Valea Graunceanului, Tetoiu 1 lower faunal horizon (Pliocene of Romania)

Also known as Valea Tetoi, Graunceanu

Where: Romania (44.8° N, 23.9° E: paleocoordinates 44.9° N, 23.7° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Late/Upper Pliocene (3.6 - 2.6 Ma)

• Late Pliocene, just before the Olduvai event (based on palaeomagnetism). Faunal comparison indicates that the Lower Faunal Horizon (Tetoiu 1) correlates with the upper part of the Khaprov faunal complex, upper MN17 (St Vallier Zone), probably equivalent to the Tiglian warm stage. It is suggested that Valea Graunceanului correlates with zone 5C of the Tiglian, and is a warmer pahse than that represnted by La Pietris.

•Site is approximately 88m below the top of the section, at the base of a silty sand, about 1.5m thick.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fluvial-lacustrine; silty sandstone

• The lower faunal horizon is in an approximately 20m thick bed consisting 'predominantly of silty sands and sand, levels with gravels and larger pebbles were also observed. These beds are rich in faunal remains.' 'The beds have an average dip of 1 to 2 degrees SE.'

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: A. Bolomey. 1965. Die fauna zweier villafrankischer Fundstellen in Rumaenien. Berichte der geologischen Gesellschaft der DDR, Berlin 10(1):77-88 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 39846: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 09.06.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Rodentia - Hystricidae
Hystrix refossa porcupine
 Rodentia - Castoridae
"Castor plicidens" = Castor fiber, Trogontherium dacicum3
"Castor plicidens" = Castor fiber Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian beaver
 Primates - Cercopithecidae
Paradolichopithecus arvernensis3 Deperet 1929 monkey
3 female skulls and one mandible, 1 male skull and 2 sets of back teeth.
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Dicerorhinus sp.3 Gloger 1841 rhinoceros
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758 pig
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hippo
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Capreolus sp. Gray 1821 roe
Eucladoceros sp.3 Falconer 1868 deer
Cervus sp. Linnaeus 1758 deer
"Dama nestii" = Cervus nestii Azzaroli 1947 deer
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Gazella sp. Blaineville 1816 gazelle
Pliotragus ardeus3 Deperet 1883 antelope
 Artiodactyla - Giraffidae
"Mitilanotherium inexspectatum" = Palaeotragus inexspectatus3
"Mitilanotherium inexspectatum" = Palaeotragus inexspectatus3 Samson and Radulesco 1966 giraffe
 Carnivora - Felidae
Megantereon megantereon Croizet and Jobert 1828 cat
1 deformed skull, 1 mandible.
Homotherium crenatidens Fabrini 1890 cat
1 upper canine, 1 mandible.
Felis sp. Linnaeus 1758 cat
Lynx issiodorensis3 Croizet and Jobert 1828 lynx
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Pliocrocuta perrieri2 Kretzoi 1938 hyaena
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Meles sp. Brisson 1762 badger
2 mandible fragments.
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus etruscus Cuvier 1823 bear
 Carnivora - Canidae
Nyctereutes megamastoides Pomel 1842 raccoon dog
 Pholidota - Manidae
Manis sp.3 Linnaeus 1758 pangolin
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Mammuthus meridionalis3 Nesti 1825 mammoth