Battalones-10 (Level I)
Basic information
Sample name: Battalones-10 (Level I)

Reference: D. M. Martin-Perea, J. Morales, E. Cantero, L. A. Courtenay, M. H. Fernandez, and M. S. Domingo. 2021. Taphonomic analysis of Batallones-10, a Late Miocene drought-induced mammalian assemblage (Madrid basin, Spain) within the Cerro de los Batallones complex. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 578(110576):1-18 [ER 3895]
Geography
Country: Spain

State: Community of Madrid


County: Torrejon de Velasco


Coordinate: 40.17115° N, -3.716684° W
Coordinate basis: estimated from map

Time interval: Late Miocene

Unit number: 1

Unit order: below to above

Max Ma: 9.95

Min Ma: 9.34

Age basis: other

Geography comments: Battalones-10 is one of the 9 site localities of the Cerro de los Battalones complex 30 km south of Madrid

Faunal assemblage analyses date the site to the early Late Miocene

"Small mammal studies place the Battalones localities either in the J2 local subzone (9.71-9.48 Ma) or in the J3 local subzone (9.34-9.95 Ma), with Battalones-10 being the oldest of the sites"

Environment
Lithology: marl

Taphonomic context: fissure fill,lake deposit

Habitat comments: Battalones-10 contains 3 distinct fossiliferous levels "hosted in marls deposited disconformably in a small water-hole that developed over sepiolite-rich mudstones, marls and limestones"

Level I is a defined 2 m vertical section at the base of the sample

"Mortality at Battalones-10 is most probably related to animals suffering from a shortage of food and water"

The majority of Battalones-10 remains are unweathered, pointing towards a low exposure time (0-1 years) and/or accumulation in shallow water

Presence of remains found either articulated or in direct assoc. with other remains from the same individual, as well as completely articulated individuals suggests deposition of complete or partially complete individuals

Carnivore-marked remains are very scarce

The three levels display very similar taphonomic histories, with only corrosion levels showing much variation (Level I showing the least)

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,ungulates,birds,lizards,turtles,frogs

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 877 specimens

Sampling comments: Battalones-10 has undergone 14 excavation campaigns between 2007 and 2020

Level I has an excavation area of ~30 m squared

Remains were identified taxonomically and anatomically on-site

Standard spatial data, including trend and plunge of elongated remains, was identified for specimens above 2 cm

1334 of the 7968 remains at Battalones-10 were classified to Level I

14 of the 68 large-mammal individuals were found at Level I

30.16% of recovered remains at Level I were taxonomically unidentified

Counts excluded:
Carnivora indet. - 19

Metadata
Sample number: 4275

Contributor: Jack Nesbitt

Enterer: Jack Nesbitt

Created: 2023-05-22 11:47:01

Modified: 2023-05-22 03:12:28

Abundance distribution
17 species
1 singleton
total count 877
geometric series index: 21.9
Fisher's α: 2.991
geometric series k: 0.7071
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8451
Shannon's H: 2.1351
Good's u: 0.9989
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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