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The fauna of small mammals (Insectivora, Chiroptera, Rodentia and Lagomorpha) from two karstic sites: Pontón de la Oliva and Cueva de las Pinturas, located very close to each other in the North of the Province of Madrid, near Torrelaguna, is here described. The fauna here recognized from Pontón de la Oliva is composed of the following micromammals: Insectivora: Crocidura cf. russula; Chiroptera: Myotis cf. myotis, Plecotus cf. auritus, Rhinolophus cf. mehelyi; Rodentia: Microtus cf. group arvalis-agrestis, Microtus cf. brecciensis, Apodemus sp., Hystrix cf. major; Lagomorpha: Oryctolagus sp. These micromammals appeared in the same level as did the remains of the following macromammals: cf. Hyaena brevirostris, Dicerorhinus sp., Equus sp. cf. stenonis (small size), Hippopotamus sp., Cervidae indet., Bovini indet. (Bos/Bison).This macromammal association would be dated from the late Lower Pleistocene to the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene after Cabra et al. (1983), or would be from the late Lower Pleistocene after Aguirre (1989). The micromammals of this site do no contradict these facts but neither do they indicate a more biostratigraphical accuracy. From a paleoclimatic point of view, the presence of porcupine, Hystrix, a rodent that corresponds to a warm dry climate, indicates a relatively warm phase. Moreover, the presence in this fauna of Rhinolophus mehelyi, a Chiroptera which has a Mediterranean distribution, also indicates a relatively warm climate. The fauna identified in Cueva de las Pinturas is composed of the following micromammals: Chiroptera: Chiroptera indet.; Rodentia: Eliomys quercinus quercinus, Cricetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Pliomys cf. lenki, Arvicola sp., Microtus cf. group arvalis-agrestis, Microtus brecciensis, Microtus (Terricola) group duodecimcostatus, Apodemus cf. flavicollis; Lagomorpha: Leporidae gen. sp. indet. This faunal association is similar to that of the localities TD 11, TN and TG of Atapuerca, Cueva del Agua, Pinilla del Valle and Cueva Hora of the late Middle Pleistocene. The size of the population from Cueva de las Pinturas of M. brecciensis (characteristic taxa of the Middle Pleistocene) is relatively large, comparable to that of the species populations of the late Middle Pleistocene. Because of this, the fauna from Cueva de las Pinturas probably corresponds to the late Middle Pleistocene. With regard to the kind of environment that indicates this fauna, several biotopes are represented: Most of the rodents generally suggest an open country that may vary between the steppe (Allocricetus bursae) and more or less moist grasslands (M. brecciensis, M. (Terricola) duodecimcostatus, M. arvalis-agrestis). Eliomys quercinus, however, lives in the woods. The landscape, therefore, would be mainly open country, with dry and steppe areas, other areas of more or less wet grasslands, but also includes some wooded areas. The Cueva de las Pinturas fauna is characteristic of a relatively temperate climate with Mediterranean, Atlantic and Continental influences which would be somewhat similar to the present climate of central Spain. |
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