Giant rhinoceros Paraceratherium and other vertebrates from Oligocene and middle Miocene deposits of the Kağızman-Tuzluca Basin, Eastern Turkey

Abstract

A recent fieldwork in the Kağızman-Tuzluca Basin in northeastern Turkey led us to the discovery of three vertebrate localities which yielded some limb bones of the giant rhino Paraceratherium, a crocodile tooth, and some small mammals, respectively. These discoveries allowed, for the first time to date some parts of the sedimentary units of this basin. This study also shows that the dispersal area of Paraceratherium is wider than it was known before. Eastern Turkey has several Cenozoic sedimentary basins formed during the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. They are poorly documented for vertebrate paleontology. Consequently, the timing of tectonic activities, which led to the formation of the East Anatolian accretionary complex, is not constrained enough with a solid chronological framework. This study provides the first biostratigraphic evidences for the infill under the control of the compressive tectonic regime, which built the East Anatolian Plateau.

Early Miocene gastropod and ectothermic vertebrate remains from the Lesvos Petrified Forest (Greece)

“…Nevertheless, the new finds from Lapsarna represent only the second published record of crocodiles from Greece, as this clade has otherwise only been previously described from the Late Miocene of Crete (Georgalis et al 2016a), whereas in Turkey this clade has been recorded from several Oligo-Miocene localities (e.g. Sen et al 2011).…”

“…Crocodylian and squamate faunas from the Miocene of Greece and Turkey are insufficiently known as yet (e.g. Richter 1995;Szyndlar 1995;Sen et al 2011;Georgalis et al 2016a, b;Č erňanský et al 2017). Unfortunately, the fragmentary nature of the Lesvos specimens hinders any attempt to infer biogeographical significance concerning these groups.…”

First record of fossil anguines (Squamata; Anguidae) from the Oligocene and Miocene of Turkey

“…Based on this fossil record, Ophisaurus appeared in the Asiatic part of Turkey during the terminal Oligocene (and perhaps even slightly earlier). The Oligocene and Miocene rhinocerotoids and associated faunas from several Turkish localities (Antoine et al 2008;Sen et al 2011), including the snake Bavarioboa (Szyndlar and Hoşgör 2012), indicate that Anatolia had close terrestrial connections with both Asia and Europe during the late Oligocene and Early Miocene. Therefore, the anguine material described herein from the Asiatic part of Turkey brings additional evidence for links between the terrestrial faunas of Europe and southwestern Asia.…”

Oligocene ruminants from the Kızılırmak Formation, Çankırı-Çorum Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

“…From these preliminary results, it appears that the ruminant fauna from the Kızılırmak Formation is taxonomically most similar to Oligocene faunas from Europe and Central Asia, and to a lesser degree with Oligocene faunas of Pakistan Métais et al, 2009). The Paleogene fossil record along the northern edge of the Tethys remains very scarce (Sen et al, 2011;Métais et al, 2015), and in that respect, the ruminant fauna from the Kızılırmak Formation provides a critical landmark.…”