Sedimentary ancient DNA reveals Neolithic pastoralism and plant community interactions at Southern European high altitudes

The Neolithization process introduced significant ecological impacts, especially in Mediterranean mountain areas. We generated a comprehensive sedimentary ancient DNA record from the central Pyrenees, spanning 12.2 to 1.3 ka BP, revealing the earliest continuous presence of sheep (6.5 ka BP) and cattle (5.9 ka BP) in alpine southern Europe. This evidence suggests pastoralism nearly concurred with the Neolithic in the Iberian lowlands, challenging prior assumptions of only sporadic occurrence and confirming Neolithic pastoralist use of mountain ecosystems. A notable plant community shift arosed at 6 ka BP, with deciduous forests transitioning into diverse open grasslands. This change became pronounced at 4.2 ka BP, aligning with continuous presence of domesticates and a regional cooling climate, suggesting a synergistic relationship between past climate change and human-induced plant community alteration. These findings highlight the complex interactions between climate, human activities, and landscape dynamics during the Neolithic in Mediterranean mountains.