PRELIMINARY TAPHONOMIC STUDY OF THE CARNIVORAN-DOMINATED ASSEMBLAGE OF BATALLONES-3 (LATE MIOCENE, MADRID BASIN, SPAIN)

Abstract

Batallones-3 is one of the nine late Miocene mammalian sites found in the Batallones butte (Madrid basin, central Spain). Alongside Batallones-1, Batallones-3 contains an unusually large concentration of carnivoran remains: Batallones-1 hosting 98.39% of carnivoran remains whereas Batallones-3 99.58%. Carnivore-rich fossil sites are highly uncommon in the fossil record so their taphonomic study can provide valuable insights about the causes of formation of such concentrations. A total of 19,187 large-mammal remains have been retrieved, belonging to at least 15 different species. The most abundant taxa are the saber-toothed cats Machairodus aphanistus (35.92%) and Promegantereon ogygia (28.81%) and the ursid Indarctos arctoides (19.64%). Other taxa found at the site include the hyaenid Protictitherium crassum, the amphicyonids Magericyon anceps and Thaumastocyon sp., the mustelids Eomellivora piveteaui, aff. Adroverictis ginsburgi and aff. Circamustela decheseauxi and the mephitid Promephitis nov. sp.. Remains are found in marl deposited inside a domically-shaped pseudokarstic cave, with an inferred opening in the center. Two preferential orientations of the remains are observed: outwards from the center of the cave and with a northwestern trend. However, remains appear to have suffered little to no transport, since for each species the number of density clusters correlates to the MNI.