" change from these dense forests toward a "glacial desert" after 26,000 years ago. AUEL - Frozen Forests

: Large mammals (megafauna) actually reached higher numbers during colder stadial climates, likely because the shift from dense forest to open steppe provided more grazing material. : The data suggests that Neanderthals and later

: Insights from these ancient forests are often used in modern ecological research to understand the resilience of coppice forests and other European woodland types in the face of modern climate change. Coppice Forests in Europe : Large mammals (megafauna) actually reached higher numbers

One of the most significant findings from the Auel site involves the presence of (spores that grow on animal dung like Sordaria and Sporormiella ). These markers prove that the "frozen forests" of the Eifel were never empty.

The Auel records highlight how vegetation cover dictates landscape stability.