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Language Spanish journal of palaeontology. 2013. Vol. 28, no. 2
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- Recent debate and heavy evidence on human origin(2020) Aguirre, EmilianoThe discovery and the study of Australopithecus sediba has brought the debate between its supporters as the only immediate ancestor of Homo erectus excluding H. habilis out of that ancestry as well as any other eventual species of genus Homo, and on the other side the defenders of Homo habilis as the direct ancestor of Homo erectus and following humans. Here the second opinion is supported, with the view that the succession between two species is not instantaneous, the new distinctive traits appearing, generally inherited in several individuals of a single living species, and tribe, coexisting with other individuals bearing primitive traits, until these disappear, even a time after the separation of the groups with different inheritance prevalent. Besides the known sites yielding lithic tools more than 2 Ma old the fossil group of Dmanissi (Rep. Georgia) is a solid proof: one of the earliest tribes of H. erectus/ergaster, leaving Africa to Eurasia near 1.8 Ma, including individuals with prevalent traits of H. habilis. The climate and environment crises between near 2.5-1.8 Ma ago with harsh aridity in Africa may have influenced such complexes process. In South Africa similar genetic changes may have occurred at a near time, but accompanying evidences of direct effect on the origin of H. erectus populations are still missing
- Models of historical biogeography and continental biochronology(2020) Álvarez-Sierra, María Ángles; García-Paredes, Israel; Hernández-Ballarín, Verónica; Van Den Hoek Ostende, Lars W; Hordijk, Kees; López-Guerrero, Paloma; Van Der Meulen, Albert J; Oliver, Adriana; Paláez-Campomanes, PabloOne of the most important contributions of Nieves López Martínez in Palaeobiogeography is the study of the ‘centre of origin of species’ concept and the proposal of the ‘Asymmetric Time Model’ as an alternative to the ‘Symmetric Time Model’, a key concept in dispersalist Historical Biogeography. As a consequence of these ideas, she discussed the methodology to establish biostratigraphic scales, pointing out that the higher number of ‘First Appearance Datum’ (FADs) over that of ‘Last Appearance Datum’ (LADs) in the fossil record supports the Asymmetrical Time Model. In this study we analyse the middle Miocene micromammal appearance and extinction events (FADs and LADs) based on well-calibrated local biostratigraphic scales from different European basins, in order to determine which of the proposed biogeographical models better fits the Miocene European micromammal record. The results support that the Asymmetric Time Model of palaeobiogeography is only applicable in rare cases. The analysed fossil record only shows one event of occurrence and one of extinction that can be considered synchronous at continental level. Finally, the implications of the biogeographic models in the proposition of biochronologic continental scales are also discussed, pointing out that palaeobiogeographic frameworks need robust biochronologies based on extensive local biostratigraphic data with independent temporal correlation
- On the importance of examining the relationship between shape data and biologically meaningful variables. An example studying allometry with geometric morphometrics(2020) Marugán-Lobón, Jesús; Blanco Miranda, David; Chamero, Beatriz; Martín Abad, HugoGeometric morphometrics (GM) is a tool for the statistical analysis of shape on Cartesian landmark coordinates. However, because GM studies commonly focus on the description of morphological trends within shape space (or morphospace), the predictive power of multivariate statistics to understand morphological change remains underutilized. Here we show the protocols to study allometry in 3D with these tools on a postnatal growth series of the domestic chicken. We contrast three approaches: a ‘traditional’ one in which size variables are compared statistically, a Principal Components Analysis on size and shape scores (Procrustes form space), and a multivariate regression. In the latter approach we further used three different independent factors inherently related to ontogeny: skull centroid size, body weight, and age of the specimens. The results clearly stress the importance of studying shape change in relation to different causal factors (i.e., with regressions), demonstrating that, indeed, any independent variable or variables that make biological sense can be used to understand morphological change with GM
