Biochronology of the Senèze Faunal Assemblage

Our fieldwork at Senèze from 2000–2006 was designed to place the fauna from this important site in a precise stratigraphic and geochronologic framework, as well as to seek new elements of known taxa and possibly additional taxa. The analyses reported in this volume led to the recognition of six new taxa: Dinofelis sp., Canis sp., cf. Hemitragus, two indeterminate bovids and an indeterminate hyaenid; Ovis claudiusguerini n. sp. was newly named for a specimen previously indicated as Ovis sp. Hystrix refossa and Hyaenidae indet. (both recovered in our excavations) are new taxa for the site, as is Bison (Eobison) sp., a specimen of which was collected by A. Consigny on the surface and presented to the team. Senèze is the type-locality for 13 mammalian taxa: three genera, seven species and three subspecies. Fifty-eight vertebrates have now been recorded for the site: 39 mammals (one lagomorph, four rodents, 12 carnivores, two primates, 16 cetartiodactyls, three perissodactyls and one proboscidean), 17 birds and two fishes; three additional rare equids, if accepted, would raise the number of vertebrates to 61 and of mammals to 42. The major mammalian and avian taxa in the assemblage are reviewed, especially in terms of their chronological implications. The faunal list is compared to those from other sites in the Massif Central and the nearby Saint-Vallier, resulting in Senèze being distinguished from all others as representing the MNQ 18 biochronological unit, for which it is considered to be a reference locality. The definition of that unit is discussed and clarified. Further comparison was made with selected MNQ 17–18 localities from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. The Senèze fauna (other than Bison and perhaps some rare equids) is relatively homogeneous, with no evidence for a second assemblage as suggested by some previous authors. Its base age of ca. 2.20 Ma suggests this date for the beginning of MNQ 18, but the age of the end of this unit is still under discussion.