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Five different ruminant taxa were found in the Gra?anica coal mine: the tragulid Dorcatherium vindebonense, a palaeomerycid (Palaeomerycidae gen. et sp. indet.), the giraffe Giraffokeryx sp., and the bovids ?Tethytragus sp. and Eotragus ?clavatus. The ruminant fauna fits well to an early middle to middle middle Miocene age and is typical for a locality of the mammal units MN5 or MN6. The assemblage shows Asian as well as European affinities, represents the westernmost occurrence of Giraffokeryx known so far, and confirms the role of the Balkan Peninsula as a corridor between the two continents. As the ruminant assemblage from Gra?anica is not abundant, palaeoecological considerations are only tentative, but the determined taxa point to a predominantly forested environment. © 2018, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature., FR-TAF-1892 Seventh Framework Programme, FP7, G. R?ssner (Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns), C. Argot (Mus?um national d?histoire naturelle), M. Gross (Universalmuseum Joanneum) and R. Ziegler (SMNS) are thanked for providing access to comparison material. Many thanks go to P. Havlik (Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt), E. Heizmann (SMNS) and L. W. van den Hoek Ostende (Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden) for helpful discussions on material and manuscript and proof reading. Furthermore, we want to thank the reviewers, Dimitris S. Kostopoulos (Aristotle University Thessaloniki) and Bastien Mennecart (Naturhistorisches Museum Basel), for the useful comments that helped greatly to improve the manuscript. This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project (FR-TAF-1892) which is financed by the European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 ?Capacities? Program. And last but not least, we want to thank U. G?hlich and O. Mandic (both NHMW) for the invitation to contribute to this special issue.

Dental fossils of an indeterminate small cervoid (Ruminantia, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from the lower Miocene Koura Formation of southwestern Japan are described. The examined specimens of Cervoidea fam., gen. et sp. indet. consist of selenodont lower molars with plesiomorphic characteristics of early cervoids: a strong external postprotocristid (or Palaeomeryx-fold), a deep groove on the lingual wall of the internal postmetacristid, and opening posterior cristids between the postentocristid and the posthypocristid. The lower molars are similar in shape and size with those of Miocene Cervidae rather than Moschidae or Palaeomerycidae because the present specimens are comparable to those of Dicrocerus tokunagai, which is one of the lower/ middle Miocene cervids from northeastern Japan, and D. grangeri from the middle Miocene of China. The lower Miocene Nakamura Formation (ca. 19 Ma) of central Japan also yielded a small cervoid species sharing the lower molar characteristics with Cervoidea fam., ge...

One of the rare records of a rich ruminant fauna of late Middle Miocene age (Sarmatian sensu stricto; 12.2–12.0 Ma) was discovered at the Gratkorn locality (Styria, Austria). It comprises, besides Micromeryx flourensianus, ?Hispanomeryx sp., Euprox furcatus, Palaeomerycidae gen. et sp. indet., and Tethytragus sp., one of the oldest records of Dorcatherium naui. Gratkorn specimens of the latter species are in metric and morphologic accordance (e.g. selenodont teeth, bicuspid p2, non-fusion of malleolus lateralis and tibia) with type material from Eppelsheim (Germany) and conspecific material from Atzelsdorf (Austria), and do not show an intermediate morphology between Late Miocene Dorcatherium naui and Middle Miocene Dorcatherium crassum, thus enforcing the clear separation of the two species. It furthermore confirms the assignation of Dorcatherium naui to a selenodont lineage (together with Dorcatherium guntianum) distinct from a bunoselenodont lineage (including Dorcatherium crassum). The record of ?Hispanomeryx sp. is the first of this genus in Central Europe. While Tethytragus sp. could also be a new bovid representative for the Sarmatian of Central Europe, Micromeryx flourensianus and Euprox furcatus are well-known taxa in the Middle Miocene of Central Europe, but comprise their first records from Styria. Morphological data from this work in combination with isotopic measurements (δ18OCO3, δ13C; Aiglstorfer et al. 2014a, this issue) indicate a niche partitioning for the ruminants from Gratkorn with subcanopy browsing (Euprox furcatus), top canopy browsing (Tethytragus sp.) and even a certain amount of frugivory (Dorcatherium naui and Micromeryx flourensianus).

