Le Crocodilien longirostre Gavialosuchus dans le Miocène moyen de Polastron (Gers,France)

A left maxilla fragment from the newly discovered Miocene vertebrate locality of Polastron (Gers, southwestern France) is described and referred to the longsnouted eusuchian crocodilian Gavialosuchus, which had never been reported from the Miocene of this area, in which crocodilian remains are scarce. On the basis of its mammal fauna, the locality is slightly older than Sansan. Although Gavialosuchus is usually found in marine beds, its occurrence in the fluviatile deposits of Polastron shows that it also inhabited rivers.     

Gliridae (Rodentia,Mammalia) with a simple dental pattern: a new genus and new species from the European Early and Middle Miocene

A new genus of Gliridae, Simplomys gen. nov. is proposed. It contains glirids with a simplified dental pattern from the European Early and Middle Miocene. Simplomys gen. nov. includes several species originally described as Pseudodryomys such as Simplomys simplicidens, Simplomys robustus, Simplomys julii, and Simplomys aljaphi. In addition, a new species, Simplomys meulenorum sp. nov. , is proposed from the Spanish Miocene. The species of this genus share not only a very reduced and simplified dental morphology, but also unique dental proportions that clearly separate them from any other genera of Gliridae. Simplomys gen. nov. is recorded in most of the fossil faunas from the Early and Middle Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula, and shows the maximum diversity in this area during Mammal Neogene Zones MN 3 and MN 4. The genus has been also recorded in other European countries such as France, Germany, and Switzerland, conferring to this very characteristic taxon an important role for biochronological correlations within the European continent. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 157 , 622–652.     

Dabbling ducks (Aves: Anatidae) from the Middle Miocene of Mongolia

A new genus and two new species of ducks (Aves: Anatidae) from the Middle Miocene Sharga locality are described. Mioquerquedula minutissima gen. et sp. nov. is a very small duck. Anas velox Milne-Edwards, 1868 from the Middle Miocene of France is transferred to the genus Mioquerquedula. Aix praeclara sp. nov. described here is the oldest record of the modern genus Aix. A revision of the previously described small duck Anas soporata Kurochkin, 1976 shows that only the specimens from the Sharga locality should be referred to this species. The status of other small ducks from the Neogene of Europe and North America is discussed. The diversity of herbivorous and diving ducks in the Sharga locality indicates that Miocene Shargyn Govi Lake was rich in food resources.     

New remains of Dorcatherium crassum (Artiodactyla: Tragulidae) from the Early Miocene (MN4) of Els Casots (Subirats,Vallès-Penedès Basin)

New tragulid dental remains from the late Early Miocene (16.5–16.3 Ma, MN4) locality of Els Casots (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Catalonia, Spain) are described. This sample fits well, both in size and occlusal morphology, with the material of Dorcatherium crassum from the type locality (Sansan, France; MN6). We therefore attribute the tragulid from Els Casots to this species, also in agreement with its known chronostratigraphic range throughout Europe (MN4–MN6) and the previous records of this species from other MN4 localities of the Vallès-Penedès Basin. The described remains – which include the postcanine lower deciduous and permanent dentition, as well as several upper cheek teeth – constitute the most complete sample of D. crassum from the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of this species at Els Casots is consistent with the lacustrine depositional environment inferred from sedimentological evidence and associated fauna, and further confirms the nearby presence of densely forested environments with a humid climate with low seasonality.     

Les Megacricetodon du gisement karstique miocène moyen de Blanquatère 1 (Pyrénées-Orientales, Sud de la France) : nouvelles espèces, implications biochronologique et phylogénique

Three Megacricetodon species are recognized in the Middle Miocene locality of Blanquatère 1 (Languedoc-Roussillon province, France). Two are new, the small-sized M. tautavelensis nov. sp. the medium to large-sized M. aunayi nov. sp., the third one being the already known M. “collongensis-gersii”, a medium-sized species found in other Miocene localities of the area. Size and morphology differentiate these species. Such a high number of contemporaneous species of the genus Megacricetodon is found for the first time in a Miocene locality in the region and indicate that the evolution of this genus in western Europe is likely more complicated. It may testify both of a biogeographical differentiation and of migration events. According to our calibration charts, the deposit is dated ca. 16 Ma ago. The position of Vieux-Collonges (MN 5) and Sansan (MN 6) on the biochronological scale is also discussed, as well as the estimated age of the biozonal boundaries MN 3/MN 4, MN 4/MN 5 and MN 5/MN 6.     

