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The Late Pliocene fossil locality of Las Higueruelas (central Spain) has been known for many decades; however, in this paper, we describe the fauna of small-sized vertebrates (fish, amphibians, squamate reptiles, and rodents) for the first time based on pre-existing collections in the Museo Provincial de Ciudad Real. In addition to updating the taxonomical nomenclature of previously-published faunal lists, we also report the new occurrences of four fish taxa, a lizard (Lacertidae indet.), and several snakes (Malpolon gr. monspessulanus-mlynarskii , cf. Zamenis scalaris , and a large-sized indetermined viperid, probably from the Oriental vipers group or genus Daboia). The only rodent is identified as Stephanomys minor. Overall this assemblage indicates the predominance of open, dry environments and shrubby vegetation close to more grassy and riparian woodland under warm (15.1 ± 1.8 °C) and semi-arid (556 ± 40 mm) conditions. There was 4-month period of summer aridity similar to a modern Mediterranean climate. Most of the aquatic taxa (Pleurodeles , Pelophylax , and Natrix) were able to tolerate brackish environments, and the amphibians suggest the presence of deep and stable water bodies, with a long hydroperiod and aquatic vegetation, necessary for reproduction. Las Higueruelas is confirmed as being assigned to subchron 2An.1r (3.116–3.032 Ma) like the Camp dels Ninots Konservat-Lagerstätten (Girona, Spain). Palaeoclimate reconstruction for both localities is consistent with the later stages of the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period. Palaeontological comparison between the two sites may support either a small difference in age, or most probably, varied climate zonations within the Iberian Peninsula, with a north-eastern area allowing a local survival of Early Pliocene taxa that are absent from Las Higueruelas. [Display omitted] • The small vertebrates from Las Higueruelas (Spain) are described for the first time. • Fish, herpetofauna, and rodent represent up to 18 different taxa. • Stephanomys minor and palaeomagnetism constrain to the cron 2An.1r (3.03–3.11 Ma). • Predominance of open environments under temperate and dry climate conditions. • Central Spain does not seem to allow local survival of early Pliocene taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest Cretaceous (mid-late Berriasian) tracksite Los Corrales del Pelejón is an important dinosaur trackway site in Teruel Province in Spain. The ichnoassemblage occurs in the Galve Formation (Galve sub-basin, Maestrazgo Basin) and comprises around 40 tracks assigned to theropods and ornithopods. In this paper, we undertake a paleoenvironmental analysis of the succession, which includes the overbank deposits of a fluvial environment, and discuss the implications of these findings for trackway preservation and orientation. The track-bearing unit is composed of fine- to very fine-grained, thinly bedded sandstone layers with wave ripples and traces of the Mermia ichnofacies, which were deposited as splay deposits within an ephemeral overbank pond. Two different theropod ichnotaxa (Megalosauripus cf. transjuranicus and Grallatoridae indet.) of three different size classes occur as small-, medium-, and large-sized tracks. The ornithopod tracks are classified as cf. Iguanodontipus isp. Five theropod trackways (M. cf. transjuranicus) show a bimodal orientation pattern with a similar orientation to NE-SW wave ripple crests, suggesting that these animals were walking parallel to the shoreline of the ephemeral overbank pond. Three of them walked in a similar subparallel orientation, but there is no evidence suggesting gregarious behavior as they have slightly different orientations and/or speed values. The Los Corrales del Pelejón site is an example of environmental influence on dinosaur behavior. • New data on a historic dinosaur tracksite (one of the first described in Spain). • Detailed analysis into the stratigraphy and track preservation. • Fluvial environment with splay deposits accumulated in an ephemeral pool. • New ichnotaxonomic study with large amount of 3D data. • Dinosaur trackway orientation influenced by the shoreline of the ephemeral pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of arid climate conditions in eastern Iberia during the mid-Cretaceous (mid-Albian to earliest Cenomanian) has been postulated by several authors over the last two decades based on sedimentological and palaeobotanical datasets. In this paper, we present a combined sedimentological and paleosol study of the mid-Albian to earliest Cenomanian Utrillas Group in the Cuenca Basin of east-central Spain, to improve knowledge of palaeoclimate. Four facies associations are identified as follows: Proximal alluvial braidplain (FA I), Distal alluvial braidplain (FA II), Aeolian dunes (FA III), and Inner estuarine settings (FA IV). The succession records the development of a braidplain system