Fossil Mammals Research Articles

Depositional history and provenance of Paleogene strata in the Sage Creek basin, southwestern Montana

In southwestern Montana (SWMT), Paleogene strata that are preserved in the Sage Creek basin were deposited during the transition from late-stage Sevier-Laramide compressional tectonism to extensional reactivation of the northern Rocky Mountain region. Similar to correlative deposits across the Cordillera, Sage Creek basin strata host diverse paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental proxies such as mammal fossil assemblages, paleobotanical fossil assemblages, and thick paleosol successions. As such, Sage Creek basin strata have been the focus of recent paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental studies, which have yielded results that indicate significant tectonic, climatic, and topographic evolution of the northern Cordillera during Paleogene time. This study revisits a succession of Paleocene to Oligocene terrestrial deposits in the Sage Creek basin of SWMT that have recently been at the forefront of Cenozoic paleoclimate studies in the northern Rocky Mountains. We present detailed physical stratigraphic trends, cobble and detrital zircon provenance data, and detrital zircon–based age constraints for the Paleocene to Oligocene basin fill that reveal the evolution of depositional systems, sediment routing, and approximate rates of deposition in the basin. The new data are compared with regional trends in structural deformation and volcanism to interpret a detailed depositional and tectonic history of the SWMT region. Specifically, the Paleogene strata record (1) the final pulse of Sevier-Laramide deformation in the region; (2) widespread erosional exhumation of the Sevier fold-thrust belt and Laramide intraforeland uplifts during Paleocene and early Eocene time; (3) middle Eocene onset of localized, bimodal volcanism and volcaniclastic sedimentation associated with gravitational collapse of the Cor­di­lleran complex; and (4) middle Eocene to Oligocene extensional reactivation of the Sevier fold-thrust belt and Laramide intraforeland province. Constraints on the timing, duration, and sedimentary response to such events provide a more complete understanding of the tectonic and topographic evolution of SWMT, which provides an essential framework for interpreting the suites of terrestrial paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental data in the northern Cordillera.

Canis othmanii sp. nov. (Carnivora, Canidae) from the early Middle Pleistocene site of Wadi Sarrat (Tunisia)

The North African fossil record of the family Canidae is scarce and scattered and for this reason poorly known. This is particularly true for the genus Canis, fossils of which only come from a few sites of Morocco and Algeria. Here, we provide the description of the first material of Canis from the early Middle Pleistocene site of Wadi Sarrat (Tunisia), recovered in association with other fossil mammal taxa and Acheulian lithic artifacts. A cranial specimen is described and compared to other fossil and extant canid species by anatomical and morphometric analyses. The specimen shows cranio-dental morphologies and proportions considerably different from other fossil and extant African canids. Remarkably, its proportions resemble more closely those of Eurasian Early-Middle Pleistocene taxa, e.g., Canis mosbachensis Soergel, 1925, although its principal morphological features cannot be referred to any of the known Eurasian taxa. Therefore, we suggest to ascribe this material to a new species of canid, Canis othmanii sp. nov. The presence of new species of Canis with Eurasian affinities in the northern part of the African continent has a high significance for the fossil record of this region, as well as strong implications on the paleobiogeography of canids during the Middle Pleistocene.

New insights into the Middle Pleistocene paleoecology and paleoenvironment of the Northern Iberian Peninsula (Punta Lucero Quarry site, Biscay): A combined approach using mammalian stable isotope analysis and trophic resource availability modeling

The northern coastal area of the Iberian Peninsula shows an excellent archaeo-paleontological record with a unique representation of Pleistocene mammalian fossils. While the Late Pleistocene is better recorded, the Middle Pleistocene record remains more fragmentary. The Punta Lucero site (Biscay) has yielded the most important fossil assemblage of the middle Middle Pleistocene for the northern Iberian Peninsula in both, number of identified specimens and taxonomic diversity. Punta Lucero constitutes a unique opportunity to evaluate Middle Pleistocene mammalian resource and habitat use, and trophic dynamics employing a combined approach: biogeochemical analysis and mathematical modeling. Stable isotope analysis points to resource partitioning between Punta Lucero cervids and bovids. Stable isotope analysis and trophic modeling evidence resource overlap and interspecific competition among predators, especially between the scimitar-toothed cat Homotherium latidens and the European jaguar Panthera gombaszoegensis. The trophic resource availability modeling assumes that Canis mosbachensis consumed a 20% of preys of more than 10 kg, mainly as carrion. Thus, while there would be a taxonomic overlap with those preys consumed by the large felids, the different strategy would have facilitated the coexistence of these canids with larger carnivores. Trophic modeling indicates a high competition among the predator guild. The potential presence of hominins in the area would have reached to an unsustainable situation. However, the potential presence of other prey species, such as Equus sp., would have made the ecosystem more sustainable. The methodology followed in this study highlights the potential of multidisciplinary approaches in the assessment of Pleistocene faunal dynamics.

