RT Journal Article
T1 Rodents, rabbits and pellets in a fluvial terrace (PRERESA site, Madrid, Spain)
A1 García Morato, Sara
A1 Sevilla García, María Paloma
A1 Panera Gallego, Joaquín
A1 Rubio Jara, Susana
A1 Sesé, Carmen
A1 Fernández Jalvo, Sesé
AB The aim of this work is to study from a taphonomic view the small mammals assemblage located on the Pleistocene site known as PRERESA. The small mammal fossiliferous layer is a silt level located at a fluvial terrace. The samples studied included remains from rodents (Minimum Number of Elements: MNE=373) and lagomorphs (MNE=372). During the excavation seasons, a distinct high concentration of small mammals wasrecovered apart, named as fossil ‘pellet’. We consider this ‘fossil pellet’ to be an aggregation of several pellets andit has been taphonomically analyzed apart and included in this study. The presence of such concentrations/aggregations is uncommon in this type of open-air sites. This aggregation contains 253 MNE fossil bones. Thetaphonomic study has considered three main aspects: anatomical representation, fragmentation, and corrosionby digestion. Due to the location of the site on a fluvial system, transport effects and abrasion were analyzed aswell. The results obtained show a high representation of cranial elements (especially lagomorphs) as well as ahigh fragmentation of both cranial and postcranial elements. Digestion observed in this assemblage affects dentalremains below 30% in both rodents and lagomorphs, being light and moderate digestion the most frequent degrees, but all samples reach extreme grades of digestion (in molars < 3%). Transport was analyzed using Voorhies groups (1969). All groups were present, even the easiest to transport. Group III (cranial remains) was the best represented. The simultaneous presence of all Voorhies groups suggests a low or null rate of transport.Results could indicate that the small mammal assemblage of PRERESA were produced by a nocturnal raptor, most likely an Eagle owl (Bubo bubo), whose nest or roosting site was installed near the fluvial channel.
PB Elsevier
SN 1040-6182
YR 2018
FD 2018-04-11
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/12769
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/12769
LA spa
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)
NO Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico
DS Docta Complutense
RD 8 abr 2025