under dominantly arid conditions followed by a marine transgressive phase. In contrast to the overall arid palaeoclimate interpretation, multi-proxy palaeoedaphological analyses conducted for three paleosol profiles (Spodosols) indicate the occurrence of periods of increased humidity in the basin. These findings allow us to infer the occurrence of shorter-term climatic oscillations characterised by a tropical savanna climate when the palaeosols developed, suggesting significantly more humid conditions than those inferred based on the sedimentological and previous palaeobotanical datasets. We propose a palaeoclimatic model that explains the alternation between the dominantly arid and these more humid periods based on the cyclical latitudinal shifting of the mid-Cretaceous climatic belts, shedding new light on the mid-Albian to earliest Cenomanian climate of Iberia. • Sedimentology and palaeoedaphology study of the Utrillas Group in the Cuenca Basin. • Short-term climatic oscillations in Iberia during the mid-Albian–early Cenomanian. • Cyclical changes from an arid climate to a seasonally dry tropical climate. • New insights on the mid-Cretaceous palaeoclimate of the basins of Eastern Iberia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we synthesize sedimentological, magnetostratigraphic and paleontological data from the continental vertebrate site of Puerto de la Cadena (Murcia, SE Spain), in order to clarify its age. The study site is located on the northern edge of the Carrascoy mountain range, in the upper part of the Cigarrón Unit. The end-Messinian discontinuity has been detected at the base of this unit, which indicates it has an early Pliocene age. Abundant remains of small and large vertebrates, including rodents, lagomorphs, primates, carnivorans, perissodactyls, artiodactyls, proboscideans, testudines, squamats, and crocodiles, have been found in this area. Some of these elements are of African origin, such as Debruijnimys sp., Macaca sp., and Sivatherium cf. hendeyi , and their presence is related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis. In addition, remains found at this site verify the persistence of Crocodylia in the European record beyond the late Miocene. The association includes typical elements of the early Ruscinian terrestrial record (MN14), like Apocricetus cf. barrierei , Sivatherium , Gazella aff. baturra , and Hipparion fissurae . The Puerto de la Cadena site is located in a reversed geomagnetic chron that has been correlated with C3n.3r (from 4.997 to 4.896 Ma). According to this correlation, the MN13/MN14 boundary has a minimum age of 4.9 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the upper Barremian-lowermost Aptian Alacón Formation (Oliete subbasin, Maestrazgo Basin) of Spain to understand the progressive opening of a shallow-marine bay found on the northeastern margin of Iberia. The succession consists of four transgressive-regressive sequences (S1S4) bounded by widespread unconformities caused by rapid base-level fall. The transgressive interval of each sequence is characterized by relatively high detrital input and fresh-water inflow that caused the demise of shallow-marine benthic communities. The regressive interval of each sequence triggered progressive regeneration of the benthic carbonate producers. Sequences 1 and 2 consist of lacustrine to restricted shallow-marine facies, followed by accumulations of the gryphaeid oyster Ceratostreon , with progressive colonization of the bay by marine benthic communities subjected to frequent salinity oscillations. Sequences 3 and 4 represent the stabilization of open-marine conditions in the bay with widespread development of high-energy bioclastic tidal dunes. The long-term transgression around the Barremian-Aptian boundary, which gave rise to the progressive flooding of the Oliete bay, was episodically interrupted by shorter-term episodes of abrupt base-level fall, with the eventual subaerial exposure of the entire bay at the end of the deposition of the Alacón Formation. Our data suggest that the observed sequence architecture was mostly controlled by climatic and eustatic sea-level oscillations, with local synsedimentary tectonics having a minor impact. Two major sea-level fall events responsible for the discontinuities found on top of sequences 3 and 4 are possibly correlated to the cooling episodes close to the Barremian-Aptian boundary and during the earliest Aptian (predating the OAE 1a) described in many other worldwide basins. • The progressive opening of a shallow marine bay in Iberia (W Tethys) is documented. • Four sequences register progressive paleogeographical and paleoecological changes. • Sequence boundaries are tentatively linked to major cooling events KBa5 and KAp1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Causes of the major mass extinction recorded during the Early Toarcian (Early Jurassic) are controversial. Many authors have concluded that the mass extinction is