The bat community of Haiti and evidence for its long-term persistence at high elevations.

Accurate accounts of both living and fossil mammal communities are critical for creating biodiversity inventories and understanding patterns of changing species diversity through time. We combined data from from14 new fossil localities with literature accounts and museum records to document the bat biodiversity of Haiti through time. We also report an assemblage of late-Holocene (1600–600 Cal BP) bat fossils from a montane cave (Trouing Jean Paul, ~1825m) in southern Haiti. The nearly 3000 chiropteran fossils from Trouing Jean Paul represent 15 species of bats including nine species endemic to the Caribbean islands. The fossil bat assemblage from Trouing Jean Paul is dominated by species still found on Hispaniola (15 of 15 species), much as with the fossil bird assemblage from the same locality (22 of 23 species). Thus, both groups of volant vertebrates demonstrate long-term resilience, at least at high elevations, to the past 16 centuries of human presence on the island.

Discovery of the fossil otter Enhydritherium terraenovae (Carnivora, Mammalia) in Mexico reconciles a palaeozoogeographic mystery.

The North American fossil otter Enhydritherium terraenovae is thought to be partially convergent in ecological niche with the living sea otter Enhydra lutris, both having low-crowned crushing teeth and a close association with marine environments. Fossil records of Enhydritherium are found in mostly marginal marine deposits in California and Florida; despite presence of very rich records of fossil terrestrial mammals in contemporaneous localities inland, no Enhydritherium fossils are hitherto known in interior North America. Here we report the first occurrence of Enhydritherium outside of Florida and California, in a land-locked terrestrial mammal fauna of the upper Miocene deposits of Juchipila Basin, Zacatecas State, Mexico. This new occurrence of Enhydritherium is at least 200 km from the modern Pacific coastline, and nearly 600 km from the Gulf of Mexico. Besides providing further evidence that Enhydritherium was not dependent on coastal marine environments as originally interpreted, this discovery leads us to propose a new east-to-west dispersal route between the Florida and California Enhydritherium populations through central Mexico. The proximity of the fossil locality to nearby populations of modern neotropical otters Lontra longicaudis suggests that trans-Mexican freshwater corridors for vertebrate species in riparian habitats may have persisted for a prolonged period of time, pre-dating the Great American Biotic Interchange.

First faunal insights from biozone Db (middle Miocene, middle Aragonian) of the Madrid Basin (Spain)

Palaeontological excavations following public works around the Manzanares River in the metropolitan area of Madrid yielded new small mammal fossil remains from two locations. We present here a description of their rodent assemblages, and a biostratigraphical and palaeoecological context of them. A comparison of these levels to the contemporaneous fossil localities of the Calatayud-Montalban Basin and to other middle Aragonian sites from Madrid is also shown. A total of 371 dental elements have been studied from the five levels of the two locations (Puente de Praga site and Madrid Rio2 site). The rodent associations from the five new levels are similar and comprise eight taxa: Megacricetodon primitivus, Megacricetodon vandermeuleni, Democricetodon moralesi, Democricetodon sp., Armantomys aragonensis, Microdyromys koenigswaldi, Pseudodryomys ibericus and Heteroxerus rubricati. It represents a low equitable rodent community characterized by the predominance of the genus Megacricetodon and a poorly-represented fauna of glirids and sciurids. The fossil association and its biostratigraphical markers indicate a correlation of the levels to the upper part of biozone Db, this being the first time that the rodent assemblages of this biozone are described in the Madrid Basin. Based on the rodent content we suggest more humid or/and more closed environments in biozone Db than in biozones Dc and Dd. The Calatayud-Montalban record shows more diverse rodent assemblages in biozone Db, with taxa not recorded in Madrid that are indicative of more humid or structured environments. Therefore, the Madrid associations would represent dryer or/and more open environments than the Calatayud-Montalban associations.

Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic context during the Upper Palaeolithic (late Upper Pleistocene) in the Italian Peninsula. The small mammal record from Grotta Paglicci (Rignano Garganico, Foggia, Southern Italy)

Changes in large mammal population and biotic regionalism of the Italian Peninsula during Upper Pleistocene have been well documented over the last twenty years. On the other hand, only few studies have focused on the changes in small mammal fossil assemblages.Grotta Paglicci is a key archaeological site for Italian prehistory. It is well dated and it shows an uninterrupted chronological sequence of Upper Palaeolithic lithic industries, ranging from the Aurignacian to the Late Epigravettian.Small mammal remains from the Upper Palaeolithic layers of this cave have been identified and the assemblage has been analysed through the application of Simpson diversity index, Habitat Weighting and Bioclimatic model methods. The results show remarkable differences through the record: major climatic changes (GS2 is particularly well defined) are visible and a clear turning point is observable at the Bølling-Allerød interstadial transition. This is in line with environmental and climatic oscillations already detected in the Italian Peninsula. These data also suggest that a strong regionalism characterized the south-eastern Italian Peninsula during the Late Pleistocene.

The palaeoenvironment of the middle Miocene pliopithecid locality in Damiao, Inner Mongolia, China

Damiao, Inner Mongolia, has three main fossil horizons representing the early, middle, and late Miocene. The middle Miocene locality DM01 is the only primate locality from the region and also represents the latest occurrence of pliopithecoids in northern China. The presence of pliopithecoid primates in central Asia after the middle Miocene climatic optimum seems to contradict the general trend of strengthening climatic zonality and increasing aridity. To investigate this enigma, we employ faunal similarity, ecometrics, and stable isotope analysis. Our results support previous inferences concerning the presence of locally humid environments within the increasingly arid surroundings that characterized central Asia. Hypsodonty, estimated mean annual precipitation (MAP), local sedimentology, and large mammal fossils suggest more humid and possibly more forested and wooded environments for the DM01 locality. We compared our results with the adjacent fossil-rich middle Miocene Tunggur localities. However, the small mammal fauna and isotope data are consistent with a mosaic of forest and grassland environment for all Damiao localities. Based on our results, Tunggur may have been too seasonal or not sufficiently humid for pliopithecids. This is supported by the higher mean hypsodonty and lower estimated MAP estimates, as well as slightly higher δ13C values. We suggest that DM01, the driest known Asian pliopithecid locality, may have been a more humid refugium within a generally drier regional context.

Hipparion material from Gaojiashan locality in the Late Miocene of Linxia Basin, Gansu, China and associated mammalian fossil assemblage

Two Hipparion species, H. forstenae and H. hippidiodus from Gaojiashan locality in the Linxia Basin, Gansu, China are described in this paper, with the first presence of the former in the Linxia Basin. The lower cheek teeth of Hipparion from Gaojiashan bear deep ectoflexids, and after comparisons to other Chinese Hipparion fossils with deep ectoflexids, the mandibles with deep ectoflexids on the lower premolars suggest their attributions to H. forstenae. The presence of a deep ectoflexid on p2 may be interpretable as an intraspecifically variable feature in H. forstenae, and can also be found in H. dermatorhinum. Besides the Hipparion material, at least 8 species of large mammals occur at the Gaojiashan locality, including Adcrocuta eximia, Chilotherium wimani, Shansirhinus ringstroemi, Eucladoceros cf. proboulei, Palaeotragus cf. coelophrys, Giraffidae gen. et sp. indet., and the previously studied Promephitis hootoni and Eostyloceros hezhengensis. Although the sample from Gaojiashan shares five species with the Yangjiashan fauna, the Gaojiashan fossil assemblage may date to the Baodean because of the presence of H. forstenae. The overall taxonomic composition of the Gaojiashan assemblage at least suggests an approximate Baodean age, which would imply survival of C. wimani into the Baodean of the Linxia Basin.

