Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides
Background and scope: The late Villafranchian large mammal age (~2.0–1.2 Ma) of the Early Pleistocene is a crucial interval of time for mammal/hominin migrations and faunal turnovers in western Eurasia. However, an accurate chronological framework for the Balkans and adjacent territories is still mi...
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doaj-7260efa9434d41f2bc0468d60566e39e2021-01-09T00:01:13ZengMDPI AGQuaternary2571-550X2021-01-0141110.3390/quat4010001Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic RadionuclidesGeorge E. Konidaris0Dimitris S. Kostopoulos1Matteo Maron2Mirjam Schaller3Todd A. Ehlers4Elina Aidona5Mattia Marini6Vangelis Tourloukis7Giovanni Muttoni8George D. Koufos9Katerina Harvati10Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, GermanyLaboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceDipartimento di Scienze della Terra “Ardito Desio”, University of Milan, via Mangiagalli 34, I-20133 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstr. 94–96, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstr. 94–96, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Geophysics, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceDipartimento di Scienze della Terra “Ardito Desio”, University of Milan, via Mangiagalli 34, I-20133 Milan, ItalyPalaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, GermanyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra “Ardito Desio”, University of Milan, via Mangiagalli 34, I-20133 Milan, ItalyLaboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreecePalaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, GermanyBackground and scope: The late Villafranchian large mammal age (~2.0–1.2 Ma) of the Early Pleistocene is a crucial interval of time for mammal/hominin migrations and faunal turnovers in western Eurasia. However, an accurate chronological framework for the Balkans and adjacent territories is still missing, preventing pan-European biogeographic correlations and schemes. In this article, we report the first detailed chronological scheme for the late Villafranchian of southeastern Europe through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary dating approach (biochronology, magnetostratigraphy, and cosmogenic radionuclides) of the recently discovered Lower Pleistocene vertebrate site Tsiotra Vryssi (TSR) in the Mygdonia Basin, Greece. Results: The minimum burial ages (1.88 ± 0.16 Ma, 2.10 ± 0.18 Ma, and 1.98 ± 0.18 Ma) provided by the method of cosmogenic radionuclides indicate that the normal magnetic polarity identified below the fossiliferous layer correlates to the Olduvai subchron (1.95–1.78 Ma; C2n). Therefore, an age younger than 1.78 Ma is indicated for the fossiliferous layer, which was deposited during reverse polarity chron C1r. These results are in agreement with the biochronological data, which further point to an upper age limit at ~1.5 Ma. Overall, an age between 1.78 and ~1.5 Ma (i.e., within the first part of the late Villafranchian) is proposed for the TSR fauna. Conclusions: Our results not only provide age constraints for the local mammal faunal succession, thus allowing for a better understanding of faunal changes within the same sedimentary basin, but also contribute to improving correlations on a broader scale, leading to more accurate biogeographic, palaeoecological, and taphonomic interpretations.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/4/1/1VillafranchianPleistoceneBalkanssoutheastern Europemammalsbiochronology |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
George E. Konidaris Dimitris S. Kostopoulos Matteo Maron Mirjam Schaller Todd A. Ehlers Elina Aidona Mattia Marini Vangelis Tourloukis Giovanni Muttoni George D. Koufos Katerina Harvati |
spellingShingle |
George E. Konidaris Dimitris S. Kostopoulos Matteo Maron Mirjam Schaller Todd A. Ehlers Elina Aidona Mattia Marini Vangelis Tourloukis Giovanni Muttoni George D. Koufos Katerina Harvati Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides Quaternary Villafranchian Pleistocene Balkans southeastern Europe mammals biochronology |
author_facet |
George E. Konidaris Dimitris S. Kostopoulos Matteo Maron Mirjam Schaller Todd A. Ehlers Elina Aidona Mattia Marini Vangelis Tourloukis Giovanni Muttoni George D. Koufos Katerina Harvati |
author_sort |
George E. Konidaris |
title |
Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides |
title_short |
Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides |
title_full |
Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides |
title_fullStr |
Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides |
title_full_unstemmed |
Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides |
title_sort |
dating of the lower pleistocene vertebrate site of tsiotra vryssi (mygdonia basin, greece): biochronology, magnetostratigraphy, and cosmogenic radionuclides |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Quaternary |
issn |
2571-550X |
publishDate |
2021-01-01 |
description |
Background and scope: The late Villafranchian large mammal age (~2.0–1.2 Ma) of the Early Pleistocene is a crucial interval of time for mammal/hominin migrations and faunal turnovers in western Eurasia. However, an accurate chronological framework for the Balkans and adjacent territories is still missing, preventing pan-European biogeographic correlations and schemes. In this article, we report the first detailed chronological scheme for the late Villafranchian of southeastern Europe through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary dating approach (biochronology, magnetostratigraphy, and cosmogenic radionuclides) of the recently discovered Lower Pleistocene vertebrate site Tsiotra Vryssi (TSR) in the Mygdonia Basin, Greece. Results: The minimum burial ages (1.88 ± 0.16 Ma, 2.10 ± 0.18 Ma, and 1.98 ± 0.18 Ma) provided by the method of cosmogenic radionuclides indicate that the normal magnetic polarity identified below the fossiliferous layer correlates to the Olduvai subchron (1.95–1.78 Ma; C2n). Therefore, an age younger than 1.78 Ma is indicated for the fossiliferous layer, which was deposited during reverse polarity chron C1r. These results are in agreement with the biochronological data, which further point to an upper age limit at ~1.5 Ma. Overall, an age between 1.78 and ~1.5 Ma (i.e., within the first part of the late Villafranchian) is proposed for the TSR fauna. Conclusions: Our results not only provide age constraints for the local mammal faunal succession, thus allowing for a better understanding of faunal changes within the same sedimentary basin, but also contribute to improving correlations on a broader scale, leading to more accurate biogeographic, palaeoecological, and taphonomic interpretations. |
topic |
Villafranchian Pleistocene Balkans southeastern Europe mammals biochronology |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/4/1/1 |
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