Betfia 7 level 3b (Pleistocene of Romania)

Also known as Betfia VII/3b 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 levels of clay with speleothemes. Level 3b dates to Late Lower Pleistocene (middle Bavelian) approx. 0.9Ma.

Environment/lithology: cave

• Level 3 is formed of three levels 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 34008: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 12.08.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Decreasing frequency of lagurines, disappearance of thermophilus species and the occurence of Lemmus aff. lemmus, indicating a phase of climatic deterioration (in comparison with Level 3a).
unclassified
  -
Praealces ? latifrons
Praealces latifrons ?
Mammalia
 Chiroptera -
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779 bat
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Ochotona sp. Link 1795 pika
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetus cricetus Linnaeus 1758 European hamster
Cricetus cricetus praeglacialis
"Clethrionomys ex gr. glareolus" = Myodes vole
Clethrionomys gr. glareolus
Microtus arvalidens vole
Microtus (Terricola) arvalidens
Microtus gregaloides vole
Microtus (Stenocranius) gregaloides
Microtus nivalinus vole
Microtus (Chionomys) nivalinus
Microtus nivaloides vole
Microtus (M.) nivaloides MAJOR (M. arvilinus HINTON)
Microtus ratticepoides vole
Microtus (M.) ratticepoides
Lemmus aff. lemmus Linnaeus 1758 Norway lemming
 Rodentia - Muridae
Spalax sp., "Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus
Spalax sp. Güldenstadt 1770 blind mole
"Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus Linnaeus 1758 wood mouse
Apodemus gr. sylvaticus
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
"Gulo schlosseri" = Gulo gulo
"Gulo schlosseri" = Gulo gulo Linnaeus 1758 wolverine
 Soricomorpha - Soricidae
Beremendia fissidens Petényi 1864 shrew