Filling the gap: first evidence of early Tortonian continental deposits in southern Iberia

ABSTRACT

The oldest Miocene continental fauna in the Guadix-Baza depression from southern Spain is described in this paper. The small mammals remains from Cortijo de la Piedra fossil localities have a latest Vallesian (early Tortonian) age, and provide evidence of late Vallesian continental environments, which were unknown until now in southern Iberia. The age of the reported assemblage is previous to the establishment of the Guadix-Baza Basin sensu stricto. It represents the oldest Miocene continental mammalian fauna found thus far in southern Iberia, and proves the presence of connections with the foreland. The small mammals from Cortijo de la Piedra display a similar size and morphology as those recorded on the mainland, showing no particular traits that might be interpreted as insular features. These continental faunas suggest that the North-Betic Foreland Basin was at least partially closed at the end of the early Tortonian.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported by the projects CGL2010-21257-C02-01, CGL2009-7896, and CGL2011-27343, the program “Consolider Ingenio 2010” (CSD 2006-00041) of the Spanish “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad,” the project RMN 8011 of the Junta de Andalucía, the SGR-324 (Gencat), and the research groups RNM0190 and RMN309 of the “Junta de Andalucía.” A.G.-A. was also supported by a Juan de la Cierva contract of the Spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.” We thank I. M. Sánchez-Almazo (CEAMA, Granada, Spain) for taking the photographs and J. van Dam for providing essential literature. We are also indebted to P. Peláez-Campomanes, an anonymous reviewer, and the editor A. Goswami for their constructive comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

Handling editor: Anjali Goswami