REVISION OF THE PHASIANIDS (AVES: GALLIFORMES) FROM THE LOWER MIOCENE OF SAINT-GÉRAND-LE-PUY (ALLIER, FRANCE)

Abstract:  A revision of the phasianids (Aves, Galliformes) from the Lower Miocene of St-Gérand-le-Puy (Allier, France) has been carried out. Palaeortyx brevipes Milne-Edwards, 1869, Palaeortyx gallica Milne-Edwards, 1869, Palaeortyx phasianoides Milne-Edwards, 1869, and Palaeortyx intermedia Ballmann, 1969 have been known before from this locality. St-Gérand-le-Puy is the type locality of the first three species. The four species of Palaeortyx represented at St-Gérand-le-Puy are distinguished by their size. Their separation and validity have recently been doubted with serious consequences for the systematics of Palaeortyx . Our investigation confirmed the separation and validity of the four species, whereby Palaeortyx intermedia was recognized to be a junior synonym of Palaeortyx prisca and is synonymized with the latter here. These results are supported by investigations on variability statistics on some recent quails and partridges ( Coturnix, Perdix, Alectoris ). Comparisons with fossil phasianids from Quercy, Sansan, and La Grive (all France) and Wintershof-West (Germany) are made. New morphological and size differences between Palaeortyx and some species of Palaeocryptonyx are described.     

On the Middle Miocene avifauna of Maboko Island,Kenya

The Middle Miocene sediments of Maboko Island (Lake Victoria) in western Kenya yielded numerous avian bones, which remained, however, little studied. The significance of this material is shown by the recent identification of an opisthocomiform bird. In the present study, further avian remains from Maboko Island are described. Most of the specimens belong to aquatic or semi-aquatic groups, of which some are closely related to taxa known from Early and Middle Miocene European avifaunas, that is, Nectornis cormorants (N. africanus nov. sp.) and Laricola-like Laromorphae. The fossil material also includes Ciconiidae (cf. Ciconia), Pelecanidae, Phoenicopteridae (Leakeyornis aethiopicus), Musophagidae, and a species of Ardeidae, which closely resembles the taxon Pikaihao from the Early Miocene of New Zealand. Some avian remains from Maboko Island belong to higher-level taxa unknown from the Middle Miocene of Europe. The occurrence of a giant Jacanidae (?Nupharanassa mabokoensis nov. sp.) is of particular interest, because these are globally absent in extant avifaunas and were previously only known from the Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Egypt. Further unknown from contemporaneous European sites are small representatives of Jacanidae, Bucerotidae, and Alcedinidae, with the fossils of the latter two taxa being among the earliest published records of their respective groups. Several of the taxa that are common in contemporaneous European avifaunas have not been found in Maboko, and in spite of less pronounced climatic differences, Middle Miocene Afrotropical avifaunas already appear to have been distinct from contemporaneous European ones.     

New record of Discradisca (Brachiopoda: Discinidae) from the Early Miocene of the Aquitaine Basin,south-western France

The linguliform inarticulate brachiopod genus Discradisca Stenzel, 1964 has been identified for the first time from the Early Burdigalian (Early Miocene) sandy deposits of the Aquitaine Basin, south-western France. The species studied here, D. multiradiata (de Morgan, 1915), originally described from the Middle Miocene of the Loire Basin, north-western France, is characterized by a small size, ornamentation of numerous (up to 100), fine but distinct and beaded tuberculate ribs, and an apex situated subposteriorly to subcentrally. The ecological and taphonomic aspects of this species are also presented. The attribution of some previously described Discinisca Dall, 1871 species from the Tertiary to the genus Discradisca is discussed.     

First record of fossil angiosperm wood (Ulmoxylon,Ulmaceae) from the famous locality of Bı́lina (Czech Republic,Early Miocene)

A fossil angiosperm wood is described for the first time from the famous Early Miocene locality of Bı́lina. It represents a fossil elm wood, attributed to Ulmoxylon marchesonii Biondi. The fossil wood can be compared to extant North American soft elms, also to Ulmus macrocarpa Hance and U. parvifolia Jacq. from China or to the European common elm U. carpinifolia Gled. The wood together with fossil leaves/fruits of Ulmus pyramidalis Goeppert forms a single natural fossil species that lived in the Bı́lina area during the Early Miocene. The influence of two types of preservation, permineralised and xylitic, on the same wood species is also discussed. To cite this article: J. Sakala, C. R. Palevol 1 (2002) 161–166.     

