Villacastin (Zone C, level 2) (Pleistocene of Spain)

Where: Segovia, Spain (40.8° N, 4.4° W: paleocoordinates 40.8° N, 4.5° W)

• coordinate stated in text

When: Pleistocene (2.6 - 0.0 Ma)

• Fossils are from a trench and associated fissure below, preserved in sand from weathering of surrounding upper Cretaceous sediments.

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fissure fill; medium-grained sandstone

• 5 cm of coprolites encased in calcareous cement with little lateral variation in a medium-grained sandstone matrix.

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils, microfossils

Collection methods: quarrying, surface (in situ),

Primary reference: A. Arribas. 1994. El yacimiento mesopleistoceno de Villacastin (Segovia, Espana): geologia y paleontologia de micromamiferos. Boletin Geologico y Minero 105:146-166 [J. Alroy/J. Wertheim/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 36517: authorized by John Alroy, entered by Jill Wertheim on 02.02.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• abundance data refers to total number of each taxon collected from the locality, not specifically each collection
Mammalia
 Chiroptera - Vespertilionidae
Myotis myotis Borkhausen 1797 greater mouse-eared bat
243 specimens total from Villacastin
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus caballus Linnaeus 1758 horse
ssp. cf. germanicus; 3 specimens
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Dama cf. clactoniana fallow deer
2 specimens
Cervus elaphus Linnaeus 1758 red deer
6 specimens
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Sus scrofa Linnaeus 1758 wild boar
ssp. cf. clactoniana; 1 individual
 Carnivora - Felidae
"Felis (Lynx) cf. spelaea" = Panthera leo spelaea
"Felis (Lynx) cf. spelaea" = Panthera leo spelaea Goldfuss 1810 lion
7 specimens
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Crocuta crocuta Erxleben 1777 spotted hyaena
ssp. intermedia; 12 specimens
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus sp. Linnaeus 1758 bear
5 specimens
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Meles meles, "Mustela (Putorius) eversmanni" = Mustela eversmanni
Meles meles Linnaeus 1758 European badger
ssp. atavus; 1 individual
"Mustela (Putorius) eversmanni" = Mustela eversmanni Lesson 1827 weasel
19 specimens
 Carnivora - Canidae
Vulpes sp. Frisch 1775 fox
2 specimens
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus 1758 European rabbit
cf. grenalensis; minimum number of individuals=67
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Eliomys querzinus dormouse
12 specimens total from Villacastin
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Microtus cf. brecciensis Forsyth Major 1905 vole
3 individuals
Microtus arvalis Pallas 1779 common vole
10 specimens total from Villacastin