Amphibians and reptiles from the Early Miocene of the Bardenas Reales of Navarre (Ebro Basin, Iberian Peninsula)

The Lower Miocene deposits of the Bardenas Reales of Navarre (NW Ebro Basin, northern Iberian Peninsula) have yielded a diverse vertebrate fauna, including remains of amphibians and reptiles. These remains occur in several localities in the Tudela Formation. The fossiliferous levels belong to the Biozones MN2b-3 (Biozones Z-A of the Ramblian, i.e., Late Aquitanian to Early Burdigalian in age). The amphibians and reptiles represent at least 13 out of 37 vertebrate species. Amphibians consist of a salamandrid urodele and two or three anurans. All the turtles are cryptodirans and consist of the chelydrid Chelydropsis apellanizi, the testudinids Ptychogaster (Temnoclemmys) bardenensis and Ptychogaster ronheimensis, and a Trionychinae indet. Squamates are represented by the anguid lizard Ophisaurus sp., a non-anguid lacertilian, an amphisbaenian, the erycine boid? Eryx sp., and indeterminate colubrids. Crocodilian remains are assigned to the basal alligatoroid Diplocynodon sp. The fossil associations of the Bardenas Reales of Navarre suggest that the vertebrates lived in the centre of an endoreic basin with stretches of water under intertropical to subtropical climatic conditions.     

Amphibians and reptiles from the late Miocene and early Pliocene of the Ptolemais area (Western Macedonia,Greece)

We herein describe the amphibians and reptiles from the Ptolemais fossil assemblage, originating from 12 nearby localities in northwestern Greece, spanning from the late Miocene (MN 13) to the early Pliocene (MN 15). Amphibians are known exclusively of anurans, with the genera Latonia and Rana being identified, the latter constituting the oldest so far known record of that lineage in Greece. Turtles are represented by the testudinid cf. Testudo, whereas numerous other indeterminate testudinoids are known. Lizards include scincids, lacertids, and at least two anguids. Among them, the material referred to scincids and the anguid Anguis constitute one of only rather few such occurrences described in the fossil record of the Eastern Mediterranean. Snakes are represented by indeterminate “colubrines” and the genus Natrix. The different ages of the Ptolemais fossiliferous localities, along with their close geographic vicinity offer the opportunity to study potential survival/extinction patterns of its amphibians and reptiles across the Mio-Pliocene boundary, a time interval that has been crucial for European herpetofaunas.     

Taxonomical and palaeoecological investigations of the chondrichthyan and osteichthyan fish remains from the Middle-Late Triassic deposits of the Villány Hills (Southern Hungary)

Two sites in the Villány Hills, Hungary, have yielded rich fish assemblages from Middle to Late Triassic shallow marine deposits. The collected material comes from the Ladinian Templomhegy Dolomite Member and from the Carnian Mészhegy Sandstone Formation. The ichthyofauna is composed of both chondrichthyans (Hybodontidae indet., Palaeobates angustissimus, ‘Polyacrodus’ sp., ?Lissodus sp.) and osteichthyans (Gyrolepis sp., Birgeria sp., and further indeterminate actinopterygians). Despite the large sample size, no remains of neoselachians have been found. The Ladinian Templomhegy Dolomite is dominated by durophagous hybodontiforms (Palaeobates angustissimus, ?Lissodus sp.), but the piscivorous hybodontid and the generalist ‘Polyacrodus’ sp. are missing, while in the fish fauna collected from the Carnian Mészhegy Formation indeterminate piscivorous hybodontids are the most common elements and durophagous forms are much less abundant. The dominance of piscivorous hybodontids in the Carnian Mészhegy Sandstone could be related to the global decrease of diversity of marine fish-eating reptiles (e.g., nothosaurs) or to a change of paleoenvironmental conditions. The present study improves our knowledge on the poorly known Triassic vertebrate faunas of the Tisza Mega-unit, which formed a segment of the passive Neotethys margin of the European Plate and shows an important example of a potential vertebrate faunal shift during the Middle to Late Triassic.     

