Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides

Background and scope: The late Villafranchian large mammal age (~2.0–1.2 Ma) of theEarly Pleistocene is a crucial interval of time for mammal/hominin migrations and faunal turnoversin western Eurasia. However, an accurate chronological framework for the Balkans and adjacentterritories is still missing, preventing pan-European biogeographic correlations and schemes. Inthis article, we report the first detailed chronological scheme for the late Villafranchian of south-eastern Europe through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary dating approach (biochronology,magnetostratigraphy, and cosmogenic radionuclides) of the recently discovered Lower Pleistocenevertebrate site Tsiotra Vryssi (TSR) in the Mygdonia Basin, Greece. Results: The minimum burialages (1.88±0.16 Ma, 2.10±0.18 Ma, and 1.98±0.18 Ma) provided by the method of cosmogenicradionuclides indicate that the normal magnetic polarity identified below the fossiliferous layercorrelates to the Olduvai subchron (1.95–1.78 Ma; C2n). Therefore, an age younger than 1.78 Ma isindicated for the fossiliferous layer, which was deposited during reverse polarity chron C1r. Theseresults are in agreement with the biochronological data, which further point to an upper age limit at~1.5 Ma. Overall, an age between 1.78 and ~1.5 Ma (i.e., within the first part of the late Villafranchian)is proposed for the TSR fauna. Conclusions: Our results not only provide age constraints for the localmammal faunal succession, thus allowing for a better understanding of faunal changes within thesame sedimentary basin, but also contribute to improving correlations on a broader scale, leading tomore accurate biogeographic, palaeoecological, and taphonomic interpretations.