SUMARIO

A. GUERRA MERCHÁN, J.A. MARTÍN RRANO.

El Mioceno superior de la Depresiór

MUESTRA Código ___ .:;¿_J.o .. ~ .. D.o.o6 ...... . Año ...... ..... . .. .A. .j~8. ....... ... ·· ·········

en el sector de Caniles. Implicaciones paleogeográ-ficas ........................................ ;............... .................... 5

F. SERRANO. Sobre la edad del comienzo de la actividad magmáti-ca en Sierra de Gata (Aimería, España) ... ... .............. 17

S. CALZADA. Una nueva especie de Monticlarella (Brachiopoda) del Cretácico alicantino .................................................... 25

C. SANZ DE GALDEANO. The evolution, importance and significance of the Neogene fault system within the Betic-Rifean Domain . 33

M. IÑESTA. Braquiópodos liásicos del Cerro de la Cruz (La Roma-na, Prov. Alicante, España) .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . 45

MARÍA TERESA ALBERDI Y FRANCESCO PAOLO BONA­DONNA.

ls the «Ventian» a :eal stratigraphic stage? ....... ..... : . 65 MANUEL POZO RODRIGUEZ Y ANGEL MORENO GUTIE­RREZ.

Estudio mineralógico de materiales detríticos del ter-ciario de La Unión (Murcia) ..................................... .. 79

M. GUTIÉRREZ ELORZA Y A. ESTÉVEZ. Depósitos periglaciales en la vertiente septentrional de la Sierra de Lújar. Implicaciones Neotectónicas . 95

MARÍA TERESA ALBERDI Y PLINIO MONTOYA. Hípparíon medíterraneum Roth & Wagner, 1855. (Pe­rissodactyla, Mammalia7 del yacimiento de Turoliense inferior de Crevillente (Alicante, España) .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1 07

MED/TERRANEA SERIE DE ESTUDIOS GEOLÓGICOS

Número 7 1988

SUMARIO

A. GUERRA MERCHÁN, J.A. MARTÍN PÉREZ Y F. SE­RRANO.

El Mioceno superior de la Depresión de Guadix-Baza en el sector de Caniles. Implicaciones paleogeográ-

Página

ficas ............................................................................ 5 F. SERRANO.

Sobre la edad del comienzo de la actividad magmáti-ca en Sierra de Gata (Aimería, España) . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . 17

S. CALZADA. Una nueva especie de Monticlarella (Brachiopoda) del Cretácico alicantino .................................................... 25

C. SANZ DE GALDEANO. The evolution, importance and significance of the Neogene fault system within the Betic-Rifean Domain . 33

M. IÑESTA. Braquiópodos liásicos del Cerro de la Cruz (La Roma-na, Prov. Alicante, España) ........................................ 45

MARÍA TERESA ALBERDI Y FRANCESCO PAOLO BONA­DONNA.

ls the «Ventian» a :eal stratigraphic stage? ············:· 65 MANUEL POZO RODRIGUEZ Y ANGEL MORENO GUTIE­RREZ.

Estudio mineralógico de materiales detríticos del ter-ciario de La Unión (Murcia) ..... -.................................. 79

M. GUTIÉRREZ ELORZA Y A. ESTÉVEZ. Depósitos periglaciales en la vertiente septentrional de la Sierra de Lújar. Implicaciones Neotectónicas . 95

MARÍA TERESA ALBERDI Y PLINIO MONTOYA. Hipparion mediterraneum Roth & Wagner, 1855. (Pe­rissodactyla, Mammalia7 del yacimiento de Turoliense inferior de Crevillente (Alicante, España) ................... 107

DEPARTAMENTO DE GEOLOGÍA- FACUL TAO DE CIENCIAS

UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE

SERIE DE ESTUDIOS GEOLÓGICOS

Mediterránea Ser. Geol.

1988

ANEJO DE LOS ANALES DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE

Redacción: A. ESTÉVEZ, C. AURNHEIMER y J.A. PINA

Secretario: J.M. SORIA

EDITA: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Alicante

I.S.S.N.: n. 0 0210-5004

Depósito Legal: A-927-1983

Composición e Impresión:

Gráficas ESTILO, S. C.

