Fossil bats from the Late Pleistocene site of the Aguilón P7 Cave (Zaragoza,Spain)

Bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) are a valuable and independent source of palaeoenvironmental information in Quaternary sites because bat assemblages are not necessarily produced by the same processes as those of other small mammals. Here, we report a small collection of bats (MNI 15) from a cave infill of the Aguilón P7 (AGP-7) site (Zaragoza, Spain) dated Late Pleistocene (MIS 3). This is one of the rare localities south of the Ebro River (right bank) with Neanderthal tracks; therefore, the palaeoenvironmental data provided here may help us to understand Neanderthal history. Nine bat taxa were identified, viz. Rhinolophus ferumequinum, R. hipposideros, Myotis gr. myotis/blythii, M. cf. bechsteinii, M. emarginatus, M. daubentonii, Plecotus gr. auritus/austriacus, Hipsugo savii vel. Pipistrellus kuhlii/nathusii, and Miniopterus schreibersii. The presence of a high number of yearlings of the former four species suggests the presence of breeding colonies. The surprisingly high diversity of the sample indicates a variegated vegetation cover and relatively high humidity for the MIS 3 stage in the region.     

Diversity of hipparionines (Perissodactyla: Equidae) from the late Miocene–Pliocene Siwalik deposits at Haritalyangar,India

The present work is focused on the hipparionine remains from the late Miocene to early Pliocene deposits of the Haritalyangar areas, Himachal Pardesh, India. These remains are taxonomically ranked to five genera (Plesiohipparion, Proboscidipparion, Cormohipparion, Sivalhippus, and Eurygnathohippus) and seven species. The described taxa are predominantly known from China, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Among these, Proboscidipparion is reported for the first time from the Siwaliks; the material assigned to Plesiohipparion sp. is a potential candidate for a new species. Hipparionines from this area have long been poorly known and are helpful to understand the palaeontological context of the Indian Siwalik mammalian fauna. The hipparionines suggest a wide variety of environmental conditions ranging from grasslands to forests.     

The recent fossil turtle record of the central plain of Thailand reveals local extinctions

With more than 50 extant turtle species, Southeast Asia is currently a hotspot of turtle biodiversity. However, the distribution areas of most species are decreasing as a consequence of human activities. The causes of this decline are multiple: habitat and natural resources destruction, introduction of invasive species, hunting, etc. Historical data are however still lacking for a detailed understanding of that regional trend as well as for forecasting its evolution in the future. Indeed, while oral testimonies and text data can provide a rather good appreciation of the decline of biodiversity over the last few decades; nothing is known about the dynamic of turtle biodiversity over the Holocene. This lack of data is especially damaging in area where human activities are interacting for a long time with the wild fauna, as the central plain of Thailand, which is now dominated by agricultural landscape. In order to solve these issues, we investigated five Holocene localities in Thai central plain which provided assemblages of turtle remains ranging from Neolithic to Dvaravati periods (4000 to 1000 BP). The studied archaeological assemblages showed a very high species richness. Species such as Malayemys macrocephala, Cuora amboinensis, Heosemys annandalii, Heosemys grandis, Siebenrockiella crassicolis, Amyda ornata were among the most abundant. We also found several plates and a cranial material belonging to a species of the genus Batagur and tortoise remains including Indotestudo elongata and a few plates belonging to the genus Geochelone. The Batagur and Geochelone genera are absent from living turtle assemblages in the central plain but are present in Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia or Southern Thailand for Batagur and far in the West for Geochelone (Myanmar) respectively. Batagur is usually found in coastal areas and its disappearance from central plain is interpreted as resulting from the destruction of a fragile habitat and possibly from the rapid geomorphological evolution of the Chao-Phraya deltaic plain, the disappearance of tortoises could result from deforestation. Cutting traces showed that most turtles were used as food resources at these times, suggesting that turtle hunting was a common practise. Furthermore, occurrence of holes in the margin of the carapace of specimens from Kheed Khin (Saraburi Province) and Promthin Tai (Lopburi Province) suggests that turtles were sometimes kept captive alive or transported. This study shows that investigation of recent fossil localities allows for a better understanding of the role of past human populations in the alteration of the biodiversity through time, and for a more accurate estimation of the rates of species extinction.     

