An updated biostratigraphy for the late Aragonian and Vallesian of the Valles-Penedes Basin

The Valles-Penedes Basin (Catalonia, Spain) is a classical area for the study of the Miocene land mammal faunas and includes one of the densest and most continuous records in Eurasia. Furthermore, it is the type area for the Vallesian European land mammal age. After decades of study a huge amount of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta geologica hispanica 2016-09, Vol.14 (3), p.195
Main Authors: Casanovas-Vilar, I, Garces, M, Van Dam, J, Garcia-Paredes, I, Robles, J.M, Alba, D.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Basins (Geology)
Bioestratigrafia
Biostratigraphy
Boundaries
Catalonia
Catalunya
Iberian Peninsula
Magnetostratigraphy
Mammals
Miocene
Miocè
Paleontology, Stratigraphic
Rodents
Stratigraphic paleontology
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Summary:The Valles-Penedes Basin (Catalonia, Spain) is a classical area for the study of the Miocene land mammal faunas and includes one of the densest and most continuous records in Eurasia. Furthermore, it is the type area for the Vallesian European land mammal age. After decades of study a huge amount of bio- and magnetostratigraphic data have been collected, allowing an unprecedented dating accuracy. Here we provide an updated local biostratigraphy for the late Aragonian, Vallesian and Turolian of the Valles-Penedes Basin. This new biostratigraphic scheme is almost exclusively based on fossil rodents, which are the most abundant and one of the best known mammal orders in the area. Our proposal represents a significant refinement compared to previous attempts and provides a formal diagnosis and description of each zone, as well as clear definition of boundaries and a reference locality and section. The chronology of zone boundaries and main bioevents is based on detailed magnetostratigraphic data. The defined biozones allow for the correlation of the sites without associated magnetostratigraphical data. Finally, the correlation of the Valles-Penedes local zones with other detailed local biostratigraphies, such as those of the Calatayud-Montalban and Teruel basins (east-central Spain) is discussed. The sequence and chronology of the main bioevents is roughly comparable, although the rodent succession and the structure of the assemblage show important differences between these areas. KEYWORDS Miocene. Biostratigraphy. Magnetostratigraphy. Rodents. Iberian Peninsula.
ISSN:1695-6133
0567-7505
1696-5728
DOI:10.1344/GeologicaActa2016.14.3.1