General Elizaicin, 11 - Tel. 520 69 79

ALICANTE

Correspondencia: Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y

Recursos Naturales. (División de Geología)

Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad de Alicante

Teléfono 566 11 50. Extensión 1.190

Apartado 99 ALICANTE

PUBLICACIÓN PATROCINADA POR:

~ GENERALITAT VALENCIANA ~ CONSELLERIA D'OBRES PUBLIQUES, URBANISME 1 TRANSPORTS

Y CAJA DE AHORROS PROVINCIAL DE ALICANTE

Mediterranea Ser. Geol. (1988}, n. a 7. Pag. 65-77

IS THE «VENTIAN» A REAL STRATIGRAPHIC STAGE?

ABSTRACT

por MARfA TERESA ALBERDI (1)

FRANCESCO PAOLO BONADONNA (2)

The «Ventian», term described by Aguirre et al. (1976), needs a better definition of its upper and lower boundaries. A detailed geological, stratigraphical and paleontological analysis of the localities of Venta del Moro, Sahabi, Casino and Baccinello V3, comparing them with other for­mer and latter ones in time, indicate that the « Ventian» could very well represent fauna no longer Turolian and not yet Ruscinian and therefore should be limited in time regarding the described by its authors. Its base should be directly overlying the last evaporitic episodes of the Upper Mes­sinian (sensu Ruggieri et a/, 1969) and therefore younger than 6.5 MA (datum given by the aut­hors of the «Ventian») while its upper limit should coincide with the beginning of the Ruscinian fauna. Two possibilities can be stated for the stratigraphical succession, one in which the base of the «Ventiam> still corresponds to the Upper Messinian and another in which the «Ventiam> is considered the beginning of the Pliocene. The possible «Ventian» stratotype, in this case, that in our opinion is the most realistic, should be established on the Sahabi deposit due to its great faunistic variability and its well defined geological and stratigraphical situation.

RESUMEN

El Ventiense, termino acufiado por Aguirre et al. (1976) necesita una mejor definici6n de su limite inferior y superior. Un ancilisis detallado de la geologia, estratigrafia y paleontologia de las localidades de Venta del Moro, Sahabi, Casino y Baccinello V3, comparada con otras anterio­res y posteriores en el tiempo indican que el Ventiense bien podria representar una fauna ya no Turoliense y todavia no Rusciniense. Por ello deberia ser limitada en el tiempo con respecto a lo dicho por sus autores. Su base deberia estar directamente apoyada sobre Ios ultimos episodios evaporiticos del Mesiniense superior (sensu Ruggieri et al., 1969) y por tanto mas joven de 6,5, MA; mientras ellirnite superior deberia coincidir con el inicio de la fauna rusciniense. La sucesi6n estratigrafica puede plantearse con dos possibilidades: una hip6tesis en la que la base del Ventien­se corresponde al Mesiniense superior y su termino al Plioceno no Rusciniense. Otra hip6tesis con­sidera el Ventiense como el inicio del Plioceno y no a caballo entre el Mioceno y el Plioceno. El estratotipo del Ventiense, en su caso, deberia establecerse sobre el yacimiento de Sahabi por tener este una gran variedad faunistica y una situaci6n geol6gica y estratigrafica bien definida.

KEY WORDS: Ventian, Miocene/Pliocene boundary, Lowermost Pliocene, Baccinello V3, Casino, Sahabi, Venta del Moro.

(1) Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC-Jose Gutierrez Abascal2, 28006 Madrid (Spain).

(2) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Via Santa Maria 53, 56100 Pisa (Italy).

65

INTRODUCTION

In 1976 Aguirre et al. proposed a new mammal zone, the «Ventian» for the transition forms between the Turolian s.s. levels and the Early Pliocene ones; in this mammal zone they included also the forms of the Lower Messi­nian levels. In the stratigraphic schemes there is a gap between the Turolian faunas and the Ruscinian ones; this empty space cannot be filled by the last Turolian faunas or by the first Ruscinian ones. With regard to this assertion we can quote Hurzeler & Engesser (1976); these authors emphasize, in the lig­nitiferous Baccinello series, the great difference between the V2 fauna (about 8 MA) and the V3 one with Hipparion. In the point of view of Aguirre et al. (1976) and Alberdi et al. (1977) the «Ventian» comprises the Librilla and Crevillente-6 faunal deposits that are deposits with typical Turolian fauna for the presence of more primitive forms of concudense-mediterraneum type Hypparion and Gorafe 1 level, already Ruscinian (Ruiz Bustos et al., 1984).

We think that the stratigraphic value of «Ventian» has to be better defin­ed; that is, it is necessary to fix a time span more restricted and with more exactly fixed temporal boundaries.