Morphological and molecular differentiation of two new species of Pseudoacanthocephalus Petrochenko, 1958 (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae) from amphibians and reptiles in the Philippines, with identification key for the genus

The genus Pseudoacanthocephalus Petrochenko, 1958 currently includes 14 species of acanthocephalans parasitic in amphibians and reptiles worldwide. This work describes two new species of Pseudoacanthocephalus from amphibians and reptiles collected in several localities on Luzon Island, Philippines. Pseudoacanthocephalus nickoli n. sp. was found in two species of frogs, Rana luzonensis Boulenger and Rana similis (Günther), and Pseudoacanthocephalus smalesi n. sp. was found in a scincid lizard, Sphenomorphus abdictus Brown & Alcala. Differential diagnoses of the two new species of Pseudoacanthocephalus from their congeners are provided. Comparative analysis of nuclear ribosomal rRNA sequences encompassing the 3′ end of 18S nuclear rDNA gene, internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1+5.8S+ITS2), and 5′ end of the 28S gene strongly corroborated the morphological evidence and demonstrated significant differences between the two new species as well as between these species and closely related species from continental China and Vietnam. No intraspecific sequence variability was detected among different individuals representing each of the examined species. This is the first report of Pseudoacanthocephalus in the Philippines. A key to known species of Pseudoacanthocephalus is provided.     

A very diverse amphibian and reptile assemblage from the late Middle Pleistocene of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Sima del Elefante,Burgos, Northwestern Spain)

Among the Pleistocene localities of the Sierra de Atapuerca, the site called Sima del Elefante is famous for having delivered in its lower level (TE-LRU) some hominid remains currently considered the oldest in Western Europe (about 1.2 Ma). In its upper part (TE-URU), this site has fossiliferous levels pertaining to the late Middle Pleistocene (350-250 ka). Here we describe for the first time the amphibians and reptiles of these upper levels (TE18 and TE19), which have proved to be one of the richest assemblages of all the localities of the Sierra de Atapuerca. The faunal list is composed of 18 taxa made up of urodeles (Salamandra salamandra and Lissotriton helveticus), anurans (Discoglossus sp., Alytes sp. Pelobates cultripes, Pelodytes punctatus, Bufo bufo, Bufo calamita, Hyla arborea and cf. Rana sp.), a terrestrial tortoise (Testudo s.l.), lizards (Lacerta s.l., Podarcis sp. and Anguis fragilis) and snakes (Natrix natrix, Natrix maura, Coronella cf. girondica and Vipera latasti). For the first time, the genera Lissotriton, Discoglossus and Podarcis are mentioned in the Pleistocene localities of the Sierra de Atapuerca. TE19 also corresponds to the earliest mention for L. helveticus in the Iberian Peninsula. With the exception of tortoises, all these species are currently present in the province of Burgos, and thus suggests that the herpetofauna has a modern aspect since the Middle Pleistocene. This association of amphibians and reptiles suggests a slightly warmer climate than the current one, but may correspond to a “cold and dry” period if compared with other Pleistocene localities of the Sierra de Atapuerca. The landscape was probably composed of a gallery forest along a quiet water river within a Mediterranean environment alternating laterally between dry meadows, rocky or stony areas and open scrubland.     

A Fish Assemblage from the Middle Eocene from Libya (Dur At-Talah) and the Earliest Record of Modern African Fish Genera

In the early nineteen sixties, Arambourg and Magnier found some freshwater fish (i.e., Polypterus sp., Siluriformes indet. and Lates sp.) mixed with marine members in an Eocene vertebrate assemblage at Gebel Coquin, in the southern Libyan Desert. This locality, aged ca 37–39Ma and now known under the name of Dur At-Talah, has been recently excavated. A new fish assemblage, mostly composed of teeth, was collected by the Mission Paléontologique Franco-Libyenne. In this paper, we describe freshwater fish members including a dipnoan (Protopterus sp.), and several actinopterygians: bichir (Polypterus sp.), aba fish (Gymnarchus sp.), several catfishes (Chrysichthys sp. and a mochokid indet.), several characiforms (including the tiger fish Hydrocynus sp., and one or two alestin-like fish), and perciforms (including the snake-head fish Parachanna sp. and at least one cichlid). Together with the fossiliferous outcrops at Birket Qarun in Egypt, the Libyan site at Dur At-Talah reduces a 10-Ma chronological gap in the fossil record of African freshwater fish. Their fish assemblages overlap in their composition and thus constitute a rather homogenous, original and significant amount of new elements regarding the Paleogene African ichthyofauna. This supports the establishment of the modern African freshwater fish fauna during this time period because these sites mostly contain the earliest members known in modern genera.     