caused by the widespread oceanic anoxia derived from a postulated Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (ETOAE), supposedly synchronous in all basins and global in extent. Another group of papers links the mass extinction with a major climate change that occurred synchronously with the mass extinction. The results of the study of five sections of the uppermost Pliensbachian and Lower–Middle Toarcian deposits, located in northern and central Spain are presented. Detailed ammonite-based biostratigraphy, coupled with stable isotope analysis of belemnite calcite and bulk carbonates, as well as total organic carbon (TOC) analyses have been performed in all sections. Records of the vertical distribution of mainly benthic fossils have been compiled in four of the studied sections. Results obtained in the Spanish outcrops have been compared and correlated with other European sections. The excellent mutual relation between the patterns of the Early Toarcian progressive warming and the concomitant progressive losses of species evidences a cause-and-effect relationship between the increase of temperature and the mass extinction. From an uppermost Pliensbachian cooling interval, warming started at the Lower Toarcian Tenuicostatum Zone. Increase of average seawater palaeotemperature is associated with a progressive and substantial drawdown in the number of species of nektonic, planktonic and benthic organisms, representing the extinction interval. A prominent increase in seawater temperature occurred around the Lower Toarcian Tenuicostatum–Serpentinum zonal boundary. Average temperatures at the Serpentinum Zone increased about 7°C, marking the extinction boundary. The high temperatures continued during the Middle Toarcian Bifrons Chronozone, representing the repopulation interval. The anoxia linked to the postulated ETOAE cannot be the responsible for the mass extinction, because it has been synchronously recorded in the oxygenated environments of many European and Northern African platforms. Deposition of laminated organic-rich black shale facies, above 5wt.% TOC indicating anoxic environments, was mostly confined geographically to the Western Europe Euxinic Basin, and mainly deposited after the extinction event, during the interval of faunal recovery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports on analysis of plant macrofossils in aeolian deposits exposed in El Asperillo cliff in the Province of Huelva. A significant find of a large number of macrofossils of Pinus (Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus nigra Arnold) makes a major contribution to our understanding of the role of Pine in the Upper Pleistocene landscapes of Iberia. P. pinaster Ait. and P. nigra Arnold, are meso-microthermic species and inhabited valleys excavated in aeolian sediments mainly deposited during OIS 4 and OIS 3 (based on OSL and radiocarbon ages). Their presence in these valleys during the last part of OIS4 and OIS 3 reflects a significant fall in temperature during certain periods of these isotopic stages and helps us better understand the response of coastal dynamics to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The site of El Portalón is the entrance to the Cueva Mayor karst system, located in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). This is an important Holocene archaeological site, which was excavated in the 1970s but from which little has been published. New excavations starting in 2000 have highlighted a deep stratigraphical sequence, with human occupations starting at the end of the Late Pleistocene. In this paper, we present for the first time, on the basis of the small-vertebrate assemblage, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions of the Latest Pleistocene of the Sierra de Atapuerca, well known for its Early to Middle Pleistocene human-bearing localities. The small vertebrates of El Portalón comprise at least 25 species: 4 amphibians (Alytes obstetricans, Bufo bufo, Bufo calamita and Rana temporaria); 3 squamates (an indeterminate small-size lacertid, an indeterminate large colubrine and Vipera sp.); 6 insectivores (Sorex gr. coronatus-araneus, Sorex minutus, Neomys fodiens, Neomys anomalus, Talpa europaea and Galemys pyrenaicus); 2 bats (Myotis myotis and Myotis gr. myotis-blythi); 10 rodents (Microtus arvalis, Microtus agrestis, Microtus oeconomus, Iberomys cabrerae, Chionomys nivalis, Terricola duodecimcostatus, Arvicola sapidus, Arvicola terrestris, Apodemus sylvaticus and Eliomys quercinus). These taxa, many of which are ecothermal (sensitive to temperature) show variations in their taxonomic diversity throughout the sequence. Although, with the exception of M. oeconomus, they do not differ from the extant fauna of the Iberian Peninsula, they do so in the abundance of their taxonomic assemblage. When the small vertebrates are grouped and studied in terms of vertical trends through the sequence, it is possible to follow environmental and climatic changes. Results from the small-vertebrate associations indicate that the landscape had open habitats in the vicinity of the Atapuerca caves throughout the sequence, with wet locales in the surrounding area. Woodland and water stream meadows were more developed during “warm” periods (Is5, Is6/Is7 and Is3/Is4), whereas during “cold” periods (H3 and LGM) the environment was slightly more humid in response to winter precipitation and the opening of the landscape. These results are compared with pollen analysis and marine isotopic curves, giving a scenario for the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes that occurred during the Latest Pleistocene in the Sierra de Atapuerca. