Late Miocene−early Pliocene rodents and lagomorphs (Mammalia) from the southern part of Çankırı Basin, Turkey

AbstractThree localities in the Çankırı Basin—Kale Tepe 1 (KT1), Kale Tepe 2 (KT2), and Mahmutlar—yielded reliably documented rodent and lagomorph assemblages. These are in the Akkaşdağı Formation, which covers large areas in the central and southern parts of this basin in Central Anatolia. The widening of the Kirikkale-Çorum highway produced fresh outcrops that allowed for the discovery of fossiliferous levels in a well-controlled stratigraphy. The assemblages from all three localities are dominated by muroid rodents (Apodemus gorafensisRuiz Bustos et al., 1984;A. gudrunaevan de Weerd, 1976;A. dominansKretzoi, 1959;Micromyssp. indet.;Allocricetussp. indet.;Pseudomerionessp. indet.; Cricetidae gen. indet. sp. indet.;Mimomyssp. indet.) in addition to a glirid (Dryomimuscf.D. eliomyoidesKretzoi, 1959), an eomyid (Keramidomysaff.K. ermannorumDaxner-Höck and Höck, 2009), two ochotonids (Prolagus sorbiniiMasini, 1989;Ochotonomasp. indet.) and one leporid. KT1 and KT2 yielded two large species ofApodemus(A. gorafensis;A. gudrunae) that are typical for the late Miocene/early Pliocene transition in southern Europe, and they are known in Greece and Turkey in localities dated to the latest Miocene, i.e., MN 13 mammalian zone. The occurrence ofA. dominansand a rooted arvicolid similar toMimomys davakosivan de Weerd, 1979 suggests correlation of Mahmutlar to the early Pliocene, or early MN 15 zone. An abundance of muroid rodents in these assemblages indicates woodlands and areas covered by grasses and shrubs, whereas early Pliocene deposits at Mahmutlar provided pollen of abundant herbaceous and shrub elements. Most rodents and lagomorphs from Kale Tepe and Mahmutlar are known in southern European bioprovinces, whereas some elements (PseudomerionesSchaub, 1934;OchotonomaSen, 1998) indicate Asiatic affinities.

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New insights into the giant mustelids (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae) from Langebaanweg fossil site (West Coast Fossil Park, South Africa, early Pliocene)

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.9221 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e9221 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alberto Valenciano ◽

Romala Govender

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Late Miocene ◽

Eastern Africa ◽

Large Species ◽

Adult Individual ◽

Early Pliocene ◽

Dental Measurements ◽

Juvenile Individual ◽

Postcranial Remains ◽

Fossil Site

Giant mustelids are a paraphyletic group of mustelids found in the Neogene of Eurasia, Africa and North America. Most are known largely from dental remains, with their postcranial skeleton mostly unknown. Here, we describe new craniodental and postcranial remains of the large lutrine Sivaonyx hendeyi and the leopard-size gulonine Plesiogulo aff. monspessulanus from the early Pliocene site Langebaanweg, South Africa. The new material of the endemic S. hendeyi, includes upper incisors and premolars, and fragmentary humerus, ulna and a complete astragalus. Its postcrania shares more traits with the living Aonyx capensis than the late Miocene Sivaonyx beyi from Chad. Sivaonyx hendeyi could therefore be tentatively interpreted as a relatively more aquatic taxon than the Chadian species, comparable to A. capensis. The new specimens of Plesiogulo comprise two edentulous maxillae, including one of a juvenile individual with incomplete decidual dentition, and a fragmentary forelimb of an adult individual. The new dental measurements point to this form being amongst the largest specimens of the genus. Both P3-4 differs from the very large species Plesiogulo botori from late Miocene of Kenya and Ethiopia. This confirms the existence of two distinct large species of Plesiogulo in Africa during the Mio/Pliocene, P. botori in the Late Miocene of Eastern Africa (6.1–5.5 Ma) and Plesiogulo aff. monspessulanus at the beginning of the Pliocene in southern Africa (5.2 Ma). Lastly, we report for the first time the presence of both Sivaonyx and Plesiogulo in MPPM and LQSM at Langebaanweg, suggesting that the differences observed from the locality may be produced by sedimentation or sampling biases instead of temporal replacement within the carnivoran guild.

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