Who killed Micromeryx flourensianus? A case study of taphonomy and predation on ruminants in the middle Miocene of France

The fossil remains of the moschid Micromeryx flourensianus from the Sansan type locality (middle Miocene, France) show indications of fluvial transport and clear signs of carnivore activity. Most remarkable are bite marks with a distinctive pattern on the heels of the moschids (marks predominantly on the medial side of the astragalus and on the lateral side of the calcaneus). These allow the reconstruction of a specific hunting behaviour: most likely, the predator was attacking the moschid prey by deliberate bites on the heel during the chase, probably to immobilize it. This kind of behaviour is recorded for mustelids hunting moschids in modern ecosystems. Considering this and evaluating the size and pattern of the bite marks, it was possible to name the mustelids Martes sansaniensis, Taxodon sansaniensis and Proputorius sansaniensis as the most likely candidates for the hunt on Micromeryx. This offers an insight into a predator–prey relationship in the fossil‐rich locality Sansan and reveals that a hunting behaviour present in modern mustelids might actually represent a trait at least 14 million years old.     

Les Colubridae (Reptilia,Serpentes) du Neogene francais. Le probleme des especes du Miocene de Sansan (Gers)

Thus far, four colubrid snakes from the French Neogene have been named. Three of them, that come from the Miocene of Sansan (Gers), are revised. Scaptophis miocenicus is probably not a miocene fossil, it is considered a nomen dibium. The species sansaniensis LARTET is referred to the genus Natrix and the species pouchetii DE ROCHEBRUNE is transfered to Coluber.     

A ctenodactylid rodent (Mammalia: Rodentia) from the Middle Miocene of Chios Island (Greece)

Field work carried out in 1991 and 1993 at the Middle Miocene locality of Thymiana (Chios Island, Greece), produced much rodent material including a number of ctenodactylid dental specimens. They represent a single taxon whose upper and lower cheek tooth morphology clearly differs from Prosayimys flynni and all Sayimys species known so far, except for Sayimys intermedius. The ctenodactylid teeth from the Middle Miocene of Chios are identified as pertaining to the latter species, despite minor differences from the Pakistani and Saudi Arabian representatives of S. intermedius.     

New Alicornops (Rhinocerotidae) remains from Lower and Middle Siwaliks,Pakistan

Unpublished rhinocerotid remains from the Lower and Middle Siwaliks of Pakistan are described in this paper and recognized as two species of Alicornops. Alicornops complanatum (Heissig) is identified in the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Middle Siwaliks and Alicornops laogouense Deng in the Kamlial Formation of the Lower Siwaliks. The Dhok Pathan Formation levels with A. complanatum are roughly correlated with the late Miocene-Pliocene European mammal zones MN10-15. In turn, levels with A. laogouense of the Kamlial Formation would correlate with the middle–late Aragonian (middle Miocene) European MN5. The recognition of the Chinese species A. laogouense in the Potwar Plateau represents the first discovery of this taxon in Pakistan and increases the geographical and stratigraphic distributions of this species, and adds to the rhinocerotid association from the Siwaliks. In turn, the presence of A. complanatum in the Siwaliks of Potwar Plateau also enlarges its geographic distribution in Pakistan, as it was previously known from the Bugti Hills of Balouchistan. The absence of Alicornops from the Siwaliks in the Chinji and Nagri formations (between late MN5 and MN9 zones) might be due to an inadequate fossil record, as other rhinocerotid species are known from Kamlial to Dhok Pathan formations. However, the two recorded species of Alicornops could also reveal two independent migration waves as supported by the appearance of other taxa in different formations. A summary of fossil Cenozoic rhinocerotids from different areas of Pakistan is also presented.     

First fossil occurrence of the jewel damselflies (Odonata: Chlorocyphidae): a new species from the Late Miocene of Styria,Austria

The first fossil representative of the jewel damselflies (Calopterygoidea: Chlorocyphidae), a family of large, prominent, and often brilliantly colored Old World tropical Zygoptera, is described and figured. Chlorocypha cordasevae n. sp. was recovered from the Late Miocene (Early Pannonian, Serravalian to Tortonian, c.11 Ma) locality of Paldau, in the Styrian Basin, Austria. The fossil seems to be related to the African genus Chlorocypha Fraser, and within a larger group of African genera also including Stenocypha Dijkstra, Africocypha Pinhey, and Platycypha Fraser, and collectively set apart from southern Asiatic genera. The discovery of a central European species of Chlorocypha as recently as the Late Miocene reveals a much wider range to the family than its generally disjunctive modern distribution, demonstrating a Neogene contraction to their range, likely in connection with climatic cooling, drying, and developing seasonality. Modern chlorocyphids live under warm, humid climates, and the presence of C. cordasevae in the Pannonian fauna of Paldau further corroborates such a subtropical paleoclimate for the locality at that time.     

