scholarly journals Taphonomic and spatial analyses from the Early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena 4 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin, southern Spain)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Luzón ◽  
Jose Yravedra ◽  
Lloyd A. Courtenay ◽  
Juha Saarinen ◽  
Hugues-Alexandre Blain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Spain ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Spatial Analyses ◽  
European Origin ◽  
Stratigraphic Unit ◽  
Fossil Remains ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Unit Unit ◽  
Venta Micena

AbstractVenta Micena is an area containing several palaeontological sites marking the beginning of the Calabrian stage (Early Pleistocene). The richness of the fossil accumulation including species of Asian, African and European origin, makes Venta Micena a key site for the the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental study of southern Europe during the Early Pleistocene. Thus, research has been focused on Venta Micena 3, which was originally interpreted as a single palaeosurface associated with a marshy context, in which most of the fauna was accumulated by Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Recent excavations have unearthed a new site, Venta Micena 4, located in the same stratigraphic unit (Unit C) and in close proximity to Venta Micena 3. Here we show the first analyses regarding the taphonomic and spatial nature of this new site, defining two stratigraphic boundaries corresponding to two different depositional events. Furthermore, the taphonomic analyses of fossil remains seem to indicate a different accumulative agent than Pachycrocuta, thus adding more complexity to the palaeobiological interpretation of the Venta Micena area. These results contribute to the discussion of traditional interpretations made from Venta Micena 3.

scholarly journals Geochemical and sedimentary constraints on the formation of the Venta Micena early Pleistocene site (Guadix-Baza Basin, Spain)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Granados ◽  
Oriol Oms ◽  
Pere Anadón ◽  
Jordi Ibáñez-Insa ◽  
Anu Kaakinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Freshwater Wetlands ◽  
Freshwater Wetland ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Bulk Rock ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Marginal Areas ◽  
Invertebrate Fossils ◽  
Venta Micena ◽  
Lake Dynamics

AbstractDespite the paleontological relevance of the terrestrial Early Pleistocene Venta Micena bonebed (Baza Basin, Spain), it lacks a comprehensive geochemical/sedimentological study. Here, we demonstrate that the 1.5-m-thick Venta Micena limestone formed in a relatively small freshwater wetland/pond located at the periphery of the large saline Baza paleolake. Two microfacies are observed, with high and low contents of invertebrate fossils, and which originated in the centre and margin of the wetland, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy and paleohydrological characterization based on ostracod and bulk-rock geochemistry (δ13C and δ18O) indicate that the limestone reflects a general lowstand of the Baza lake, permitting the differentiation of freshwater wetlands that were fed by adjacent sources. Conversely, during highstands, the Baza lake flooded the Venta Micena area and the freshwater fauna was replaced by a saline one. Bulk-rock isotopic data indicate that the lower interval C1 of the limestone (bone-rich in marginal settings) displays general negative values, while the upper interval C2 (bone free) displays less negative values. The bones of predated mammals accumulated in the marginal areas, which were flooded and buried by recurring water-table fluctuations. Lake dynamics played a critical role in bone accumulation, which was previously considered as representing a hyena den.

scholarly journals A New Species of Water Vole from the Early Pleistocene of Southern Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Cuenca-Bescós ◽  
Jordi Agustí ◽  
Jaime Lira ◽  
Maria Melero Rubio ◽  
Juan Rofes
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Water Vole ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
A New Species

Presence of the Asian origin Bovini, Hemibos sp. aff. Hemibos gracilis and Bison sp., at the early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena (Orce, Spain)

2011 ◽  
Vol 243 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro ◽  
Sergio Ros-Montoya ◽  
M. Patrocinio Espigares ◽  
Paul Palmqvist
Keyword(s):  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Asian Origin ◽  
Venta Micena

scholarly journals A new species of dog from the Early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena (Orce, Baza Basin, Spain)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bienvenido MARTINEZ-NAVARRO ◽  
Saverio BARTOLINI LUCENTI ◽  
Paul PALMQVIST ◽  
Sergio ROS-MONTOYA ◽  
Joan MADURELL-MALAPEIRA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Fossil Material ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Venta Micena ◽  
The Town ◽  
A New Species

