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Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary

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A special issue of Quaternary (ISSN 2571-550X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 18653

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Dr. Alessio Iannucci

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Department of Geosciences, Section of Terrestrial Palaeoclimatology, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Sigwartstrasse 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Interests: paleontology; paleobiology; paleoecology; paleobiogeography; biochronology; ecomorphology; faunal turnover; taxonomy; zoological nomenclature; mammals

Dr. George Konidaris

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Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
Interests: neogene and quaternary vertebrate faunas; taxonomy and evolution; biochronology and biostratigraphy; taphonomy; palaeobiogeography; palaeoecology; proboscidea evolution; megafauna-homo interactions; carnivoran guilds

Prof. Dr. Dimitris S. Kostopoulos

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Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: mammal palaeontology; artiodactyla; neogene; quaternary; systematics; phylogeny; palaeoecology

Dr. Joan Madurell Malapeira

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1. Earth Science Department, Paleo[Fab]Lab, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
2. Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: vertebrate paleontology; neuroanatomy; stable isotopes; paleoecology; mammals; taxonomy; systematics; ecology and evolution; biodiversity; phylogenetic analysis; conservation ecology

Prof. Dr. Raffaele Sardella

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Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Interests: geology; paleontology; paleobiology; paleoecology; paleobiogeography; biochronology; faunal turnover; mammals; Homo–fauna interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Quaternary is a time of fundamental climatic shifts and environmental changes that highlight the need for a thorough investigation from different perspectives and at multiple scales to disentangle the factors involved in the response of the biota. In turn, recognizing bioevents (e.g., the dispersal or extinction of species) and relating them to geological time is crucial for correlating changes between distant geographic regions. The mammalian fossil record is widely used for biochronological correlations and palaeoecological reconstructions of the Euro-Mediterranean region and represents an especially important proxy for inferring the timing, pattern, and paleoenvironmental context of the earliest events of hominin dispersal into Europe. Conducting research on the response of mammals to the paleoenvironmental changes of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary and developing a consistent and precise pan-European biochronological framework both require the thoughtful integration of data and schemes from different geographic areas. This is especially relevant considering the wealth of new discoveries made in the last few decades and the semantic and conceptual differences in the use of biochronological terms like Mammal Ages (e.g., Villafranchian and Galerian).

This Special Issue will aim to gather contributions derived from the homonymous session organized at the XXI INQUA conference (Rome, July 14th–20th 2023), featuring research on the evolution of mammal communities and ecosystems and the identification and definition of bioevents, including taxonomic studies, and the discussion of their broader biochronological and palaeoecological significance.

Dr. Alessio Iannucci
Dr. George Konidaris
Prof. Dr. Dimitris S. Kostopoulos
Dr. Joan Madurell Malapeira
Prof. Dr. Raffaele Sardella
Guest Editors

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Keywords

biochronology
bioevent
paleoecology
paleobiogeography
dispersal
faunal correlation
faunal turnover
mammals
Europe
Mediterranean
Pleistocene
quaternary

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 2208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Final Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Faunal Dispersals from East to Europe and Correlation of the Villafranchian Biochronology between Eastern and Western Europe

by Nikolai Spassov

Quaternary 2024, 7(4), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7040043 - 11 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1015

Abstract

The Villafranchian stage in the mammal fauna evolution in Eurasia (ca. 3.6/3.4 Ma—ca. 1.2 Ma) is associated with the beginning of the formation of the modern appearance of the mammal megafauna of today’s Palaearctic. The cooling and the aridification starting with the beginning of the Early Pleistocene gradually eliminated the quasi-tropical appearance of the Late Neogene landscapes and fauna of Europe. The time from the Mid-Piacenzian (ca. 3.3–3.0 Ma) to the end of the Early Pleistocene was a time of particularly intense dispersal of species, of faunal exchange between Eurasia and Africa, and of the entry of new mammals into Europe from the East. That is why the correlation of the biochronology of the Villafranchian fauna between Eastern and Western Europe is of particular interest. Accumulated data make possible a more precise correlation of these faunas today. A correlation of selected Eastern European localities with established faunal units and MNQ zones is made in the present work. Usually, the dispersal from Asia or from E. Europe to W. Europe is instantaneous from a geological point of view, but in a number of cases, reaching W. Europe happens later, or some species known to be from Eastern Europe do not reach Western Europe. The main driving forces of the faunal dispersals, which are the key bioevents in the faunal formation, are climate changes, which in turn, affect the environment. We can summarize the following more significant Villafranchian bioevents in Europe: the End Pliocene (Early Villafranchian: MNQ16) turnover related to the first appearance of a number of taxa, for example, felids, canids, proboscideans, and ungulates; the Quaternary beginning turnover. Correlated with this are the beginning of the Middle Villafranchian, which should be placed at about 2.6 Ma; the Coste San Giacomo faunal unit turnover (Senèze and Slivnitsa localities should be included here, and the FU itself, at the very beginning of the late Villafranchian (=MNQ18a)); the Pachycrocuta event at the very beginning of the Olivola FU; and the events related to the Late Villafranchian/Epivillafranchian bounfary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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11 pages, 4970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plio-Pleistocene Small Mammal-Based Biochronology of Eastern Anatolia and Transcaucasus