A family of short retroposons (Squam1) from squamate reptiles (Reptilia: Squamata): Structure,evolution, and correlation with phylogeny

Sequences of the SINE family specific to squamate reptiles have been isolated from the genomes of lacertid lizards and sequenced. These retroposons, which we called Squam1, are 360–390 bp long and contain a region similar to the tRNA gene sequence at the 5’ end. This family has also been detected in representatives of other reptile families (varanids, iguanids (Anolis), gekkonids, and snakes), being absent from the genomes of crocodiles as well as amphibians, birds, and mammals. The primary structures of Squam1 copies have been comprehensively analyzed and compared with GenBank sequences. The genomes of most taxa contain two to three SINE subfamilies with specific diagnostic features in their primary structures. Individual similarity between the copies within each taxon is about 85%, with intrageneric similarity being only slightly higher. A comparison of consensus sequences between different lizard families has shown that Squam1 may be a convenient phylogenetic marker for this group of reptiles, having a number of both apomorphic and more or less pronounced synapomorphic features. By this criterion, snakes slightly differ from lizards but obviously belong to the same clade. However, they show no special affinity to varanids as the putative closest relatives of snakes, compared to other lizards.     

The fossil Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel: Out of Africa during the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition

We report the study of the collection of fossil bovid specimens from the Early-Middle Pleistocene Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov. This locality, situated in the Levantine Corridor (the bottleneck that connects Africa and Eurasia) is a key site to explain the faunal and human dispersals out of Africa during the Matuyama/Brunhes boundary around 0.8 Ma. Two species of bovine (Bos sp., and Bovini gen. et sp. indet. cf. Bison sp.), one antelope (Gazella sp. cf. G. Gazella), and another indeterminate Bovidae gen. et sp. indet., have been recorded. The largest species, Bos sp., is an African immigrant related to the species from the Eritrean site of Buia, Bos buiaensis, which evolved from the buffalo of Olduvai Pelorovis oldowayensis, and colonized the Eurasian continent in parallel with the dispersal of the Acheulian culture into the northern continent. Numerous important species first recorded in several localities of Early-Middle Pleistocene transition from Eurasia are included in this dispersal out of Africa, including the megaherbivore, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, and the carnivores Crocuta crocuta, and later, Panthera leo and Panthera pardus. This faunal turnover is coincident with the change to colder climates that dominated the Middle Pleistocene.     

Freshwater fish otoliths from the Deccan Trap associated sedimentary (Cretaceous-Tertiary transition) beds of Rangapur,Hyderabad, District,Andhra Pradesh,India

The present paper describes 12 species of fish otoliths recovered by washing and screening processes from the Deccan Trap associated sedimentary (Intertrappean) beds exposed near Rangapur, Hyderabad District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The present collection of otoliths contains four major groups: Clupeomorpha (“Clupeidarum” sp.), Osteoglossomorpha (“Osteoglossidarum” deccanensis sp. nov., “O”. intertrappus sp. nov. and “Notopteridarum” nolfi sp. nov.), Protacanthopterygii (“Salmoniformorum” rectangulus sp. nov.), and Percomorpha (Dapalis sp., “Apigonidarum” ovatus sp. nov., “Serranidarum” sp., “Percoideorum” ellipticus sp. nov., “P.” rangapurensis sp. nov., “Percoideorum” sp. 1 and “Percoideorum” sp. 2). This collection of otoliths represents freshwater lacustrine deposition of the sediments. The age of the Intertrappean beds is considered Uppermost Cretaceous to Palaeoncene on the basis of freshwater ostracode (Paracypretta jonesi, Mongolianella hislopi and Candoniella sp.) and charophyte (Platychara perlata and Nemegtichara sp.) assemblages.     