Contribution to the reappraisal of the mid Paleogene ichtyofauna of Western Africa with three new enigmatical elasmobranchs from Thanetian–Lutetian of Senegal

We report here three new elasmobranch fossil taxa from Thanetian–Lower Lutetian nearshore marine deposits of northeastern (Matam region) and central-western (Sine-Saloum region) Senegal. These three new taxa represent the oldest species of the enigmatical elasmobranch Odontorhytis, the oldest putative representatives of marine potamotrygonid, and an uncertain dasyatoid genus with the smallest grinding dentition ever described. These new taxa, representing the second Cenozoic elasmobranch remains formally described from Senegal, broaden our understanding of their evolutionary and biogeographic history in the equatorial Eastern Atlantic during this time period. Their occurrences confirm hypothesised stratigraphically correlations between the top of Matam Fm. and the base of Lam Lam Fm., refine the marine connections between these two Senegalese regions, and suggest that these genera were broadly distributed within the shallow marine settings of the equatorial Eastern Atlantic during latest Paleocene–early Middle Eocene.     

First record of late middle Miocene Moschidae from Turkey: Micromeryx and Hispanomeryx from Catakbağyaka (Muğla,SW Turkey)

Here, we describe remains of Micromeryx sp. and Hispanomeryx sp. from the middle Miocene locality Catakbağyaka (MN 7/8). This is the first record for Miocene Moschidae for the late middle Miocene in Turkey and verifies the importance of Turkey as a corridor for the dispersal of Eurasian mammals. Furthermore, the record from Catakbağyaka confirms that the sympatric co-occurrence of two Miocene moschid taxa in one locality appears to be a common phenomenon.     

Dental remains of Lower Miocene small rodents from Napak (Uganda): Afrocricetodontidae,Myophiomyidae, Kenyamyidae and Sciuridae

The Early Miocene sites of Napak (Uganda), which have been prospected by the Uganda Palaeontology Expedition since 1985, have yielded abundant fossil remains, including a rich and diverse rodent fauna. Ever since the work of Lavocat (1973) on the East African Miocene rodents, which focused mainly on the Kenyan remains (but included some material from Napak discovered by Bishop during the 1950s and 1960s), few studies have been made on the Ugandan specimens. This lack provides motivation for further study of Napak micro-mammals, especially the abundant rodents, which were collected at five sites, Napak IV, V, XV, XXX and XXXI. The fossils described here are attributed to six species representing four families: Afrocricetodontidae (Afrocricetodon songhori, Protarsomys macinnesi), Myophiomyidae (Myophiomys arambourgi), Kenyamyidae (Simonimys genovefae, Kenyamys mariae) and Sciuridae (Vulcanisciurus africanus). Comparison of the dentition of extant and extinct taxa allows us to propose dietary hypotheses (granivory, herbivory and omnivory) for these rodents. In addition, the fossil rodents associated with other fauna from the same localities suggest a more-or-less dense forest environment with clearings, and the probable presence of a humid climate at the time of deposition.     

