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Abstract: In order to define the ancestors of the Eurasian genera Axis and Rusa, the representatives of the tribe Pliocervini have been reviewed, with the exclusion of the genus Pliocervus. The fossil remains referred to Pliocervini stored in the Palaeontological Museum of Mechnikov Odessa National University and studied by Khomenko [Khomenko, I., 1913. Meotian fauna of v. Tarakliya of Bendery district. Annuaire géologique et minéralogique de la Russie. 1. The ancestors of modern and fossil Cervinae. 2. Giraffidae and Cavicornia 15, 107–132 (in Russian)] are reappraised: these remains are attributed to Cervavitus novorossiae (Khomenko, 1913). The fossil deer collected from the locality of Novoelizavetovka (Odessa region, Ukraine) and observed in the same Museum of the Odessa National University, is referred to Cervavitus variabilis Alexeev (1915).The fossil material from Shanxi and Honan provinces (China), described by Zdansky [Zdansky, O., 1925. Fossil Hirsche Chinas. Palaeontologia Sinica C 2, 1–94] and Teilhard de Chardin and Trassaert [Teilhard de Chardin, P., Trassaert, M., 1937. The Pliocene Camelidae, Giraffidae and Cervidae of southeastern Shansi.] is referred to Cervavitus shanxius Dong and Hu, 1994. The phylogenetic relationships between Pliocervini from China and the European ones are investigated on the basis of the morphological, biochronological and paleogeographical data. These elements and the suggestions of the more recent genetical and biometrical data may indicate that the origin of the two genera Axis and Rusa could be recognized into the Chinese pliocervines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The island of Lesvos, eastern Aegean, Greece is well known for the Neogene Petrified Forest of Sigri, situated in the southeastern part of island. The Miocene mammals were hitherto unknown in the island and the deinothere studied herein is the first evidence of their presence. The material was found near the village Gavathas in strongly silicified lacustrine marls. The morphological characters of the stutied teeth and their dimensions indicate that they belong to a primitive form of Prodeinotherium bavaricum. This fact together with the available radiometric ages of the volcanic rocks of the area suggests a minimum age of 18.4 Ma corresponding to the upper part of early Miocene or to late MN 3. The arrival and the dispersion of the deinotheres in Eurasia are also discussed and the Lesvos material represents the first known appearance of deinotheres in Europe. They arrived at the end of MN 3 (18.0–19.0 Ma) and they rapidly dispersed into Europe as their first occurrence in France and Spain is dated at the early MN 4 (18.0). Their first appearance in Asia seems to be earlier as they were traced in the Bugti fauna (Pakistan) dated at 20.5 Ma. This suggests an early connection of Africa and Asia before the final closure of the Tethyan Seaway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]