The Cova des Pas de Vallgornera (Llucmajor, Mallorca): a singular deposit bearing an exceptional well preserved Early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna

Authors

Pere Bover, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Illes Balears, SpainFollow
Alex Valenzuela, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Illes Balears, SpainFollow
Carmen Guerra, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Illes Balears, SpainFollow
Juan Rofes, Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco, Leioa, SpainFollow
Josep A. Alcover, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Illes Balears, SpainFollow
Joaquin Gines, Federació Balear d'Espeleologia, SpainFollow
Joan J. Fornos, Universitat de les Illes Balears, SpainFollow
Gloria Cuenca-Bescós, Grupo Aragosaurus-IUCA, Área de Paleontología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, SpainFollow
Antoni Merino, Grup Espeleològic de Llubí, Illes Balears, SpainFollow

Abstract

The Cova des Pas de Vallgornera is the longest cave of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean) and one of the 30 longest caves in the world. The exploration of one of the galleries allowed the discovery of a fossiliferous deposit of vertebrate remains in a remarkable preservation state. The fossil faunal complex found in this gallery is composed of up to 5 mammalian species (Myotragus aff. kopperi, Hypnomys onicensis, Nesiotites aff. ponsi, Rhinolophus aff. mehelyi and Pipistrellus sp.), at least 14 bird species (among them two Mallorcan endemic taxa: Pica mourerae and Athene vallgornerensis), one reptile (Podarcis aff. lilfordi) and one amphibian (Discoglossus sp.). This faunal composition is similar to the one recorded in the Pedrera de s’Ònix, a well known deposit from the Early Pleistocene of Mallorca, and shared morphological characteristics between taxa of both deposits suggest that the chronology of the Cova des Pas de Vallgornera should be considered Early Pleistocene as well. Both taxonomical analysis and chronology of this fauna furnished information on some speleological aspects of the cave.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.43.2.6

Recommended Citation

Bover, Pere; Alex Valenzuela; Carmen Guerra; Juan Rofes; Josep A. Alcover; Joaquin Gines; Joan J. Fornos; Gloria Cuenca-Bescós; and Antoni Merino. 2014. The Cova des Pas de Vallgornera (Llucmajor, Mallorca): a singular deposit bearing an exceptional well preserved Early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna. International Journal of Speleology, 43: 175-192.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol43/iss2/6