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It has been suggested that the Recent zoogeography and diversification of the killifish Aphanius is a result of the palaeogeographic reorganisation of the Mediterranean area during the Neogene. However, little is known about the fossil distribution of killifishes in the Mediterranean, and literature data are scattered. This paper summarizes the data on the stratigraphic range and palaeoecology of the Aphanius and Aphanolebias species from three time intervals in the Miocene of southwestern Europe, the Paratethys, and the Aegean based on previously described otoliths and articulated skeletons, and newly collected otoliths from Spain. Moreover, the mollusc palaeocommunities that co-occur with the otoliths from Spain are considered. Our data indicate that species-diversity and zoogeography of fossil killifishes is closely linked to those palaeogeographic and climate conditions that affect the abundance of brackish and swamp habitats. The appearance of fossil Aphanolebias or Aphanius in continental deposits of Early and Middle Miocene age can be considered indicative of a warm palaeoclimate with seasonal or interannual aridity. The relatively wide geographic distribution of the Late Miocene Aphanius crassicaudus is strikingly different from the zoogeographic pattern exhibited by the Early and Middle Miocene Aphanius species, and probably resulted from (i) increased numbers of brackish and swamp habitats due to the Messinian event, and (ii) the closure of the deep seaway between the former island of Italy and the mainland to the north. We hypothesize that the wide geographic distribution of the present-day A. fasciatus in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the limited zoogeography of A. iberus and A. baeticus along the Spanish coast, is a result of zoogeographic history of their ancestors in the Late Miocene. Moreover, the present-day ability of Aphanius to survive under extreme conditions probably represents a vestige of the broad ecological tolerance of the Miocene Aphanius species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Latest Viséan brachiopod shells (Gigantoproductus sp.) from the Pedroches basin of SW Spain were sampled in order to obtain chemical and isotopic evidence that may help, first, to assess if primary geochemical and isotopical signals are preserved in these shells and, second, to reconstruct temporal variations in palaeoceanographic and palaeoclimatic conditions in northern Gondwana during this time span. Microtexture, cathodoluminescence (CL) and ultrastructure (under SEM) of the brachiopods were examined to avoid sampling of shell portions altered after deposition. Shell portions classified as non-luminescent (NL) and non-luminescent to slightly luminescent (NL–SL) present geochemical signatures within the ranges considered normal for Recent brachiopods that have not undergone significant diagenetic modification. These include low to undetectable Fe and Mn contents, high Sr values, and δ 18O values similar to those of carbonates in equilibrium with seawater. On the other hand, valve areas that are luminescent (L) or moderately luminescent with luminescent portions (ML–L) present higher Fe and Mn contents, lower Sr concentrations, and lower δ 18O values than those corresponding to NL and NL–SL shells. This suggests a greater diagenetic alteration of these portions and that they acted as microzones of reaction with the diagenetic fluids. Temporal trends through the studied interval show a spread in δ 13C values much lower than that observed for contemporaneous samples (up to 1.6‰), thus obscuring the δ 13C global signal at the time-scale resolution of this study. In contrast, the δ 18O record of brachiopod calcite (δ 18Oc) shows an overall increase of ∼1‰ (relative to V-PDB) from the oldest to the youngest samples. This is accompanied by a ∼30% decrease in Mg/Ca ratios of the brachiopod calcites, confirming that at least part of this shift in δ 18Oc was related to cooling. Combination of Mg/Ca and δ 18Oc proxies established in this paper, although not full-proof for brachiopods yet, allowed for the calculation of a temperature drop of ∼3.3 °C and a change in seawater δ 18Ow that becomes ∼0.4‰ more positive during this