An updated age for the Xujiayao hominin from the Nihewan Basin, North China: Implications for Middle Pleistocene human evolution in East Asia

The Xujiayao site in the Nihewan Basin (North China) is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in East Asia. Twenty Homo fossils, which were previously assigned to an archaic Homo sapiens group, have been excavated along with more than 30,000 lithic artifacts and ∼5000 mammalian fossil specimens. Dating of the Xujiayao hominin has been pursued since its excavation in the 1970s, but its age has remained controversial because of limitations of the dating techniques that have been applied to available materials. Here, we report new ages for the Xujiayao hominin based on combined electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of quartz in the sediments and high-resolution magnetostratigraphy of the fluvio-lacustrine sequence. The magnetostratigraphy suggests that the upper Matuyama and Brunhes polarity chrons are recorded at Xujiayao. The ESR dating results indicate a pooled average age of 260–370 ka for the Homo-bearing layer, which is consistent with its position within the middle Brunhes normal polarity chron indicated by magnetostratigraphy. This age estimate makes the Xujiayao hominin among the oldest mid-Pleistocene hominins with derived Neanderthal traits in East Asia. This age is consistent with the time when early Denisovans, a sister group of Neanderthals, appeared and colonized eastern Eurasia. Our updated age and the Neanderthal-like traits of the Xujiayao Homo fossils, particularly the Denisovan-like molar teeth, make it possible that the Xujiayao hominin could represent an early Denisovan.

Oligocene stratigraphy across the Eocene and Miocene boundaries in the Valley of Lakes (Mongolia)

Cenozoic sediments of the Taatsiin Gol and TaatsiinTsagaan Nuur area are rich in fossils that provide unique evidence of mammal evolution in Mongolia. The strata are intercalated with basalt flows. 40Ar/39Ar data of the basalts frame the time of sediment deposition and mammal evolution and enable a composite age chronology for the studied area. We investigated 20 geological sections and 6 fossil localities of Oligocene and early Miocene deposits from this region. Seventy fossil beds yielded more than 19,000 mammal fossils. This huge collection encompasses 175 mammal species: 50% Rodentia, 13% Eulipotyphla and Didelphomorphia, and 12% Lagomorpha. The remaining 25% of species are distributed among herbivorous and carnivorous large mammals. The representation of lower vertebrates and gastropods is comparatively poor. Several hundred SEM images illustrate the diversity of Marsupialia, Eulipotyphla, and Rodentia dentition and give insight into small mammal evolution in Mongolia during the Oligocene and early Miocene. This dataset, the radiometric ages of basalt I (∼31.5 Ma) and basalt II (∼27 Ma), and the magnetostratigraphic data provide ages of mammal assemblages and time ranges of the Mongolian biozones: letter zone A ranges from ∼33 to ∼31.5 Ma, letter zone B from ∼31.5 to ∼28 Ma, letter zone C from ∼28 to 25.6 Ma, letter zone C1 from 25.6 to 24 Ma, letter zone C1-D from 24 to ∼23 Ma, and letter zone D from ∼23 to ∼21 Ma.

Eemian and Vistulian (Weichselian) paleoenvironmental changes: A multi-proxy study of sediments and mammal remains from the Ławy paleolake (Eastern Poland)

The Eemian-Vistulian developmental history of the Ławy paleolake (Eastern Poland) has been studied by analysing records of micro- (pollen, Cladocera, Ostracoda), macrofossils (molluscs, mammal remains), the lithological record and radiocarbon dating from a 5.30 m sediment core. At Ławy, in the Paterebo stream valley, well-preserved mammal fossil remains accompanied by organic deposits have also been investigated. The results of the multi-proxy analyses suggest explicitly that the climate was the main driving force of the changes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and in the geomorphological processes in the catchment. However, we propose that the water level fluctuations were also an important factor in the modification of the aquatic assemblages. Pollen, cladocerans, molluscs and ostracods from Ławy indicate the existence of a small, shallow, well-vegetated paleolake during the warm Eemian climate optimum. In the final phase of the Eemian the lake was transformed into a mire. In the Early Vistulian, the variable hydrological conditions were the main driver force for the development of the study area. Finally the existence of the basin at Ławy was closely associated with periodic coexistence of limnic, telmatic and river environments.

