Villarroya Basin (Pleistocene of Spain)

Where: La Rioja, Spain (42.4° N, 2.1° W: paleocoordinates 42.4° N, 2.1° W)

When: Middle Pleistocene (0.8 - 0.1 Ma)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithified, red, yellow, sandy, conglomeratic sandstone and lithified marl

• The first unit unconformably overlies the Cretaceous limestones. This unit, about 30 m thick, and mostly formed by lacustrine facies (white-yellowish marls and laminated limestones, and gray lutites) is organized as a deepening sequence. The lacustrine facies laterally inter- nger with a belt of reddish conglomerates, sandstones, and lutites related to alluvial fans feeding into the basin from the northern and western margins. The entire unit shows a ning-up evolution. The upper unit, about 70 m thick, con- sists in alluvial facies (brown-reddish conglomerates, sand- stones, and lutites), laterally related to yellow sandstones and lutites with coal and nodules of gypsum.

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: E. L. Pueyo, A. Munoz, C. Laplana and J. M. Pares. 2015. 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 105:2203-2220 [M. Uhen/J. So/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 189976: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Jeankyong So on 25.11.2017

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Rodentia - Hystricidae
Hystrix primigenia Wagner 1848 porcupine
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Castor fiber Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian beaver
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Stephanorhinus etruscus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Hipparion sp. de Christol 1832 hipparionine horse
rocinantis crusafonti
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
"Cervus perrieri" = Praeelaphus perrieri Croizet and Jobert 1828 deer
Arvernoceros ardei Croizet and Jobert 1828 deer
Croizetoceros ramosus Croizet and Jobert 1828 deer
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Leptobos elatus antelope
Megalovis sp. Schaub 1924 antelope
Pliotragus ardeus Deperet 1883 antelope
 Carnivora - Felidae
Megantereon cultridens Cuvier 1824 cat
Homotherium latidens Owen 1846 scimitar toothed cat
Acinonyx pardinensis Croizet and Jobert 1828 cheetah
Lynx issiodorensis Croizet and Jobert 1828 lynx
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Chasmaporthetes lunensis Del Campana 1914 hyaena
Pliocrocuta perrieri Kretzoi 1938 hyaena
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Enhydrictis ardea Bravard 1828 mustelid carnivore
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus etruscus Cuvier 1823 bear
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 canid
Nyctereutes megamastoides Pomel 1842 raccoon dog
Vulpes alopecoides Forsyth Major 1877 fox
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Anancus arvenensis gomphothere