by Alexey S. Tesakov, Pavel Frolov, Alexandra Simakova, Albina Yakimova, Vadim Titov, Pranav Ranjan, Hasan Çelik and Vladimir Trifonov

Quaternary 2024, 7(4), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7040042 - 29 Sep 2024

Viewed by 647

Abstract

The known Plio-Pleistocene mammalian record, mainly represented by small mammals, and its biotic and geological context in the vast region of Eastern Turkey and Transcaucasus provides a sound base for regional biochronology. Recently obtained faunal associations and the main evolutionary lineages found in the region support direct correlations to the European (ELMA/MN/MQ) and the Eastern European (faunal complexes/MQR-MNR) biochronological systems. Important data on palynology, aquatic and terrestrial mollusks, and magnetostratigraphy integrate the reviewed material into a robust local biochronology. The range of standard biochrons of Early Pliocene through late Early Pleistocene and the regional Anatolian zones M-P are reliably detected. The Early Pleistocene time range (zone P) is refined based on rhizodont lagurines Borsodia and Euro-Asian larger voles Mimomys ex gr. pliocaenicus. The successive zone R for Early Pleistocene faunas with early rootless Microtini is proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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33 pages, 49504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Late Early–Middle Pleistocene Mammal Fauna from the Megalopolis Basin (Peloponnese, Greece) and Its Importance for Biostratigraphy and Paleoenvironment

by George E. Konidaris, Athanassios Athanassiou, Vangelis Tourloukis, Krystalia Chitoglou, Thijs van Kolfschoten, Domenico Giusti, Nicholas Thompson, Georgia Tsartsidou, Effrosyni Roditi, Eleni Panagopoulou, Panagiotis Karkanas and Katerina Harvati

Quaternary 2024, 7(4), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7040041 - 24 Sep 2024

Viewed by 2244

Abstract

Recent investigations in the upper Lower–Middle Pleistocene deposits of the Megalopolis Basin (Greece) led to the discovery of several sites/findspots with abundant faunal material. Here, we provide an updated overview including new results on the micro- and macro-mammal fauna. Important new discoveries comprise partial hippopotamus skeletons from Marathousa 1 and the new Lower Pleistocene site Choremi 6, as well as a second partial elephant skeleton from Marathousa 1, including a complete tusk and the rarely found stylohyoideum. Based on the first results from the newly collected micromammals, we discuss age constraints of the sites, and we provide biostratigraphic/biochronologic remarks on key mammal taxa for the Middle Pleistocene of Greece and southeastern Europe. The presence of mammals highly dependent on freshwater for their survival, together with temperate-adapted ones in several stratigraphic layers of the basin, including those correlated with glacial stages, when conditions were colder and/or drier, indicate the capacity of the basin to retain perennial freshwater bodies under milder climatic conditions, even during the harsher glacial periods of the European Middle Pleistocene, and further support its refugial status. Yet, the smaller dimensions of the Megalopolis hippopotamuses may represent a response to the changing environmental conditions of the epoch, not optimal for hippopotamuses. Overall, the Megalopolis Basin comprises a unique fossil record for southeastern Europe and provides valuable insights into the Middle Pleistocene terrestrial ecosystems of Europe, and hominin adaptations in particular. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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21 pages, 1527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carrying Capacity, Available Meat and the Fossil Record of the Orce Sites (Baza Basin, Spain)

by Guillermo Rodríguez-Gómez, M. Patrocinio Espigares, Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro, Sergio Ros-Montoya, Antonio Guerra-Merchán, Jesús A. Martín-González, Isidoro Campaña, Alejandro Pérez-Ramos, Alejandro Granados, José Manuel García-Aguilar, María Dolores Rodríguez-Ruiz and Paul Palmqvist

Quaternary 2024, 7(3), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7030037 - 27 Aug 2024

