Collecurti bonebed
Basic information
Sample name: Collecurti bonebed
Reference: P. P. A. Mazza and D. Ventra. 2011. Pleistocene debris-flow deposition of the hippopotamus-bearing Collecurti bonebed (Macerata, Central Italy): Taphonomic and paleoenvironmental analysis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 310:296-314 [ER 3891]
Geography
Country: Italy
State: Macerata
Coordinate: 42.963333° N, 12.922222° E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Formation: Colfiorito basin
Time interval: Early Pleistocene
Unit number: 3
Unit order: above to below
Ma: 1.05
Age basis: paleomag
Geography comments: Located near Voltellina roughly 56 km SW of Macerata
"The multi-individual bonebed of Collecurti has been dated at around 1 Ma by biochronology and paleomagnetism"
"Paleomagnetic data (Coltorti et al., 1998) show that the fossiliferous bed occurs within the base of a 5 m stratigraphic interval attributed to the normal polarity Jaramillo subchron (C1r.In), and its age is therefore approximately 1.05 Ma"
"The multi-individual bonebed of Collecurti has been dated at around 1 Ma by biochronology and paleomagnetism"
"Paleomagnetic data (Coltorti et al., 1998) show that the fossiliferous bed occurs within the base of a 5 m stratigraphic interval attributed to the normal polarity Jaramillo subchron (C1r.In), and its age is therefore approximately 1.05 Ma"
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: fluvial deposit
Habitat comments: "An interval approximately 40 m thick, dominated by massive to horizontally bedded clay and silt, comprising peat layers and a few organic-rich and fossiliferous interbeds (including the Collecurti bonebed)."
The fossiliferous unit 3 is composed of sandy clay containing carbonate and chert clasts
Very sparse ("virtually absent") evidence of weathering at the site, as well as no evidence of carnivore ravaging or trampling.
"All taxa are unsorted"
The taphonomic evidence suggests the elephant/cervid remains and the hippopotamus remains originate from two different taphonomic histories and were mixed by a debris flow
The debris flow seems to have buried the hippopotamus carcasses while they were in an "advanced state of decomposition" while adding the bones from uphill (likely "fluvially reworked")
The hippopotamus remains lay long enough to be skeletonized and disarticulated without being exposed to weathering agents or scavengers. They were therefore likely decomposing in a "quiet waterbody"
The fossiliferous unit 3 is composed of sandy clay containing carbonate and chert clasts
Very sparse ("virtually absent") evidence of weathering at the site, as well as no evidence of carnivore ravaging or trampling.
"All taxa are unsorted"
The taphonomic evidence suggests the elephant/cervid remains and the hippopotamus remains originate from two different taphonomic histories and were mixed by a debris flow
The debris flow seems to have buried the hippopotamus carcasses while they were in an "advanced state of decomposition" while adding the bones from uphill (likely "fluvially reworked")
The hippopotamus remains lay long enough to be skeletonized and disarticulated without being exposed to weathering agents or scavengers. They were therefore likely decomposing in a "quiet waterbody"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,ungulates
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 441 specimens
Sampling comments: The excavation site is located at "shallow depth" below crop terrain
Specimen orientation was recorded in the field
Taxonomy, anatomy, quantification, relative amounts, age spectrum, body size, articulation, selection, and bone modification were all obtained after preparation
There were 496 specimens acquired from the side, of which 441 were identified anatomically and taxonomically, 2 were identified only anatomically, with 53 being unidentified
A total of 9 species and 8 genera were identified
Specimen orientation was recorded in the field
Taxonomy, anatomy, quantification, relative amounts, age spectrum, body size, articulation, selection, and bone modification were all obtained after preparation
There were 496 specimens acquired from the side, of which 441 were identified anatomically and taxonomically, 2 were identified only anatomically, with 53 being unidentified
A total of 9 species and 8 genera were identified
Metadata
Sample number: 4271
Contributor: Jack Nesbitt
Enterer: Jack Nesbitt
Created: 2023-05-17 15:07:18
Modified: 2023-05-17 05:07:18
Abundance distribution
9 species
3 singletons
total count 441
geometric series index: 16.1
Fisher's α: 1.601
geometric series k: 0.4726
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.1655
Shannon's H: 0.4506
Good's u: 0.9932
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| †Mammuthus meridionalis | 9 | |
| †Stephanorhinus cf. hundsheimensis | 3 | |
| †Hippopotamus antiquus | 402 | |
| †Dama aff. nestii | 12 | |
| "Pseudodama aff. nestii": see van der Made et al. (2023) | ||
| †Praemegaceros verticornis | 9 | |
| Leptobos sp. | 3 | |
| Ursus sp. | 1 | |
| †Canis arnensis | 1 | |
| †Canis (Xenocyon) falconeri | 1 | |