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Raffaele Sardella - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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An intriguing middle-sized horse from Coste San Giacomo (Anagni Basin, central Italy)
Quaternary Research, 2017Co-Authors: Maria Rita Palombo, María Teresa Alberdi, Luca Bellucci, Raffaele SardellaAbstract:Various species and ecomorphotypes of the genus Equus are recorded in several southern European Early Pleistocene local faunal assemblages (LFAs), though their taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships, and chronological distribution are still a matter of debate. This article aims to increase knowledge on the European pre-Olduvai stenonoid horses by describing and discussing the equid sample from the middle Villafranchian (Gelasian) Italian site of Coste San Giacomo (CSG; Anagni). Although horse remains from CSG are scanty, the morphological traits, dimensions, and proportions of teeth and some limb bones suggest some affinities with middle-sized European stenonoid horses, in particular with Equus senezensis , as supported by statistical analysis. This opens a new window on the possible phylogenetic relationships of the middle-sized, slender middle Villafranchian horses, although some questions about their actual taxonomic rank cannot be firmly answered based on available data. The complex relationship among environment, structure of the accompanying mammalian fauna, and the presence in the Early Pleistocene LFAs of only one equid, large or middle-sized, or even of more horse species with different size is briefly discussed.
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Re-Defining Canis etruscus (Canidae, Mammalia): A New Look into the Evolutionary History of Early Pleistocene Dogs Resulting from the Outstanding Fossil Record from Pantalla (Italy)
Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 2014Co-Authors: Marco Cherin, Davide F. Bertè, Lorenzo Rook, Raffaele SardellaAbstract:An outstanding sample of Canis etruscus has been found within the faunal assemblage from the early Pleistocene site of Pantalla (Italy), which is referred to the early late Villafranchian. Canis etruscus appeared in Europe about 2 Ma ago. It is regarded as an important taxon for biochronology, as its first occurrence (the “wolf event”) has been used to define one of the Villafranchian faunal turnovers. The discovery of four crania from Pantalla prompted a revision of C. etruscus , in order to better describe its cranial morphology. Since early studies, the distinction between C. etruscus and the coeval C. arnensis has been based mainly on mandibular traits. For this reason, our study is aimed at highlighting differences in craniodental characters between the two species. Canis arnensis has been conventionally considered a jackal-like dog, while C. etruscus is regarded as a wolf-like dog. Consequently, we decided to use jackals for comparison, in addition to C. lupus . Although the jackal group has been traditionally considered as quite homogenous (different species are partially sympatric and similar in both size and ecology), recent genetic studies demonstrate that jackals are not monophyletic. Considering the model offered by extant species, our goal is to delineate the degree of intra- and interspecific variability among the basal forms of the genus Canis .
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Re-Defining Canis etruscus (Canidae, Mammalia): A New Look into the Evolutionary History of Early Pleistocene Dogs Resulting from the Outstanding Fossil Record from Pantalla (Italy)
Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 2014Co-Authors: Marco Cherin, Davide F. Bertè, Lorenzo Rook, Raffaele SardellaAbstract:An outstanding sample of Canis etruscus has been found within the faunal assemblage from the early Pleistocene site of Pantalla (Italy), which is referred to the early late Villafranchian. Canis etruscus appeared in Europe about 2 Ma ago. It is regarded as an important taxon for biochronology, as its first occurrence (the “wolf event”) has been used to define one of the Villafranchian faunal turnovers. The discovery of four crania from Pantalla prompted a revision of C. etruscus , in order to better describe its cranial morphology. Since early studies, the distinction between C. etruscus and the coeval C. arnensis has been based mainly on mandibular traits. For this reason, our study is aimed at highlighting differences in craniodental characters between the two species. Canis arnensis has been conventionally considered a jackal-like dog, while C. etruscus is regarded as a wolf-like dog. Consequently, we decided to use jackals for comparison, in addition to C. lupus . Although the jackal group has been traditionally considered as quite homogenous (different species are partially sympatric and similar in both size and ecology), recent genetic studies demonstrate that jackals are not monophyletic. Considering the model offered by extant species, our goal is to delineate the degree of intra- and interspecific variability among the basal forms of the genus Canis .