Çeştepe,a new early Pliocene vertebrate locality in Central Anatolia and its stratigraphic context

The new locality of Çeştepe in the Kazan Basin, 45 km NNW of Ankara, yielded the remains of three species of reptiles (cf. Lacerta sp., Anguinae indet. and Varanus sp.) and an ochotonid lagomorph, Ochotona mediterranensis Suata Alpaslan, 2009. The latter species suggests an early Pliocene age (MN14). The fossil layer is included in the Sinap Formation that delivered abundant remains of Mio-Pliocene mammals in the southern part of the basin, but in the northern part of the basin Çeştepe is currently the unique fossil site. The age assigned by the fauna led to revise the stratigraphy of sedimentary formations in the Çeştepe area, previously confusing because of the various lithostratigraphic unit names and ages given in previous work. The taxa described in this note are still poorly known in Turkey. Varanus has been previously reported from Çalta, a locality 16.3 km SW to Çeştepe in the same basin, and O. mediterranensis from Iğdeli in the Sivas Basin. Although represented by a few taxa, the Çeştepe faunule shows Eurasian affinities.     

Amphibians and squamate reptiles from the late Pleistocene of the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” (Hastière-Lavaux,Namur, Belgium): Systematics,paleobiogeography, and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions

Archeological sites usually provide important information about the past distribution of small vertebrate fauna, and by extension about past terrestrial environments and climate in which human activities took place. In this context, Belgium has an interesting location in northwestern Europe between the fully studied zooarcheological records of Germany and England. We present here the revision of the late Pleistocene (Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 2) collection of the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” (Hastière-Lavaux, Namur), studied by Jean-Claude Rage in the 1970s and the revision of the whole “indeterminate” small vertebrate materials from the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” stored in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) Quaternary collections in search of more herpetofaunal remains. It is now by far the largest late Pleistocene collection at RBINS with more than 20,500 recognized bones of amphibians and reptiles and covering the last 60,000 years. The faunal list comprises two urodeles (Lissotriton gr. L. vulgaris and Salamandra salamandra), four anurans (Bufo gr. B. bufo-spinosus, Epidalea calamita, Rana temporaria and Rana cf. R. arvalis), three lizards (Lacerta cf. L. agilis, Zootoca vivipara and Anguis gr. A. fragilis), and three snakes (Natrix gr. N. natrix, Coronella austriaca, and Vipera berus). This study represents the first fossil record in Belgium for L. gr. L. vulgaris, R. arvalis, Z. vivipara, N. gr. N. natrix and C. austriaca. As a whole, this assemblage suggests a patchy humid landscape under colder and dryer climatic conditions in comparison with present ones. This study also underlines the necessity of a primary separation in larger taxonomical categories by the specialist itself.     

Les faunes de mammifères Miocènes du Haut-Armagnac (Gers,France): Les Gliridés (Mammalia,Rodentia)

Gliridae's populations found i twelve quarry in theGers (from «Zone d'Estrepouy to «zone de Sansan) are described and figured in this paper. Their phyletic relations are precised and a paleoecological approach is suggested. One new taxa of provable lineage (Paraglis infralactorensis nov. sp.) is created.     

The “miacids” (Carnivoraformes,Mammalia) from the Early Eocene locality of Le Quesnoy (MP7, France); first occurrence of Vassacyon in Europe

We describe here “miacid” taxa from the Early Eocene Paris Basin locality of Le Quesnoy (Oise, France). We describe the new species Vassacyon taxidiotis, the first European record of this genus. The other “miacids” identified from Le Quesnoy are Miacis latouri and Gracilocyon solei. The P4 of G. solei is described here for the first time. Its morphology (e.g., wide protocone, short postmetacrista) supports a close relationship with Miacis rundlei from Abbey Wood (MP8 + 9, England). The latter species is therefore classified as Gracilocyon rundlei. Three new tooth positions are known for Miacis latouri: P4, p4 and m2. They support its reference to Miacis. These specimens imply that the European species is more basal than the North American species. The fauna from Le Quesnoy shares with Dormaal the presence of Miacis latouri and Gracilocyon solei, but the “miacid” fauna from Le Quesnoy also contains Vassacyon taxidiotis. The presence in Le Quesnoy of the two former taxa supports a reference to MP7 level of the French locality. The presence of three distinct genera in European localities show that the “Miacidae” were diversified in Europe, as previously observed in North America. The genera Gracilocyon, Miacis, and Vassacyon probably dispersed from Europe to North America during the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary.     

