Micromammals of the Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene in the Jarama Valley: the sites of Valdocarros and HAT (Madrid, Spain)

We study the micromammals from the sites of Valdocarros and HAT, located in the lithostratigraphic unit of Arganda II and IV respectively, within the Arganda Complex Terrace, in the Jarama Valley (Madrid, Spain). The micromammal associations of these sites consist of the following taxa: in Valdocarros: Erinaceomorpha: Erinaceus europaeus; Soricomorpha: Crocidura aff. russula; Rodentia: Eliomys quercinus, Castor fiber, Apodemus sp., Cricetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus and Microtus brecciensis; and Lagomorpha: Oryctolagus cuniculus; and in HAT: Soricomorpha: Soricidae indet.; Rodentia: Eliomys quercinus, Apodemus sp., Arvicola aff. sapidus and Microtus cf. cabrerae; and Lagomorpha: cf. Oryctolagus sp. The micromammal assemblage of the Valdocarros site can be placed in the advanced Middle Pleistocene, but not in its end, because of the faunal association and the evolved state of Microtus brecciensis. However, in HAT, the presence of Microtus cf. cabrerae suggests that this site belongs to the Late Pleistocene. Both micromammal assemblages indicate a temperate climate and a well developed vegetation cover, consisting of some forest and also open areas, with shrub-like vegetation and also meadow and riverside vegetation.