Venta Micena 4-II
Basic information
Sample name: Venta Micena 4-II
Reference: J. Yravedra, C. Luzon, J. A. Solano, G. J. Linares-Matas, V. Estaca-Gomez, J. J. Rodriguez-Alba, L. A. Courtenay, D. Herranz-Rodrigo, A. Serrano-Ramos, J. Camara, J. Saarinen, C. Sanchez-Bandera, H. A. Blain, S. Viranta-Kovanen, D. DeMiguel, B. Azanza, O. Oms, J. Agusti, M. Fortelius, and J. M. J. Arenas. 2023. To den or not to den. Contributions to the taphonomic history of the Early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena 4 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin). Quaternary Science Reviews 308(108031):1-22 [ER 3894]
Geography
Country: Spain
State: Granada
Coordinate: 37.732952° N, -2.404772° W
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Early Pleistocene
Section: VM4-II
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 1.6
Min Ma: 1.37
Age basis: ESR
Geography comments: Venta Micena (VM) is located in the Guadix-Baza Basin near Orce in southeastern Spain
Unit C, which VM4-II falls into has been dating using combined U-Th/ESR dating methods to a mean age of 1.37 +/- 0.25 Ma and has been refined/extended based on biochronology up to ~1.6 Ma
Unit C, which VM4-II falls into has been dating using combined U-Th/ESR dating methods to a mean age of 1.37 +/- 0.25 Ma and has been refined/extended based on biochronology up to ~1.6 Ma
Environment
Lithology: limestone
Taphonomic context: carnivore accumulation,lake deposit
Habitat comments: "VM4 would have been located near the edge of a lacustrine environment centered around the relatively large and saline endorheic Baza lake"
VM4-II is situated above VM4I in Interval C1 of Venta Micena's Unit C within micritic limestone of palustrine and lacustrine origin
Weathering alterations are scarce, implying low levels of subaerial exposure
Evidenced by tooth marks, bone breakage patterns, and other taphonomic evidence it is probable that VM4 represents an open-air site where "multiple carnivores interacted with herbivore carcasses", mainly felids, hyaenids, and possibly canids
Tooth marks are present on 1.9% of well-preserved bones at VM4-II with only 5% of marked bones exhibiting >5 tooth marks per bone
The assemblage is not thought to be accumulated as the result of activity by one particular taxon, but rather through the input of "multiple agents"
Taphonomic research is still ongoing as is the debate on accumulation at Venta Micena 4
VM4-II is situated above VM4I in Interval C1 of Venta Micena's Unit C within micritic limestone of palustrine and lacustrine origin
Weathering alterations are scarce, implying low levels of subaerial exposure
Evidenced by tooth marks, bone breakage patterns, and other taphonomic evidence it is probable that VM4 represents an open-air site where "multiple carnivores interacted with herbivore carcasses", mainly felids, hyaenids, and possibly canids
Tooth marks are present on 1.9% of well-preserved bones at VM4-II with only 5% of marked bones exhibiting >5 tooth marks per bone
The assemblage is not thought to be accumulated as the result of activity by one particular taxon, but rather through the input of "multiple agents"
Taphonomic research is still ongoing as is the debate on accumulation at Venta Micena 4
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,turtles
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 641 specimens
Sampling comments: 39 m squared has been excavated over seven field seasons: 2005, 2013-15, and 2017-19
VM4-II consists of 3166 faunal remains
Counts excluded:
Cervidae - 2
Bovidae - 35
Canidae - 77
Felidae - 2
Carnivora - 18
VM4-II consists of 3166 faunal remains
Counts excluded:
Cervidae - 2
Bovidae - 35
Canidae - 77
Felidae - 2
Carnivora - 18
Metadata
Sample number: 4282
Contributor: Jack Nesbitt
Enterer: Jack Nesbitt
Created: 2023-05-24 10:38:54
Modified: 2023-05-24 00:38:54
Abundance distribution
19 species
0 singletons
total count 641
geometric series index: 21.7
Fisher's α: 3.678
geometric series k: 0.7795
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8605
Shannon's H: 2.3119
Good's u: 1.0000
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| †Mammuthus meridionalis | 6 | |
| †Stephanorhinus etruscus | 14 | |
| †Equus altidens | 177 | |
| †Hippopotamus antiquus | 4 | |
| Bison sp. | 70 | |
| †Hemibos cf. gracilis | 7 | |
| †Soergelia minor | 18 | |
| †Capra alba | 23 | |
| †Praemegaceros verticornis | 89 | |
| †Metacervoceros rhenanus | 73 | |
| †Canis mosbachensis | 26 | |
| †Canis (Xenocyon) lycanoides | 71 | |
| "Xenocyon (= Lycaon) lycaonoides" | ||
| †Pachycrocuta brevirostris | 7 | |
| †Homotherium latidens | 2 | |
| †Megantereon cultridens | 3 | |
| †Ursus etruscus | 11 | |
| Lagomorpha indet. | 21 | |
| Testudines indet. | 3 | |
| Aves indet. | 16 | |