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
 Chiroptera -
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779 bat
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Mammuthus cf. meridionalis Nesti 1825 mammoth
 Rodentia - Hystricidae
Hystrix sp. Linnaeus 1758 porcupine
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetus cricetus Linnaeus 1758 European hamster
Cricetus cricetus praeglacialis
Microtus arvalidens vole
Microtus (Terricola) arvalidens
Microtus nivalinus vole
Microtus (Chionomys) nivalinus
"Clethrionomys ex gr. glareolus" = Myodes vole
Clethrionomys gr. glareolus
Prolagurus pannonicus Kormos 1930 vole
 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 - Zapodidae
Sicista praeloriger Kormos 1930 birch mouse
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Dryomys sp. Thomas 1906 dormouse
Dryomys s. Eliomys
Glis sackdillingensis Heller 1930 dormouse
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Spermophilus primigenius ground squirrel
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Mustela praenivalis Kormos 1934 weasel
 Carnivora - Canidae
Vulpes sp. Frisch 1775 fox
Vulpes (s.l.) sp.
Canis mosbachensis Soergel 1925 canine
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Cervidae indet. Gray 1821 deer
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Stephanorhinus etruscus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros
Dicerorhinus etruscus ssp.
 Soricomorpha - Talpidae
Talpa fossilis Petenyi 1864 mole
Desmana sp. Guldenstaedt 1777 Russian desman
 Soricomorpha - 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