The Pliocene Artiodactyla and Proboscidea (Mammalia) from Gephyra (lower Axios valley, Macedonia, Greece). Discovery of a new boselaphine

In this paper we describe new mammalian fossil material of bovid, giraffid, cervid and proboscidean from the Gephyra locality from the Pliocene deposits in the lower Axios valley, which is otherwise broadly known for its Miocene mammal localities. Among the artiodactyl material, several well preserved cranial specimens are described in detail and attributed to a new species, Parabos savelisi sp. nov. Another well preserved skull is attributed to Procapreolus cusanus. Furthermore, a very long metatarsal Mt III + IV is attributed to an indeterminate giraffid yet, notably different from other synchronous Giraffidae. These mammals are associated with an aquatic soft-shelled Pan-Trionychidae turtle, member of a family that is for the first time documented in Greece. The new fossils presented herein allow a better estimation of the biodiversity of the Gephyra area during Pliocene, which greatly improves our knowledge on the overall diversity of northern Greece in the end part of the Neogene, especially in the MN 16a biozone.

First fossil record of leopard-like felid (Panthera cf. pardus) from alluvial deposits of the Po River in northern Italy

A slender right felid tibia has been found in river deposits of the Po River in the territory of Cremona (Northern Italy). The fossil, found in allochthonous position within an alluvial bar, shows an overall slenderness and subtlety, different shape of the shaft from lateral view, or less pronounced medial malleolus, corresponding in morphology and dimensions rather with tibiae of modern leopards than with shinbones of larger pantherines or feline cats. The bone is, however, faintly rounded (surface erosion of the edges in particular on the head of the tibia), indicating a limited transport (rafting). Based on that, it is determined as Panthera cf. pardus only. The whole mammalian fossil record from the site consists predominantly of large herbivores (Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus, “Dihoplus” (Stephanorhinus) kirchbergensis, Bison priscus, Megaloceros giganteus, Mammuthus primigenius, Alces alces, Cervus elaphus), whereas carnivores (Ursus arctos, Crocuta crocuta ssp., Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes) are very rare and composed only by a few specimens. The species composition indicates probably a mixing of different faunal assemblages from warm (interglacial) and cold (glacial) periods of the Late Pleistocene.

Taxonomic examination of longgu (Fossilia Ossis Mastodi, "dragon bone") and a related crude drug, longchi (Dens Draconis, "dragon tooth"), from Japanese and Chinese crude drug markets.

Longgu ("dragon bone," Ryu-kotsu, Fossilia Ossis Mastodi, or Os Draconis) is the only fossil crude drug listed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. All longgu in the current Japanese market is imported from China, where its resources are being depleted. Therefore, effective countermeasures are urgently needed to prevent resource depletion. One possible solution is the development of a substitute made from bones of contemporary animals that are closely related to the original animal source of the current longgu. However, no research has been conducted on the original animal source of longgu, except for a report on the longgu specimens present in the Shosoin Repository. Taxonomic examination was performed on the fossil specimens related to longgu which are owned by the Museum of Osaka University, Japan. In total, 20,939 fossil fragments were examined, of which 20,886 were mammalian fossils, and 246 of these fossils were classified into nine families. The longgu specimens from the Japanese market belonged to a relatively smaller variety of taxa than those from the Chinese market. Despite the variety of taxa in longgu, medical doctors using Kampo preparations with longgu have not reported any problems due to the presence of impurities in the original animal source. These results suggest that the effect of longgu is independent of its origin as long as it is closely related to the origin of the current longgu. Thus, despite the considerable effects of fossilization, our results could help in developing an optimal substitute for longgu.

Gavkosh – a new locality yielding large mammal fossils in the Bakhtiari Formation in Lorestan Province, Iran

Gavkosh – a new locality yielding large mammal fossils in the Bakhtiari Formation in Lorestan Province, Iran

Peltephilidae and Mesotheriidae (Mammalia) from late Miocene strata of Northern Chilean Andes, Caragua

