A new key locality for the Pliocene vertebrate record of Europe : the Camp dels Ninots maar (NE Spain)

A new Pliocene Konservat-Lagerstätte in north-eastern Spain is described here for the first time. It is referred to as Camp dels Ninots. The particular geological conditions of the site, which correspond to lacustrine sedimentation in a maar, made it ideal for the preservation of fossils. At present, five large mammal skeletons in anatomical connection have been recovered: three individuals of Alephis tigneresi, one of Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and one of Tapirus arvernenis, as well as isolated remains. A minimum of five individuals of the chelonian Mauremys leprosa have been recovered, some of them in anatomical connection. The rodent Apodemus atavus, the amphibians cf. Pleurodeles sp., Lissotriton aff. helveticus and Pelophylax cf. perezi and freshwater fishes (Leuciscus ?) complete the vertebrate assemblage uncovered up to the present time. The coexistence of Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and Alephis tigneresi suggests an age of about 3.2Ma for the Camp dels Ninots, near the MN15-MN16 transition. The Camp del Ninots fossil record enables one to extend the biogeographic range of some vertebrate taxa, such as Stephanorhinus jeanvireti, Tapirus arvernensis or Mauremys leprosa to the Iberian Peninsula. Taphonomic evidences of the skeletal remains indicates minimal (if any) weathering. Deposition at the lake bottom seems to have taken place in oxygen depleted layers. In this way, Camp dels Ninots is comparable to other remarkable maar sites such as Messel, the Eocene site situated in Germany

Estudio magnetoestratigráfico en dos sondeos del maar del Camp dels Ninots, Caldes de Malavella (Girona, NE España).

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados paleomagnéticos y del magnetismo de las rocas obtenidos de estudiar dos sondeos realizados en el maar del Camp del Ninots (Caldes de Malavella, Girona ¿Noreste de España-). Los diversos restos paleontológicos recuperados en la secuencia lacustre que rellena el maar presentan un estado de conservación excepcional en gran medida por las características sedimentarias del yacimiento. Los estudios paleontológicos realizados sugieren una edad Pliocena (Ca. 3.5 ¿ 3.2 M.a) para los restos fósiles recuperados. Con el propósito de acotar cronológicamente la edad del relleno sedimentario y sus restos fósiles, se realizó un estudio magnetoestratigráfico cuyos resultados presentamos aquí. Se exponen los resultados paleomagnéticos obtenidos en las secuencias estudiadas, de describen sus propiedades magnéticas y se discuten sus implicaciones geocronológicas y ambientales.Peer Reviewe

Cyclical environmental changes during the Pliocene in NE Spain: the Camp dels Ninots maar record.

High-resolution pollen analysis has been carried out on a sediment core taken from the Pliocene Camp del Ninots maar site, Girona, NE Spain. Cyclical variations have been observed in the pollen record, with periods characterized by the abundance of Abies, Larix, Cathaya, Tsuga, Engelhardia, Alnus and Botryococcus algae, alternating with periods characterized by abundant Poaceae, Cupressaceae, Ericaceae, Quercus and Oleaceae, most-likely representing humid and dry conditions respectively. The pollen variations seem to correlate very well with sedimentological changes, depicted by the lithology and magnetic susceptibility (MS) records. Humid periods correspond to low MS and dark clays, which are probably related to higher lake level, productivity and organic sedimentation in the lake. A cyclostratigraphic analysis on the observed cyclicity in the pollen record will help us understand the forcing mechanism of this cyclical variations and will also help us improve the chronostratigraphic framework for the sediments contained in this very interesting site.Peer Reviewe

Water frogs (Anura, Ranidae) from the Pliocene Camp dels Ninots Konservat-Lagerstätte (Caldes de Malavella, NE Spain)

Water frogs are one of the most common fossils in the European Cenozoic, and many taxa have been proposed for Miocene and Pliocene members of the group. Nevertheless, the rare reproductive phenomenon of hybridogenesis, as well as the absence of osteological studies on several living species within the group, makes it almost impossible either to distinguish fossil forms neither to distinguish between the various extant species (Sanchiz, 1998). Here we present the description of eleven articulated fossil water frogs (2 females, 3 males, 1 indeterminate sex and 5 metamorphs) and 353 isolated bones (corresponding to a total of 35 individuals including 4 females and 8 males) recovered from the 2005-2010 field campaigns at the Pliocene (ca. 3.2 Ma; MN15-16) Camp dels Ninots Konservat-Lagerstätte (NE Spain) (Fig. 1). This locality corresponds to a lacustrine sedimentary sequence from maar infill which delivered complete articulated skeletons of large mammals (Alephis tigneresi,Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and Tapirus arvernenis), turtles (Mauremys leprosa) and small vertebrates (as rodents, frogs, newts and several fishes) (Gómez de Soler et al., 2012). Excellent preservation of the fossils was favored by the meromictic conditions of the lake.Peer Reviewe

A new key locality for the Pliocene vertebrate record of Europe : the Camp dels Ninots maar (NE Spain)

A new Pliocene Konservat-Lagerstätte in north-eastern Spain is described here for the first time. It is referred to as Camp dels Ninots. The particular geological conditions of the site, which correspond to lacustrine sedimentation in a maar, made it ideal for the preservation of fossils. At present, five large mammal skeletons in anatomical connection have been recovered: three individuals of Alephis tigneresi, one of Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and one of Tapirus arvernenis, as well as isolated remains. A minimum of five individuals of the chelonian Mauremys leprosa have been recovered, some of them in anatomical connection. The rodent Apodemus atavus, the amphibians cf. Pleurodeles sp., Lissotriton aff. helveticus and Pelophylax cf. perezi and freshwater fishes (Leuciscus ?) complete the vertebrate assemblage uncovered up to the present time. The coexistence of Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and Alephis tigneresi suggests an age of about 3.2Ma for the Camp dels Ninots, near the MN15-MN16 transition. The Camp del Ninots fossil record enables one to extend the biogeographic range of some vertebrate taxa, such as Stephanorhinus jeanvireti, Tapirus arvernensis or Mauremys leprosa to the Iberian Peninsula. Taphonomic evidences of the skeletal remains indicates minimal (if any) weathering. Deposition at the lake bottom seems to have taken place in oxygen depleted layers. In this way, Camp dels Ninots is comparable to other remarkable maar sites such as Messel, the Eocene site situated in Germany