The Palaeomerycidae are a family of cervoid ruminants that are best known for the unusual occipital cranial appendages found in the Cranioceratini (Janis and Manning, 1998). The oldest known palaeo...

In more than 20 years of excavation at the fossil lagerstatte Sandelzhausen (Early/Middle Miocene boundary, Burdigalian/Langhian boundary, early middle MN5) a substantial amount of fossil remains of ruminants have been recovered. Currently, it is the largest recorded assemblage of ruminants from the Miocene Northern Alpine Foreland Basin. More than 1,000 teeth, almost 70 antler remains and one skull enable the identification of five ruminants, namely the tragulid Dorcatherium crassum, the palaeomerycid Germanomeryx n. g. fahlbuschi n. sp., and the cervids Lagomeryx parvulus, Lagomeryx pumilio, and Heteroprox eggeri n. sp. Lagomeryx parvulus and L. pumilio have the most extensive record yet known for these species, opening up a much more complete view of them 120 years after the discovery of the type materials. The newly established G. n. g. fahlbuschi n. sp. and H. eggeri n. sp. enlarge our knowledge on the taxonomic composition of Miocene European Ruminantia. Because of the exceptionally large number of specimens, nearly all tooth positions of all five species are documented, thereby completing hitherto partially known character sets. The investigation comprises extensive taxonomic descriptions of all species represented and an interpretation of the palaeoecology based on an analysis of the community structure. This clearly suggests a humid closed canopy forest interspersed with temporary and perennial waters and accompanying open areas. Moreover, a comparison with other, stratigraphically close Molasse Basin communities emphasizes the various peculiarities of the Sandelzhausen community (low species number, cervid-dominance, dominance of L. pumilio over L. parvulus, non-dominance of very small-sized ruminants, comparably high portion of palaeomerycids, all species being browsers, no Eotragus and no Amphimoschus). The investigation also clarifies the similarity with the communities from Undorf and Viehhausen (Germany, MN5). The deduced dynamics in community structure of the late Early and early Middle Miocene Northern Alpine Foreland Basin provides further support for the current hypothesis of a vast wetland envi- ronment under the strong influence of alternating dry and flood seasons.

The Oschiri fauna is the oldest endemic insular fauna known from the Mediterranean and one of the oldest worldwide. It presents a rare opportunity to study the effects of insular ecology on the evolution on more primitive relatives of the typical Quaternary endemics. The following macromammals are described: Hyotherium? insularis n.sp. (Artiodactyla, Suiformes, Suidae, Hyotheriinae), Bachitherium sardus n.sp. (Ruminantia, Bachitheriidae), “Amphitragulus” sp. (currently placed in Palaeomerycidae), Moschidae? indet., Sardomeryx oschiriensis n.gen. n.sp. (Giraffoidea?), and possibly a perissodactyl. The large mammals from Oschiri may have arrived during unit MN3 (corresponding to the Ramblian, Burdigalian or Early Miocene), or some 20 Ma ago. The composition of the whole fauna resembles that of the Quaternary Mediterranean islands. The abundance of ruminants, even if belonging to different families, resembles the situation in Quaternary insular faunas, which tend to be dominated by Cervidae (Crete, Ryukyu islands) and Bovidae (Balearics). Apparently, Ruminantia are good colonisers of islands and good competitors in insular environment. The ruminant families and suid subfamily that are reported for the first time as insular endemics, show similar adaptations as found in the Quaternary endemics. These observations support the idea that, insular ecologies result in convergent evolution, independent of the geological age or taxonomic composition of the initial fauna.

