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

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: 2

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 II is a defined 2 m vertical section between Level I (below) and Level III (above)

"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. Level II remains are less weathered than Level I and Level III

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 II showing the more than LI but less than L III)

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

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 1807 specimens

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

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

3574 of the 7968 remains at Battalones-10 were classified to Level II

30 of the 68 large-mammal individuals were found at Level II

47.9% of recovered remains at Level II were taxonomically unidentified

Counts excluded:
Carnivora indet. - 26

Metadata
Sample number: 4276

Contributor: Jack Nesbitt

Enterer: Jack Nesbitt

Created: 2023-05-22 12:19:21

Modified: 2023-05-22 02:19:21

Abundance distribution
14 species
3 singletons
total count 1807
geometric series index: 19.3
Fisher's α: 2.067
geometric series k: 0.5925
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6794
Shannon's H: 1.5059
Good's u: 0.9983
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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