Palaeoenvironmental analysis of the Aragonian (middle Miocene) mammalian faunas from the Madrid Basin based on body-size structure

As a consequence of the growth of the Antarctic ice-sheet during the middle Miocene, a global decrease of temperatures and an associated increase in aridity provoked several environmental changes all around the world. Such environmental variations can be detected in the continental record of the mammalian prey community structure using a synecological approach. Because of the good quality of its faunas, the rich Aragonian vertebrate fossil record from the Madrid Basin (Spain) appears as a good candidate to explore these environmental changes. In order to analyse the climatic evolution of the Iberian Peninsula associated to the Global Cooling Event, two classic palaeosynecological methodologies (cenograms and body size diversity), based on body-size community structure, were applied to 6 fossil sites from the Madrid Basin, ranging over 2 million years (15.5 – 13.5 Ma). To establish a comparative framework, we used the ecological faunal data from 100 modern localities uniformly distributed all around the world. Our palaeoenvironmental inference is based on multivariate discriminant analysis of the dataset containing both modern and fossil mammals. Finally, we can conclude that the Aragonian mammalian assemblage from the Madrid Basin showed a predominance of semiarid environments with pulses of higher aridity in biozones Dc, E and F associated with the Global Cooling Event of the middle Miocene.Como consecuencia del crecimiento del casquete polar Antártico, durante el Mioceno medio, se produjo un descenso global de la tem­peratura asociado a un aumento de la aridez. Este tipo de cambios ambientales pueden ser detectados en el registro continental, siguiendo un modelo sinecológico para analizar la estructura de las comunidades de las faunas de mamíferos herbívoros. Debido a la calidad de sus faunas, el registro fósil de las faunas de vertebrados del Aragoniense de la Cuenca de Madrid se antoja como un buen candidato para explorar estos patrones de cambio ambiental. Con el objetivo de analizar la evolución climática de la Península Ibérica asociada al evento de enfriamiento global durante este lapso temporal, dos metodologías paleosinecológicas clásicas (cenogramas y espectros de diversidad de tamaño corporal), basadas en la estructura de tamaños corporales de las comunidades de mamíferos, han sido aplicadas a la fauna de herbívoros fósiles presente en seis yacimientos de la Cuenca de Madrid, abarcando aproximadamente 2 millones de años (15.5 – 13.5 Ma). Se ha establecido un marco comparativo usando los datos ecológicos de la fauna de mamíferos presente en 100 localidades uniformemente distribuidas por todo el planeta. Esta inferencia paleoambiental está basada en la aplicación de análisis discriminante multivariante sobre el conjunto de datos de las faunas actuales y fósiles. Finalmente, las faunas de mamíferos del Aragoniense de la Comunidad de Madrid mostraron una predominancia de ambientes semiáridos con varios pulsos de mayor aridez en las biozonas Dc, E y F asociados al evento de enfriamiento global del Mioceno medio

Erratum: The solar orbiter radio and plasma waves (RPW) instrument (Astronomy and Astrophysics (2020) 642 (A12) DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201936214)

The erratum concerns Fig. 9 entitled "Antenna radio-electrical properties" for which some of the parameters are not correct. The new figure with new parameters is provided in Fig. 1 of this corrigendum. Fig. 1. Corrected Antenna radio-electrical properties. (Figure Presented)

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

Instrumentatio

Description of some rhinocerotidae teeth from the Lower Miocene from Estrepouy (France)

This paper included undescribed rhinoceros material from Estrepouy (France) stored in the Université Claude Bernard, Lyon that were previously identified by Antoine et al (2000). The rhinoceros record from Estrepouy is represented by three species: <i>Protaceratherium minutum, `Plesiaceratherium´ platyodon</i> and <i>Diaceratherium aurelianense</i>.<br><br>En este trabajo se incluyen fósiles no descritos de Estrepouy (Francia) depositados en la Universidad Claude Bernard (Lyon, France), que previamente habían sido identificados por Antoine et al. (2000). El registro de rinocerontes de Estrepouy está representado por tres especies: <i>Protaceratherium minutum, ‘Plesiaceratherium’ platyodon</i> y <i>Diaceratherium aurelianense</i>

