First continuous pre-Jaramillo to Jaramillo terrestrial vertebrate succession from Europe

Abstract

In this paper, the early Pleistocene small vertebrate sequence of Quibas-Sima (Quibas karstic complex, Murcia, SE Spain) is presented. The available magnetostratigraphic information together with the small vertebrate association, allow to reliably constrain the age of the different units. The basal unit of the section has recorded a reversed polarity assigned to the pre-Jaramillo Matuyama (C1r.2r, i.e., between 1.2 and 1.07 Ma). The intermediate units have recorded a normal polarity correlated directly with the Jaramillo subchron (C1r.1n, between 1.07 and 0.99 Ma), while the upper units record the post-Jaramillo reverse polarity (C1r.1r, i.e., between 0.99 and 0.78). Jaramillo subchron is especially significant regarding the earliest hominin dispersal in Western Europe. However, vertebrate faunas unambiguously correlatable with Jaramillo subchron are extremely rare in Europe. Thereby, the study of the Quibas-Sima sequence allows to characterize the vertebrate association synchronous to this paleomagnetic episode in southern Iberian Peninsula, and contributes to increase knowledge of the biotic and climatic events that took place in southern Europe at the beginning of the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition, prior to the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary. A continuous small vertebrate succession has been reported, including representatives of the families Bufonidae,

A new genus and species of arvicolid rodent (Mammalia) from the early Pleistocene of Spain

“…oswaldoreigi n. comb. is associated with two other arvicolids, Orcemys giberti and Tibericola vandermeuleni (Agustí, 1991) (Agustí et al 2013;Martin 2014;Martin et al 2018), which both have achieved an arhizodont, superhypsodont stage independently: Tibericola originates most probably from an eastern population of Allo- 1994, 2000bGibert et al 2006;Scott et al 2007;Agustí et al 2011Agustí et al , 2013Piñero et al 2020Piñero et al , 2022. The sites with presence of the new genus are in bold.…”

“…is still present in the lower levels of the section of Quibas, covering the Matuyama-Jaramillo transition at 1.07 Ma. However, it is already absent from the post-Jaramillo upper level of this section (QS-7, between 0.99 and 0.78 Ma), the last occurrence of this species being recorded within the Jaramillo geomagnetic subchron (Piñero et al 2020(Piñero et al , 2022. Therefore, the stratigraphic range of Manchenomys n. gen. covers the whole upper Matuyama geomagnetic chron between the Olduvai and Jaramillo subchrons (Fig.…”

“…(Sánchez-Bandera et al 2020) or Allophaiomys sp. (Agustí et al 2010b;Piñero et al 2015Piñero et al , 2020, sharing features common to both genera. However, since it cannot be securely allocated to Allophaiomys or Mimomys, we propose the recognition of the new genus Manchenomys and the new species Ma.…”

“…The first occurrence of true representatives of Allophaiomys in the Guadix-Baza Basin is recorded at the sites of Venta Micena, Fuente Nueva 2 and Orce 7 (Allophaiomys ruffoi Zone; Agustí et al 2010aAgustí et al , 2015a, where Orcemys giberti and Mimomys oswaldoreigi are absent. However, it seems that some populations close to Mimomys oswaldoreigi persisted during the time-interval represented by the Allophaiomys ruffoi Zone, since a fully arhizodont species displaying affinities with Mimomys oswaldoreigi is present at the late early Pleistocene sections of Fuente Nueva 3 (FN 3) (Guadix-Baza Basin, c. 1.4-1.2 Ma;Duval et al 2012;Lozano-Fernández et al 2015) and the Quibas karstic complex of southeastern Spain (Quibas Cueva [QC]; Quibas Gruta [QG]; Quibas Sima [QS]) (Murcia, late Matuyama to Jaramillo geomagnetic chrons, between 1.1 and 0.99 Ma; Piñero et al 2020Piñero et al , 2022. This new arvicolid has been variously cited as Mimomys sp.…”

Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar: a Dated Late Early Pleistocene Palaeolithic Site in Southeastern Spain

“…myotis; latterly, Hystrix has been identified also. Absent are some taxa (e.g., Castillomys rivas) identified in Jaramillo sub-chron sediments in Murcia at Quibas-Sima near Fortuna (Piñero et al, 2020). Particularly significant at Cueva Negra are the lower first molar teeth of the extinct Arvicoline voles Victoriamys chalinei (n=155), Mimomys savini (n=34), Iberomys huescarensis (n=191), Pliomys episcopalis (n=11), Stenocranius gregaloides (n=3), and Terricola arvalidens (n=2).…”