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earliest occurrence of puma pardoides owen 1846 carnivora felidae at the plio pleistocene transition in western europe new evidence from the middle Villafranchian assemblage of montopoli italy
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2013Co-Authors: Marco Cherin, Dawid A. Iurino, Raffaele SardellaAbstract:Abstract The puma-like cat Puma pardoides (Owen, 1846) is reported from several Eurasian localities dated to the Late Pliocene–Early Pleistocene, but its Italian fossil record is really poor; in fact, the only possible occurrence comprises some fragmentary postcranial material from the Late Villafranchian locality of Pirro Nord (1.6–1.3 Ma). In the present paper, we describe an isolated left upper carnassial of a medium-sized felid belonging to the collection of fossil mammals from Montopoli (Tuscany, Italy), the type locality of the Middle Villafranchian Faunal Unit (∼2.6 Ma). All the morphological and morphometric characters of the tooth are consistent with an attribution to Puma pardoides (Owen, 1846), which comes out as the second felid species from Montopoli together with Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) and is, possibly with the specimens from Perrier-Etouaries, the earliest occurrence in western Europe.
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Earliest occurrence of Puma pardoides (Owen, 1846) (Carnivora, Felidae) at the Plio/Pleistocene transition in western Europe: New evidence from the Middle Villafranchian assemblage of Montopoli, Italy
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2013Co-Authors: Marco Cherin, Dawid A. Iurino, Raffaele SardellaAbstract:Abstract The puma-like cat Puma pardoides (Owen, 1846) is reported from several Eurasian localities dated to the Late Pliocene–Early Pleistocene, but its Italian fossil record is really poor; in fact, the only possible occurrence comprises some fragmentary postcranial material from the Late Villafranchian locality of Pirro Nord (1.6–1.3 Ma). In the present paper, we describe an isolated left upper carnassial of a medium-sized felid belonging to the collection of fossil mammals from Montopoli (Tuscany, Italy), the type locality of the Middle Villafranchian Faunal Unit (∼2.6 Ma). All the morphological and morphometric characters of the tooth are consistent with an attribution to Puma pardoides (Owen, 1846), which comes out as the second felid species from Montopoli together with Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) and is, possibly with the specimens from Perrier-Etouaries, the earliest occurrence in western Europe.
Josep M. Parés - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion in Western Europe: magnetostratigraphy along the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary in the Villarroya Basin (Northern Spain)
International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2016Co-Authors: Emilio L. Pueyo, Arsenio Muñoz, César Laplana, Josep M. ParésAbstract:The Villarroya Basin in Northern Spain contains one of the classic Villafranchian localities of Europe and allows about 100 m of sediments to be explored by magnetostratigraphic techniques. Besides, the occurrence of some other macro- and micro-mammifera fossils becomes Villarroya in one of the most important Villafranchian localities of Southern Europe. Therefore, we have sampled two sections (one contains the classic locality) to shed some light on its chronostratigraphy. Detailed stepwise demagnetization has revealed primary and reliable directions (carried by magnetite and hematite) in more than 250 samples and allows us building a robust local polarity scale. The correlation with the geologic time scale locates the local sequence along the Gauss and Matuyama chrons. A Réunion chron (C2r.1n) equivalent age (2.128–2.148 Ma) is here proposed for the Villarroya fossil locality since it is clearly located above the Gauss/Matuyama boundary (very well defined in the magnetostratigraphic section) and displays normal polarity. This correlation implies a new age assignment for the classic paleontological fossil locality of Villarroya and a Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion sensu lato in Western Europe significantly younger than previously established. Taking into account this new dating, the Hipparion and Equus horses could have coexisted in Europe up to the complete extinction of Hipparion in early Matuyama times.
