Northern glacial refugia are a hotly debated concept. The idea that many temperate organisms survived the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ~26.5 to 19 thousand years) in several sites across central and northern Europe stems from phylogeographic analyses, yet direct fossil evidence has thus far been missing. Here, we present the first unequivocal proof that thermophilous trees such as oak (Quercus), linden (Tilia), and common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) survived the LGM in Central Europe. The persistence of the refugium was promoted by a steady influx of hydrothermal waters that locally maintained a humid and warm microclimate. We reconstructed the geological and palaeohydrological factors responsible for the emergence of hot springs during the LGM and argue that refugia of this type, allowing the long-term survival and rapid post-LGM dispersal of temperate elements, were not exceptional in the European periglacial zone.

Center for Theoretical Study Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences Jilská 1 Prague 1 Czech Republic

Czech Geological Survey Klárov 3 Prague 1 Czech Republic

Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Kotlářská 2 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Botany Faculty of Science Charles University Benátská 2 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Minnesota Minneapolis MN 55455 USA

Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Department of Palaeontology National Museum Prague Václavské nám 68 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Paleoecology Institute of Botany The Czech Academy of Sciences Lidická 25 27 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology Faculty of Science Charles University Albertov 6 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Minnesota Saint Paul MN 55108 USA

Department of Zoology Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth MN 55812 USA

Institute of Geology and Palaeontology Faculty of Science Charles University Albertov 6 128 43 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Universität Göttingen Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum Goldschmidtstraße 1 Göttingen Germany

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