Amphibians and squamates from the Neogene Siwalik beds of Jammu and Kashmir, India

The Neogene Siwalik deposits of Jammu Province (India) have yielded amphibians and squamates. The collection includes the first amphibians and the first colubroid snakes from the Siwalik Group. Amphibians comprise only anurans: a possible Ranidae and one, or perhaps two, non-ranid frogs Squamates include one lizard,Varanus sp. (Varanidae), whereas snakes are represented by three taxa:Acrochordus dehmi (Acrochordidae), an indeterminate Colubridae, and a snake that is either a Colubridae or an Elapidae.Varanus sp. andA. dehmi have been yielded by the Upper Miocene Ramnagar Member, whereas the anurans and colubroid snakes come from the Upper Pliocene Labli Member. These taxa are indicative of aquatic palaeoenvironment.     

Early Miocene Amphibians (Caudata, Salientia) from the Mokrá-Western Quarry (Czech Republic) with comments on the evolution of Early Miocene amphibian assemblages in Central Europe

The Mokrá-Western Quarry exhibits the rare occurrence of Early Miocene (MN 4) vertebrate fauna within the area of the eastern part of Central Europe. In addition to a rich fauna of reptiles and mammals, two fossiliferous karst joints (Mokrá-Western Quarry, 1/2001 Turtle Joint and Mokrá-Western Quarry, 2/2003 Reptile Joint) yielded a rich fauna of amphibians including 13 amphibian taxa: Salamandridae: Mioproteus sp., Chelotriton sp., type I, Chelotriton sp., type II, Triturus aff. roehrsi, Triturus cf. marmoratus, Triturus sp. (T. cristatus species group), Chioglossa meini, Mertensiella mera, Salamandridae gen. and sp. indet.; Pelobatidae: Pelobates sanchizi; Ranidae: Rana sp. (synklepton Rana esculenta); Bufonidae: Bufo sp. The first records of the West European species Triturus cf. marmoratus and Chioglossa meini are reported from the eastern part of Central Europe indicating the wide distribution of those taxa throughout the whole of Europe as early as MN 4. The oldest known record of Pelobates sanchizi documents the Early Miocene presence of representatives closely related to the extinct Late Oligocene representatives of Pelobates. The slow evolution of amphibian species is documented by the presence of Triturus cf. marmoratus and the oldest known occurrence of the extinct salamander Mertensiella mera.     

Cyrtocrinids (Cyrtocrinida,Crinoidea) and other associated crinoids from the Jurassic (Kimmeridgian–Tithonian)–Cretaceous (Berriasian–Barremian) of the Carpathian Foredeep basement (western Ukraine)

Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian–Tithonian) and Cretaceous (Berriasian–Barremian) strata of the Ukrainian part of the Carpathian Foredeep basement are rich, at least locally, in crinoid remains. Crinoids belonging to cyrtocrinids (Cyrtocrinida) are represented by whole cups, isolated remains of disarticulated cups, brachial plates and columnals. They are assigned to the following taxa: Cyrtocrinida indet., Eugeniacrinites cf. cariophilites (von Schlotheim), Lonchocrinus sp., Phyllocrinus stellaris Zaręczny, Ascidicrinus pentagonus (Jaekel), Gammarocrinites sp., Psalidocrinus armatus (Zittel), Psalidocrinus sp., and Hemibrachiocrinidae gen. indet. Cyrtocrinids are associated with other stalked (isocrinids, Isocrinida and millericrinids, Millericrinida) and stemless (saccocomids, Roveacrinida) crinoids. Columnals, pluricolumnals, brachial plates, and cirrals of isocrinids are assigned to Balanocrinus sp., Isocrinina fam. et subfam. indet., and columnals of millericrinids to Millericrinida indet. Free-living roveacrinids are assigned to Saccocoma sp. and Crassicoma sp. Knowledge on Jurassic and Cretaceous crinoids formerly described from Ukraine is discussed. Although majority of crinoids described herein seems to be allochthonous, autochthonous forms were also found with certainty in some intervals. These include some cyrtocrinids, which dominate in shallow-water environments of the Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep basement. Isocrinids are also common in this shallow marine environment, whereas sessile saccocomids are assigned to low-energy, mud-supported bottom, open marine, outer-platform/upper slope, and relatively deep environments.     

