Completeness of the mammalian fossil record in the Iberian Neogene

We infer the absolute completeness of the mammalian fossil record of the Iberian Neogene, from a compiled database of preserved stratigraphic ranges for both species and genera and by means of the analytical tools developed by Foote and Raup (1996). We conclude that the mammalian fossil record from the Neogene of the Iberian Peninsula is very complete (more than 75% at the specific level, and more than 90% at the generic one), being a good indicator of how complete the record of terrestrial organisms can be at least under certain favorable conditions. Comparison with previously published results for well-known marine invertebrates indicates that the continental Iberian Neogene record is not significantly less complete, thus raising doubts about the importance of more episodic deposition in continental environments. It remains to be seen if continental faunas in general are as complete as the marine invertebrate record.