Frogs (Amphibia, Anura) from the Eocene and Oligocene of the Phosphorites du Quercy (France). An overview

Abstract

Fossil bats are described from deposits of the Upper Freshwater Molasse of the Forsthart and Rembach sites in East Bavaria of South Germany (MN 4). The material comprises 13 fragments, representing at least six different species, all belonging to Vespertilionidae. A fossil form from Rembach, close to the Oriental clade of Hesperoptenus, represents the fi rst and oldest fossil record of this clade in Europe. The assignment of bat records to extant Oriental clades Hesperoptenus and Submyotodon in Rembach, as well as different forms of Miostrellus in Forsthart indicate considerable diversity in Early Miocene vespertilionid bats, and have exciting palaeobiogeographic implications. Fossils are discussed in regards to taxonomic, stratigraphic and palaeoecological signifi cance.

Two pelobatid frogs from the late Miocene of Caucasus (Russia)

“…However, both these genera were reported from the late Oligocene of Rott (Böhme et al, 1982), the early-middle Miocene of Sandelshausen (Böhme 2010), from the early Pliocene of Węże 1 and late Pliocene of Rębielice Królewskie 1 (Młynarski, 1977;Sanchíz and Młynarski, 1979), and from the early Pliocene of Ivanovce (Hodrová, 1981). The situation with the Pliocene records of Eopelobates is complicated by the fact that Eopelobates and Pelobates are distinguishable by their cranial osteology, whereas their postcranial elements are fairly similar (Roček, 2013;Rage, 2016). Consequently those records which are based exclusively on postcranial elements need verification.…”

Early Miocene herpetofaunas from the Greek localities of Aliveri and Karydia – bridging a gap in the knowledge of amphibians and reptiles from the early Neogene of southeastern Europe

“…The genus may have also been present during the early Oligocene, considering a mention of Latonia aff. vertaizoni from Quercy (Rage 2006), however, this material is undescribed and still awaits a formal documentation. Starting from the Pliocene, the European range of Latonia underwent a southward directed contraction, which eventually resulted in its local extirpation during the Pleistocene.…”

Vertebrate remains from the Insect Limestone (latest Eocene), Isle of Wight, UK

“…This changed as the climate cooled, culminating in a major drop in diversity just after the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (e.g. Rage 1986Rage , 2006Rage , 2012Augé 2000Augé , 2005Augé & Smith 2009). Much of the published data on Eocene lizards comes from deposits in the Franco-Belgium Basin and Germany (reviewed in Augé 2003bAugé , 2005, and recently Spain (Bolet & Evans 2013) but Eocene lizard faunas have also been recovered from a series of horizons in southern England (e.g.…”

“…Analyses of the squamate fauna of western Europe agree that there was a major drop in diversity shortly after the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, at the time of the Grande Coupure (e.g. Rage 1986Rage , 2006Rage , 2012Augé 2000;Augé & Smith 2009). Four groups disappeared from western Europe: pleurodont iguanians, gekkotans, glyptosaurines and helodermatids, although gekkotans and helodermatids returned later in the Oligocene.…”