DISCUSSION

Between the end of Tortonian and the general Pliocene transgression in the Mediterranean basin, the geologic history is represented by a quick succes­sion of events in a very short time span; that is between 7 MA (a little before the Tortonian-Messinian boundary) and 5 MA (a little after the Miocene­Pliocene boundary). Ruggieri (1966, 1967) stands out a particular tectonics that begun in the Upper Tortonian and it was charactherized by two crises separa­ted by a pause period: the first crisis took place at the end of the Tortonian, the second one at the end of the Lower Pliocene. In this period, between 7 and 5 MA, there were many lacustrine basins in the Mediterranean basin, in which the lignite was made up easily, basins due probably to the tectonics which cut away the connexion between the sea and some coastal basins (fig. 1) and to the strong wetness that not allowed the formation of evaporites but, on the contrary, supported the luxuriant growth of the vegetation. We think that the Gravitelli (Messina) basin, the lower lacustrine cycle of the Casino (Siena) and the V1 and V2 levels of Baccinello series (Grosseto) may be assigned to this phase.

The Gravitelli deposit had a fauna that cannot be contrasted as now it is lost; its stratigraphy is very clear and it was well described (see Seguenza, 1902; Ruggieri et al., 1969). The fauna seems to have some contradictory ele­ments, regarding taxonomy not as faunal association, as in the case of the mas­todon and the hippopotamus. The two quoted mastodons should correspond to one only type (Kotsakis, 1987, p. 73); according to the Seguenza's plates, both may correspond only to Zygolophodon. The hippopotamus may corres­pond to the Arenas del Rey and Venta del Moro ones.

The faunas V1 and V2 of the Baccinello series, described by Hurzeler & Engesser (1976), are of Middle Turolian age according to the presence of Va­lerymys aff. vireti, Apodemus sp. and to the age of V2level (8 MA). The lo-

66

SW o ~ -~__.'o..:__ __ _.2o _ __,_ _ _.Jo Km. NE

fig. 1. (from Trevisan, 1952, fig. 4)-Sketch of Cecina river mouth-Chianti Mounts from Torto­nian (A) until the present (D): A) the Tortonian ingression is yet begun: on the continent it is possible to see some lakes testified by lignitiferous clays; B) the sea fills the Cecina Basin; C) Maximum of Pliocene transgression; D) the present topography.

wer lacustrine cycle of the Casino seems to be a lack of fauna, but Lazzarotto & Sandrelli (1977) quote a tooth of Dipoides problematicus that, according to Azzaroli and Mein (in Lazzarotto & Sandrelli, 1977, p. 7 51) is «una fauna indicativa del Turoliano (Tortoniano superiore-Messiniano inferiore)».

Dipoides problematicus is also quoted by Morales (1984) in the Venta del Moro deposit, but the author stands out that this fossil needs a detailed study. We can add, to solve this contradiction, that a feature of this deposit, as in general of this mammal zone, is the coexistence of ancient and younger faunas (Aguirre et al., 1973; Robles et al., 1974; Morales, 1984).

After this phase, probably during the tectonic stasis before mentioned, a small marine ingression took place, the Sahelian ingression sensu Ruggieri et al. (1969), largely testified in all the western mediterranean area. Ruggieri et al. (1969, p. 182) quote the Gravitelli faunallevel as «sottostante ad un live-1/o marino saheliano seguito a sua volta da livelli di tripoli» (fig. 2). The con­clusion of these authors is to consider the Sahelian as a marine substage of

67

fig. 2. Stratigraphical sketch of Gravitelli deposit (drawn on Seguenza, 1902, Ruggieri et al., 1968) - S = pre-neogenic substratum. A = sandstone and conglomerate without fossil. L = lacustrine clays (lignitiferous at the top with quartzitic sand layers interlayered; these clay beds are the beds from which the Gravitelli fauna comes). M = marine clays (Sahe­lian sensu RUGGIERI). T = tripoli. G = gypsum levels. P = marine limestones, marly clays and sands, Pliocene.

the Messinian, followed by an evaporitic-continental portion always Messinian in age.

