La fauna de mam\'iferos f\'osiles del dep\'osito paleontol\'ogico "El Abr\'on" (nivel ix), Pinar del R\'io, Cuba

TL;DR

This study analyzes the fossilized mammal remains from a Cuban deposit, identifying species, their ecological context, and taphonomic processes to enhance understanding of extinct fauna and their historical distribution.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed taxonomic and taphonomic analysis of the mammal fossils from Level IX at 'El Abrón', including the discovery of new species and insights into paleoecology.

Findings

Identified 14 species of mammals, mainly bats, in the deposit.

Reconstructed paleoecological conditions of the extinct fauna.

Contributed to knowledge of species distribution in Cuba.

Abstract

"El Abr\'on" is a fossil deposit located in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and whose age is only reference level VII (17 406 years BP), it is classified as the largest collection of fossils accumulated for our archipelago, produced by trophic action of barn owls for thousands of years. The aim of this study was to determine the living taxonomic composition of the fauna of extinct mammals, and throughout the paleontological study of the deeper level of said tank (Level IX). The extracted material which it is currently stored in the warehouse of paleontological collections of the National Museum of Natural History in Havana, Cuba (MNHNCu) was analyzed. We proceeded to clean the bones, to classify and to identify them from the species and also the taphonomic analysis of the condition of the remains. It was found that the mammal fauna of the paleontological deposit under study is composed essentially of 3 orders, 7 families and 14 species. The most significative order is Chiroptera (bat fauna), represented by 4 families, 9 genus and 9 species of the total which were identified. There were reported four species of bats Erophylla sezecorni, Monophyllus redmani, Pteronotus parnelli and Tadarida brasiliensis in the location. The results are the basis of the future paleoecological studies in order to reconstruct the natural history of these species. Moreover, the discovery of new species in this area is a contribution to the knowledge about the distribution of these species in the Cuban archipelago and the age of them. Finally, the taphonomic analysis of the conservation status of these remains permitted the understanding of the processes that gave rise to the tank and its characteristics, and also it contribute to an adequate estimation of the species present in it and the relationship between spatiotemporal with the fossil.