A highly diversified small vertebrate assemblage from mis 5 in a mountain environment in central spain (cueva del camino, pinilla del valle, autonomous region of Madrid) [Un assemblage de petits vertébrés hautement diversifié de la fin du mis 5 dans un environnement montagnard au centre de l'espagne (cueva del camino, pinilla del valle, communauté autonome de Madrid)]

摘要

The High Valley of the Lozoya in Central Spain is presently one of the most diversified environments for small terrestrial vertebrates in the Iberian Peninsula, with 13 species of amphibians, 17 reptiles and 26 small mammals. Karstification of the Cretaceous limestones that crop out on either slopes of the Lozoya Valley has given place to the formation of caves, many of which preserve Upper Pleistocene and Holocene sediments with abundant fossils and human remains, currently under study. The first of these fossil localities to be discovered was the Cueva del Camino, presently a dismantled cave that preserves sediments dated between 91.6 ± 8.1 ka and 74.5 ± 6.3 ka, containing evidence of having been used as a den by hyenas. Besides large mammal fossils, probably introduced in the cave by hyenas, at least 49 species of small vertebrates (7 amphibians, 11 reptiles and 31 small mammals) are represented in this assemblage, indicating that at that time, the Lozoya Valley had a highly diversified community of small vertebrates, equally rich or even richer than today. The conditions favouring this high species richness are analysed.