The Gibraltar Climate Bubble – A Three-Million-Year-Old Legacy

Drawing on evidence from palaeontology, archaeology, and ecology, Prof Finlayson explained how species confronted past climatic disruptions in three main ways: by adapting, surviving, or becoming extinct. Major climatic turning points, such as the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary around 2.6 million years ago, ushered in colder and drier conditions across much of Europe, forcing rapid evolutionary change. While many species disappeared, others adapted, and some new forms emerged from ancestral gene pools.

A key focus of the lecture was Gibraltar’s unique position at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula, where its southerly latitude and proximity to the Atlantic created comparatively stable environmental conditions. Alongside regions such as the Macaronesian islands, Gibraltar acted as a ‘climate bubble’, allowing species to persist locally even as they vanished elsewhere.

Prof Finlayson illustrated this resilience through compelling examples, including what he referred to as the ‘magpie’s tale’, which highlighted the Gibraltarian origins of the Azure-winged magpie. Once thought to have been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula from East Asia via human transport on ships, archaeological and palaeontological evidence now shows that the species has existed in the Gibraltar region for around 60,000 years, revealing a far deeper and more complex history.

The lecture also highlighted Gibraltar’s extraordinary plant life, demonstrating how many species show long-term continuity. This reinforces evidence that the local climate has remained relatively stable for millions of years, with characteristics of a sustained Mediterranean climate already present deep into the past. Even during periods of intense climatic instability, such as the Upper Pleistocene, which saw widespread extinctions, including that of the Neanderthals, Gibraltar remained buffered from the most extreme impacts affecting the rest of Europe.

Prof Finlayson also described Neanderthal activity in Gibraltar, drawing on evidence from Gorham’s and Vanguard Caves. He outlined how Neanderthals developed novel techniques for the creation of implements, which were experimentally reproduced by Prof Finlayson and his team, demonstrating the high levels of cognition and technological capability of these early human populations.

Overall, the lecture showcased that Gibraltar represents a rare ‘climate bubble’ in a world repeatedly reshaped by climatic shifts, one that continues to provide invaluable insights into resilience, adaptation, and survival in the face of ongoing climatic variability and change.