Biostratigraphic succession of the Early and Middle Pleistocene mammal faunas of the Atapuerca cave sites (Burgos, Spain)

The Atapuerca cave localities (Gran Dolina - TD, Trinchera Galeria - TG, Trinchera Elefante - TE, Sima de los Huesos - SH) represent one of the best records of the European Pleistocene fauna. The sites are located in long and stratigraphically well-documented sections, ranging from the Early to the Middle Pleistocene. They yielded an impressive amount of fossils but also of lithic industries, which provide an insight into Man's earliest records and activities in Western Europe (cannibalism, earliest burial, food processing). The stratigraphic distribution of the Atapuerca mammals reveals 6 different local faunal assemblages, which are here designated the Atapuerca faunal units (ATA FU), defined by the co-occurrence of particular mammalian taxa. Moreover, the Sierra de Atapuerca sites are well known for their Early to Middle Pleistocene hominid-bearing localities. Level 6 of the Gran Dolina site has yielded the oldest fossil hominid in Western Europe, Homo antecessor, dated palaeomagnetically, radiometrically as well as biostratigraphically to around 800 ka B.P. This level TD6 characterizes the ATA FU 4. The Sierra de Atapuerca also yields the best collection of Middle Pleistocene fossil hominid remains, designated Homo heidelbergensis, from Sima de los Huesos and Trinchera Galeria. The Sima de los Huesos has an age of 530 ka B.P. SH and TG are referred to ATA FU 6. Numerous fossils from other Atapuerca sites are excellently preserved. Large carnivores and herbivores, small mammals, as well as birds, lizards, fishes, and frogs are found in almost every level. To date, a total of 103 taxa belonging to 9 orders, 27 families and 61 genera are recorded from the Atapuerca cave localities.