Iraq ez-Zigan (Pleistocene of Israel)

Also known as Iraq e Zigan, Rock of the Ravens, Kir 'Orvim

Where: Israel (32.8° N, 35.0° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

• estimated age of 14.5 B.P.

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithology not reported

• open Mediterranean environment, rather than wooded area. Probably brought to site from birds of prey

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: Housed at department of zoology, Hebrew university of Jerusalem

Primary reference: J. Heller. 1978. The faunal remains of Iraq e Zigan, a Late Pleistocene site on Mt. Carmel. Israel Journal of Zoology 27(1):11-19 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 225667: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Grace Varnham on 24.05.2022

Creative Commons license: CC0 (CC0)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Amphibia
 Salientia - Pelobatidae
Pelobates syriacus Boettger 1889 Syrian spadefoot toad
2 skull fragments
Mammalia
 Hyracoidea - Procaviidae
Procavia capensis Pallas 1766 Cape hyrax
tooth
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Microtus guentheri Danford and Alston 1880 Günther's vole
mandibles
 Rodentia - Muridae
Mus musculus Linnaeus 1758 house mouse
mandibles
"Apodemus sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus Linnaeus 1758 wood mouse
mandibles
Rattus rattus Linnaeus 1758 black rat
mandibles and teeth
Spalax ehrenbergi blind mole
skulls and mandibles
Acomys cahirinus (African) spiny mice
mandibles
Meriones tristrami jird
mandibles
Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 Eastern broad-toothed field mouse
mandibles
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Martes foina Erxleben 1777 marten
mandible
 Carnivora - Canidae
Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus 1758 red fox
mandible
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827 ox
tooth
Gazella sp. Blaineville 1816 gazelle
phalanx, vertebrae
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Dama sp. Frisch 1775 fallow deer
teeth
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758 pig
phalanx
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus sp. Linnaeus 1758 horse
tooth
 Soricomorpha - Soricidae
Crocidura russula Herrmann 1780 Greater white-toothed shrew
skull and mandibles
Reptilia
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Testudo sp. Linnaeus 1758 turtle
right hypoplastron
 Squamata - Agamidae
Agama stellio squamates
multiple skull fragments
 Squamata - Anguidae
Ophisaurus apodus Pallas 1775 Armored glass lizard
left mandible
 Squamata - Lacertidae
Lacerta sp. Linnaeus 1758 squamates
mandibles
Gymnolaemata
 Cheilostomata -
Helix cavata
shells
Bivalvia
 Carditida - Carditidae
"Cardita sulcata" = Cyclocardia (Arcturellina) sulcata Solander 1766 clam
shells
 Cardiida - Cardiidae
"Cardium edule" = Cerastoderma edule, "Cardium glaucum" = Cerastoderma glaucum
"Cardium edule" = Cerastoderma edule Linnaeus 1758 cockle
shells
"Cardium glaucum" = Cerastoderma glaucum Poiret 1789 cockle
shells
 Arcida - Glycymerididae
Glycymeris sp. Da Costa 1778 clam
shells
Gastropoda
 Cerithioidea - Potamididae
Pirenella ? teilhardi horn snail
shells
 Sorbeoconcha - Cypraeidae
Cypraea sp. Linnaeus 1758 cowry
shells
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
Conus sp. Linnaeus 1758 cone shell
shells
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
Columbella rustica snail
shells
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
Nassa sp. Röding 1798 true whelk
shells
 Heterostropha -
Jaminia saulcyi snail
shells
Jaminia borealis snail
shells
Hygromia
  -
"Monacha syriaca" = Hygromia (Monacha)
"Monacha syriaca" = Hygromia (Monacha)
shells