- The Ventian mammal age (Latest Miocene): present state(2020) Morales, Jorge; Peláez-Campomanes, Pablo; Abella, Juan; Montoya Bello, Plinio; Ruíz, Francisco J; Gibert, Lluís; Scott, Gary; Cantalapiedra, Juan L; Sanisidro, ÓscarThe Ventian land mammal age includes most of the Spanish faunas assigned to the biochronologic unit MN 13. It is correlatable with the Messinian, although it may include, in its latest part, early Pliocene faunas. We propose that the Ventian begins with the first occurrence of the Muridae genus Stephanomys (7 Ma, paleomagnetic dating from El Bunker, Teruel basin), well recorded in Teruel basin, and ends with the appearance of Promimomys (ca. 5 Ma), also registered in the Teruel basin. We suggest a new reorganization of the Ventian. The first subdivision corresponds to the zone M (Dam et al., 2001). The second, zone N, is proposed here for the first time, being equivalent to the zone with Celadensia (Mein et al., 1990; Dam et al., 2006) plus the part of the zone with two Paraethomys (Dam et al., 2006) in which Celadensia has disappeared and still does not register Promimomys. The Ventian is now accurately recognized with quite precise boundaries and divisions, so that it can be easily recognized in the Iberian continental basins with Mio-Pliocene sediments allowing refined intra- and inter-basin correlations
- Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous freshwater bivalves from Turiasaurus riodevensis bearing strata of Teruel (Spain)(2020) Delvene, Graciela; Munt, Martin; Royo-Torres, Rafael; Cobos, Alberto; Alcalá, LuisThree freshwater bivalve taxa are described from the Villar del Arzobispo Formation (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) of Riodeva, Teruel, Spain. The stratigraphic range of the large and geographically widely distributed bivalve Margaritifera, previously recorded from the Early Cretaceous of Spain and southern England, is recognised to extend back probably into the Late Jurassic. This new record extends the palaeogeographic and temporal distribution of the family Margaritiferidae in Europe
- Stenolaemate bryozoan fauna from the Mississippian of Guadiato Area, southwestern Spain(2020) Ernst, Andrej; Rodríguez, SergioStenolaemate bryozoan fauna from the Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) of southwestern Spain (Los Santos de Maimona Basin and Guadiato Area – Ossa Morena Zone) contains eight bryozoan species including three cystoporates, three trepostomes, and two cryptostomes. They range from Asbian (Upper Viséan) to Pendleian (Serpukhovian). This fauna displays distinct palaeobiogeographic relationships to the Mississippian of Europe, USA, Siberia, and Japan
- An Early Aptian coral fauna from the Prebetic (southern Spain)(2020) Löser, Hannes; Vilas, Lorenzo; Arias, Consuelo; Ruíz-Ortiz, Pedro A; Castro, José M; De Gea, Ginés AFrom the Lower Aptian of the Betic Cordillera a small hermatypic coral fauna is reported. The sampled outcrop is located in the Sierra de la Muela (Prebetic, South Spain). The studied corals come from a carbonate platform megasequence, deposited in the Southern Iberian Palaeomargin during the Early-Late Aptian transition. The coral fauna consists of 19 species in 13 genera belonging to the suborders Archeocaeniina, Faviina, Fungiina, Meandrinina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina. The coral fauna consists of typical and common species. It shows relationship of mainly Barremian to Early Albian faunas from the Western Tethys
- A database of Triassic conodonts from a comprehensive revision of literature(2020) Plasencia, Pablo; Márquez-Aliaga, Ana; Sha, JingengThe revision of a comprehensive amount of bibliography has made possible the development of a database containing the stratigraphic ranges of the conodont species from the uppermost Permian and the Triassic, with a total of 336 species in 52 genera. This database is aimed at biostratigraphy and studies related to biological, evolutional and palaeodiversity dynamics
- Palaeoecology and biochronology based on the rodents analysis from the Late Pleistocene/Holocene of Toll Cave (Moià, Barcelona)(2020) Fernández-García, Mónica; López-García, Juan ManuelIn this paper we present the chronological, environmental and climatic data obtained by analysing the remains of rodents collected from the water-screened sediments of Levels 2 and 3 of the Sector Entrada of Toll Cave (Moià, Barcelona), one of the caves belonging to the karstic system called the Coves del Toll. From these levels a total of 216 rodent remains have been recovered, corresponding to 10 rodent species. The biochronological results indicate a Late Pleistocene/Holocene chronology (<35 ka BP); Level 3 is Pleistocene (>13 ka BP), and Level 2 is probably Holocene (<13 ka BP). The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental data denote an open wet forest with lower temperatures and higher precipitation than nowadays for this region. Level 3 could be correlated with the Last Glacial Maximum (18 ka BP), while Level 2 may belong to the Preboreal period (11.5-9.5 ka BP). From a comparison of our results with the data obtained from other sites in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula with a similar chronology, we can infer two transitional phases for this period. Finally, a comparison with studies of Teixoneres Cave allows us to deduce the climatic and environmental evolution of the area around Toll Cave between the Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Palaeolithic/Neolithic. It can be asserted that Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans lived in similar climatic and environmental conditions