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The Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion in Western Europe: magnetostratigraphy along the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary in the Villarroya Basin (Northern Spain)
International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2015Co-Authors: Emilio L. Pueyo, Arsenio Muñoz, César Laplana, Josep M. ParésAbstract:The Villarroya Basin in Northern Spain contains one of the classic Villafranchian localities of Europe and allows about 100 m of sediments to be explored by magnetostratigraphic techniques. Besides, the occurrence of some other macro- and micro-mammifera fossils becomes Villarroya in one of the most important Villafranchian localities of Southern Europe. Therefore, we have sampled two sections (one contains the classic locality) to shed some light on its chronostratigraphy. Detailed stepwise demagnetization has revealed primary and reliable directions (carried by magnetite and hematite) in more than 250 samples and allows us building a robust local polarity scale. The correlation with the geologic time scale locates the local sequence along the Gauss and Matuyama chrons. A Reunion chron (C2r.1n) equivalent age (2.128–2.148 Ma) is here proposed for the Villarroya fossil locality since it is clearly located above the Gauss/Matuyama boundary (very well defined in the magnetostratigraphic section) and displays normal polarity. This correlation implies a new age assignment for the classic paleontological fossil locality of Villarroya and a Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion sensu lato in Western Europe significantly younger than previously established. Taking into account this new dating, the Hipparion and Equus horses could have coexisted in Europe up to the complete extinction of Hipparion in early Matuyama times.
George D. Koufos - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The saber-toothed cat Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846) from the lower Pleistocene locality Dafnero, Western Macedonia, Greece
Geodiversitas, 2020Co-Authors: George D. Koufos, Dimitris S. Kostopoulos, Gildas MerceronAbstract:The homotheres, although known from the Greek fossil record since the beginning of the 1930's, have only been recorded from fragmentary material, sometimes undescribed and with questionable determinations. In 2017, the discovery of an almost complete cranium and a fairly complete humerus of a machairodontine in Dafnero-3, a lower Pleistocene site from Western Macedonia (Greece), confirm the presence of homotheres in Greece. The Dafnero-3 material is described and compared with Eurasian specimens. We conclude that in morphology and size the Dafnero-3 specimen coincides with Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846). The taxonomy, geographic and stratigraphic distribution of HomotheriumFabrini, 1890 is also discussed. A biostratigraphic revision gives the distribution of the genus in Greece. Homotherium is referred from six Greek localities and its distribution covers the time span from the early Villafranchian (early Villafranchian, locality Milia, Western Macedonia; MN16, 3.0-2.5 Ma) to the middle Pleistocene (locality Tourkovounia near Athens, c. 0.4 Ma).
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Mammuthus meridionalis (Nesti, 1825) from Apollonia-1 (Mygdonia Basin, Northern Greece) and its importance within the Early Pleistocene mammoth evolution in Europe
Geodiversitas, 2020Co-Authors: George E Konidaris, Dimitris S. Kostopoulos, George D. KoufosAbstract:In the present article, we study the mammoth remains from the late Villafranchian (Early Pleistocene) locality Apollonia-1 (Mygdonia Basin, Northern Greece). The material consists of a hemi-mandible with the m3, isolated m3/M3 and a maxilla fragment with DP2-DP3. The mandibular and dental features permit their attribution to the southern mammoth Mammuthus meridionalis (Nesti, 1825). Yet, the dental features indicate an evolutionary stage somewhat more derived than the Upper Valdarno mammoth (beginning of late Villafranchian) in terms of the higher number of plates in the DP3 and the marginally higher hypsodonty index in the M3. This is also revealed by the application of a Principal Component Analysis, where several dental features are combined. Moreover, the relatively deep mandibular corpus is a derived feature. In these aspects, the Apollonia-1 sample fits better with corresponding specimens from European localities correlated to the second part of the late Villafranchian and the EpiVillafranchian. From this period, two subspecies have been proposed from Western Europe: M. m. vestinus (Azzaroli inAmbrosetti, Azzaroli, Bonadonna & Follieri, 1972) from Italian localities correlated to the Farneta Faunal Unit and M. m. deperetiCoppens & Beden, 1982 from Saint-Prest (France). We propose that M. m. vestinus can be regarded a valid subspecies of the southern mammoth and that M. m. depereti is possibly a junior synonym. The results of this study are in agreement with the existing biochronological correlation of the Apollonia-1 fauna and further support the potential biostratigraphic significance of M. meridionalis within the Early Pleistocene, albeit conclusions based on limited/fragmentary sample should always be taken with caution.