Comunicación presentada en el XIII Encuentro en Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología (XIII EJIP) - XIII Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology (XIII EJIP): Cercedilla, 15 - 18 de Abril de 2015

Received: 21 January 2015 /Revised: 9 March 2015 /Accepted: 27 April 2015 /Published online: 10 June 2015, © 2015, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. At the time of its discovery, over 25 years ago, the Greek locality of Aliveri preserved the easternmost occurrence for the early Miocene of cricetodontine hamsters such as Cricetodon, Megacricetodon and Democricetodon. As knowledge on the early Miocene history of the eastern Mediterranean increased, the faunal composition became more enigmatic, because of the presence of typical European elements (Pseudotheridomys, Heterosorex, Plesiodimylus, Myxomygale), absent from Anatolia. Recently, the ungulates from the locality were rediscovered, expanding the faunal list with the equid Anchitherium and the pecorans Lagomeryx (two species), Eotragus and Palaeomerycidae gen. et sp. indet. In this paper, we examine the fauna of Aliveri in the light of the current state of knowledge. The assemblage is typical for MN 4, but is believed to pre-date European localities of that biochronological unit. Similarity with Anatolian MN 3 localities suggests that the origin of the fauna lies mostly in that region, whereas the major differences with European localities suggest relative isolation, in line with palaeogeographic reconstructions of the period. However, when isolation was lifted, a number of European elements were added to the local fauna, but, presumably because of an ecological barrier, did not move further into Anatolia. Migrations at the onset of MN 4 can explain the composition of the Greek fauna, but we are still far from completely understanding the complex history of the eastern Mediterranean during the early Miocene., This research was supported by the Spanish MINECO Project No. CGL2011-28877 and the research group UCM 910607. The work of A.O. was supported by a FPU Predoctoral Fellowship and a SYNTHESYS grant at NL-TAF, and the work of .H.-B. by a FPI predoctoral Fellowship.

We describe a sample of cranial appendages and isolated dentition of the Palaeomerycids ruminants from the Upper Aragonian localities of La Barranca (Zaragoza, Spain) and La Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère, France). The most characteristic fossils are two frontal protuberances which are morphologically close to those of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi although differing on the orientation of the ossicone apex. The dentition is comparable in size and morphology to that of Ampelomeryx magnus from Sansan (France). During the Aragonian in the Central Iberian Basins three different and successive Palaemerycids assemblages are recognized. This succession could be correlated with the paleoclimatic pattern observed in the same area.Se describen restos fósiles correspondientes a rumiantes de la familia Palaeomerycidae de los yacimientos del Aragoniense superior de La Barranca (Zaragoza, España) y de La Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère, Francia). Las piezas más notables son sendos osiconos frontales, que presentan una morfología parecida a la de Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, difiriendo en la distinta orientación de la región apical. La dentición es similar morfológica y biométricamente a la de Ampelomeryx magnus del yacimiento Aragoniense superior de Sansan (Francia). En este trabajo se apunta la hipótesis de la existencia en las cuencas centrales de la Península Ibérica de tres conjuntos diferenciados de Palaeomerycidae, cuya sucesión se relaciona con la evolución paleoclimática que sufrió dicha área geográfica durante el Aragoniense.

The origin, phylogeny, and evolution of modem giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) is obscure. We review here the literature and conclude that the proximate ancestors of modern giraffes probably evolved in southern central Europe about 8 million years ago (Mya). These ancestors appear to have arisen from the gelocid ancestral assemblage of 20–25 Mya via the family Palaeomerycidae. From the palaeomerycids arose the Antilocaprinae (Pronghorns) via the subfamily Dromomerycinae, and two subfamilies of giraffids, the Climacoceratidae and Canthumerycidae. The terminal genus of the Climacoceratid line was the now extinct massive giraffid Sivatherium sp. The Canthumerycids gave rise to the okapi and giraffes via the intermediate forms of Giraffokeryx, Palaeotragus sp. (of which the okapi is the extant form), Samotherium sp. and Bohlinia sp. All of which are extinct. Stimulated by climate change, progeny of Bohlinia entered China and north India, evolved into typical Giraffa species and became extinct there about 4 M...