interval. The data are consistent with regional seawater cooling that accompanied an increase in continental ice volume, over a relatively short time period of <4 Myr. Comparison of the Carboniferous isotopic data from Spain with data compiled from Palaeotethyan basins suggests that this positive event in δ 18Oc during the Brigantian (latest Viséan) may be correlated worldwide. This synchronous global shift provides evidence for the onset of the Carboniferous glaciation in Gondwana during the Brigantian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Permian–Triassic transition, a time of phenomenal palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical change, represents the largest episode of mass extinctions known to palaeontologists. This episode is, however, very poorly understood, and a lack of sediments and palaeontological data, particularly in the continental record, is a feature common to every basin. Despite compelling information on the continental Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) emerging from recent efforts evaluating vertebrate evolution, fungal events and isotope curves, results are still insufficient to make any valuable correlations among continental basins and are even less appropriate for relating sediments of continental to those of marine origin. The present report discusses and attempts to locate the PTB in the basins of Iberia and Balearic Islands through an analysis of the palaeontological and sedimentary record across the Permian–Triassic transition. The aim of the paper is to contribute to our present knowledge of the palaeogeographical and stratigraphical significance of the Permian and Triassic continental units of Western Europe. The present-day Iberian Ranges, Catalonian Ranges and Balearic Islands hold the most complete Late Permian–Early Triassic sedimentary record in Iberia. This record consists of alluvial sediments, mainly of braided fluvial systems, corresponding to the “Saxonian” and Buntsandstein facies. All the units examined so far have been dated through palynological associations. The two “Saxonian” facies formations are of Thuringian age, although the lower one shows some palynological elements of Autunian affinities. The Buntsandstein units range from Thuringian to Anisian in age, there being no evidence up to now of the Scythian in Iberia. The exact position of the PTB in Iberia is up to now impossible to pinpoint with the precision of the marine series. Sedimentary characteristics and palynological data in the Iberian Ranges point that it lies at the sedimentary interval, 10 to 30 m thick, formed by the upper member of the La Hoz del Gallo Formation and the lowermost beds of the Cañizar Formation or its time equivalent the Prades and Eramprunyá units in the Catalonian Ranges and the Asá and B-1 in the Balearic Islands. We compare a normalized standard Late Permian–Middle Triassic column of the Iberian Ranges with standards from Western and Central Europe and the Southern Urals using recent Permian time scales. A palaeogeographic essay map of the Permian–Triassic transition is provided for the Iberian Plate. The plate was located in a northern subtropical position, 200–400 km from the westernmost Tethys coast, as part of the Central Pangean Mountain Range comprised of the Appalachian–Mauretanide–Variscan orogenic belts of estimated altitudes 2000–4000 m. Based on this palaeogeographic location, sedimentary characteristics and the main wind flows established for the Tethys, we can infer conditions of high precipitation dominated by monsoon and seasonal regimes with isolated semiarid areas for the Iberian Plate during the transition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Actualistic assessments emphasize the power of carrying out quantitative analysis of the taphonomic traits, as well as the use of multivariate statistical tests for the definition of taphofacies models. Nonetheless, in the palaeontological literature, taphonomic analyses are often based on qualitative observations or on semi-quantitative studies involving only a few taphonomic attributes. In this paper, a quantitative study for analyzing taphonomic signatures and proposing taphofacies in the fossil record is presented. This methodology is applied in lower Pliocene carbonate–siliciclastic mixed deposits of the Almerı´a-Nı´jar basin (SE Spain). Selected taphonomic attributes that are quantitatively analyzed are: (1) abundance, (2) packing (percentage of fossils per rock volume), (3) fragmentation, (4) articulation, (5) left/right valve proportion, (6) biofabric (original growth position, the lowest angle of the shells to the stratification surface and the concavity orientation), (7) preservation of the original mineralogy, (8) edge rounding and (9) biological interactions (encrustation and boring). All of these taphonomic signatures are tabulated as percentages. These values are then analyzed with a Q-mode cluster analysis for the definition of the taphofacies. Three taphofacies models are proposed: (1) outer-platform taphofacies, (2) biotic accumulations taphofacies and (3) inner-platform taphofacies. This study shows that, when more taphonomic attributes are used in the cluster analysis, the results are better and more robust. