One of the markers of the Late Pleistocene is highly fluctuating climatic conditions, with the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka cal before present (BP)) known to be one of the coldest periods. This work explores how the environment of north-eastern Iberia changed in relation to global climatic changes experienced during the Late Pleistocene, specifically around the LGM. Small mammal assemblages from Cudó cave (Tarragona, Spain) were used considering their well-known reliability for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Based on the taxonomic identification and the taphonomic analysis, several methodologies covering both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to obtain the palaeoenvironmental information corresponding to level 107 and level 105 of Cudó cave (31.2–24.4 and 15.5–10.2 ka cal BP, respectively). The taphonomic results obtained point out owls (category 3) as the main accumulator of the small mammals. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction shows that both levels experienced colder (−7.2oC/–4.4 °C) and wetter (+848 mm/ + 586 mm) climatic conditions than nowadays. However, in level 107 the environment was dominated by mid-European species and rocky landscape, while in level 105 it was dominated by Mediterranean species and woodland habitat. These conditions are consistent with the trend in north-eastern Iberia following several climatic events before and after the LGM coinciding with the period of Cudó cave assemblages.

High-resolution pollen, dinocyst and isotopie profiles covering the marine isotope stage 5 (MIS 5) are presented from core MD952042 (Tagus abyssal plain, 37°47'N, 10°09'W). Both marine and terrestrial proxies indicate the occurrence of a Bølling-Allerød-Younger Dryas-like event at the beginning of MI substage 5e. The terrestrial Eemian stage coincides with both the lightest oxygen isotope values of substage 5e and the heavier ones approaching the 5e/5d transition. Accordingly, the Eemian is not equivalent to MI substage 5e, as the Holocene is not equivalent to MIS 1.

Remarkably, both pollen and dinocyst data reflect the same climatic pattern on land and ocean, and they evidence a succession of climatic events that the isotope signal does not identify. The Eemian began with a Mediterranean vegetation that was gradually replaced by Eurosiberian formations indicating a change from Mediterranean to oceanic climates. In the middle of the Eemian, warming conditions were interrupted by an event corresponding to a slight cooling resulting from an increase in precipitation over land and ocean. Finally, a warming trend characterised the last phase of the Eemian. The occurrence of small climatic changes during this interglacial is inconsistent with the dramatic variability suggested by the GRIP ice-core record.