First record of non-marine ostracods from the Paleogene “hamadian deposits” of Méridja area,west of Bechar (southwestern Algeria)

A new non-marine ostracod fauna from the Paleogene “hamadian deposits” outcropping west of Bechar (southwestern Algeria) has been recovered from lacustrine to fluvial deposits of the Oued Méridja section and fluvial deposits on the southern edge of the Hamada de Méridja section. Recently, these sections have been dated as late Thanetian – early Ypresian (latest Paleocene to earliest Eocene) and Ypresian – earliest Lutetian (early to earliest middle Eocene), respectively, based on charophytes. The associated ostracod fauna recovered consists of relatively mostly moderately to badly preserved specimens and comprises 14 taxa, none of which could be identified to species level in view of its poor state of preservation; we have nevertheless been able to identify and describe the following taxa: Herpetocypris sp., Cyprinotus? sp., Heterocypris? sp. 1 and sp. 2, Cypris? sp., Ilyocypris sp., Cytheroidea indet. sp. 1 and sp. 2, Limnocytheridae indet. sp. 1, Cypridoidea indet. sp. 1, Cyprididae indet. sp. 1, and Ostracoda indet. sp. 1, 2 and 3. Only Heterocypris sp. 1 occurs in both sections. Although the fauna can as yet not be related to the few other contemporaneous faunas reported from the wider palaeogeographic area, it adds important new information to our poor knowledge on Eocene non-marine ostracods in North Africa and southern Europe. The Méridja sections and area are promising regarding the discovery of more, better preserved material and further studies, and one main limitation to the correlation of the fauna is the hitherto insufficient taxonomic knowledge on many faunal elements of Eocene non-marine ostracods to which our section contributes considerably.     

Megapedetes aegaeus N. SP. (Pedetidae) et a propos d'autres “rongeurs africains” dans le Miocene d'Anatolie

Three species of so-called “African rodents” (Megapedetes aegaeus n. sp., Phiomyidae indet. and Dakkamys sp.) have been recently discovered in Western Anatolia in the Middle Miocene localities of Bayraktepe, Chios and Yeni Eskihisar. The first species alone is described and discussed in this paper. The occurence of such rodents in Anatolia leeds to an evaluation of the special paleogeographic position of Africa to Asia at this time.     

A new Ruscinian site in Europe: Baza-1 (Baza basin,Andalusia, Spain)

The Guadix–Baza depression (southeastern Spain) preserves one of the best continental Plio-Pleistocene records of the European continent. The new site, Baza-1, is the first Ruscinian locality with fauna of large vertebrates known in the basin. During the summer seasons of 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2016, systematic excavations were undertaken in the site over an area of 25 m², which provided > 400 fossil remains of Ruscinian mammals. The faunal assemblage is diverse, comprising 17 genera. Rodentia are represented by Ruscinomys sp., Apocricetus barrierei, Debruijnimys julii, Apodemus gorafensis, Castillomys gracilis, Occitanomys cf. brailloni, Paraethomys meini, Paraethomys aff. abaigari, Stephanomys cordii, Trilophomys cf. castroi and Eliomys aff. intermedius. Large mammals are represented by two proboscideans, Anancus arvernensis and Mammut borsoni, the rhino Stephanorhinus sp. cf. S. jeanvireti, the equid cf. Hipparion sp., two bovids, a large sized Alephis sp. and a small-to-middle sized Bovidae indet. (cf. Antilope sp.), and a middle sized deer, Cervinae indet. This record is completed by the presence of a chelonid, Testudinae indet. Biostratigraphic data from micro and macromammals suggest an age for the assemblage between 4 and 4.5 Ma.     