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revisiting ursus etruscus carnivora mammalia from the early pleistocene of greece with description of new material
Quaternary International, 2017Co-Authors: George D. Koufos, George E Konidaris, Katerina HarvatiAbstract:Abstract The Villafranchian ursids of Greece are scanty, represented by a few isolated teeth and bones. During our last field campaigns in the Mygdonia Basin (Macedonia, Greece) we discovered an almost complete cranium, as well as some cranial, dental and postcranial remains, which are presented in this article. The new material originates from the locality Tsiotra Vryssi (TSR), dated to the late Villafranchian (1.8–1.2 Ma). The specimens are described and compared with ursids from various European localities; their morphological characters and dimensions place it with Ursus etruscus Cuvier, 1823, while the dental features are most similar to the specimens from Pietrafitta (Italy). The TSR cranium was CT-scanned in order to create a 3D virtual model and study its internal anatomy. Its observed endocranial traits exhibit primitive conditions, confirming the basal position of U. etruscus among the Pleistocene European ursids. Most of these features are shared with U. arctos and clearly differ from U. deningeri and U. spelaeus. Finally, we provide a revision of the known Greek material of U. etruscus and the biostratigraphic distribution of the Miocene–Pleistocene ursids of Greece. The earliest secure appearance of Ursus etruscus in Greece is found in the locality Dafnero 1 (Western Macedonia), dated to the end of the middle Villafranchian at ∼2.0 Ma, whereas its probable last occurrence is known from the locality Apollonia 1 of the Mygdonia Basin, dated to the latest Villafranchian at ∼1.2 Ma.
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Two new vertebrate localities from the Early Pleistocene of Mygdonia Basin (Macedonia, Greece): Preliminary results
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2015Co-Authors: George E Konidaris, George D. Koufos, Dimitris S. Kostopoulos, Vangelis Tourloukis, Nicholas Thompson, Domenico Giusti, Dimitrios Michailidis, Katerina HarvatiAbstract:Abstract Two new vertebrate fossiliferous localities from the Pleistocene of the Mygdonia Basin (Macedonia, Greece), Tsiotra Vryssi (TSR) and Platanochori-1 (PLN), are presented in this article. TSR belongs to the Gerakarou Formation and its preliminary faunal list includes the corvid Corvus pliocaenus , the hyaenid Pachycrocuta brevirostris , the canid Canis etruscus , the rhinoceros Stephanorhinus sp., two species of Equus , the bovid Bison sp., the cervid Metacervocerus rhenanus and the giraffid Palaeotragus sp. PLN belongs to the Platanochori Formation (overlying Gerakarou Formation) and its fauna includes the following taxa: Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis , Equus apolloniensis , Bison sp. and Pontoceros ambiguus . The preliminary comparison of these faunal assemblages with the already known localities from the Mygdonia Basin and the wider region, combined with the geological data, suggest a Late Villafranchian age for TSR, chronologically intermediate between the localities Gerakarou-1 and Apollonia-1, while the fauna from PLN is indicative of a Latest Villafranchian age, similar to that of Apollonia-1. These new localities will enhance our understanding of the crucial time period of the earliest dispersal of hominins into Europe.