The site of Venta Micena (Orce, Spain), c. 1.6 Ma, preserves one the best paleontological records of the early Pleistocene large mammals fauna in Europe. Here we describe the specimens of the genus Canis Linnaeus, 1758 in the context of the late Villafranchian and Epivillafranchian fossil dogs from Eurasia. Anatomical and metric data suggest that the Venta Micena Canis form differs from the classical records of Canis etruscus Forsyth Major, 1877 and Canis arnensis Del Campana, 1913, and that it forms part of the younger Canis mosbachensis Soergel (1925) lineage, also recorded in two slightly younger sites of the Orce site complex, Barranco León and Fuente Nueva-3, dated to c. 1.4 Ma. The anatomy of the Venta Micena fossil material shows features that resemble the Canis forms from the Caucasian site of Dmanisi, dated to 1.8 Ma, and Canis ex gr. C. mosbachensis. Nevertheless, dental peculiarities support the creation of a new chrono-species, Canis orcensis n. sp., from the town of Orce. Morphological and paleoecological data suggest that this species probably consumed more vertebrate flesh than other similar sized early Pleistocene canids (i.e., a trend to hypercarnivory), which had more omnivorous dietary habits.

scholarly journals Orcemys , a new genus of arvicolid rodent from the early Pleistocene of the Guadix–Baza Basin, southern Spain

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 310-319
Author(s):  
Robert A. Martin ◽  
Alexey Tesakov ◽  
Jordi Agustí ◽  
Karla Johnston
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Early Pleistocene

Palaeoenvironment of the earliest hominins in western Europe: the Guadix-Baza Basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Bocherens ◽  
Hugues-Alexandre Blain ◽  
Mikael Fortelius ◽  
Juha Saarinen ◽  
Christian Sanchez Bandera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Tooth Enamel ◽  
Tooth Wear ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Wear Analysis ◽  
Oxygen Isotopic ◽  
Venta Micena ◽  
Small Vertebrate

<p>The Guadix-Baza Basin (Granada Province, Southern Spain) is the richest area in Western Europe for the study of early hominin dispersal and evolution, having yielded the earliest localities with evidence of hominin occupation (a deciduous human molar, lithic industries and cutmarks) together with a rich large and small vertebrate assemblage dated to around 1.4 Ma. A key question is whether environmental changes were involved in the arrival of hominins in this region at this time. To answer this question, possible environmental differences between one older site lacking evidence for hominin occurrence (Venta Micena VM, ~1.6 Ma) and younger sites with undisputable evidence (Barranco León BL and Fuente Nueva-3 FN3, ~1.2-1.5 Ma) were investigated using various approaches, including carbon and oxygen isotopes in tooth enamel, tooth wear analysis, ecometrics and microvertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, mammals) as proxies for palaeoclimate.</p><p>Tooth enamel powders were collected from herbivorous mammal specimens from the three sites. For several specimens, enamel was sampled serially to document intra-annual dietary and/or habitat changes for the studied individuals. A large diversity of herbivorous taxa was sampled, including cervids, bovids, equids, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and mammoths. The analyses were conducted at the University of Tübingen (Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment).</p><p>Carbon isotopic results from the three sites showed that the plants foraged by herbivores were essentially of C3 photosynthetic pathway (trees, shrubs and C3-grass adapted to mild growth season), which is consistent with the results of tooth wear analysis indicating browsing or mixed feeding with browsing preference for most taxa. The consumption of some C4 plants for some herbivores has been detected only in Barranco León, which is consistent with the results of palaeoclimatic investigations based on ecometrics and microvertebrate fauna, indicating a particularly wet and warm climate for this site compared to both others and colder conditions in Venta Micena, the site devoid of hominins. Oxygen isotopic results seem to be essentially related to browsing (high values) versus grazing (lower values) and to different habitats (lowest oxygen isotopic values for semi-aquatic hippos). The differences in isotopic results among taxa are in agreement with those of dietary preferences from mesowear tooth analysis. In addition, in a context of still Mediterranean climate with 4-months aridity during summer, isotopic variations within teeth suggest in some cases significant changes in foraging through a year, which could be related to local seasonal changes or mobility across areas with different vegetation types.</p><p>The first results of this multidisciplinary research project financed by the Leakey Foundation and a General Research Project from the Andalusian Regional Government help us to refine the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction around the time of the earliest arrival of hominins in Southern Spain. In combination with the climatic data provided by ecometrics and microvertebrate investigations, it allows us to develop a more detailed framework for the interpretation of the carbon and oxygen isotopic data from tooth enamel in a Mediterranean climate context, which corresponds to the type of climatic conditions where the earliest hominins occur in Europe in the Early Pleistocene.</p>

