Ecology and demographic structure of an extinct ibex population in late Upper Palaeolithic Italian Alps

Alpine Upper Palaeolithic contexts exhibit specialised subsistence strategies, heavily dependent onCapra ibex. Among them, the rock shelter Riparo Dalmeri stands out, with C. ibex dominating faunalremains across all occupation phases, spanning the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. This evidencepositions Riparo Dalmeri as a key site for exploring the interaction between human groups and C. ibexduring this period of significant climatic and cultural shifts in human evolution. Here, we present thefirst multidisciplinary study on Late Palaeolithic C. ibex teeth from Riparo Dalmeri, integrating directradiocarbon dating, stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O) and 87Sr/86Sr analyses, proteomic, and aDNA data. Wegenerated the earliest aDNA sequences for C. ibex and contextual evidence on mobility, seasonality,and sex ratios. We found that most C. ibex were local to the area despite consistent human presence.They reveal significant dietary differences between sexes as well as increased seasonality at thePleistocene-Holocene transition. Our results identify Riparo Dalmeri as belonging to an extinct branchof the ibex mtDNA phylogeny, offering unprecedented insights into ibex ecology and evolution thatresonate with present-day issues on the conservation of this species in the face of climate change.