Unravelling land-sea correlations during the Pliocene-Pleistocene in the Mediterranean area

In this paper, we synthetised pollen, foraminiferal, and calcareous nannofossil data from marine and continental successions in Italy to investigate the complex dynamics of climate-induced shifts in terrestrial and marine ecosystems during the Late Pliocene and Early to Middle Pleistocene. Additionally, by focusing on three key case studies derived from interdisciplinary research of marine sedimentary successions (Semaforo, Vrica-Santa Lucia and Montalbano Jonico) we present concurrent evidence from both marine and continental proxies, offering a refined perspective on the environmental history of the Mediterranean. This integrated approach enhances the precision of reconstructing climate system interactions during critical intervals of the Quaternary, mitigating potential discrepancies arising from independent chronologies and methods of study. Overall, the synthesis and case studies contribute to a more comprehensive understanding the role of the Mediterranean in global climate variability, emphasising the sensitivity of the region to both continental and marine climatic drivers throughout the Quaternary.