The revision of the European Palaeomerycidae leads us to consider that there are only two species of Palaeomeryx in Europe: Palaeomeryx bojani and Palaeomeryx eminens . On the other hand the genera Triceromeryx, Ampelomeryx and Tauromeryx must be considered as junior synonyms of Palaeomeryx .

Extant ungulates can be divided into three dietary categories: browsers, grazers, and mixed feeders. Dietary adaptations can be differentiated in extant ruminants based upon analysis of premaxillary shape. This study applies methods to determine the dietary adaptations of extinct ungulates through analysis of premaxillary shapes. While browsers have pointed premaxillae and grazers have square premaxillae, mixed feeders have premaxillae that are a shape intermediate to the browsers and grazers, sometimes accompanied by an indentation on either side of the incisive foramen, which results in a club-shaped premaxilla. Cranioceras skinneri (Palaeomerycidae), Dromomeryx whitfordi (Palaeomerycidae), Palaeotragus coelophrys, "Palaeotragus" primaevus, an undetermined species from the Baringo Basin of Kenya (Giraffidae), Texoceros guimonensis (Antilocapridae), and Turcocerus grangeri (Bovidae) were found browsers; Aletomeryx gracilis (Palaeomerycidae), Bramatherium megacephalum (Giraffidae), Cosoryx furcatus (Antilocapridae), Honanotherium schlosseri (Giraffidae), Samotherium boissieri (Giraffidae), Samotherium neumayri (Giraffidae), Samotherium sp. nov., Sivatherium giganteum (Giraffidae), and Synthetoceras tricornatus (Protoceratidae) were grazers; and Merycodus necatus (Antilocapridae) and Palaeotragus rouenii (Giraffidae) were mixed feeders.

At the lower Miocene locality of Loranca, Spain, numerous skeletal and dental remains of a peculiar Giraffoid havebeen collected. Many of the long bone diaphyses, especially of the front limbs, possess abnormally thickened multilayered “pachyostotic” bone deposits, all adult individuals being affected (MNI = 24). These remains are identified as belonging to a new genus and species of giraffoid Lorancameryx pachyostoticus, close to Teruelia adroveri, another lower Miocene giraffoid from Spain without pachyostosis. In searching for an explanation for the phenomenon of pachyostosis in the Loranca giraffoid, the authors have developed an hypothesis about the evolution of “abnormal” bony deposits in artiodactyls, including the appearance of frontal appendages in several Miocene to Recent lineages (Cervidae, Climacoceratidae, Lagomerycidae, Bovidae, Giraffidae, Antilocapridae, Hoplitomerycidae, Palaeomerycidae, Suidae) and of pachyostotic mandibles and maxillae in some Pleistocene Cervidae. The hypothesis is that all these “abnormal” bony deposits are simply different strategies for maintaining body/skeletal relations relatively constant in species which undergo marked seasonal body weight fluctuations. The onset of marked seasonality towards the end of the lower Miocene period appears to have been the “trigger” for the independent evolution of bony cranial appendages in at least 7 lineages of ruminants and of pachyostotic limb bones in the Loranca giraffoid. Once such appendages had evolved they secondarily took on behavioural significance. The authors also discuss the reasons for the onset of marked seasonality towards the end of the lower Miocene.

