Correlation of selected late Cenozoic European mammal faunas with the magnetic polarity time scale

Abstract

Three key late-Cenozoic European mammal faunas (e.g., Valensole faunas of southern France, Triversa or Villafranca d'Asti faunas of northern Italy and the Hajnàčka fauna of southern Slovakia) are correlated with the magnetic polarity time scale. The Valensole sequence, with MN 13–17 faunas, is from sediments correlated with the upper Gilbert, Gauss and lower to middle Matuyama magnetic chrons. The Triversa sequence includes the Arondelli fauna (MN 16a) and the Fornace RDB fauna, considered herein as MN 15; the Fornace RDB fauna is from sediments correlated with the late Gilbert magnetic chron. The Hajnàčka sequence, with MN 16a fauna, is from sediments correlated with the Gauss magnetic chron. Taken separately, these mammal sequences would be very difficult to place relative to the magnetic polarity time scale. They can be placed now, with confidence, only because of the abundant paleomagnetic and faunal data from the Cabriel, Jucar and Teruel Basins of Spain. In that context, there remain some problems of chronologic resolution but, collectively, the data illustrate a clear pattern that permits correlation of these European late Cenozoic mammal faunas with the magnetic polarity time scale.