Chronology for the Cueva Victoria fossil site (SE Spain): Evidence for Early Pleistocene Afro-Iberian dispersals.

摘要: Cueva Victoria has provided remains of more than 90 species fossil vertebrates, including a hominin phalanx, and the only specimens African cercopithecid Theropithecus oswaldi in Europe. To constrain age vertebrate we used paleomagnetism, biostratigraphy (230)Th/U dating. Normal polarity was identified non-fossiliferous lowest highest stratigraphic units (red clay capping flowstones) while reverse found intermediate unit (fossiliferous breccia). A lower change occurred during deposition decalcification clay, when cave closed karstification active. second flowstone formation, upper galleries were filled with breccia. The mammal association indicates post-Jaramillo age, which allows us to correlate this reversal Brunhes-Matuyama boundary (0.78 Ma). Consequently, (N-R) is interpreted as end Jaramillo magnetochron (0.99 Ma). These ages bracket fossiliferous breccia between 0.99 0.78 Ma, suggesting that formed wet Marine Isotopic Stage 19, includes boundary. Fossil have been situ ∼1 m below B/M boundary, place arrival at ∼0.9-0.85 Ma. fauna lived period important climatic change, known Early-Middle Pleistocene Climatic Transition. occurrence oldest European Acheulean tools contemporaneous nearby site Negra suggest an dispersal into SE Iberia through Strait Gibraltar MIS 22, sea-level ∼100 m its present position, allowing passage Europe of, least, Homo bearing technology.