A palaeornithological assemblage from the early Pliocene of the Mediterranean island of Mallorca: Raptorial birds as bioaccumulators at Na Burguesa-1

A palaeornithological assemblage from the early Pliocene of Mallorca (Balearic Islands) is documented on 583 fossil bones from Na Burguesa-1 site. Ten different taxa have been identified: two Tytonidae, one small-sized Strigidae, one Phasianidae, one Charadriiform, and at least five Passeriformes. The specimens included in the Tytonidae correspond to a giant Barn Owl, Tyto sp. 1, with size similar to Tyto robusta, and a second Barn Owl, Tyto sp. 2, similar in size to Tyto sanctialbani. The small-sized Strigidae is attributed to Otus sp., although some of the pedal phalanges obtained are included only tentatively in this genus. The presence of these nocturnal raptorial birds combined with the prevalence of small vertebrates (mainly ranging from ca. 8 g to almost 1 kg) with practically unaltered bones suggests that this deposit was originated by the accumulation of prey remains of these owls.     

Valbro : un nouveau site à vertébrés de l’Oligocène inférieur (MP 22) de France (Quercy). II – Oiseaux (Aves)

The bird remains from Valbro belong only to three taxa, Paraortyx lorteti, Archaeotrogon venustus, and A. zitteli. This association makes it possible to ascribe to this locality an early Oligocene age, reference-levels MP 22 or MP 23, which is in agreement with the age given by the mammals.     

Pliocene Scelidotheriinae (Xenarthra,Tardigrada) from the Pampean region of Argentina: Morphology,chronology, and comments on the diversity of the subfamily

Scelidotheriinae (Mammalia, Pilosa) is a xenarthran mylodontid clade recorded in much of South America from the middle Miocene to the early Holocene. However, studies of their Neogene representatives are still scarce compared to their Quaternary representatives. The main goal of this contribution is to report new remains of Proscelidodon rothi (Ameghino, 1908) found in the basal levels of the El Polvorín Formation (Pliocene), cropping out near the city of Olavarría (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). On the basis of the faunistic association, these deposits were assigned to the late Pliocene. The new materials include a skull, a mandible, and a calcaneal fragment (Xen-121), which enhance the characterization of this taxon, and allow more precise comparisons with other Neogene and Quaternary Scelidotheriinae. This new record extends the biochron and geographic distribution of the species, until now recorded in the latest Pliocene (Marplatan Stage/Age, Vorohuean Subage) of Olavarría.     

The first known fossil record of pipehorses (Teleostei: Syngnathidae: Haliichthyinae) from the Miocene Coprolitic Horizon from the Tunjice Hills,Slovenia

The first known fossil specimens of pipehorses (Haliichthyinae) were unearthed from the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) beds of the Coprolitic Horizon in the Tunjice Hills, Slovenia. These fossil pipehorses belong to a new genus and species Hippohaliichthys edis, which was similar to the extant species Haliichthys taeniophorus. The body morphology indicates that the described fossil pipehorses were also closely related to the pygmy pipehorse Hippotropiscis frenki and the seahorse Hippocampus sarmaticus, two taxa which were also found in the Coprolitic Horizon. The described fossil material of pipehorses indicates that seahorses evolved from a group of pipehorses that were similar in size and shape to extant and fossil pipehorses of the Haliichthyinae subfamily.     