This general geologic succession seems to be also in the Casino series: here there is a lower high tectonized lacustrine level of Upper Tortonian age (the lower lacustrine level, Lazzarotto & Sandrelli, 1977) and an upper lignitiferous lacustrine cycle, in unconformity on the last one; in this upper cycle the fauna is not a typical Turolian fauna (Alberdi, 1986). The Hipparion form is more evolved than the Turolian forms and, furthermore, de Giuli et al. (1983) quote the presence of Tapirus arvernensis that is considered as a Pliocene fossil. The Hipparion, on the scarce remains examined in detail, may be Hipparion cfr. crassum (Alberdi, 1988; Alberdi & Bonadonna, 1987). At last, Lazzarotto & Sandrelli (1977, fig. 5), almost in a dubitative way, consider this upper cycle

68

fig. 3. (from Lazzarotto & Sandrelli, 1977, fig. 5)-Sketch of tectonic evolution of Casino Basin from the Upper Tortonian until to the Lower Pliocene. 1) Lower Messinian after the sedi­mentation of lower lacustrine complex; 2) Lower Messinian-Upper Messinian: scheme of the folding of lower lacustrine complex; 3) Lower Pliocene: Ffl = fluvio-lacustrine con­glomerate; Ls = upper lacustrine complex; Li = lower lacustrine complex.

of Pliocene age (fig. 3); the marine sediments overlying the upper lacustrine deposit of the Casino are considered by Gandin (1967) Pliocene in age, but not of the beginning from the Lower Pliocene.

In the Baccinello lignitiferous series (fig. 4) there are not geological evi­dences of a sedimentary unconformity between the V2 and V3 levels; Hurzeler & Engesser (1976) stand out that between the two levels there is a total faunis­tic turnover, and Engesser (1983) considers the V3 fauna as a transition fauna between the Miocene and the Pliocene. From all the fauna of the V2 level, in the V3 level only Antracomys major remains, and, furthermore, the V3 level has an european faunal feature in contrast to of the V2 fauna! association. In all the deposits of Grosseto area two forms of Hipparion are quoted (sp I and sp 11) but the analysis of the remains offers a very homogeneous scene, that is, we think is only one type. The analysis of all this material is really very difficult: in fact regarding the upper dentition all the examined fossils of this region are very similar to Hipparion crassum, while regarding the lower denti­tion are more similar to the Venta del Moro form, Hipparion sp I sensu Alber­di & Morales (1981); finally, regarding the postcranial skeleton they corres­pond to forms of larger size than the Venta del Moro ones.

69

-

ENVIRONMENT

MARINE

CONTINENTAL

FAUNA

00. -~~- ~ ~0~0:: :·-:. \ ··.<·::-0 . . 0 0 <)

~ fig. 4. Stratigraphical scheme of Baccinello V3 mammal deposit. The series is constituted by clays,

lignitiferous clays with intelayered sandy-gravel levels in the continental part of it, and by a succession of conglomerate, sand and clays in the marine one; between marine series and continental one it is possible to note a clear stratigraphical discordance due to a transgression.

Overlying the V3 level there is a transgression of Pliocene age with Glo­borotalia margarita (Lorenz, 1968) folowed by a a continental level with ro­dents Ruscinian in age (Hurzeler & Engesser, 1976); but the V3 fauna, accor­ding to Azzaroli (1980, p. 212), is attributed, as the upper lacustrine cycle of the Casino, to «Pliocene injeriore (Rusciniano)» for the presence of Tapirus.

In the south Mediterranean region, apart from the quotation of Sahelian in Algiers and Oran areas (see the discussion in Ruggieri et al., 1969, ps. 176-179), there is the Sahabi series (Lybia) constituted, from the bottom to the top, by a bioclastite (patch reef) Upper Miocene in age according to De Henzelin & El-Arnauti (1982, 1984, 1987) (it could be the Sahelian transgression) follow­ed by a gypsum formation underlying continental layers of Lower Pliocene age (BOAZ et al., 1987).

The climatic researches based on botanical studies (Deschamps & Maes, 1987), stands out for this last portion of Sahabi series a hot and dry climate, with strong seasonal oscillation (from 50 °C to -7 °C) and with the dry very long season; the area, always according to botanical researches, had to be neigh­bouring the sea or near to a large river. The fauna of these continental levels of the. Sahabi series shows fossil forms that suggest a Latest Miocene age ac­cording to some elements and an Earliest Pliocene age according to some others. But in all the revision of the Sahabi fauna (Boaz et al. 1987) no author speaks

70

of Ruscinian age for it; Bernor & Pavlakis (1987) stand out that the faunal data of Sahabi suggest only an Earlier Pliocene age.