Resource partitioning among top predators in a Miocene food web

The exceptional fossil sites of Cerro de los Batallones (Madrid Basin, Spain) contain abundant remains of Late Miocene mammals. From these fossil assemblages, we have inferred diet, resource partitioning and habitat of three sympatric carnivorous mammals based on stable isotopes. The carnivorans include three apex predators: two sabre-toothed cats (Felidae) and a bear dog (Amphicyonidae). Herbivore and carnivore carbon isotope (δ13C) values from tooth enamel imply the presence of a woodland ecosystem dominated by C3 plants. δ13C values and mixing-model analyses suggest that the two sabre-toothed cats, one the size of a leopard and the other the size of a tiger, consumed herbivores with similar δ13C values from a more wooded portion of the ecosystem. The two sabre-toothed cats probably hunted prey of different body sizes, and the smaller species could have used tree cover to avoid encounters with the larger felid. For the bear dog, δ13C values are higher and differ significantly from those of the sabre-toothed cats, suggesting a diet that includes prey from more open woodland. Coexistence of the sabre-toothed cats and the bear dog was likely facilitated by prey capture in different portions of the habitat. This study demonstrates the utility of stable isotope analysis for investigating the behaviour and ecology of members of past carnivoran guilds

Palaeoenvironmental analysis of the Aragonian (middle Miocene) mammalian faunas from the Madrid Basin based on body-size structure

As a consequence of the growth of the Antarctic ice-sheet during the middle Miocene, a global decrease of temperatures and an associated increase in aridity provoked several environmental changes all around the world. Such environmental variations can be detected in the continental record of the mammalian prey community structure using a synecological approach. Because of the good quality of its faunas, the rich Aragonian vertebrate fossil record from the Madrid Basin (Spain) appears as a good candidate to explore these environmental changes. In order to analyse the climatic evolution of the Iberian Peninsula associated to the Global Cooling Event, two classic palaeosynecological methodologies (cenograms and body size diversity), based on body-size community structure, were applied to 6 fossil sites from the Madrid Basin, ranging over 2 million years (15.5 – 13.5 Ma). To establish a comparative framework, we used the ecological faunal data from 100 modern localities uniformly distributed all around the world. Our palaeoenvironmental inference is based on multivariate discriminant analysis of the dataset containing both modern and fossil mammals. Finally, we can conclude that the Aragonian mammalian assemblage from the Madrid Basin showed a predominance of semiarid environments with pulses of higher aridity in biozones Dc, E and F associated with the Global Cooling Event of the middle Miocene

Correction to Supporting Information for Lundgren et al., Introduced herbivores restore Late Pleistocene ecological functions.

© 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. The authors note that Dataset S1 was published without complete presence/absence information per species. In addition, references 72, 73, 77, 85, 98, 100, 101, 103, 109, 112, 117, 119, 121, 122, 126, 129, 131, and 324 were inadvertently omitted from the SI Appendix references list. The SI Appendix and Dataset S1 have been corrected online

El Miocè inferior de la conca del Vallès-Penedès: un registre excepcional dels canvis climàtics i faunístics.

Les intervencions paleontològiques recents han mostrat que el registre de vertebrats continentals del Miocè inferior de la conca del Vallès-Penedès és molt més ric i continu del que es pensava. Avui dia es coneixen una vintena de jaciments que han lliurat tant microvertebrats com macrovertebrats. Els nostres estudis biostratigràfics han permès una datació precisa dels diferents jaciments i també dels principals esdeveniments faunístics i climàtics

First observations and performance of the RPW instrument on board the Solar Orbiter mission

The Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on the ESA Solar Orbiter mission is designed to measure in situ magnetic and electric fields and waves from the continuum up to several hundred kHz. The RPW also observes solar and heliospheric radio emissions up to 16 MHz. It was switched on and its antennae were successfully deployed two days after the launch of Solar Orbiter on February 10, 2020. Since then, the instrument has acquired enough data to make it possible to assess its performance and the electromagnetic disturbances it experiences. In this article, we assess its scientific performance and present the first RPW observations. In particular, we focus on a statistical analysis of the first observations of interplanetary dust by the instrument’s Thermal Noise Receiver. We also review the electro-magnetic disturbances that RPW suffers, especially those which potential users of the instrument data should be aware of before starting their research work