Systematic revision of Siwalik Rhizomyidae (Rodentia)

Larges samples of fossil rhizomyids from the Siwalikmolasse deposits of the Potwar Plateau, Pakistan, enable reevaluation of fossil taxa and their evolutionary relationships. Siwalik Rhizomyidae constitute a basis for analysis of poorly represented rhizomyids from other areas in Asia and contribute to biochronological correlation. The extant Tachyoryctinae and Rhizomyinae diverged during the early history of the family and diagnoses of the subfamilies are amended to include extinct genera. Siwalik tachyoryctines include Kanisamys, Protachyoryctes, Rhizomyides, and Eicooryctes nov. gen.; rhizomyines are Brachyrhizomys and Anepsirhizomys nov. gen. Kanisamys, the earliest Siwalik rhizomyid, appeared by about 13 Ma and evolved slowly, displaying stasis in K. sivalensis. Brachyrhizomys evolved from Kanisamys by 9.5 Ma and radiated rapidly. B. nagrii displays rapid increase in size through time. About 7 Ma, Kanisamys and Brachyrhizomys became extinct locally and Protachyoryctes, Eicooryctes, and Rhizomyides appeared, perhaps in response to increasing aridity. After 5.5 Ma, rhizomyids became uncommon in the Potwar and Anepsirhizomys (3.0 Ma) constitutes the latest record of Rhizomyidae in Pakistan.     

Proboscideans from the upper Miocene localities of Thermopigi,Neokaisareia and Platania (Northern Greece)

In the present article, we study the proboscidean remains from three upper Miocene localities of Northern Greece: Thermopigi (Serres), Neokaisareia (Pieria) and Platania (Drama). The material from the Turolian locality of Thermopigi includes only postcranial specimens. The morphological features of the scapula indicate the presence of the deinotheriid Deinotherium sp., whereas the rest of the specimens are morphologically distinct from Deinotherium and can be referred to Elephantimorpha indet. The material from Neokaisareia consists of a partial skeleton of a single individual and is attributed to the mammutid Mammut sp. (M. obliquelophus?). This taxon is known in Greece from the early–middle Turolian. The Platania proboscidean belongs to the tetralophodont amebelodontid Konobelodon cf. atticus. The genus Konobelodon was already present during the Vallesian of the wider area, but the lower tusk of the Platania shovel-tusker presents some morphological and metrical differences from the Vallesian representative, yet it has also smaller dimensions in its deciduous dentition than the morphologically similar Turolian specimens. The type locality of K. atticus is Pikermi (Attica, Greece), correlated to the middle Turolian, but the known biostratigraphic range of this species covers the entire Turolian. Platania is possibly correlated close to the Vallesian/Turolian boundary and the possible record of this species could document one of its earliest occurrences.     

The Kromdraai early hominin-bearing site. A review of recent findings

The Kromdraai archaeological site is located in a fossiliferous paleokarst situated in the UNESCO World Heritage Site referred to as the “Cradle of Humankind” in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Kromdraai is noteworthy because it features among the three southern African early hominin-bearing sites considered to represent distinct temporal periods within the same stratigraphic succession. Kromdraai also yielded a partial skull and dentition (TM 1517) in 1938 that was designated as the holotype of a new genus and species, Paranthropus robustus. Although the hominin fossil assemblage collected from Kromdraai between 1938 and 2014 is rather paltry, morphometric and cladistic analyses of this material suggested that it represented a somewhat less-derived form of P. robustus than the considerably larger assemblage from the nearby site of Swartkrans. However, the geochronological and biotic relationships among the P. robustus-bearing sites in South Africa are not resolved. Since 2014, the previously unknown, albeit densely fossiliferous Unit P produced 51 individually catalogued hominin fossils (36 craniodental and 15 postcranial) that currently represent 13% of the faunal assemblage from this unit with a minimum number of 10 juvenile and 9 adult individuals. P. robustus and early Homo coexisted at the time of the accumulation of Unit P at Kromdraai, with a relative abundance of 89% and 11%, respectively. P. robustus and early Homo are associated with a highly diverse fauna that includes several water-dependent species, and a large variety of bovid and carnivore taxa. Biochronological data from Unit P and an interval of reversed polarity measured in younger deposits above it are interpreted in the context of the regional chronological framework to infer that it represents a deposit that was likely accumulated prior to 2 Ma.