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper evaluates the differences in community structure between nine mammalian paleocommunities from the late early Pleistocene to the late middle Pleistocene from Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). The magnitude of the differences inside this group of paleocommunities is compared with the heterogeneity observed in 43 recent Eurasian communities grouped by biome. A new method is used to compare community structure. Species are assigned to 1 of 23 possible ecological groups and a multidimensional “eco-space” is computed based on the abundance of these groups in each community using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The dispersion of the communities in the “eco-space” is used as a measure of their differences in community structure. The group of paleocommunities from Atapuerca exhibits less heterogeneity than that observed inside groups of recent communities from a particular biome. Thus, it is concluded that a considerable constancy in community structure existed in the paleocommunities from Atapuerca along the Pleistocene. This stability contrasts with the existence of various climatic cycles and with the development of different plant communities at Atapuerca throughout this period. To explain the observed pattern, a theoretical model of community evolution is proposed. According to this model, only a limited number of community structures are possible in a given environment, although the exact configuration attained by a particular community depends upon historical and biogeographic factors. Once a community structure has been established, emergent mechanisms maintain it with minor changes (resilience) until a large perturbation disrupts the community and a new assembling process begins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Eocene record of turtle eggshells is scarce, with a single unconfirmed report from France. This scarcity contrasts with the great abundance of osteological remains, distributed over a wide palaeogeographical range as a result of climatic warmth. In this paper, we describe the first definitive Eocene Testudoolithidae eggshell fragments attributable to Testudines, most likely pleurodiran turtles, from the Eocene Sobrarbe Formation at the Castejón de Sobrarbe fossil site (CS-41) in northern Spain. The eggshells were found in association with osteological remains of at least four individuals of Eocenochelus eremberti (Pleurodira, Erymnochelyini) in an otherwise sirenian-dominated bonebed. Analysis of eggshell ultra- and microstructure allows comparison with eggshells from fossil and extant turtles. The eggshells are highly recrystallized but preserve relics of their original aragonitic radial ultrastructure as crystal phantoms. The barrel-shaped shell units, which are taller than wide, with compactituberculate ornamentation and funnel-shaped pore openings are similar to those of the Palaeocene ootaxon Haininchelys curiosa , whose holotype and paratype have been lost. The CS-41 eggshells are most similar to those of the pleurodiran Erymnochelys madagascariensis from Madagascar , the closest living relative to Eocenochelus , further supporting our attribution. Sedimentological and taphonomic analysis of the assemblage supports the hypothesis that the CS-41 fossil site was formed as the infilling of an abandoned tributary channel in the deltaic plain by an overbank or debris-flow deposit associated with a storm event. This storm resulted in the exhumation and subsequent re-sedimetation of the remains of a nesting ground of Eocenochelus eremberti , an otherwise coastal turtle, which would have entered inland streams to nest in the sand bars at the mouth of the Sobrarbe Deltaic Complex. [Display omitted] • A mono-ootaxic assemblage of thousands of Testudoolithidae eggshell fragments is described from the Eocene of Spain. • They are the first unambiguous Testudines eggshells from the Eocene. • Eggshells are suggestive of a pleurodiran producer, and co-occur with Eocenochelus eremberti remains. • Eggs were probably laid in the sand bars of the delta mouth. • Eggs were exhumed, fragmented and redeposited in an abandoned channel in the deltaic plain following a storm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish bones are common in Pleistocene cave deposits in Europe. In this paper, we report on fish remains from the Gran Dolina cave (Trinchera del Ferrocarril) in the Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain, to increase what is known of the freshwater ecosystems close to the cave. The 19-m-thick section, divided into 11 stratigraphic levels, represents an Early to Middle Pleistocene time span as