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PALAEOBIOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC STUDY OF THE FOSSIL REMAINS OF THE BAIO CAVE (GIPUZKOA, BASQUE COUNTRY)
M. Rodríguez-Almagro1*, M. Arriolabengoa2, M. Villalba3, D. Arceredillo4, J.
Galán2,5, M. Fernández-García6, A. Pablos7,1,3; J. J. Esteban2; J. Van der Made8, J. L. Arsuaga3,9, N. Sala1,3, and A. Gómez-Olivencia2,3,10
1Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana-CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
2Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología. Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
3Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
4Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Isabel I, Burgos, Spain
5Grupo Aragosaurus-IUCA, Departamento de Ciencias de La Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
6Grupo de I+D+i EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria). Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
7Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología,Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
8Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Paleobiología, Madrid, Spain
9Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
10Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
Keywords
Pleistocene, Rangifer tarandus, Iberian Peninsula, taphonomy
In this work, we present the paleontological remains retrieved on the surface of the Baio Cave (Zestoa, Gipuzkoa) and its paleobiological and taphonomic study. The bone assemblage was recovered mostly by the Antxieta Arkeologi Taldea group in 1990. The faunal assemblage is made up of a wide variety of mammal species, being the most abundant large bovids and cervids. The presence of fauna adapted to cold and/or mountain environments was reported, such as Rangifer tarandus (which yielded a direct radiocarbon dating of 38370 ± 430 BP; 42765 - 42067 cal BP), Marmota marmota, Rupicapra pyrenaica and Capra pyrenaica. A rhinoceros and different carnivore taxa are also represented: Ursus arctos, Crocuta spelaea, Canis lupus, Felis silvestris, being Vulpes vulpes the most abundant among the carnivores with 5 individuals represented. The bone surfaces in the assemblage are well preserved, with complete circumferences in most diaphyses. The breakage pattern in long bones is characterized by transverse outlines, oblique angles, and jagged edges. Carnivore activity is present on 24,4% of the fossils, while anthropic activity is minimal (0,9%). The most common taphonomic alterations are related to endokarstic environments, such as manganese oxide staining, carbonate crusts, and cave corrosion holes. Weathering evidence is absent and trampling is rare. Our working hypothesis points towards carnivores as the main accumulation agent, with a scarce human contribution.
However, the cave acting as a natural trap for certain taxa (e.g.
rhinoceros) cannot be discarded. Additional geochronological data is necessary to understand the temporal framework of the accumulation.
THEMATIC SESSION:PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY 4th Virtual Palaeontological Congress | May 8th–22nd, 2023
