Chronological context, species occurrence, and environmental remarks on the Gelasian site Pedrera del Corral d’en Bruach (Barcelona, Spain) based on the small-mammal associations

Abstract

Here we present the results of a study of the small-mammal assemblage recovered from a now-disappeared karstic fissure located in a quarry called "Pedrera del Corral d'en Bruach". The site was located at 330 m a.s.l. in the Garraf Massif, ca. 20 km south of Barcelona. An archaeological rescue excavation was conducted in 2006 by the Grup de Recerca del Quaternari, focusing on sieving the sediments that had accumulated at the foot of the quarry face. Fortunately, some faunal remains and sediment were recovered, which were later processed and sorted. Two hundred and seventy small-mammal remains were identified at genus or species level, bringing to light great species richness (15 taxa).The assemblage is typical of the Mammal Neogene 17 (MN17) biozone, placing this site in the Gelasian stage of the Early Pleistocene. It is noteworthy that the first record of the glirid Glirulus pusillus in Iberia is documented. On the basis of the small mammals identified, the surrounding environment of the Garraf Massif is judged to have been characterized by open forest landscape and more humid environmental conditions than nowadays. Finally, the site provides a remarkable contribution to what is known of the Iberian small mammals of this time period.