Slivnitsa: a new bulgarian late villafranchian locality of vertebrate fauna and the mammalian dispersal events in Europe on the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary

Abstract

B/OGEOGRAPHIA - vol. XIX - 1997 (Pubblicato il 31 attobre 1998) Gli effetti delle variazioni climatiche p|eistoceniche sulla dinamica dei popolamenti animali e vegetali nella Penisola italiana Slivnitsa: a new bulgarian late villafranchian locality of vertebrate fauna and the mammalian dispersal events in Europe on the Pliocene/ Pleistocene boundary NIKOLAI SPASSOV Nzztiomzl M usezmz 0fNzzrurzz[ History, Bzzlgzzfizzn /lczzdemy of Scimces 1 Hz/at’. Tsar Orr/0[70dz'te[, 1000 Sofia — Bzzlgzzrizz Key words: Villafranchian fauna, Cam} and Plllll/J£‘l‘fl events, Pliocene mammals, Europe. SUMMARY It seems that Slivnitsa Falls into the temporary cooling-— known in Georgia as ‘the Meria cooling‘ —— registered within the frames ofthe Beregovlta warming (Z—1,82 million years). There is data that a refreshing of the Black Sea waters had taken place during the Meria. This suggests 21 temporary closing of the Bosphorus. The fauna] contact with Asia Minor that followed may be one of the reasons for the high concentration of Czzpriuzze species in Slivnitsa as well as for the appearenee of C. ex. gr. errmr/2: and P. ganzlzmzoegezzxix. Probably Slivnitsa marks the earliest presence of P1177)‘/J£’7‘t( r. rt-r. in Europe and the first presence also (together with Seneze) of Czmiss. sir. on the continent. This fact could be explained by geographical location of Bulgaria — on the frontal position ofthe migratory route from the East via the Bosphorus. A rich Villafranchian locality was recently discovered in a Karst cavern near Slivnitsa (Kozyaka area). It provides important faunal, zoogeographic and biostratigraphic information. The B02/idzle (and especially Czzprimze) fauna is taxonomically extremely rich. Almost all known subfamily’s genera from this time are represented. B01/zllzze obviously dominate over Cert/idzze. This indicates a prevailance of the open land- scapes. Furthermore, that fact and other evidence concerning the taxonomic struc- ture lT13.l{€ Slivnitsa very close to the famous locality Seneze (France). We could place Slivnitsa at the beginning of late Villafranchian, but, in the same time, at the end of Pliocene (Seneze unit). The biostratigraphic unit of Seneze should be pla— ced in zone MNQ18 as MNQ18—a1, before Olivola Unit (MNQ18—b) (begin- ning of the Pleistocene) and before the Olduvai episode (MNQl 8—a2). We could name it MNQl 8—al. The work describes Prmt/aem gombaszoegensis and Cami; ex gizaetruscus remains. Slivnitsa’s Pliocene age, with those carnivores present suggests that their invasion into Europe from the east begins not in the Early Pleistocene (as usual- ly considered), but by the end of Pliocene. It seems the Pczntbem 5. srr. remains