Another deposit of this period in the Mediterranean basin is the Venta del Moro deposit (Valencia) on which Aguirre et al. (1976) set up the «Ven­tian». Its geological succession, according to the description found in the iterature, is not clearly defined, particularly regarding the bottom and the top of the deposit (fig. 5).lt is made up by lenses of lignitiferous marly clays with uncertain relations with the lateral and underlying formations (Libro Guia, Ro­bles et al., 1975, fig 5). The faunal association is constituted, as mentioned before, by some less evolved forms of Uppermost Miocene and by more evolv­ed elements of Earliest Pliocene age. This fauna is totally completely correlat­able with the Sahabi fauna, where the geological and stratigraphic situation is, on the contrary, well defined.

fig. 5. Stratigraphical sketch of the Venta del Moro deposits (from Robles e(a/., 1974, fig. 6, redrawn) a = clay marls with detrital interlayered layers, lignitiferous beds with abundant fauna; b = clay marl with scarce fauna; c = sandstone; d = clay with floral molds; e = gravel with interlayered fine (el) and coarse (e2) sand levels.

71

TABLA 1

CONTINENTAL STAGES MARINE STAGES

VILLAFRANCHIAN PIACENZIAN p L

t-- -=- 3.8 MA I

RUSCINIAN 0 c

ZANCLEAN E

VENTIAN N E 1--5.5MA M

MESSINIAN I 0 1--

TUROLIAN c - 6.5MA E

TORTONIAN N E

On the basis of the exposed before, it is possible to affirm that the faunas of the Venta del Moro, the Sahabi, the Casino and the Baccinello V3 deposits represent a faunal association that is not Turolian but not yet Ruscinian in age. The mammal zone «Ventian» of Aguirre et al. (1976), in our opinion, can be limited in the time in respect of the time span of these authors. Its bed is di­rectly on the last evaporite episodes of Upper Messinian age (sensu Ruggieri et al., 1969), that is younger than Tortonian-Messinian boundary (6.5 MA) while its top corresponds to the beginning of the Ruscinian levels. One first hypothesis of a stratigraphic scheme for the discussed events may be as in the Table 1.

In case of stating the « Ventian» stratotype we think that the more suita­ble deposit is the Sahabi one, better than Venta del Moro or Baccinello V3; in fact in the first there is a very large faunal variety, not verified in Baccinello V3, and a clear stratigraphic succession (fig. 6), not verified in Venta del Moro.

We think, from this point of view, that it is possible to suggest a second stratigraphic hypothesis that, in our opinion, is more suitable; that is to consid­er the « Ventian» as the beginning of Pliocene for the continental stratigraphy, as the Zanclean is for the marine one (table 2) and not as a transitional stage between the Miocene and the Pliocene.

This stratigraphical hypothesis it is not in contradiction with the geologic and stratigraphical data that we know. In fact the stratigraphic knowledge for the deposits attributed to the « Ventian» does not suggest a clear Miocene attrib­ution, while the data of the Sahabi and of the Casino, that in our opinion may represent very well the « Ventian», seem to be more inclined towards this se­cond stratigraphic hypothesis.

Furthermore the climate datum that can be obtained by the sedimentolo­gic, floristic and faunistic data (either for the Sahabi deposit or for the Venta del Moro one) suggests a less dry period than the one that usually corresponds to the formation of evaporite deposits. This less dry climate may have stopped the evaporites formation and may be correlatable to the beginning of the Plio­cene transgression. This last event will have its maximum testified by the deep

72

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74

sea deposits that are now directly overlyng the Messinian evaporites. This sit­uation may be explained very well if we think of the strong erosive action of a transgression that cuts away the first Pliocene shallow sea sediments deposi­ted directly on the evaporites. They remain, on the contrary, only where the transgression arrived at the end of its cycle, and for this reason they represent the maximum, in a topographical sense, of the transgression.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors intend to thank proff. L. Trevisan, A. Lazzarotto and F. Sandrelli for their kind permission to use the figures 1 and 3; ms. T. Montero for typing the manuscript and mr. J Arroyo for the drafting. The work is partly executed with Grant M.P .1. 600/o (Bonadonna 1985) and in the C.N.R./C.S.I.C. scientific interchange.

75

REFERENCES

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AGUIRRE, E.; LOPEZ, N.; MORALES, J. (1976).--:- Continental faunas in Southeast Spain re­lated to the Messinian. I/ signijicato Geodinamico del/a crisi di salinitd del Miocene termina­te ne/ Medite"aneo, Messinian Seminar, 6, Gargnano 1976, 62-63.

ALBERDI, M.T. (1986).- The Pliocene species of Hipparion and their biostratiraphical mea­nings. Geobios, 19(4), 517-522.

ALBERDI, M.T. (1988).- Hipparionines. In: R.M. Schoch, J.L. Franzen, & D.R. Prothero­The evolution of Perissodactyls, cours. Forsch. Inst. Senckenberg, Frankfurt on Main, in press.

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