dated by biostratigraphy, ESR, U-series, and magnetostratigraphy. We focus on the Sondeo South site, excavated from 1993 to 1999, which has yielded 1087 fish bones comprising the following taxa: brown trout (Salmo trutta), the common European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and chub (Squalius sp.). Taphonomic studies suggest that the European eagle owl (Bubo bubo) was the most likely predator responsible for the accumulation. Changes observed in the body size of brown trout through the sequence cannot be attributed to climate change (contravening Bergmann's rule). Our study documents the presence of a pre-mountain river system characterized by permanent, oxygen-rich, relatively cold flowing waters around the Sierra de Atapuerca during Early-Middle Pleistocene times. • Early-Middle Pleistocene fishes from Gran Dolina site (Iberian Peninsula). • Detailed description of freshwater ecosystems around Atapuerca. • Taphonomical signature of a natural accumulator agent on fish remains. • Bergmann's rule test on the brown trout (Salmo trutta). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reconstruct palaeoclimate for the late Oligocene (Chattian) La Val plant assemblage of Spain (NE Iberian Peninsula). Our study employs both CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) and LMA (Leaf Margin Analysis), the first time these two techniques have been directly compared, and is based on 25 morphotypes (representing 23 taxa) of woody dicot leaves from a single stratigraphic unit (layer LV6). Both methods have provided a similar result. Although the standard deviation of LMA is higher than CLAMP, the results of LMA are coherent with CLAMP. The palaeoclimatic variables obtained from CLAMP shows a marked contrast between WMMT and CMMT and between 3-WET (836.3 ± 145.4 mm) and 3-DRY (113 ± 33 mm). Meanwhile, the GROWSEAS (9.30 ± 0.7 months) points out that the growth season lasted almost all the year. These variations signal a seasonal contrast, showing the existence of a dry season. Results indicate a warm temperate climate with hot and dry summers. The palaeoclimatic variables obtained using CLAMP are: MAT 17.2 ± 1.7 °C, WMMT 25.5 ± 1.3 °C, CMMT 10 ± 1.8 °C and GSP 1480 ± 204 mm. The palaeoclimatic variables obtained using LMA are MAT 17.11 ± 4.61 °C (regression equation for data from East Asia) and 16.8 ± 4.7 °C (regression equation for data from Europe). The palaeoclimatic values estimated from La Val site match those obtained from other Oligocene sites from Iberia (e.g. As Pontes site) that rely on different palaeoclimate methods. These palaeoclimatic values obtained from La Val are also similar to those from several Oligocene localities (e.g. the Rot flora) in Europe and reflect peak temperature corresponding to the late Oligocene warming episode. • First palaeoclimatic reconstruction employing both the CLAMP and LMA methods in Spain • Results indicate a warm climate with hot and dry summers. • Climatic data obtained for the Iberian Oligocene sites are relatively homogeneous. • Palaeoclimatic parameters are slightly greater than central european values. • These differences could be related to the occurrence of a climatic gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrapod ichnology is a powerful tool to reconstruct the faunal composition of Middle Triassic ecosystems. However, reconstructions based on a single palaeoenvironment provide an incomplete and impoverished picture of the actual palaeodiversity. In this paper, we analyse Middle Triassic tetrapod ichnoassociations from the detrital Muschelkalk facies of the Catalan Basin of northeast Spain, ranging from terrestrial to coastal settings. We identified two main tetrapod ichnoassociations, preserved in two different palaeoenvironments, comprising the following ichnogenera and morphotypes: Procolophonichnium , Chelonipus, Rhynchosauroides , Rotodactylus , Chirotherium , Isochirotherium , Sphingopus , and indeterminate chirotheriids. We also statistically analyse a database of all known Middle Triassic tetrapod footprint localities worldwide; this database includes, for each track locality, the precise age, the palaeoenvironment and the presence/absence of ichnotaxa. Our results on the composition of ichnofauna within the palaeoenvironments of the Catalan Basin are integrated into this database. This approach allows us to revisit the palaeoenvironmental bias linked to the marine transgression that affected the Western Tethys region. Tetrapod ichnoassociations reveal the following palaeoenvironmental patterns: (1) in coastal settings, ichnoassociations are Rhynchosauroides -dominated and diversity is relatively low; (2) in terrestrial settings and those with less marine influences, ichnoassociations are non- Rhynchosauroides -dominated, usually characterised by more abundant chirotheriid tracks and, generally, a higher track diversity. The correlation between tetrapod ichnoassociations and sedimentary facies reveals how