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Abstract

The Early Pleistocene sites of Orce in southeastern Spain, including Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3), Barranco León (BL) and Venta Micena (VM), provide important insights into the earliest hominin populations and Late Villafranchian large mammal communities. Dated to approximately 1.4 million years ago, FN3 and BL preserve abundant Oldowan tools, cut marks and a human primary tooth, indicating hominin activity. VM, approximately 1.6 million years old, is an outstanding site because it preserves an exceptionally rich assemblage of large mammals and predates the presence of hominins, providing a context for pre-human conditions in the region. Research suggests that both hominins and giant hyenas were essential to the accumulation of skeletal remains at FN3 and BL, with secondary access to meat resources exploited by saber-toothed felids. This aim of this study aims to correlate the relative abundance of large herbivores at these sites with their estimates of Carrying Capacity (CC) and Total Available Biomass (TAB) using the PSEco model, which incorporates survival and mortality profiles to estimate these parameters in paleoecosystems. Our results show: (i) similarities between quarries VM3 and VM4 and (ii) similarities of these quarries with BL-D (level D), suggesting a similar formation process; (iii) that the role of humans would be secondary in BL-D and FN3-LAL (Lower Archaeological Level), although with a greater human influence in FN3-LAL due to the greater presence of horses and small species; and (iv) that FN3-UAL (Upper Archaeological Level) shows similarities with the expected CC values for FN3/BL, consistent with a natural trap of quicksand scenario, where the large mammal species were trapped according to their abundance and body mass, as there is a greater presence of rhinos and mammoths due to the greater weight per unit area exerted by their legs. Given the usefulness of this approach, we propose to apply it first to sites that have been proposed to function as natural traps. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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15 pages, 3232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Late Pliocene–Middle Pleistocene Large Mammal Faunal Units of Greece

by George E. Konidaris and Dimitris S. Kostopoulos

Quaternary 2024, 7(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7020027 - 12 Jun 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1964

Abstract

Located at the eastern corner of Mediterranean Europe, Greece occupies a critical position for mammal dispersals to/from Europe, Asia, and Africa and constitutes a potential passageway towards Western Europe. During recent decades, numerous fieldwork campaigns in several Pliocene–Pleistocene sites have greatly enriched the fossil record and provided valuable taxonomic and biostratigraphic data. However, a fully developed reference biochronological unit scheme for the Greek record that could contribute to correlations at a continental scale is still pending. In this article, we provide the updated Late Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene large mammal succession, and we introduce the Faunal Units (FUs) of Greece. We define eight FUs, the Milia, Dafnero, Gerakarou, Tsiotra Vryssi, Krimni, Apollonia, Marathousa, and Apidima FUs (from the oldest to the youngest), which are determined by a set of first and last local occurrences. The results form the basis for discussion of already set turnovers, dispersals, and extinction/immigration events and showcase the importance of the local record for the investigation of the European terrestrial ecosystems. By developing the first detailed biochronological scheme for the Pliocene–Pleistocene of Southeastern Europe, this study comprises the basis for an expanded Balkan faunal unit scale and a reference framework for future investigations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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32 pages, 4986 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Middle Pleistocene Hippopotamuses from the Italian Peninsula: An Overview

by Beniamino Mecozzi, Alessio Iannucci, Marta Arzarello, Marco Carpentieri, Marie-Hélène Moncel, Carlo Peretto, Benedetto Sala and Raffaele Sardella

Quaternary 2024, 7(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7020020 - 22 Apr 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2206

Abstract

Our work presents an updated overview of the Italian Middle Pleistocene records of hippopotamuses, including the two species Hippopotamus antiquus and Hippopotamus amphibius. In addition to reviewing several well-known fossils in the literature, a large number of samples are described herein for the first time. Following the recent results published in the literature, where the skull from the Middle Pleistocene of Cava Montanari (ca. MIS 13) was confirmed to belong to H. amphibius, one of the aims of this work was to investigate the H. antiquus–H. amphibius transition. A morphological analysis applied to a large sample confirmed the validity of the arrangement of the enamel ridges of the external surfaces of the lower canines as a diagnostic character for specific identifications. Finally, biometric analyses allowed us to test the size variability during the Middle Pleistocene, which confirmed that H. antiquus was generally larger than H. amphibius. Nevertheless, the remains of H. antiquus dated to ca. 600 ka show a reduced size when compared to older fossils of the same taxon, probably as a response to severe glacial conditions that occurred during MIS 16. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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25 pages, 4279 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Occurrence of Suids in the Post-Olduvai to Pre-Jaramillo Pleistocene of Europe and Implications for Late Villafranchian Biochronology and Faunal Dynamics

by Alessio Iannucci

Quaternary 2024, 7(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7010011 - 21 Feb 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2602