Palaeomerycids were strange three-horned Eurasian Miocene ruminants known through fossils from Spain to China. We here study their systematics, offering the first cladistic phylogeny of the best-known species of the group, and also reassess their phylogenetic position among ruminants, which is currently disputed. The beautifully preserved remains of a new palaeomerycid from middle Miocene deposits of Spain, Xenokeryx amidalae gen. et sp. nov., helps us to better understand palaeomerycid anatomy, especially that of the nuchal region in the skull, significantly improving our current knowledge on these enigmatic ruminants. Our results show two main lineages of palaeomerycids, one containing the genus Ampelomeryx diagnosed by a characteristic type of cranium / cranial appendages and some dental derived traits, and another one that clusters those forms more closely related to Triceromeryx than to Ampelomeryx, characterized by a more derived dentition and a set of apomorphic cranial features. Xenokeryx branches as a basal offshoot of this clade. Also, we find that Eurasian palaeomerycids are not closely related to North American dromomerycids, thus rejecting the currently more accepted view of palaeomerycids as the Eurasian part of the dromomerycid lineage. Instead of this, palaeomerycids are nested with the African Miocene pecoran Propalaeoryx and with giraffoids. On the other hand, dromomerycids are closely related to cervids. We define a clade Giraffomorpha that includes palaeomerycids and giraffids, and propose an emended diagnosis of the Palaeomerycidae based on cranial and postcranial characters, including several features of the cranium not described so far. We also define the Palaeomerycidae as the least inclusive clade of pecorans containing Triceromeryx and Ampelomeryx. Finally, we reassess the taxonomy of several palaeomerycid taxa., This study is part of the research project CGL2011–25754 (Spanish Government, MINECO)

11 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 lámina, 2 tablas., [ES] Se describen restos fósiles correspondientes a rumiantes de la familia Palaeomerycidae de los yacimientos del Aragoniense superior de La Barranca (Zaragoza, España) y de La Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère, Francia). Las piezas más notables son sendos osiconos frontales, que presentan una morfología parecida a la de Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, difiriendo en la distinta orientación de la región apical. La dentición es similar morfológica y biométricamente a la de Ampelomeryx magnus del yacimiento Aragoniense superior de Sansan (Francia). En este trabajo se apunta la hipótesis de la existencia en las cuencas centrales de la Península Ibérica de tres conjuntos diferenciados de Palaeomerycidae, cuya sucesión se relaciona con la evolución paleoclimática que sufrió dicha área geográfica durante el Aragoniense., [EN] We describe a sample of cranial appendages and isolated dentition of the Palaeomerycids ruminants from the Upper Aragonian localities of La Barranca (Zaragoza, Spain) and La Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère, France). The most characteristic fossils are two frontal protuberances which are morphologically close to those of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi although differing on the orientation of the ossicone apex. The dentition is comparable in size and morphology to that of Ampelomeryx magnus from Sansan (France). During the Aragonian in the Central Iberian Basins three different and successive Palaemerycids assemblages are recognized. This succession could be correlated with the paleoclimatic pattern observed in the same area., La Universidad del País Vasco/EHU y Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza, por la financiación del trabajo (Ayudas a Grupos Consolidados 9/UPV00121.310-15226/2003) y al MEC, Proyecto BTE 2003- 03001, inicialmente dirigido por la Dra. Dolores Soria.

Ginsburg, Léonard, Cheneval, Jacques, Janvier, Philippe, Pouit, Daniel, Sen, Sevket (2000): Les Vertébrés des sables continentaux d'âge orléanien inférieur (MN 3) de Mauvières à Marcilly-sur-Maulne (Indre-et-Loire), La Brosse à Meigné-le-Vicomte (Maine-et-Loire) et Chitenay (Loir-et-Cher). Geodiversitas 22 (4): 597-631, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5375580, {"references":["Jacques CHENEVAL Departement des Sciences de la Terre, Universite Lyon 1, 27-42 bd du 11 novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne (France)"]}

In the present work dental remains belonging to Palaeomerycidae, associated with a Lower Vallesian fauna of Rodentia from the Iberian Peninsula, are studied. The stratigraphical distribution of this family in Europe, restricted so far to the Lower and Middle Miocene, is thus extended up to the Upper Miocene.