PBDB Collection

Vallonnet Cave bed 3 'faunal level', Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes Maritimes (Pleistocene of France)

Where: Alpes Maritimes, France (43.8° N, 7.5° E: paleocoordinates 43.8° N, 7.3° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: 3 Member, Early/Lower Pleistocene (2.6 - 0.8 Ma)

• Dated by ESR between 980,000 to 910,000 years ago (Jaramillo event). Late Early Pleistocene. Mammalian fauna is found in level 3, known as the 'Faunal horizon of Vallonnet'. There are three levels within member 3 - B1, B2 and C, but the large mammal faunal list is not subdivided.

Environment/lithology: cave

• 5 stratigraphic units at the site. Bed 3 is further subdivided into levels B1, B2 and C, but the large mammal fauna is given as a list for the entire bed. The first level (C) correponds to a very dry and cold climate, whilst the upper (B1) is progressively more temperate and humid.

• sandy clayey-muds, rich in stoneas and pebbles. Red in colour and 30 to 100cm thick.

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: bone collector

Primary reference: H. de Lumley, H.-D. Kahlke, A.-M. Moigne and P.-E. Moulle. 1988. Les Faunes de grands mammiferes de la Grotte du Vallonnet, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes. L'Anthropologie 92(2):465-496 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 50342: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 13.05.2005, edited by Bethany Allen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names

Reptilia
Testudines - Testudinidae	Testudo sp. Testudo sp. Linnaeus 1758 turtle
Mammalia
Proboscidea - Proboscidea	Proboscidea indet. Proboscidea indet. proboscidean in de Lumley et al. 1976. 1 tooth, 1 vertebra.
Proboscidea - Elephantidae	Mammuthus meridionalis Mammuthus meridionalis Nesti 1825 mammoth in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
Carnivora - Canidae	Vulpes vulpes, Canis lupus, Xenocyon lycaonoides³ Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus 1758 red fox praeglacialis Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758 gray wolf in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384. Xenocyon lycaonoides³ Kretzoi 1938 canine
Carnivora - Phocidae	Monachus monachus Monachus monachus Hermann 1779 Mediterranean monk seal in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Carnivora - Ursidae	Ursus etruscus, Ursus deningeri Ursus etruscus Cuvier 1823 bear in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384. Ursus deningeri Reichenau 1904 bear
Carnivora - Felidae	Panthera leo, Panthera gombaszoegensis, Panthera pardus, "Lynx pardina" = Lynx pardinus, Acinonyx pardinensis Panthera leo Linnaeus 1758 lion smaller size than Felis spelaea. In de Lumley et al. 1963. Panthera gombaszoegensis Kretzoi 1938 cat Panthera pardus Linnaeus 1758 leopard "Lynx pardina" = Lynx pardinus Temminck 1827 Iberian lynx in de Lumley et al. 1963. Acinonyx pardinensis Croizet and Jobert 1828 cheetah in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Carnivora - Hyaenidae	"Hyaena brevirostris" = Pachycrocuta brevirostris "Hyaena brevirostris" = Pachycrocuta brevirostris Gervais 1850 brown hyaena in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
Perissodactyla - Equidae	Equus bressanus, "Equus stenonis" = Allohippus stenonis Equus bressanus horse "Equus stenonis" = Allohippus stenonis Cocchi 1867 horse in de Lumley et al. 1963. Equus stenonis senezensis.
Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae	"Dicerorhinus etruscus" = Stephanorhinus etruscus "Dicerorhinus etruscus" = Stephanorhinus etruscus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
Artiodactyla - Suidae	Sus sp., Sus sp. Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758 pig in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384. Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758 pig in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Artiodactyla - Cervidae	"Praemegaceros" sp. n. sp., Eucladoceros aff. tetraceros, aff. Cervus nestii "Praemegaceros" sp. n. sp. Portis 1920 deer Eucladoceros aff. tetraceros deer in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384. aff. Cervus nestii Azzaroli 1947 deer in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
Artiodactyla - Bovidae	Bovidae indet., Hemitragus bonali, Leptobos aff. etruscus, Ovibovini sp. n. sp., cf. Bos primigenius Bovidae indet. Gray 1821 antelope Hemitragus bonali antelope in de Lumley et al. 1963. Leptobos aff. etruscus antelope in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384. Ovibovini sp. n. sp. antelope cf. Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827 ox in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
Rodentia - Hystricidae	Hystrix major Hystrix major porcupine
Rodentia - Cricetidae	Ungaromys nanus, Allophaiomys cf. pliocaenicus Ungaromys nanus rodent in de Lumley et al. 1976. Allophaiomys cf. pliocaenicus Kormos 1932 vole in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Rodentia - Muridae	Apodemus mystacinus, Mus sp. Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 Eastern broad-toothed field mouse in de Lumley et al. 1976. Mus sp. Linnaeus 1758 house mouse with Asiatic affinities. in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Rodentia - Gliridae	Glis minor, Eliomys quercinus¹ Glis minor Kowalski 1963 dormouse in de Lumley et al. 1976. Eliomys quercinus¹ Linnaeus 1766 garden doormouse Eliomys quercinus helleri. in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Primates - Cercopithecidae	Macaca sylvanus Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus 1758 Barbary macaque in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Angiospermae
Lamiales - Oleaceae	Phillyrea sp.² Phillyrea sp.² Linnaeus 1753
Dicotyledoneae
Myrtales - Myrtaceae	Myrtus sp.² Myrtus sp.² Linnaeus 1753 myrtle
Angiospermae
Malvales - Cistaceae	Cistaceae indet.² Cistaceae indet.² Jussieu 1789 Cistacees (cistes ou helianthemes)
Malvales - Tiliaceae	Tilia sp.² Tilia sp.² Linnaeus 1753 linden
Sapindales - Anacardiaceae	Pistacia sp.² Pistacia sp.² Linnaeus 1753 cashew
Fagales - Betulaceae	Carpinus sp.², Alnus sp.², Corylus sp.² Carpinus sp.² Linnaeus 1753 hornbeam Carpinus-Ostrya sp. Alnus sp.² Miller 1754 alder Corylus sp.² Linnaeus 1753 hazel
Fagales - Fagaceae	Quercus sp.², Quercus pendunculata² Quercus sp.² Linnaeus 1753 oak Quercus type ilex-coccifera Quercus pendunculata² oak Quercus type pendunculata-pubescens
Rosales - Rhamnaceae	Rhamnus sp.² Rhamnus sp.² Linnaeus 1753 buckthorn

Coniferales - Cupressaceae	Cupressaceae indet.² Cupressaceae indet.² Gray 1822 cypress

¹Chaline 1988; ²de Lumley 1988; ³Moullé et al. 2006