Vallonnet Cave bed 3 'faunal level', Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes Maritimes: Early/Lower Pleistocene, France

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Angiospermae - Sapindales - Anacardiaceae
Pistacia sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Angiospermae - Malvales - Tiliaceae
Tilia sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Angiospermae - Malvales - Cistaceae
Cistaceae indet. Jussieu 1789
de Lumley 1988
Cistacees (cistes ou helianthemes)
Angiospermae - Fagales - Fagaceae
Quercus sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Quercus type ilex-coccifera
Quercus pendunculata
de Lumley 1988
Quercus type pendunculata-pubescens
Angiospermae - Fagales - Betulaceae
Alnus sp. Miller 1754
de Lumley 1988
Corylus sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Carpinus sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Carpinus-Ostrya sp.
Angiospermae - Rosales - Rhamnaceae
Rhamnus sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Angiospermae - Myrtales - Myrtaceae
Myrtus sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Angiospermae - Lamiales - Oleaceae
Phillyrea sp. Linnaeus 1753
de Lumley 1988
Coniferales - Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae indet. Gray 1822
de Lumley 1988
Mammalia - Rodentia - Hystricidae
Castor fiber Linnaeus 1758
    = Hystrix refossa
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Hystrix major
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Gliridae
Eliomys cf. quercinus Linnaeus 1766
Eliomys quercinus helleri. in de Lumley et al. 1976.
    = Eliomys quercinus Linnaeus 1766
Chaline 1988
Eliomys quercinus helleri
Glis minor Kowalski 1963
in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Muridae
Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877
in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Mus sp. Linnaeus 1758
with Asiatic affinities. in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Ungaromys nanus
in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Allophaiomys cf. pliocaenicus Kormos 1932
in de Lumley et al. 1976.
Mammalia - Primates - Cercopithecidae
Macaca sp. Lacépède 1799
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
Macaca sylvanus florentina
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinoceros etruscus Falconer 1868
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Dicerorhinus etruscus Falconer 1868
de Lumley et al. 1988
recombined as Stephanorhinus etruscus
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus bressanus
Equus stenonis Cocchi 1867
recombined as Allohippus stenonis
in de Lumley et al. 1963. Equus stenonis senezensis.
Mammalia - Suidae
Sus scrofa Linnaeus 1758
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
great size. in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Hippopotamus sp. Linnaeus 1758
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
mis-identification of a large suid canine.
Mammalia - Cervidae
"Praemegaceros" sp. n. sp. Portis 1920
Alces alces (Linnaeus 1758)
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Euctenoceros senezensis
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Eucladoceros aff. tetraceros
de Lumley et al. 1988
Cervus elaphus Linnaeus 1758
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Cervus philisi Mennecart et al. 2017
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Cervus vallonetensis
de Lumley et al. 1988
    = aff. Cervus nestii Azzaroli 1947
de Lumley et al. 1988
"Cervus" (s.l.) nestii vallonnetensis n. ssp.
Mammalia - Bovidae
Bovidae indet. Gray 1821
Capra ibex Linnaeus 1758
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Leptobos sp. Rutimeyer 1878
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Leptobos aff. etruscus
de Lumley et al. 1988
Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Bos cf. primigenius Bojanus 1827
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = cf. Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827
de Lumley et al. 1988
Bovidae cf. Bos primigenius
Ovibovini sp. n. sp.
Nemorhoedus philisi
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Hemitragus bonali
de Lumley et al. 1988
Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae
Acinonyx pardinensis Croizet and Jobert 1828
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
Felis cf. leo Linnaeus 1758
smaller size than Felis spelaea. In de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Panthera leo Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
Panthera leo fossilis
Panthera gombaszoegensis (Kretzoi 1938)
Panthera pardus (Linnaeus 1758)
Felis sp. Linnaeus 1758
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Lynx pardina Temminck 1827
de Lumley et al. 1988
recombined as Lynx pardinus
Lynx pardina spelaea
Mammalia - Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Hyaena spelaea Goldfuss 1823
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Crocuta perrieri
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Hyaena brevirostris Gervais 1850
de Lumley et al. 1988
recombined as Pachycrocuta brevirostris
Mammalia - Carnivora - Phocidae
Monachus albiventer (Boddaert 1785)
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Monachus monachus Hermann 1779
de Lumley et al. 1988
Mammalia - Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus deningeri Reichenau 1904
Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller 1794
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Ursus cf. arctos Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Ursus etruscus Cuvier 1823
de Lumley et al. 1988
Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae
Xenocyon lycaonoides Kretzoi 1938
Moullé et al. 2006
Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Canis cf. lupus Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
Canis lupus mosbachensis
Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus 1758)
praeglacialis
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Proboscidea
Balaena sp. Linnaeus 1758
2 specimens
in de Lumley et al. 1976. 1 tooth, 1 vertebra.
    = Proboscidea indet. Illiger 1811
de Lumley et al. 1988
Vertebra = fragmented proboscidean calcaneum. Tooth = eroded bear canine. Poplin (1983).
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Elephas antiquus Falconer and Cautley 1847
in Sylvain Gagniere 1961, p. 384.
    = Elephas meridonalis
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
    = Mammuthus meridionalis Nesti 1825
de Lumley et al. 1988
Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae
Testudo iberica
    = Testudo sp. Linnaeus 1758
de Lumley et al. 1988
in de Lumley et al. 1963.
see common names

Geography
Country:France State/province:Alpes Maritimes
Coordinates: 43.8° North, 7.5° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:43.8° North, 7.3° East
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Time
Period:Quaternary Epoch:Pleistocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
Key time interval:Early/Lower Pleistocene
Age range of interval:2.58800 - 0.78100 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Member:3
Local section:Vallonnet Local bed:B-C
Local order:bottom to top
Stratigraphy comments: 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.
Lithology and environment
Lithology description: sandy clayey-muds, rich in stoneas and pebbles. Red in colour and 30 to 100cm thick.
Environment:cave
Geology comments: 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.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:bone collector
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Collection methods and comments
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Metadata
Database number:50342
Authorizer:A. Turner, B. Allen Enterer:H. O'Regan, B. Allen
Modifier:H. O'Regan Research group:PACED
Created:2005-05-13 02:56:40 Last modified:2005-05-26 05:32:58
Access level:the public Released:2005-05-13 02:56:40
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

13519.PACED 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]

Secondary references:

13550PACED J. Chaline. 1988. Les rongeurs de la Grotte du Vallonnet (Alpes-Maritimes), L'environnement et l'age du site. L'Anthropologie (Paris) 98(2):497-499 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]
13534PACED H. de Lumley. 1988. La stratigraphie du remplissage de la Grotte du Vallonnet. L'Anthropologie (Paris) 92(2):407-428 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]
85449 P.-E. Moullé, A. Echassoux, and F. Lacombat. 2006. Taxonomie du grand canidé de la grotte du Vallonnet (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, France) [Taxonomy of the large canid of Vallonnet cave (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, France)]. L'Anthropologie 110(5):832-836 [B. Allen/B. Allen]