Bolomor Cave (Level IV)
Basic information
Sample name: Bolomor Cave (Level IV)

Reference: R. Blasco and J. F. Peris. 2012. A uniquely broad spectrum diet during the Middle Pleistocene at Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain). Quaternary International 252:16-31 [ER 3896]
Geography
Country: Spain

State: Valencia


County: Valencia


Coordinate: 39.072926° N, -0.269804° W
Coordinate basis: estimated from map

Time interval: Middle Pleistocene

Section: Bolomor Cave

Unit number: 4

Unit order: above to below

Max Ma: 0.152

Min Ma: 0.121

Age basis: other

Geography comments: Bolomor Cave is situated on the "southern slope of the Valldigna valley, approximately 2 km southeast of the town of Tavernes"
The coordinates entered are based on Tavernes de la Valldigna as that was the closest possible estimate
"The karst deposit of Bolomor Cave has been dated by Amino Acid Racemization (AR) and Thermoluminescence (TL) to between MIS 9 and MIS 5"
No specific date is provided for Level IV though it is situated multiple layers above Level XII which is dated to 0.152 Ma +/- 0.023 Ma and two layers below Level II which is dated to 0.121 Ma +/- 0.018

Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)

Taphonomic context: cave,carnivore accumulation,human accumulation

Habitat comments: "Bolomor cave is a karst cavity opened to the exterior approximately 500 ka, as a consequence of the erosion of the ravine where is placed"
"The sedimentary sequence of Bolomor Cave consists mainly of allochthonous material of colluvial origin. In addition to these deposits, there are other autochthonous sediments of gravitational origin from the roof subsidence, due to tectonics or weathering processes."
Cut marks are identified on 7.18% of bone remains mainly on the limb bones of medium and large-sized taxa, as well as birds, tortoises, and O. cuniculus
Evidence of burning was found on 61.54% of remains at Level IV mostly on lagomorphs and tortoises

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,turtles,frogs,fishes

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 2778 specimens

Sampling comments: Excavated between 1991-1998 and 2005
2864 of the 25323 remains found at Level IV were taxonomically identified
30 taxa were identified at Level IV
Counts excluded:
Carnivora indet. - 5
Aves indet. - 17
Passeriformes - 25
Corvidae - 20
Galliformes - 19

Metadata
Sample number: 4280

Contributor: Jack Nesbitt

Enterer: Jack Nesbitt

Modifier no: John Alroy

Created: 2023-05-23 11:57:04

Modified: 2024-12-10 04:55:11

Abundance distribution
25 species
3 singletons
total count 2778
geometric series index: 33.4
Fisher's α: 3.789
geometric series k: 0.7573
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8173
Shannon's H: 2.0400
Good's u: 0.9989
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Macaca sylvanus1
"Macaca sylvana"
Ursus arctos1156 kg frugivore-carnivore
Canis lupus243 kg carnivore
Vulpes vulpes25.3 kg carnivore-insectivore
Panthera sp.3
"Panthera leo": no details are given, so it is unclear whether this might be Panthera spelaea
Lynx pardinus211 kg
"Lynx pardina"
Palaeoloxodon antiquus4
"Paleoloxodon antiquus"
Equus ferus65422 kg
Equus hemionus hydruntinus16 grazer
"Equus hydruntinus"
Hippopotamus amphibius461107 kg grazer
Sus scrofa11554 kg herbivore
Dama sp.91
Cervus elaphus647142 kg browser-grazer
Bos primigenius213
Hemitragus cedrensis121
Oryctolagus cuniculus7892.5 kg browser-grazer
Pyrrhocorax sp.6
"Phyrrocorax sp."
Phasianidae indet.24
Columba sp.34
Anas sp.29
Aythya sp.34
Strigidae indet.1
Testudo hermanni526
Bufo sp.4
Salmonidae indet.2