Until now, only one Cenozoic fossil mammal from the Chilean Precordillera (Arica and Parinacota Region) has been reported, Caraguatypotherium munozi (Mesotheriidae: Notoungulata). In this study, we describe a fourth specimen of C. munozi and a new armadillo species, Epipeltephilus caraguensis (Peltephilidae: Cingulata), both collected from a new site closer to the fossiliferous outcrops of the Caragua area (Serravallian – Tortonian). E. caraguensis differs from other members of the family in having: two sulci in the articular surface of the mobile osteoderm; having a tubular, rough and raised anterior edge; a conspicuous transverse depression; and four widely spaced foramina. This taxon represents the youngest known peltephilid from intermediate latitudes and indicates a wide geographic distribution (Patagonia to Central Andes) of the family just prior to its extinction. The new mesothere specimen is 19% larger than previous records. The revision of the dental features of C. munozi allowed the identification of an ambiguous trait in its original diagnosis, i.e. an enamel fracture was misinterpreted with the presence of a posterior sulcus on the talonid of the m3, suggesting that further taxonomic and systematic revision for the Caragua mesothere is necessary. Although the fossil record from the Caragua area is still scarce, mesotheriines seem to be abundant at this latitude, just as has been observed at several early to late Miocene sites such as Chucal (Chile), Cerdas and Nazareno (Bolivia), as well as in southern regions such as Arroyo Chasicó and Mendoza (Argentina). The presence of a new peltephilid species in Caragua sustains the hypothesis of provincialism during the Miocene in intermediate latitudes. Our findings also provide further support for probable faunal movements between intermediate and higher latitudes rather than to lower ones.

Paleobiogeographical significance of the Late Jurassic continental fauna from western Gondwana

The break-up of the western Gondwana paleocontinent during the earliest Late Jurassic in the southern hemisphere triggered several geological events associated with the opening of a seaway between the South American and African plates and this had long-term effects on regional biogeographic distribution. The pre-rift tectonic history of the northeastern Brazilian basins has proven crucial for understanding the faunal occurrences of the fossil remains scattered across South America, affecting the earlier paleobiogeographic aspects through vicariance and dispersal. The climatic crisis during the later Jurassic had an impact on the faunal distribution in western Gondwana. Consequently, the recent finds in some Brazilian localities and outcrops in Uruguay, Argentina and Chile have revealed close latitudinal similarities in their composition of continental fossil communities. The integration of two correlative environmental conditions associated with progressive early rift propagation potentially regulated the paleofaunal distribution. In the northeastern Brazil, the formation of mixed fluvial-aeolian borderlands with associated lakes indicates the presence of prevailing dry climates, whereas in the central to southern Brazil and northern Chile there are vast deposits of aeolian-dominated sandstone (Botucatu Formation) across a wide longitudinal range; this sequence is paleontologically documented solely by reptilian and mammalian fossil tracks. Such paleogeographic and paleoclimatic features are essential tools for understanding the circumstances of how fauna responded to prevailing harsh conditions and help explain the strong correlation between taxa in South America and Africa before the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.

Revealing the geoheritage of Eastern Crete, through the development of Sitia Geopark, Crete, Greece

In the present document we present the main studies, actions, initiatives and infrastructure developed under the project GEOTOPIA aiming to develop a geopark at the easternmost part of Crete, in Sitia area. The developed activities may be considered as model to establish a geopark in a rural area under the provisions of European and Global Geoparks Networks, aiming intimately to a responsible tourist development. Study area includes the eastern coastal zone of Sitia municipality extended westwards to the Sitia mountains. It presents an impressive geological heritage constituted mainly by the landscape variations (including gorges, plateaus and long cave systems), hydrological resources, rock types and abundant mammal fossils. The project resulted in an inventory, mapping and evaluation of geotopes using existing methodologies, in undertaking conservation, educational and geotourisitc activities, among them the development of two educational projects, two local museums, 15 geotrails, outdoor panels and signposts, as well as printed, visual and web material. A management and action plan has been also conducted presenting the goals, the methodologies, the resources and the timetable to manage the area as a real geopark. Furthermore, the plan foresaw the interaction of geopark initiative in respect to other planned investments and activities in the area.

El nuevo corte estratigráfico del yacimiento paleolítico de San Isidro (Madrid) de Emilio Rotondo sito en la Cátedra de Geología de la Escuela de Ingenieros de Caminos de Madrid

Se da cuenta de un nuevo tablero del corte estratigráfico del yacimiento paleolítico de San Isidro realizado por Emilio Rotondo. Conserva la única descripción detallada de su estratigrafía, lo que contribuye a mejorar la información de este histórico yacimiento. Se identifican 34 niveles por sus características granulométricas, color, espesor y estructura. Dos de ellos tenían material arqueológico: la capa 26 de arenas y arcillas con industria lítica y restos de mamíferos fósiles (también las capas inferiores 27-28-29-30) y la capa 34 de gravas con industria lítica.