Abstract

It has been proposed that suids were absent from Europe during the post-Olduvai to pre-Jaramillo Early Pleistocene (from less than 1.8 to more than 1.2 Ma) and that their “re-appearance” in the late Early Pleistocene would mark the end of the late Villafranchian and the beginning of the Epivillafranchian. Arguments enumerated in favor of this “suid gap” are the lack of suid remains from extensively sampled fossil localities of this age and the high reproductive potential (r-strategy) of suids, which would translate in a high commonness of their remains in the fossil record. However, here it shown that while suids’ reproductive potential is certainly exceptional within artiodactyls, there is no direct relationship between the reproductive strategy and preservation rate of a taxon in the fossil record. In Early Pleistocene localities of Europe and adjoining areas, where suids are present in a fossil assemblage, they are always rare. In terms of number of occurrences (frequency), suids range from being moderately common (~2.0–1.8 Ma) to moderately rare (~1.1–1.0 Ma). Suid material is also described herein from Peyrolles (Issoire, France; reference locality for MNQ 19), a site dated at 1.47 Ma, providing direct evidence for the presence of suids within the purported “suid gap”. The case of suids underlines an important source of caveat in inferring faunal dynamics of the late Early Pleistocene of western Europe—including the dispersal of hominins—i.e., the unequal geographical distribution of the paleontological sites of post-Olduvai to pre-Jaramillo age. Indeed, Peyrolles is the only large mammal site in western Europe located outside the Iberian and Italian Peninsulas reliably dated around 1.5 Ma. In the post-Olduvai to pre-Jaramillo period, there is a paucity of radiometric estimates (or they have too coarse a resolution) and of paleomagnetic excursions detectable in continental deposits. Basically, for this time span, there is a high dependence on biochronological correlations, although, at the same time, these correlations are less reliable—because these are based on a few sites not covering the entire spectrum of environments present in Europe and the sites are not independently dated with methods that outperform biochronology—than those for other periods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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Review

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31 pages, 3495 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on the Latest Early Pleistocene Carnivoran Guild from the Vallparadís Section (NE Iberia)

by Joan Madurell-Malapeira, Maria Prat-Vericat, Saverio Bartolini-Lucenti, Andrea Faggi, Darío Fidalgo, Adrian Marciszak and Lorenzo Rook

Quaternary 2024, 7(3), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7030040 - 23 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1363

Abstract

The Vallparadís Section encompasses various geological layers that span a significant chronological range, extending from the latest Early Pleistocene to the early Middle Pleistocene, covering a timeframe from approximately 1.2 to 0.6 Ma. This period holds particular importance, as it coincides with a significant climatic transition known as the Early–Middle Pleistocene Transition, a pivotal phase in Quaternary climatic history. This transition, marked by the shift from a 41,000-year obliquity-driven climatic cycle to a 100,000-year precession-forced cyclicity, had profound effects on the Calabrian carnivorous mammal communities. Notably, the once diverse carnivore guild began to decline across Europe during this period, with their last documented occurrences coinciding with those found within the Vallparadís Section (e.g., Megantereon or Xenocyon). Concurrently, this period witnessed the initial dispersals of African carnivorans into the European landscape (e.g., steppe lions), marking a significant shift in the composition and dynamics of the region’s carnivorous fauna. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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13 pages, 2699 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

An Updated Review of The Quaternary Hippopotamus Fossil Records from the Iberian Peninsula

by Darío Fidalgo, Joan Madurell-Malapeira, Roberta Martino, Luca Pandolfi and Antonio Rosas

Quaternary 2024, 7(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7010004 - 10 Jan 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4071

Abstract

This work presents a comprehensive review of the Quaternary fossil records of hippopotamuses from the Iberian Peninsula, unveiling biogeographical insights of global significance. The results presented herein include the inference of a delayed arrival of Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus antiquus) populations onto the Iberian Peninsula compared to other European Mediterranean regions, with an estimated age of ca. 1.7 Ma, in contrast to 2.1–2.2 Ma elsewhere. Moreover, we hypothesize the possibility of a short-lived coexistence between H. antiquus and Hippopotamus amphibius, close to the extinction of the former taxon (ca. 0.45 Ma). The local extinction of all hippopotamus populations on the Iberian Peninsula between MIS 5 and 3 is suggested here, mirroring proposals made for the Italian peninsula. Notable aspects of this fossil record include the abundance of specimens, previously undocumented anatomical elements, and partially complete individuals with articulated body segments. The remains analyzed herein also present different ontogenetic stages and sexual dimorphism. Moreover, the presence of specimens displaying paleopathologies provides valuable insights into ethological and paleoecological studies. The exceptional record of at least three events of human exploitation of hippopotamus stands out, with this being a rarity in the broader context of the archaeological and paleontological record of the European continent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammals Biochronology and Paleoecology of the Euro-Mediterranean Quaternary)

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