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The Villafranchian carnivoran guild of Greece: implications for the fauna, biochronology and paleoecology
Integrative zoology, 2014Co-Authors: George D. KoufosAbstract:Knowledge on the Villafranchian faunas of Greece was limited for a long time, but over the past 3 decades several new fossiliferous sites have been discovered and new material has been unearthed. The carnivores constitute a remarkable part of this material and their study has provided useful information for the taxonomy, chronology and palaeoecology. The Villafranchian carnivoran guild includes numerous taxa belonging to various families. Some of them are interesting as they are differentiated from the other Eurasian families. They cover the entire Villafranchian but the mass is known from the Middle to the Epi-Villafranchian (EVC). Despite the discontinuous data, they provide useful biochronological results. The coexistence of Pliocrocuta perrieri and Pachycrocuta brevirostris in the locality of Gerakarou 1 is strong evidence for the Middle Villafranchian (MVC)/Late Villafranchian (LVC) boundary. The composition of the Villafranchian carnivores suggests that the canids predominate, while the felids, hyenids and mustelids are well represented; the ursids are represented by a single taxon, the well-known Ursus etruscus, which seems to be common during the entire Villafranchian. The carnivoran guild structure and the multivariate analysis of the Greek Villafranchian carnivoran assemblages (MVC, LVC and EVC) in comparison with modern assembalges from open and closed environments indicate a relatively open landscape, which is in agreement with previous results for the Villafranchian of Greece. During the EVC there is a faunal renewal that is related to a more open and dry environment, like savannah bushland/grassland.
A. Azzaroli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A COLLECTION OF FOSSIL VERTEBRATES FROM THE UPPER VALDARNO (CENTRAL ITALY) CALIBRATED IN THE END PLIOCENE TO SPAN 220,000 YEARS ACROSS THE OLDUVAI MAGNETOCHRON
2002Co-Authors: Giovanni Napoleone, A. AzzaroliAbstract:The small Faella collection of fossil vertebrates, from the Upper Valdarno (UV) continental sediments, was first assembled in the Natural history museum of Firenze over two centuries ago, reaching 13 specimens for 7 represented species, until in 1967 new finds were retrieved from the Cava Pratigliolmi clay pit. The latter were mainly collected in the lower stratigraphic levels, reaching 29 specimens for 10 species, while the position of the ancient specimens, which are among the most representative ones of the Late Villafranchian mammal age, was tentatively determined from catalogue informations. The magnetic stratigraphy of the clay pit sequence at Faella, and additional controls on their database led to assign them an age of 1775 + - 0.05° Ma. Each recent specimen was assigned a numerical age comprised in the time-span measured in the composite Faella section, extending from 45 ky prior to the onset of the Olduvai magnetochron at 1.95 Ma to shortly before the end of it at 1.77 Ma. The Faella faunal assemblage will therefore play a key role in the geochronology of the UV faunal events, which occurred during the deposition of the Montevarchi intermediate fluvial-deltaic sequence, because the specimens occupy a wide range of ages and the lowermost ones represent the earliest fauna of the late Villafranchian, close to the beginning of the Mammal zone MN 17 of the Neogene classification.. Its magnetostratigraphic date, ranging from 1995 Ma to 1.775 Ma, represents the first example in the UV fossil collections of a measured time span within one assemblage collected in stratigraphic order. The biochronological position of the late Villafranchian reconstructed in the UV, and the present example will represent a criterion for dating most old collections, especially the classical ones, whenever a magnetostratigraphy of the units containing them will be available for correlation.
