Pliocene to Holocene records from Raciška Pecina Cave

The Raciška Pecina limestone cave situated in the External Dinarides has a sedimentary sequence spanning from the Late Pliocene to the present day. The deposition of speleothem layers, intermittently interrupted by infiltrations of clay and silt from the surface, contributes to a comprehensive chronostratigraphic record. The chronology, based on magnetostratigraphy, isotope-oxygen stratigraphy and various dating methods, including paleontological, U-series and radiocarbon dating (Zupan Hajna et al., 2020, 2021), highlights important milestones such as the Pliocene to Pleistocene transition and the precise identification of the Matuyama/Brunhes transition at 777.7±6 ka (Pawlak et al., 2024). The fluctuations in stable isotopes within the stratigraphic layers, which range from approximately 3.4 Ma to 80 ka, serve as indicators of environmental change (Sierpien et al., 2021). The stratigraphic layers also harbor a diverse fossil fauna that provides invaluable insights into past ecosystems. Representative fauna from the Early and Late Pleistocene (Horácek et al., 2007; Zupan Hajna et al., 2021), including Ursus ex gr. spelaeus (±72 ka) and the first known fossil cave gastropod Zospeum sp. (±2 Ma) populate the stratigraphic layers and offer insights into past ecosystems. In addition, radiocarbon dating of soot material in three layers suggests the presence of humans in the cave.