Paleontological site of Calle Faisán
Miocene microfauna in Fuenlabrada
Description of the deposit
The study area is located in the central-southern sector of the Madrid Basin, on Miocene materials. They are detrital sediments with a quartzofeldespathic composition (arches). These Miocene sediments occupy almost the entire surface of the present performance. They represent the sedimentation of mechanical origin on the edge of the Central System and constitute the so-called Madrid facies within the count of detrital facies that mark the edges of the Tagus basin. The levels do not offer lateral continuity, since they are spangled bodies in energetic sedimentary media like streams and diffuse beds.
The action carried out consisted in the execution of seven 10x2 meter soundings. No archaeological or paleontological evidence was identified in them, although favorable facies were found for the concentration and conservation of fossil microfauna, for which two samples of 500 kg of sediment were collected, which offered positive results.
Sediment sampling and processing has made it possible to identify around thirty teeth, of which 5 belong to lagomorphs of the family Ochotonidae, 1st insectivores of the family erinaceidae and 11 correspond to rodents of the family cricetidae. In addition, numerous incisors, several teeth, osteoderms and reptile vertebrae have been found, as well as a multitude of indeterminable bone chips.
The taxa identified are: Megacricetodon collongensis, Lagopsis sp., Galerix sp., Lacertidae indet. y Anguidae indet.
The association of Megacricetodon collongensis y lagopsis places this deposit in the Middle Aragonese, being correlatable with the deposits in the Dd-E biozone of the Madrid and Calatayud Daroca basin, which allows us to assign an absolute dating between 14,81-13,80 million years, time span comprising 1,01 million years.
Reason for excavation
The construction of an industrial warehouse in Calle Faisán numbers 6 and 8.