Muricidae (Neogastropoda) from the Middle Eocene of the Hungarian Paleogene Basin

A Middle Eocene (Lutetian–Early Bartonian) muricid assemblage with eight species is described and illustrated from the Hungarian Paleogene Basin. Th ree species and one genus are newly recorded in Hungary, and two new species are described: Paziella (Flexopteron) zsoldosi n. sp. and Harmatia tokodensis n. sp. With 31 figures.

Latonia gigantea (Lartet, 1851) remains and other herpetological observations from the middle Pleistocene Esztramos 6 locality (Aggtelek–Rudabánya Mountains, North Hungary)

The fossil material of Esztramos 6 palaeovertebrate locality has been revised in this study with special regard to its herpetofauna. Result of this study has shown the presence of the species Latonia gigantea and the fauna list of the locality has been expanded by amphibian, reptilian, and mammalian taxa. Considering diff erences of the mammalian fauna the Esztramos 6 lower and upper sites are probably not coeval, however their palaeoenvironment shows similarities. With 23 figures and 1 table.

Additional Middle Jurassic gastropods from Kachchh (western India) in the collections of the Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi, India)

Twenty species, new for the faunas from diff erent Jurassic localities of Kachchh, western India are introduced in this paper. Most of these species can be treated by the open nomenclature but some new taxa can also be established on satisfactorily preserved specimens. Th e new taxa are Jumaramaria jumaraensis n. gen., n. sp., Solarioconulus kachchhensis n. sp., Chartronella belaensis n. sp., Planiturbo lerensis n. sp., Exelissa indiana n. sp., and Sulcoactaeon? haboensis n. sp. With 83 figures.

The Albanensia finds from Hungary and Romania

A comprehensive study of the flying squirrel Albanensia finds of the two countries is given. The smallest and earliest representative of the genus is the species Albanensia sansaniensis. It has been recently found in the Badenian (Middle Miocene) fauna of Szentendre. Some sporadic Albanensia sp. and Albanensia albanensis finds were described from Sarmatian localities. Signifi cant Albanensia grimmi materials are known from the late Sarmatian fauna of Felsőtárkány 3/2 and the early Pannonian fauna of Rudabánya. This latter sample has some special characters, which differ from typical A. grimmi finds from Felsőtárkány 3/2, Götzendorf, Richardhof, and Hammerschmiede. With 27 figures and 8 tables.

Middle Miocene (Badenian) chondrichthyan and osteichthyan remains from St. Margarethen (eastern Austria) in the vertebrate palaeontological collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

To actualize the available data regarding Cenozoic fi sh materials housed in the vertebrate fossil collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM), Middle Miocene (Badenian) chondrichthyan remains, unearthed at St. Margarethen (Burgenland, eastern Austria) are revised in detail. Among the specimens, a mislabelled, slightly disarticulated, partial dentition surrounded by associable placoid scales and portions of suggested cartilage, referred to a juvenile individual of an indeterminate Carchariidae or Odontaspididae has been found. This specimen represents the first articulated shark fossil ever discovered in the Miocene of the Central Paratethys. The material also includes a large-sized, pathological tooth of Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon, which is the largest and most spectacular of all Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon teeth of the HNHM collection. The HNHM collection includes osteichthyan remains, also unearthed at St. Margarethen, but these specimens are only shortly mentioned. Although the Middle Miocene marine vertebrate fossils of St. Margarethen are actively investigated for over one and a half centuries, the HNHM material adds new and important data to our knowledge on the locality’s chondrichthyan fauna. The present paper also highlights the importance of accurate re-investigation of museum fossil collections. With 112 figures.

Preliminary report on the Early Pleistocene vertebrate sites of Beremend Crystal Cave (Beremend 16, South Hungary) and on their palaeoecological importance

Formerly, the Early Pleistocene vertebrate material collected independently from 15 diff erent sampling sites of Beremend Crystal Cave were merged together and treated as a whole, under the name of Beremend 16. However, the thorough analysis of the fauna of each separate sampling site revealed considerable taxonomic, palaeoecological and stratigraphic differences, which render the aforementioned unifi cation unjustifi ed. Diverse and sparse assemblages were recognized based on the fossil richness and taxonomic composition of the samples. Some of the assemblages contain only bats, whereas others consist of further small mammals besides the bats as well as herpetofaunal elements. The compositional dissimilarities suggest taphonomical or age diff erences comparing the sites. Based on our environmental reconstruction, a water body varying in size was always present in the vicinity of the cave during the studied time period, which was surrounded by an open or a more closed vegetation depending on the slight climatic changes. Our stratigraphic analysis showed that most of the sites can be dated between 1.5 and 1.2 Ma. In the case of two sites, it was possible to make a more precise age estimation (1.2 Ma) based on the appearance of the white-toothed shrew, Crocidura obtusa. With 4 figures and 4 tables.