Latamne (Pleistocene of Syria)

Where: Syria (35.1° N, 36.8° E: paleocoordinates 35.1° N, 36.8° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Latamne Formation, Middle Pleistocene (0.8 - 0.1 Ma)

• archaeological and palaeontological finds from different levels in a variety of small quarries, Clark's main excavation site was near Miramil quarry. Middle Acheulean tools, site dated to Middle Pleistocene, predating 0.6Ma. fauna found in lower gravels.

Environment/lithology: fluvialpebbly

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: bulk,

• Latamne terrace QIII was created in a dry phase. The fauna indicates that the plateau had open steppe vegetation (horses, giraffes, etc.) while the river valley had lush vegetation (Hippopotamus, Bos).

Primary reference: C. Guerin, V. Eisenmann, and M. Faure. 1993. Les grands mammiferes du gisement Pleistocene Moyen de Latamne (Vallee de l'Oronte, Syrie). Le Paleolithique de la vallee de moyenne de l'Oronte (Syrie). Edited by P. Sanlaville, J. Besancon, L. Copeland, S. Muhesen. British Archaeological Reports International Series 587:169-178 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: archaeological analysis

PaleoDB collection 34105: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 18.08.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Muridae
Apodemus flavicollis2 Eurasian field mouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Crocidura suaveolens2 Pallas 1811 white-toothed shrew
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
"Dicerorhinus hemitoechus" = Stephanorhinus hemitoechus
"Dicerorhinus hemitoechus" = Stephanorhinus hemitoechus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Camelus sp. Linnaeus 1758 camel
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus cf. behemoth Faure 1986 hippo
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Antilopini indet. Gray 1821 antelope
cf. Pontoceros?
Bison priscus Bojanus 1827 bison
Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827 ox
 Artiodactyla - Giraffidae
Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus 1758 giraffe
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Crocuta crocuta Erxleben 1777 spotted hyaena
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canis sp. Linnaeus 1758 canine
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Stegodon cf. trigonocephalus Martin 1887 elephant
Mammuthus trogontherii Pohlig 1885 mammoth
Actinopteri
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae indet.1 Rafinesque 1815 carp-like fish
Barbus cf. canis1 carp-like fish