Plicathyridine brachiopods (Athyridida) from the Frasnian (Late Devonian) of Western Europe and Middle East

Plicathyridine brachiopods (Athyridida) from the early–middle Frasnian of southern Belgium and northern France (Dinant Synclinorium) are systematically described for the first time. They include two species: Anathyris (Anathyris) calestiennensis nov. sp., and A. (A.) sp. indet. 1. They are uncommon in the mainly shally La Prée (Nismes Formation) and Ermitage (Moulin Liénaux Formation) members and are absent from the mixed argillaceous–carbonate late Frasnian succession in this area contrary to what is observed in Russia, notably in the East-European Platform and Siberia. In the Middle East, two species of Anathyris are recognized on the basis of a limited material from the Dascht-e-Nawar area in Afghanistan (A. (A.) sp. indet. 2) and the Kuh-e Kaftar mountains in Central Iran (A. (A.) sp. indet. 3). Anathyris (A.) calestiennensis nov. sp. is sometimes encrusted by epizoans (tabulate and rugose corals, and bryozoans) and rarely displays single, small circular drill holes. The past and current epizoan–brachiopod interactions are also discussed (Anathyris vs. Lingula, respectively).     

Ectothermic vertebrates (Actinopterygii,Allocaudata, Urodela,Anura, Crocodylia,Squamata) from the Miocene of Sandelzhausen (Germany,Bavaria) and their implications for environment reconstruction and palaeoclimate

The Early to Middle Miocene fossil locality Sandelzhausen has yielded 48 species of ectothermic vertebrates and thus represents one of the most diverse ectotherm faunas of Miocene age. Thirty-five taxa of fishes, amphibians and reptiles, including three new species: Pelobates fahlbuschi nov. sp. (Pelobatidae, the most abundant vertebrate), Tropidophorus bavaricus nov. sp. (Lygosominae) and Bavaricordylus molassicus nov. sp. (Cordylidae), are described. Three additional species are new, but are not named yet: Ranidae indet. nov. gen. et sp., Anguidae gen. indet. sp. nov. and Palaeoblanus sp. nov. (Amphisbaenidae). In order to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and past hydrologic conditions, a new methodology (the tooth replacement method, TRM) is introduced, which allows for the detection of autochthonous components within freshwater fish taphocoenose. TRM is tested on 45 localities from the Upper Freshwater Molasse and gives reasonable results in agreement with other analytical approaches. It is therefore viewed as a reliable method to distinguish perennial from seasonal water conditions at the Sandelzhausen locality. Using the TRM it was demonstrated that the palaeohydrology of Sandelzhausen is characterized by a change from temporary water to permanent water conditions. During the period of temporary water conditions (units B to D1, lower part) the ecosystem was driven by seasonal inundations, and the remaining riparian pools have yielded no autochthonous fish population, but acted as spawning places for amphibians (amphibian pool). A mostly open habitat in the close vicinity, with sandy and non-groundwater-affected soils during the dry season, is suggested based on the absolute dominance of the spadefoot Pelobates fahlbuschi nov. sp. This ecosystem changed up-section (late part of unit D1 and during D2 and E) due to the establishment of permanent water conditions of riparian pond type, preserving an autochthonous Palaeocarassius/Channa fish population (fish pond). The reconstructed precipitation values suggest that the observed change in hydrologic conditions was probably driven by climate. The lower part of the section gives semi-arid/sub-humid values, with 571 mm mean annual precipitation (MAP), whereas the upper part yields sub-humid/humid values of 847 mm MAP. The increase in precipitation by about 280 mm was perhaps caused by a less seasonal precipitation regime with concomitant higher regional groundwater tables during units D2 and E. Based on the occurrence of several thermophilous reptile species, and in agreement with palaeobotanical and oxygen isotope data, the climate of Sandelzhausen is interpreted as subtropical with mean annual temperatures from 18°C to 20.8°C, mean cold month temperatures from 12.6°C to 13.3°C and mean warm month temperatures from 25.1°C to 28.1°C.     

