Quaternary

This commentary re-evaluates the study by Makó et al. which reconstructs dust accumulation rates from loess–paleosol sequences in the Carpathian Basin. Several methodological and factual issues substantially limit the reliability of their interpretations. The study reports linear sedimentation rates (mm a⁻¹) as mass accumulation rates (MARs) without accounting for bulk density, rendering their values non-comparable with established MAR datasets. It also overlooks a documented systematic bias between ¹⁴C and luminescence-derived MARs which are shown to differ by a factor of nearly three in Perić et al., a directly relevant synthesis that is not cited. Furthermore, the conflation of distinct sites (Surduk and Veliki Surduk) and the incorrect attribution of the Surduk section’s location indicate errors in basic site metadata. Together, these issues suggest that the reported “high accumulation axis” may reflect methodological artefacts rather than genuine environmental gradients. Improved methodological transparency and consistency are essential for robust regional reconstructions.

A Dendrochronological study of teak (Tectona grandis) was conducted at two sites in northern Chhattisgarh, central India, and resulted in the development of two tree-ring width chronologies. We examined the relationships between tree-ring chronologies and gridded monthly and daily climate variables (mean temperature, total precipitation and drought indices) as well as monthly soil moisture. We performed spatial correlations using monthly climate data and used the nearest climate grid point for daily climate correlations. Both chronologies showed negative correlations with temperature and positive correlations with soil moisture, rainfall, and drought indices. These relationships highlight the dominant role of soil moisture availability in influencing teak growth in the monsoon-dominated climate of Chhattisgarh. Based on this relationship, we reconstructed average soil moisture from February to October, extending the gridded soil moisture record by 62 years (1920–1981 CE). This reconstruction represents the first tree-ring-based long-term soil moisture record from central India. Our findings provide a comprehensive hydroclimatic perspective for a region lacking historical tree-ring data and demonstrate the potential of teak as a proxy for investigating long-term soil moisture variability. Further research using older samples from this species will enhance understanding of past climate variability and hydroclimatic changes in central India.

The chronology of the Petralona hominid remains a key issue in European Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropology. The recent study by Falguères et al., which reports new U-series ages of approximately 300 ka for travertines associated with the Petralona cranium, provides an important opportunity to reassess this long-standing debate. This commentary critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of that contribution, with particular attention to the treatment of analytical precision, geological uncertainties, and stratigraphic constraints inherent to speleothem dating. While the new data represent a valuable analytical advance and independently support a Middle Pleistocene age, the reported narrow error margins warrant cautious interpretation. When broader sources of uncertainty are considered, the results are best viewed as a confirmation rather than a fundamental revision of the established chronological framework. Overall, this commentary situates the findings of the new study within their broader methodological and historical context and underscores their significance for refining, but not redefining, the age and evolutionary placement of the Petralona hominid.