- New ideas on the systematics of Gliridae (Rodentia, Mammalia)(2020) Freudenthal, Matthijs; Martínez-Suárez, ElviraExtant members of the family Gliridae lack a caecum and are not capable of digesting hard (cellulose) plant material. We assume that they did have a caecum at some time in the past and consequently may have had a different diet. We think that during the period of their maximum diversity in the Early Miocene, about 16 My ago, they still possessed the caecum, which allowed for a much greater variety in diet, as may be reflected by the existence of hypsodont taxons, and that they lost it afterwards. It is, however, unlikely that the three recent subfamilies that existed in the Miocene, Glirinae, Myomiminae and Dryomyinae, lost the caecum independently; the alternative is that all modern glirids are derived from one single Middle Miocene species. If that is true the few occurrences of the recent genera in MN4 or older, should be transferred to other, eventually new, genera. This is consistent with the fact that the distributions of the extant genera before MN9 are discontinuous and that, except for Muscardinus, they are absent in MN6-MN8 (14-11 My ago)
- Mississippian-like rugose corals from a Bashkirian biostrome in the Tindouf Basin, S. Morocco(2020) Rodríguez, Sergio; Somerville, Ian D; Said, Ismael; Cózar, PedroA rich rugose coral assemblage has been recorded from a biostrome at the top of the Djebel Ouarkziz Fm. in the Tindouf Basin, S. Morocco. It is composed of 10 genera and 14 species, of which 5 are new: Dibunophyllum bipartitum, Arachnolasma sp., Palaeosmilia murchisoni, Palaeosmilia ressoti, Palastraea regia, Siphonodendron tindoufense sp. nov., Siphonodendron ouarkzizense sp. nov., Diphyphyllum maximum, Axophyllum moroccoense sp. nov., Gangamophyllum sp., Axoclisia sahariense sp. nov., Axoclisia cf. coronata, Actinocyathus sarytschevae and Actinocyathus mariae sp. nov. It represents essentially a Mississippian-type coral fauna but with some evolved species. However, its age, as determined by foraminifers, is early Bashkirian (Early Pennsylvanian). The presence of Mississippian-like corals in the Bashkirian indicates that the epicontinental basins in northern Gondwana (Saharan basins) were a refuge for coral faunas during the late Serpukhovian extinction event. The persistence of the Mississippian assemblages in the Bashkirian from northern Gondwana was probably due to a combination of warm waters and tectonic stability. The coral assemblage from the Tindouf biostrome is similar to those corals recorded from Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada and Novaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia where similar tropical warm water conditions have been identified during the Bashkirian in the northern hemisphere
- Diagnosis y nueva descripción de Propanochthus bullifer (Burmeister) (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae). Consideraciones bioestratigráficas y cronológicas de su procedencia(2020) Zamorano, MartínBurmeister reconoció la especie Panochthus bullifer basándose en restos procedentes de sedimentos neógenos de las sierras de Córdoba. El material tipo de esta especie procede del “Brocherense” de Castellanos. En esta contribución se presenta por primera vez la diagnosis formal de Propanochthus bullifer. Asimismo, se describe el material empleando una terminología más actualizada y apropiada, comparándolo con el de especies afines. El holotipo corresponde a un fragmento de la región posterodorsal de la coraza dorsal y al tubo caudal completo. La ornamentación de los osteodermos de la coraza tiene una gran figura central rodeada por varias hileras (hasta cinco) de figuritas periféricas. La figura central de la zona más anterior es plana y la de la zona posterior convexa, en algunos casos bastante abultada. En los osteodermos del margen posterior, la figura central se ubica caudalmente y está precedida por hasta siete hileras de figuritas. El tubo caudal es más grácil que en Panochthus; es deprimido y su extremo distal es notoriamente romo. Dorsalmente su ornamentación está constituida por figuras centrales planas rodeadas de una hilera de figuritas periféricas (excepcionalmente dos); lateralmente, posee cuatro grandes figuras subelípticas rugosas rodeadas por figuritas y separadas entre sí por dos figuras enfrentadas, menores, subelípticas y rugosas. A su vez, se señala la distribución estratigráfica y geográfica, Formación Brochero (Montehermosense-Chapadmalalense [Plioceno temprano-Plioceno tardío]) de las Sierras de Córdoba; también se discute y se aclara la cronológica
- Recension of Collins, M.E., Manchester, S.R. & Wilde, W. 2012(2020) Jiménez Moreno, GonzaloCollins, M.E., Manchester, S.R. & Wilde, W. 2012. Fossil fruits and seeds of the Middle Eocene Messel biota, Germany.Abhandlungen der Senckenberg Gessellschaft für Naturforschung, 570, 251 pp. ISBN 978-3-510-61400-4 This book presents a survey of the extensive fruit and seed collection found at the Middle Eocene Messel site. The first part of the book is dedicated to a few introductory chapters about the site, geologic setting, age control of the sedimentary sequence and taphonomy of the fossil remains. It is worth pointing out that unlike many lacustrine deposits in which fruits are preserved as impressions, most of the Messel plant macrofossils are preserved as remnants of the original plant material.