Microfaunal remains at Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave, Israel: Preliminary results on small vertebrates, environment and biostratigraphy

Preliminary results of the investigation of the microfauna at the Acheulo-Yabrudian Middle Pleistocene site of Qesem Cave, Israel, are presented. Thus far the assemblage includes ca. 10,000 bone and tooth fragments, of which 50% could be identified to the generic and some hundreds to the species level. Based on the current material, the fauna includes the following squamate reptiles: Laudakia sp., Chamaeleo sp., Gekkonidae indet., Lacertidae indet., Scincidae indet., Pseudopus sp., Varanus sp., Colubroidea indet. (at least three species) and micromammals: Suncus etruscus, Crocidura cf. leucodon, Crocidurinae indet. (large form), Chiroptera indet., Sciurus cf. anomalus, Cricetulus cf. migratorius, Microtus guentheri, Nannospalax ehrenbergi, Dipodillus cf. dasyurus, Meriones cf. tristrami, Gerbillidae indet., Mus cf. musculus, Apodemus cf. flavicollis. These results suggest that the fauna includes only taxa that occur recently in the territory of Israel. The ecological preferences of the nearest living relatives of the recorded taxa allow us to infer a paleoenvironment with a mosaic of open and woodland habitats. However, comparing the lower with the upper levels of the microfauna-bearing profile, a slight shift towards more wooded conditions might be detectable. Biostratigraphical inferences from the recorded micromammal taxa cover a rather wide age range, whereas the radiometric (U-series and preliminary TL) dating enable a provisionally estimated date for the microfauna-bearing levels at 360-300 ka. Detailed morphometric comparisons with material from other sites in the region are necessary and may yet provide further insights.     

Microvertebrates from unit G/layer 17 of the archaeological site of Hummal (El Kowm,Central Syria): Preliminary results

We present a first look at the microvertebrate fauna of the Middle Pleistocene site of Hummal in Central Syria. Some 2000 microvertebrate remains (1200 mammalian; 230 reptilian; 600 unidentified) were found in unit G/layer 17 by screen-washing sediments in an area of 4 m². The following taxa have been identified: Reptilia: Agaminae indet., Gekkota indet., Lacertidae indet. (2–3 taxa), Eryx sp., Natricinae indet.; and Mammalia: Crocidurinae indet., Chiroptera indet., Lepus sp., Arvicolinae indet., Ellobius sp., Microtus sp., Murinae indet. (large form), Mus sp., Meriones sp., Gerbillus sp. The presence of Ellobius indicates a Middle Pleistocene age of the fauna. This genus does not occur in Syria today, but is recorded in Israel in Late Acheulean to Early Mousterian sites. In North Africa, the occurrence of this genus is restricted to the early part of the Middle Pleistocene. The ecological requirements of the nearest living relatives of the recorded taxa indicate mainly open habitats, but also the presence of vegetation and wet conditions, at least close to the site. Lepus, Ellobius, Meriones, Gerbillus, and Eryx live to various extents in steppes, semi-deserts, and deserts. Various extant species of large murids that come into consideration occupy a variety of wooded habitats, grassland and savannah and require the presence of water. Hummal offers the most detailed Pleistocene portrait yet of hominin palaeoenvironment in an area that, at the end of the Pleistocene, became known as part of the Fertile Crescent.     

Diversity of Middle Jurassic Turtles from the Berezovsk Quarry Locality,Krasnoyarsk Region,Russia: Morphology and Histological Study

Abstract—Morphology and histology of several fragmentary turtle specimens from the Middle Jurassic locality in the Berezovsk quarry (Krasnoyarsk Region, Russia) are described, including Testudines indet. 1 (costal VIII), Testudines indet. 2 (two ornamented shell fragments), and Testudines indet. 3 (distal part of a humerus), and also skeletal elements of Annemys sp. (Xinjiangchelyidae) represented by mass material in the same locality. It is shown that Testudines indet. 1 and 3 probably belong to one or two taxa of basal aquatic turtles, while Testudines indet. 2 is most likely an abnormal Annemys sp. The presumable presence of basal turtles in the Berezovsk Quarry Assemblage agrees with the fact that they are present in other Middle Jurassic turtle assemblages of Asia.