Long Plio-Pleistocene Terrestrial Record of Climate Change and Mammal Turnover in Southern Spain

2001 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Agustı́ ◽  
Oriol Oms ◽  
Eduard Remacha
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Late Pliocene ◽  
Southeastern Spain ◽  
The Mediterranean

AbstractCyclostratigraphic analysis of the Pliocene Zújar section (Guadix-Baza Basin, southeastern Spain) has enabled the recognition of a number of climatically forced cycles reflecting alternating dry and wet periods. Peaks of aridity are recorded at ca. 3.95, 3.55, 3.2, 2.8, and 1.8 myr B.P. The first dry period at about 4.0 myr B.P. corresponds to the early Ruscinian Mammal age, while the second arid interval at about 3.6 myr B.P. corresponds to the establishment of the Mediterranean double seasonality. The significant mammal turnover between the late Ruscinian and early Villanyian stages is placed between chron 2An.2n and the very base of chron 2An.1n, coincident with the dry phase recognized at about 3.2 myr B.P. The fourth aridity maximum at 2.8 myr B.P. roughly coincides with the Equus event in western Europe and is probably related to the beginning of the glacial–interglacial dynamics in the Northern Hemisphere. Finally, the last dry peak at about 1.8 myr B.P. is probably related to the set of mammalian events characterizing the transition from the late Pliocene faunas to those of the early Pleistocene.

scholarly journals Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern Kazakhstan

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davit Vasilyan ◽  
Vladimir S. Zazhigin ◽  
Madelaine Böhme
Keyword(s):  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Western Siberia ◽  
Rana Temporaria ◽  
Bufo Bufo ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Molecular Clocks ◽  
Fossil Remains ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Fossil Records

BackgroundThe present-day amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia are the least diverse of the Palaearctic Realm, as a consequence of the unfavourable climatic conditions that predominate in this region. The origin and emergence of these herpetofaunal groups are poorly understood. Aside from the better-explored European Neogene localities yielding amphibian and reptile fossil remains, the Neogene herpetofauna of Western Asia is understudied. The few available data need critical reviews and new interpretations, taking into account the more recent records of the European herpetofauna. The comparison of this previous data with that of European fossil records would provide data on palaeobiogeographic affiliations of the region as well as on the origin and emergence of the present-day fauna of Western Siberia. An overview of the earliest occurrences of certain amphibian lineages is still needed. In addition, studies that address such knowledge gaps can be useful for molecular biologists in their calibration of molecular clocks.Methods and ResultsIn this study, we considered critically reviewed available data from amphibian and reptile fauna from over 40 Western Siberian, Russian and Northeastern Kazakhstan localities, ranging from the Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene. Herein, we provided new interpretations that arose from our assessment of the previously published and new data. More than 50 amphibians and reptile taxa were identified belonging to families Hynobiidae, Cryptobranchidae, Salamandridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Bombinatoridae, Pelobatidae, Hylidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, and Emydidae. Palaeobiogeographic analyses were performed for these groups and palaeoprecipitation values were estimated for 12 localities, using the bioclimatic analysis of herpetofaunal assemblages.ConclusionThe Neogene assemblage of Western Siberia was found to be dominated by groups of European affinities, such as Palaeobatrachidae,Bombina, Hyla,Bufo bufo, and a small part of this assemblage included Eastern Palaearctic taxa (e.g.Salamandrella,Tylototriton,Bufotes viridis). For several taxa (e.g.Mioproteus, Hyla, Bombina,Rana temporaria), the Western Siberian occurrences represented their most eastern Eurasian records. The most diverse collection of fossil remains was found in the Middle Miocene. Less diversity has been registered towards the Early Pleistocene, potentially due to the progressive cooling of the climate in the Northern Hemisphere. The results of our study showed higher-amplitude changes of precipitation development in Western Siberia from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene, than previously assumed.

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