Geological context and micromammal fauna characterisation from the karstic infilling of La Pedrera (Albaida, Valencia, E Spain)

Abstract

La Pedrera is a new palaeontological site located south of the province of Valencia, between the Betic and Iberian Ranges, in a cavity filled with sediments inside a tufa formation. Roughly 260 fossil remains, corresponding to 14 taxa, have been recovered and studied from Unit III. Six rodents (Microtus sp., M. sp. gr. M. (Terricola) duodecimcostatus-lusitanicus, Microtus sp. gr. M. brecciensis-cabrerae, Arvicola sapidus, Eliomys quercinus, and Apodemus sp. gr. sylvaticusfl avicollis), one lagomorph (Oryctolagus cf. cuniculus), three insectivores (Soricinae indet., Crocidura sp., and Talpa cf. europaea) and four bats (Myotis blythii, Rhinolophus cf. ferrumequinum, Myotis bechsteinii, and Rhinolophus euryale) have been identified. The relative chronology obtained by means of the identified species and geological information suggests that this part of the cavity was filled with sediments during the Late Pleistocene or the beginnings of the Holocene. Furthermore, Mutual Ecogeographic Range method and Habitat Weighting method show colder and wetter conditions than in Albaida (Valencia, Spain) nowadays