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THE POGGIO ROSSO LOCALITY CALIBRATED TO THE END-PLIOCENE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR DATING THE LATE Villafranchian MAMMAL FAUNAS OF THE UPPER VALDARNO, CENTRAL ITALY
Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2001Co-Authors: Giovanni Napoleone, A. Azzaroli, Andrea Albianelli, Menotti MazziniAbstract:A rich deposit of mammals was discovered in September 1995 at Poggio Rosso, the hill-top of the Matassino clay pit, in the Upper Valdarno Basin, 30 m above another deposit whose local fauna was assembled 30 years earlier. This latter provided the Matassino Locality, assigned to the beginning of the late Villafranchian Mammal Neogene age on the basis of its affinity with the Olivola faunal unit, which was also taken to represent the earliest assemblage in the Pleistocene. The paleomagnetic record in the short section across the Matassino Locality revealed the Olduvai chron, which was imprinted also in the fossil-bearing stratum of Poggio Rosso, so constraining both their ages to the latest Pliocene. The Poggio Rosso fauna, yet to be paleontologically determined, and the other late Villafranchian faunas collected in the Upper Valdarno from the Montevarchi complex fit a similar time span. Therefore, their magnetostratigraphically calibrated ages provide the time constraints for the biochronological relationships between faunas which can be tuned to several tie points for numerically evaluating their diversification steps during the whole Olduvai chron and shortly out of it.
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PALEOMAGNETIC AND PALYNOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS IN THE UPPER VALDARNO BASIN (CENTRAL ITALY): CALIBRATION OF AN EARLY Villafranchian FAUNA
Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 1997Co-Authors: Andrea Albianelli, A. Azzaroli, G. Ficcarelli, Adele Bertini, Giovanni Napoleone, D. TorreAbstract:The silty clays embedding an early Villafranchian mammal fauna of the Triversa faunal unit (f.u.) have been paleomagnetically and palynologically studied in a continuous sequence exposed in the Santa Barbara quarry.The study has allowed to date the earliest occurrence in Italy of a faunal assemblage of this unit and to define the corresponding climatic conditions. The sampled section has provided a magnetic polarity sequence of the late Gauss,where the fossiliferous layer fits the Kaena reversed interval.Its age of ca. 3.1 Ma,during subtropical climate conditions correlatable to the Reuverian of Netherlands, suggests an older age for the beginning of the Villafranchian, possibly associated to a more dramatic scenario able to trigger the faunal turnover.
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forest bed elks and giant deer revisited
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 1994Co-Authors: A. AzzaroliAbstract:Abstract Cervids of the Forest Bed Formation were studied by the present author in a paper now 40 years old. Some identifications and genetic attributions are here revised. The fossils fall into one, or possibly two, distinct levels of the late Villefranchian (Early Pleistocene) and in the earlier Middle Pleistocene (Galerian, =Cromerian). In the earlier paper four elk species were recognized; these are now reduced to two: Cervalces gallicus , from the younger Late Villefranchian, and Cervalces latifrons , from the Galerian. A skull from Mundesley is proposed as the neotype of the latter, to replace a poorly diagnostic original holotype. These species are not closely related to the living Alces alces but are forerunners of the North American Cervalces scotti . The phylogeny of Pleistocene elks is discussed in this context. Giant deer are represented by two genera, with three species: Megacervides verticornis, Megaceroides dawkinsi and Megaloceros savini . Some fossils misinterpreted in the former paper are revised. Megaceroides dawkinsi seems to be endemic to Great Britain, raising an intriguing problem of palaeogeography.
