Early to Middle Pleistocene rodent biostratigraphy of the Guadix-Baza Basin (SE Spain)

In this paper, a biozonation of the Pleistocene continental record of the Guadix-Baza Basin is proposed. This biozonation is based on the small mammal succession, which ranges from the earliest Pleistocene (ca. 2.6 Ma) to the Middle Pleistocene (ca. 0.3 Ma). A total of 9 biozones have been recognized, all based on the range or concurrent-range of arvicolid species. Therefore, seven biozones have been defined for the Early Pleistocene: Kislangia gusii Zone, Mimomys cf. reidi Zone, Mimomys (Tcharinomy)s oswaldoreigi Zone, Allophaiomys ruffoi Zone, Allophaiomys aff. lavocati Zone, Iberomys huescarensis Zone and Terricola arvalidens Zone. In the Middle Pleistocene of the basin two biozones have been recognized: Iberomys brecciensis–Arvicola mosbachensis Zone and Iberomys brecciensis-Arvicola aff. sapidus Zone. According to different dating methods, the duration of each Early Pleistocene biozone ranges between 0.4 and 0.1 My, with increasing resolution from the Earliest Pleistocene to the late Early Pleistocene. The small mammal succession reveals a high degree of endemism and a persistent Eastern Mediterranean influence, as opposed to Central and Eastern Europe. However, correlation with other Iberian and European sites has been possible on the basis of each biozone associated fauna.