palaeoenvironmental constraints influenced faunal assemblages, especially those of the Middle Triassic of the Western Tethys region. Ichnoassociations allow the ecological response of tetrapod faunas to the environmental changes to be inferred for this critical time interval. Marine transgressions strongly influenced tetrapod ecosystems: environmental conditions were key for the faunal recovery in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction, with the settlement of the so-called modern faunas and the rise of the dinosaur lineage. • The importance of facies analyses when studying tetrapod ichnofossils. • In coastal settings, ichnoassociations are Rhynchosauroides -dominated. • Terrestrial settings ichnoassociations are non- Rhynchosauroides -dominated. • A database of Middle Triassic tetrapod footprint localities worldwide is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volcanic islands are unique contexts to analyze the controls on calcrete development in settings with varied relief, climate and vegetation, and lacking carbonate host rocks. This paper discusses the formation of Quaternary calcrete profiles in Gran Canaria volcanic Island, under direct influence of the SAL (Saharian Air Layer). Calcrete profiles are multi-storey and composed of prismatic, massive, laminar, pisolithic, ooid-bearing, sandy mudstones with rhizoliths and brecciated horizons. Host rocks include basalts, siliceous mudstones, volcanic sands and gravels and bioclastic-rich sands. Carbonate is mostly calcite but some dolomite occurs in massive horizons. The main microfabrics include laminated micrite, fine crystalline dolomite, desiccated micrite, micrite-clay groundmass, oriented Mg-rich clays, peloids, spherulites and coated grains. δ13C varies from −3.26 to −9.18‰ VPDB and δ18O from +0.86 to −3.24‰ VPDB. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios are between 0.707504 and 0.708860, indicating that calcium was mostly supplied from the CaCO 3 -rich aeolian dust coming from the Sahara Desert. Calcrete profiles are mostly pedogenic with roots and microorganisms enabling carbonate precipitation within the soils. The correlation trend of δ13C and δ18O points to a climate control on precipitation, with the heavier isotope values in the horizons containing dolomite. Sedimentation rates interplayed with calcrete formation processes and erosion to outline the profiles/horizons. Amalgamated laminar horizons formed when the rate of calcrete formation was higher than sedimentation and erosion, whereas areas or periods with relatively higher sedimentation allowed the separation of calcrete horizons. The direction of the winds supplying aeolian dust, and the varied relief, vegetation and climate favored better development of calcretes in the relatively arid and lowland areas of the eastern side of the island. Our study shows that calcretes contain the record of the paleoenvironmental controls that operated in volcanic islands with no previous carbonate substrates. • Calcrete formation in volcanic islands without not carbonate hostrocks • Calcretes are mostly biogenic and favored by vegetation. • The relief and aeolian dust‑calcium supply controlled calcrete development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents pollen analyses and radiocarbon dating on Crocuta coprolites from Las Ventanas (LV) and Carihuela (Car) Caves in southern Spain (Granada), with the aim of reconstructing the environmental conditions of these hominin sites. The LV coprolites are radiocarbon dated from c. 37,890 to 6980 cal yr BP, and the Car coprolites from c. 31,063 to 7861 cal yr BP. Overall, the palaeoecological scenario inferred from both coprolite series display similar patterns, with Pinus , Poaceae, and Artemisia as dominant during the full Pleistocene, and an important contribution of Quercus in the most recently dated coprolite samples. While the palynology is consistent with results of former investigations on the past environments in the region as obtained from other deposits (peat bogs, cave infills), the Late Glacial and Holocene chronology of several coprolites in both sites is in conflict with the generally accepted timing of extinction of Crocuta in western Europe. A discussion on the taphonomical processes and potential sources of carbon contamination of the radiocarbon samples is provided. The correlation between pollen from coprolites and from sedimentary records, and the paucity of the fossil bone record suggests nevertheless, that a late survival of Crocuta in southern Spain should not be categorically discarded. • New pollen analyses and radiocarbon dating on Crocuta coprolites from Las Ventanas (LV) and Carihuela (Car) Caves. • The palaeoecological scenario inferred from both coprolite series display similar patterns. • Timing of extinction of Crocuta in western Europe. • A late survival of Crocuta in southern Spain should not be categorically discarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]