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Suids of the early Villafranchian of villafranca d’asti and china
Rendiconti Lincei, 1992Co-Authors: A. AzzaroliAbstract:Remains of early Villafranchian suids from the type area of Villafranca d’Asti, N. Italy, and a fine skull from the early Pliocene of Shanxi province, China, are described. All specimens are referred to Sus minor on the basis of their cranial and dental features. Other fossils of the same species from Southern France, Central Italy and Georgia are also discussed. These fossils confirm the close relationship of S. minor with the middle and late Villafranchian S. strozzii of Europe and with the living S. verrucosus and S. celebensis of SE Asia. All these species represent a lineage which dispersed widely over Eurasia in the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. It is proposed to resume for them the subgenus name Dasychoerus proposed by Gray in 1873, in order to stress their mutual phyletic affinities and at the same time their independence from the lineage of the living S. scrofa , from which they had already diverged in the early Pliocene. Sono descritti resti d Suidi del Villafranchiano inferiore provenienti dall’area tipo Villafranca d’Asti, N. Italia, ed un crank proveniente dalla provincia di Shanxi, Cina, del Pliocene inferiore. Tutti i campioni sono stati attribuiti a Sus minor sulla base dei loro caratteri craniali e dentali. Sono stati discussi anche altri fossili della stessa specie provenienti dal sud della Francia, dall’Italia centrale e dalla Georgia. Questi fossili confermano 1a stretta relazione di S. minor con S. strozzii (Europa, Villafranchiano medio e superiore) e con gli attuali S. verrucosus e S. celebensis del SE dell’Asia. Tutte queste specie rappresentano una linea ampiamente distribuita nell’Eurasia del Pliocene e primo Pleistocene. Si propone di riprendere il sottogenere Dasychoerus proposto da Gray nel 1873, per evidenziare le loro reciproche affinità filetiche ed allo stesso tempo la loro indipendenza dalla linea deil’attuale S. scrofa , dalla quale si sono allontanate nel Pliocene inferiore.
Emilio L. Pueyo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion in Western Europe: magnetostratigraphy along the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary in the Villarroya Basin (Northern Spain)
International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2016Co-Authors: Emilio L. Pueyo, Arsenio Muñoz, César Laplana, Josep M. ParésAbstract:The Villarroya Basin in Northern Spain contains one of the classic Villafranchian localities of Europe and allows about 100 m of sediments to be explored by magnetostratigraphic techniques. Besides, the occurrence of some other macro- and micro-mammifera fossils becomes Villarroya in one of the most important Villafranchian localities of Southern Europe. Therefore, we have sampled two sections (one contains the classic locality) to shed some light on its chronostratigraphy. Detailed stepwise demagnetization has revealed primary and reliable directions (carried by magnetite and hematite) in more than 250 samples and allows us building a robust local polarity scale. The correlation with the geologic time scale locates the local sequence along the Gauss and Matuyama chrons. A Réunion chron (C2r.1n) equivalent age (2.128–2.148 Ma) is here proposed for the Villarroya fossil locality since it is clearly located above the Gauss/Matuyama boundary (very well defined in the magnetostratigraphic section) and displays normal polarity. This correlation implies a new age assignment for the classic paleontological fossil locality of Villarroya and a Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion sensu lato in Western Europe significantly younger than previously established. Taking into account this new dating, the Hipparion and Equus horses could have coexisted in Europe up to the complete extinction of Hipparion in early Matuyama times.
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The Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion in Western Europe: magnetostratigraphy along the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary in the Villarroya Basin (Northern Spain)
International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2015Co-Authors: Emilio L. Pueyo, Arsenio Muñoz, César Laplana, Josep M. ParésAbstract:The Villarroya Basin in Northern Spain contains one of the classic Villafranchian localities of Europe and allows about 100 m of sediments to be explored by magnetostratigraphic techniques. Besides, the occurrence of some other macro- and micro-mammifera fossils becomes Villarroya in one of the most important Villafranchian localities of Southern Europe. Therefore, we have sampled two sections (one contains the classic locality) to shed some light on its chronostratigraphy. Detailed stepwise demagnetization has revealed primary and reliable directions (carried by magnetite and hematite) in more than 250 samples and allows us building a robust local polarity scale. The correlation with the geologic time scale locates the local sequence along the Gauss and Matuyama chrons. A Reunion chron (C2r.1n) equivalent age (2.128–2.148 Ma) is here proposed for the Villarroya fossil locality since it is clearly located above the Gauss/Matuyama boundary (very well defined in the magnetostratigraphic section) and displays normal polarity. This correlation implies a new age assignment for the classic paleontological fossil locality of Villarroya and a Last Appearance Datum of Hipparion sensu lato in Western Europe significantly younger than previously established. Taking into account this new dating, the Hipparion and Equus horses could have coexisted in Europe up to the complete extinction of Hipparion in early Matuyama times.
