Recurring taphonomic processes in the carnivoran-dominated Late Miocene assemblages of Batallones-3, Madrid Basin, Spain
Martín-Perea, David M.. (Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología)
Domingo, M. Soledad (Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Ciencias Experimentales, Sociales y Matemáticas)
Cantero, Enrique (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Departamento de Paleobiología - CSIC)
Courtenay, Lloyd A. (Universidad de Salamanca. Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica y del Terreno)
Valenciano Vaquero, Alberto (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón)
Sualdea, Lucía R. (Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología)
Abella, Juan (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Morales, Jorge (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Departamento de Paleobiología - CSIC)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Carnivoran-dominated fossil sites are scarce in the fossil record but provide precious information on the diversity and ecology of past carnivoran guilds. The Cerro de los Batallones sites host the oldest carnivoran-dominated assemblages, with the highest carnivoran abundances observed in the fossil record. Batallones-3 (Late Miocene, Madrid Basin, Spain) hosts three discrete, carnivoran-dominated fossiliferous levels deposited in a 15m-diameter, 4m-high pseudokarstic cavity with 1m-high talus cone located beneath the mouth of the cavity on the roof. Levels I, II and III are multitaxic multidominant assemblages, with the sabretooth cats Promegantereon ogygia and Machairodus aphanistus and the ursid Indarctos arctoides being the most abundant species. These carnivoran-dominated assemblages are autochthonous and show diagenetically fractured but well-preserved remains (complete, little to no weathering or abrasion). Root marks and manganese oxide precipitation are common and more abundant in Level III, due to modern pedogenic processes. There are also a few allochthonous, badly preserved (weathered and abraded) herbivore remains that were washed into the cavity. The taphonomic homogeneity of all three levels suggests recurring taphonomic and geologic processes throughout the accumulation of infill in the cave. The trap-like nature of the cave, unbroken and largely unweathered carnivoran bones suggest these predators intentionally jumped into the cave but were unable to escape.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BES-2016-079460 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2015-6833-P Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PGC2018-094122-B-100 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación FJC2018-036669-I Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017-BP-00223 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2016-76431-P
Note:	Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya
Note:	Altres ajuts: research groups CSIC-64-1538 and CAM-UCM-910607
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Taphonomy ; Mammals ; Carnivoran ; Vallesian ; Pseudokarst
Published in:	Lethaia, Vol. 54, Issue 5 (December 2021) , p. 871-890, ISSN 1502-3931

DOI: 10.1111/let.12445

Postprint 65 p, 2.2 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
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Articles > Published articles