Early Pleistocene (Epivillafranchian) vertebrates from Portugal: An updated review

Abstract

The Epivillafranchian (1.2 to 0.8 Ma) fossil vertebrate assemblages of Portugal are extremely poorly known compared with to those from the eastern half of Iberia. We review material from one of the two localities of this age previously known in Portugal, Algoz, and present a new microvertebrate locality, Santa Margarida. Both localities are situated in Algarve (South Portugal). The fauna of Algoz includes Hippopotamus antiquus, Eucladoceros sp., Metacervocerus rhenanus and an indeterminate leporid. There are remains of at least two individuals of each deer species from Algoz, although most of the remains are from the same juvenile individual of Eucladoceros sp., about 6 months old. The age of Algoz is determined to be ∼1.2 Ma given the combination of species and their biometrical and morphological characters. Santa Margarida has at least ten species of microvertebrates: Lacertidae indet., Crocidura sp., Sorex sp., Oryctolagus cf. cuniculus, Eliomys cf. quercinus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus, Allocricetus bursae, Victoriamys chalinei, Iberomys huescarensis, and Iberomys brecciensis. This is the first occurrence of Victoriamys chalinei and Iberomys huescarensis –two vole species typical from the Early Pleistocene – in Portugal. Santa Margarida is younger than Algoz, ranging between ∼0.9 and ∼0.6 Ma, which means that the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition could be represented by this locality.