A Transitional Gundi (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae) from the Miocene of Israel

We describe a new species of gundi (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae: Ctenodactylinae), Sayimys negevensis, on the basis of cheek teeth from the Early Miocene of the Rotem Basin, southern Israel. The Rotem ctenodactylid differs from all known ctenodactylid species, including Sayimys intermedius, which was first described from the Middle Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Instead, it most resembles Sayimys baskini from the Early Miocene of Pakistan in characters of the m1-2 (e.g., the mesoflexid shorter than the metaflexid, the obliquely orientated hypolophid, and the presence of a strong posterolabial ledge) and the upper molars (e.g., the paraflexus that is longer than the metaflexus). However, morphological (e.g., presence of a well-developed paraflexus on unworn upper molars) and dimensional (regarding, in particular, the DP4 and M1 or M2) differences between the Rotem gundi and Sayimys baskini distinguish them and testify to the novelty and endemicity of the former. In its dental morphology, Sayimys negevensis sp. nov. shows a combination of both the ultimate apparition of key-characters and incipient features that would be maintained and strengthened in latter ctenodactylines. Thus, it is a pivotal species that bridges the gap between an array of primitive ctenodactylines and the most derived, Early Miocene and later, gundis.     

The genus Cryptopora (Brachiopoda) from the Miocene of France and its history and biogeography

The rhynchonellid brachiopod species Cryptopora lovisati(Dreger, 1911) has been identified in the Middle Miocene sandy deposits of France, and its ontogeny and variability are described. This is the first record of the genus Cryptopora Jeffreys from France, although several species of Cryptopora have been already reported from other regions of Europe. Being known since the Lower Palaeocene, Cryptopora is widely distributed in modern seas, ranging from about 60 m down to over 4000 m, and is represented by six extant and about 12 fossil species. C. lovisati has been interpreted as relatively shallow water species living attached to the sediment by a long pedicle. The affinity between C. lovisati and Recent C. curiosa Cooper is discussed.     

Major vegetation trends in the Tertiary of Patagonia (Argentina): A qualitative paleoclimatic approach based on palynological evidence

The patterns of Patagonian vegetation change suggest a strong relationship between the major thermal characters of the flora and the global paleoclimatic trends during Tertiary times. This conclusion was reached from the assessment of fossil pollen data from Patagonia throughout the Paleogene and Early Neogene periods and the subsequent comparison of palynological data to the global deep-sea oxygen isotope record. Four main time intervals were recognized based on the temporal distribution of selected angiosperm key taxa. (1) Paleocene to Early Eocene: presence of megatherm elements (e.g. Nypa, Pandanus), probably integrating mangrove communities in Patagonian lowlands. (2) Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene: rise to dominance of mesotherm and microtherm Nothofagus species. Megatherm taxa were well recorded at the beginning of this interval (e.g. Ilex) but were shown to disappear towards the end. (3) Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene: new increases of megatherm taxa such as palms, Cupania and Alchornea. First occurrences of mesotherm Asteraceae, represented by trailing Mutisieae, were reported. (4) Late Miocene: dispersal of meso-microtherm and arid adapted taxa (e.g. Ephedraceae and Asteraceae) across the non-Andean region of Patagonia. Microtherm Nothofagacean forests probably occurred on the higher rainfall regions of western Patagonia. The current vegetation was most likely reached during this last stage with the forest development under wetter conditions on the Andean sectors, and the steppe throughout the non-Andean region of Patagonia.     

Redescription of the geologically youngest albanerpetontid (?Lissamphibia): Albanerpeton inexpectatum Estes and Hoffstetter, 1976, from the Miocene of France

Albanerpeton inexpectatum Estes and Hoffstetter, 1976, the type species of Albanerpeton and the geologically youngest albanerpetontid, is rediagnosed and redescribed based on a large collection of jaws and frontals from Miocene fissure fills near La Grive-Saint-Alban, southeastern France. Intraspecific variation is documented in these elements, and is attributed to growth and individual differences. Synapomorphies of the upper jaws indicate that A. inexpectatum a) belongs in a clade whose members are otherwise known from the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene of North America and b) is the sister species of an undescribed North American Paleocene species. The presence of A. inexpectatum in the Miocene of France is postulated to be the result of an Early or Middle Tertiary dispersal of an unknown ancestral species from North America into Europe. Cranial apomorphies of A. inexpectatum are interpreted as having strengthened the skull for burrowing in rocky soil and feeding.