Presence of the Asian origin Bovini, Hemibos sp. aff. Hemibos gracilis and Bison sp., at the early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena (Orce, Spain)

The assemblages of large bovids from the European Late Villafranchian are dominated by the presence of the genus Bison, a descendant of the Early-Middle Villafranchian forms of Leptobos. Chronologically, the oldest record of this genus at the gates of Europe is at Dmanisi, Georgia (1.77 Ma), where it was firstly named Dmanisibos. It is recorded until the Holocene. It is the most abundant Quaternary buffalo of the continent and is nearly the only genus recorded in most post-Olduvai Early Pleistocene sites of Europe. The revision of all bone and tooth remains of large bovids from the site of Venta Micena (∼1.5 Ma) shows that two species of buffaloes are present at this Early Pleistocene locality. One is clearly a form of Bison, while the other corresponds to other different Bovini of small size that may be ascribed to the genus of Indian origin Hemibos, thus representing the first record of this genus in the Late Villafranchian of Europe. This paper presents the cranial material of both buffaloes.