New insectivores (Lipotyphla, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of the Sivas Basin, Central Anatolia

Abstract

The ages of the rich Central Anatolian Late Miocene mammal sites Hayranl 1 and Dzyayla are only approximately known. One of the main reasons for the age uncertainties is the substantial faunal difference between Anatolia and Europe during this time slice, hampering correlations to the European MN system. Previously, a MN 10 or MN 11 age has been assigned to Hayranl 1 (Anatolian Zone J) and a MN 12 age to Dzyayla (Zone K) based on rodents. Here we studied the fossil insectivores from these two Turkish Miocene localities. We found an almost identical faunal content of the two localities, including one erinaceid (Schizogalerix sinapensis), five soricids (Paenelimnoecus sp., Amblycoptus oligodon, Petenyia dubia, Soricinae indet. and Crocidurinae/Crocidosoricinae indet.), and two talpids (Desmanella aff. cingulata and Desmanodon larsi sp. nov.). With the only difference being the absence of Paenelimnoecus in Dzyayla, the insectivore fauna suggests that the sites are not significantly different in age. The presence of A. oligodon is indicative of MN 12 in Europe. The rest of the assemblage is in complete agreement with a Turolian (MN 11-13) age. Our results also imply that D. larsi sp. nov. represents the youngest record of Desmanodon, extending the biostratigraphical range of this genus significantly.