A Description of Two New Species of the Genus Rucervus (Cervidae, Mammalia) from the Early Pleistocene of Southeast Europe, with Comments on Hominin and South Asian Ruminants Dispersals

Abstract

The article attests the presence of the genus Rucervus in the paleontological record of Europe and presents the description of new species of large-sized deer Rucervus radulescui sp. nov. from the Early Pleistocene of Valea Grăunceanului (Southern Romania) and Rucervus gigans sp. nov. from the late Early Pleistocene of Apollonia-1 (Greece). The described cervid species represent two different evolutionary radiations of Rucervus that are grouped into the extinct subgenus Arvernoceros that represents the northern evolutionary radiation and the nominotypical subgenus that is regarded as the southern evolutionary radiation and represented today by only one species Rucervus duvaucelii. The evolutionary radiation and dispersals of Rucervus are regarded in the paleobiogeographic context of faunal exchanges between southeastern Europe, Caucasus, and Near East during the Early Pleistocene and the westward dispersal of early hominins in Eurasia.

Taxonomy, Systematics and Evolution of Giant Deer Megaloceros Giganteus (Blumenbach, 1799) (Cervidae, Mammalia) from the Pleistocene of Eurasia

“…Unlike M. giganteus, the crown part in R. ardei is composed of crown tines inserted on the posterior side of the beam [85]. R. ardei is also characterized by such important advanced character as the relatively short braincase, while M. giganteus maintains the relatively long primitive proportions of the braincase [37,82,85]. The basal tine with the additional prong in R. ardei is not homologous to the bifurcated and flattened basal tine of M. giganteus.…”

“…However, the assumed phylogenetic relationship between R. ardei and M. giganteus conflicts with such important features as the general antler bauplan and the relative length of the braincase. Unlike M. giganteus, the crown part in R. ardei is composed of crown tines inserted on the posterior side of the beam [85]. R. ardei is also characterized by such important advanced character as the relatively short braincase, while M. giganteus maintains the relatively long primitive proportions of the braincase [37,82,85].…”

Advances in Quaternary Studies: The Contribution of the Mammalian Fossil Record

“…The effect of climatic oscillations, combined with the presence of geographical and ecological barriers and their change throughout time, conceivably exerted a strong influence on the dispersal and dispersion of mammalian species across and between continents. According to Croitor [40], for instance, the results obtained by the analysis and identification of two new Rucervus species at Valea Graunceanului (Romania) (an LFA whose taxonomic composition indicates a middle Villafranchian (MN 17) age, younger than, and not chronologically correlated with (cf. [40] (p. 2)), the Italian "Olivola Faunal Unit" (see, e.g., [41,42] references therein) may shed some light on the faunal exchanges among Southeastern Europe, the Near East and Southern Asia during the Early Pleistocene (Gelasian).…”

“…According to Croitor [40], for instance, the results obtained by the analysis and identification of two new Rucervus species at Valea Graunceanului (Romania) (an LFA whose taxonomic composition indicates a middle Villafranchian (MN 17) age, younger than, and not chronologically correlated with (cf. [40] (p. 2)), the Italian "Olivola Faunal Unit" (see, e.g., [41,42] references therein) may shed some light on the faunal exchanges among Southeastern Europe, the Near East and Southern Asia during the Early Pleistocene (Gelasian). The author in [40], analysing the evolutionary radiation and dispersals of Rucervus in the palaeobiogeographical context of faunal exchanges between southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Southern Asia, suggested they might have been controlled "by the complex interaction of geographic obstacles, such as Bosporus and Manych Straight, the climate barrier from the north of the Greater Caucasus range, and the 41 kyr glacial cycles that repeatedly closed the Bosporus and thus triggered the two-way faunal exchange between SE Europe and the Near East, and, apparently, the further westwards dispersal of the archaic hominins in Eurasia" (cf.…”

“…The author in [40], analysing the evolutionary radiation and dispersals of Rucervus in the palaeobiogeographical context of faunal exchanges between southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Southern Asia, suggested they might have been controlled "by the complex interaction of geographic obstacles, such as Bosporus and Manych Straight, the climate barrier from the north of the Greater Caucasus range, and the 41 kyr glacial cycles that repeatedly closed the Bosporus and thus triggered the two-way faunal exchange between SE Europe and the Near East, and, apparently, the further westwards dispersal of the archaic hominins in Eurasia" (cf. [40] (p. 28)).…”