Zebbug Cave (Pleistocene of Malta)

Where: Malta (36.1° N, 14.2° E: paleocoordinates 36.0° N, 14.2° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Pleistocene (2.6 - 0.0 Ma)

Environment/lithology: cave; lithology not reported

Size class: macrofossils

Collected by Leith-Adams, Spratt in 1865; reposited in the BMNH

Primary reference: A. Leith-Adams. 1877. On gigantic land-tortoises and a small freshwater species from the ossiferous caverns of Malta, together with a list of their fossil fauna; and a note on chelonian remains from the rock-cavities of Gibraltar. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 33:177-191 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 190860: authorized by Evangelos Vlachos, entered by Evangelos Vlachos on 19.12.2017

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Gastropoda
 Murchisoniina - Gosseletinidae
"Helix striata" = Mourlonia striata
"Helix striata" = Mourlonia striata Sowerby 1815 snail
 Stylommatophora - Clausiliidae
 Stylommatophora - Helicidae
"Helix vermiculata" = Massylaea vermiculata Müller 1774 slug
  -
Amphibia
 Batrachia -
Batrachia sp. tetrapod
 Salientia - Bufonidae
Bufo bufo Linnaeus 1758 toad
Bufo viridis Laurenti 1768 European green toad
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Gliridae
"Myoxus melitensi" = Myoxus (Glis), "Myoxus cartei" = Myoxus (Glis)
"Myoxus melitensi" = Myoxus (Glis) dormouse
"Myoxus cartei" = Myoxus (Glis) dormouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus sp. Linnaeus 1758 horse
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
"Cervus dama" = Dama dama
"Cervus dama" = Dama dama Linnaeus 1758 fallow deer
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canis sp. Linnaeus 1758 canine
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Elephas falconeri Busk 1867 elephant
"Elephas mnaidriensis" = Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis Adamas 1874 elephant
Elephas melitensis Falconer 1868 elephant
Reptilia
 Testudines - Emydidae
Emys orbicularis Linnaeus 1758 European pond turtle
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Testudo graeca, "Testudo robusta n. sp." = Solitudo robusta, "Testudo spratti n. sp." = Solitudo robusta
Testudo graeca Linnaeus 1758 common tortoise
"Testudo robusta n. sp." = Solitudo robusta Leith-Adams 1877 turtle
BMNH, various skeletal elements
"Testudo spratti n. sp." = Solitudo robusta Leith-Adams 1877 turtle
BMNH, part of a femur
 Squamata - Lacertidae
Lacerta sp. Linnaeus 1758 squamates
Aves
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Anas sp. Linnaeus 1758 dabbling duck
Branta bernicla Linnaeus 1758 brant
Bernicla sp.
Cygnus falconeri Parker 1865 swan
"Cygnus musicus" = Cygnus cygnus Linnaeus 1758 whooper swan