Herpetofauna del pleistoceno terminal de Laminak II

Abstract

Pleistocene herpetofauna of Laminak 11. The herpetofauna of the latest Pleistocene site Laminak II (Berriatua, Basque Country), dated ca. 11000 BP, includes sorne remains of the Caudata amphibians Salamandra salamandra, Triturus helveticus andan unidentified Salamandrid newt. It is recorded, among anurans, the presence of Alytes obstetricans (Discoglossidae), Bufo bufo (Bufonidae ), as well as an abundant sample of Rana temporaria (Ranidae ). Among reptiles there are remains of Anguis fragilis (Anguidae), as well as unidentified lacertids and colubrids. Bufo bufo and R. temporaria are frequent components of the European Pleistocene faunas, but the record of Triturus helveticus would be one of the first for the lberian península as fossil. A biometrical comparative analysis indicates that the frog from Laminak II does not show signiflcant differences with respect to the Recent form of Rana temporaria from the Pyrenees, but it differs from the two Cantabrian subspecies and also from the other brown frogs living in the Iberian Península.