Above the hoof: functional morphology of the fossil deer from Tegelen, the Netherlands

Villafranchian faunas were widely spread throughout the European continent during the Plio-Pleistocene. Ungulates, and particularly ruminants, are very well represented in most of the localities of this period. The fossil site of Tegelen (Province of Limburg, the Netherlands) is a classical Villafranchian locality where cervids are especially abundant. Some of the sites from this period have been thoroughly studied in various aspects, such as faunal assemblages, biochronology, magnetostratigraphy, sedimentology or palaeoenvironmental conditions, among others. Tegelen has been as well studied, but its particular exploitation has hampered its study for years. In order to reconstruct its prevailing palaeohabitat, we have applied statistical analyses based on functional morphology for the first time for this fossil site. In this work, we have analysed the ecomorphology of the postcranial skeleton of Eucladoceros ctenoides and Metacervoceros rhenanus, the two extinct species of deer present in Tegelen. Results show that the best ecological indicators are the metapods and the tibia, while the astragalus seems to be the least informative element. The analyses reveal likewise how both taxa show adaptations to both open and forest environments, but with a slight trend to the former. These results disagree with the general assumption that E. ctenoides and M. rhenanus are indicative of forested settings, as well as with the classical interpretations of the palaeoenvironment of Tegelen made to date, which are exclusively based on the fauna. However, they go along with the appearance of some taxa typical of open habitats, such as the micromammals Hystrix and Dicrostonyx, which could help to explain their enigmatic presence.Peer reviewe

Análisis de los patrones de coloración en bóvidos (Ruminantia, Artiodactyla): aplicaciones en la paleorreconstrucción de Tethytragus Azanza & Morales, 1994

This work offers a tentative interpretation of the possible coat colour pattern of the Miocene bovid genus Tethytragus. The method used includes a maximum likelihood reconstruction analysis of data collected from all the 55 species of extant ruminants pertaining to the monophyletic group including the subfamilies Aepycerotinae, Alcelaphinae, Hippotraginae, Pantholopinae y Caprinae. We inferred three different options of colour patterns, corresponding to the basal nodes of the phylogeny of such a group. All of these options share a series of common characteristics: neutral coloured body, white rump patches and possibly darker limbs and tail, as well as a white belly. The only apparent facial marks are hite lips and possibly a dark nasal region

Dental microwear analysis in Gliridae (Rodentia): methodological issues and paleodiet inferences based on Armantomys from the Madrid Basin (Spain)

In the present study we analyze the microwear of the species included in the lineage Armantomys aragonensis-A. tricristatus of two samples from two middle Miocene localities from the Madrid Basin (El Cañaveral and Casa Montero). The methodological part of the study compares light stereomicroscope photographs from resin casts and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) photographs from original material. Furthermore two regions of the tooth crown (the most lingual part of the anteroloph, and the most lingual part of the protoloph) and two homologous regions of first and second upper molars have been analyzed. The paleoecological part includes the results of the microwear analyses of the two species included in the lineage A. aragonensis-A. tricristatus. The replacement of A. aragonensis with A. tricristatus in the Madrid Basin occurred during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT) and is marked by a change in dental morphology. Therefore, in order to infer changes in diet associated to a shift in the environment, we checked for correlations on microwear features between the two different morphologies of the species. The two methodologies tested, ESEM on original teeth and light stereomicroscopy on resin casts, showed similar results on microwear analysis in the glirid Armantomys. Besides, both regions of the tooth crown and dental elements showed the same microwear patterns. The substitution of the species included in the lineage Armantomys aragonensis-A. tricristatus might not imply a change in diet

Taphonomy of mammalian fossil bones from the debris-flow deposits of Somosaguas-North (Middle Miocene, Madrid Basin, Spain)

Debris-flow hosted assemblages dominated by mammalian remains are very scarce in the fossil record and few examples are reported. Herein we present a detailed taphonomic study of Somosaguas-North (Madrid Basin,Spain), a Middle Miocene mammalian-dominatedsite embedded in debris-flow deposits, in order to increase our knowledge of the mode of formation of fossiliferous assemblages in this depositional context. The assemblage includes 6592 large-mammal remains belonging to at least 10 different species. Fossils are found in matrix-supported, poorly-sorted coarse arkosic sandstones and fine conglomerates, which are interpreted as the result of successive debris-flow deposits. Breakage constitutes a pervasive taphonomic alteration in the bone assemblage; however, together with unidentifiable bone fragments, we also found complete to almost complete skeletal elements Bone remains are isolated, a fact that is indicative of a time of exposure of the carcasses long enough to enable decay and complete disarticulation. There are no associations of elements belonging to the same individual, which suggests that, prior to or during debris-flow transport, bones were profusely dispersed. Based on the taphonomic evidence, we suggest that Somosaguas-North assemblage was formed by successive debris-flow transport and burial of pre-existing thanatocoenoses. Bones from those thanatocoenoses were modified by biostratinomic agents (trampling, weathering) in varying degrees depending on their time of exposure. Debris-flow transport produced further abrasion and breakage in collagen-depleted bones. Our results are congruent with an environmental context of semiarid landscapes presenting long arid periods and highly irregular hydrological seasonality. Finally, we compared the Somosaguas-North assemblage with other debris-flow hosted vertebrate assemblages. Although Somosaguas-North shares taphonomic features with some of these sites, it is not possible to define consistent and singletaphonomic patterns for debris-flow assemblages, given the varied taphonomic histories of the remains prior to and during debris-flow transport

Neogene Mammal Sites in Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara, Spain): Correlation to Other Karstic Sites of the Iberian Chain, and their Geoheritage Values

Corral de Lobato, a karstic site in the area of Molina de Aragón has been studied in a preliminary way. Even though there are not many Neogene karstic sites in the Iberian Chain, they occur in four clusters, with ages ranging from latest middle Miocene (MN7/8) to early Pleistocene (MN17). Correlations between these clusters and the reference stratigraphical units of the Tagus Basin, as well as with local and global events, are proposed. These karstic sites provide a complementary source of fossil vertebrate remains to that of the stratified sites formed lowland. The Heritage significance of such sites arises from the enhanced preservation of rare taxa or associations, and the operation of biotic concentrative processes.This work received financial support from the research projects CGL2015–68333-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE), Research Group BSCH-UCM 910607 and Consolidated Research Group EO5 (Aragón Government).Peer reviewe