Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain)
This paper reports the occurrence of an incomplete fossil baleen whale skeleton in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Guadalquivir basin) near the town of Bonares, southwestern Spain. The skeleton was found in the highly bioturbated glauconitic sandstone unit in association with Neopycnodont...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Geociències Barcelona (Geo3BCN), Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
2009-10-01
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| Series: | Geologica Acta |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/2072 |
| _version_ | 1797654619131740160 |
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| author | R. ESPERANTE F. MUÑIZ GUINEA K.E. NICK |
| author_facet | R. ESPERANTE F. MUÑIZ GUINEA K.E. NICK |
| author_sort | R. ESPERANTE |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reports the occurrence of an incomplete fossil baleen whale skeleton in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Guadalquivir basin) near the town of Bonares, southwestern Spain. The skeleton was found in the highly bioturbated glauconitic sandstone unit in association with Neopycnodonte cochlear shells. Several morphological features of the mandibles, scapula and vertebrae suggest that the specimen belongs in the suborden Mysticeti, family Balaenopteridae. Most bones show abrasion due to a long exposure on the seafloor, and some bones show shark tooth marks and both micro- and macro-bioerosion by scavengers. The position of the bones suggests that the carcass landed on the seafloor on its left side and then turned right side up. Sedimentological and paleontological features indicate that the whale was buried in shallow platform waters under low sedimentation rates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:02:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e281b7510534d8eb7aa621dbf696537 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1696-5728 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:02:08Z |
| publishDate | 2009-10-01 |
| publisher | Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Geociències Barcelona (Geo3BCN), Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geologica Acta |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e281b7510534d8eb7aa621dbf6965372023-10-20T07:16:11ZengUniversitat de Barcelona (UB), Geociències Barcelona (Geo3BCN), Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)Geologica Acta1696-57282009-10-0174Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain)R. ESPERANTE0F. MUÑIZ GUINEA1K.E. NICK2Geoscience Research InstituteLoma Linda, 92350 California, USA.Grupo de Investigación RNM 316 “Tectónica y Paleontología”, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Campus del Carmen, Universidad de HuelvaAvda. Tres de Marzo, s/n, 21071 Huelva, Spain.Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University Loma Linda, 92350 California, USA.This paper reports the occurrence of an incomplete fossil baleen whale skeleton in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Guadalquivir basin) near the town of Bonares, southwestern Spain. The skeleton was found in the highly bioturbated glauconitic sandstone unit in association with Neopycnodonte cochlear shells. Several morphological features of the mandibles, scapula and vertebrae suggest that the specimen belongs in the suborden Mysticeti, family Balaenopteridae. Most bones show abrasion due to a long exposure on the seafloor, and some bones show shark tooth marks and both micro- and macro-bioerosion by scavengers. The position of the bones suggests that the carcass landed on the seafloor on its left side and then turned right side up. Sedimentological and paleontological features indicate that the whale was buried in shallow platform waters under low sedimentation rates.https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/2072Baleen whaleMysticetiNeogeneGuadalquivir basin |
| spellingShingle | R. ESPERANTE F. MUÑIZ GUINEA K.E. NICK Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain) Geologica Acta Baleen whale Mysticeti Neogene Guadalquivir basin |
| title | Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain) |
| title_full | Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain) |
| title_fullStr | Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain) |
| title_short | Taphonomy of a Mysticeti whale in the Lower Pliocene Huelva Sands Formation (Southern Spain) |
| title_sort | taphonomy of a mysticeti whale in the lower pliocene huelva sands formation southern spain |
| topic | Baleen whale Mysticeti Neogene Guadalquivir basin |
| url | https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/2072 |
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