Betfia 7 level 3a (Pleistocene of Romania)

Also known as Betfia VII/3a Somleu Hill

Where: Romania (47.0° N, 22.0° E: paleocoordinates 46.9° N, 22.0° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

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

• Site overview: the site of Betfia 7 has a height of 8m and encompasses four complexes of layers. The first three of these represent the filling of a former cave, containing numerous fragments of speleothemes. Level 3 is formed of three layers of clay with speleothemes. Level 3a is dated to the Late Menapian/early Bavelian on arvicolid morphology (= Late Lower Pleistocene, approx. 1.0Ma).

Environment/lithology: cave

• level 3 is formed of three layers of clay with speleothemes.

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: bulk,

• Sites discovered between 1966 and 1991 and excavated by the Bucharest Speleological Institute and the "Tarii Crisurilor" Museum of Oradea

Primary reference: E. Terzea. 1996. Biochronology of the Pleistocene deposits at Betfia (Bihor, Romania). Acta Zoologica Cracovensia 39(1):531-540 [A. Behrensmeyer/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 33975: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 11.08.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• The composition of rodent faunas evokes a steppe environment with isolated enclaves of forest in a warm and dry climate of Mediterranean aspect.
Mammalia
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
 Rodentia - Zapodidae
Sicista praeloriger Kormos 1930 birch mouse
 Rodentia - Muridae
Apodemus mystacinus, "Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus
Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 Eastern broad-toothed field mouse
"Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus Linnaeus 1758 wood mouse
Apodemus gr. sylvaticus
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetus cricetus Linnaeus 1758 European hamster
Cricetus cricetus praeglacialis
Prolagurus pannonicus Kormos 1930 vole
Microtus arvalidens vole
Microtus (Terricola) arvalidens
Microtus nivalinus vole
Microtus (Chionomys) nivalinus
"Clethrionomys ex gr. glareolus" = Myodes vole
Clethrionomys gr. glareolus
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Glis sackdillingensis Heller 1930 dormouse
Dryomys sp. Thomas 1906 dormouse
Dryomys s. Eliomys
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Spermophilus primigenius ground squirrel
 Rodentia - Hystricidae
Hystrix sp. Linnaeus 1758 porcupine
 Carnivora - Canidae
Vulpes sp. Frisch 1775 fox
Vulpes (s.l.) sp.
Canis mosbachensis Soergel 1925 canine
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Mustela praenivalis Kormos 1934 weasel
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Stephanorhinus etruscus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros
Dicerorhinus etruscus ssp.
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Cervidae indet. Gray 1821 deer
 Theriamorpha - Talpidae
Talpa fossilis Petenyi 1864 mole
Desmana sp. Guldenstaedt 1777 Russian desman
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Beremendia fissidens Petényi 1864 shrew
Crocidura sp. Wagler 1832 white-toothed shrew
Crocidura sp. I, II
Sorex ex gr. minutus Linnaeus 1766 Eurasian pygmy shrew
Sorex gr. minutus
Sorex runtonensis Hinton 1911 long-tailed shrew
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Mammuthus cf. meridionalis Nesti 1825 mammoth
 Chiroptera -
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779 bat