Upper Miocene mammals from Strumyani, South-Western Bulgaria
Author
Geraads, Denis
Author
Spassov, Nikolaï
Author
Hristova, Latinka
Author
Markov, Georgi N.
Author
Tzankov, Tzanko
text
Geodiversitas
2011
2011-09-30
33
3
451
484
http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/g2011n3a3
journal article
10.5252/g2011n3a3
1638-9395
5381380
Family
CERVIDAE Gray, 1821
Gen. et sp. indet.
A right mandible, FM-2100 (
Fig. 3J
), and its left counterpart, FM-2101, are the only cervid remains from the Miocene of Strumyani (SW
Bulgaria
). The teeth are in medium wear, and well preserved. The premolars are long relative to the molars, especially p2 that is almost as long as p3 and p4. The parastylid is distinct from the paraconid on p3 and p4. The p3 has a conical metaconid, but on p4 this cuspid produces distal and mesial flanges, the latter closing the central valley by contacting the paraconid. In contrast to most other Upper Miocene cervids, the labial groove of p4 is shallow. The molars have no
Palaeomeryx
-fold, and the lingual wall of the m3 hypoconulid is oblique in occlusal view. Measurements are: L p2-p4 = 28.3; L m1-m3 = 42.9.
Without antler, identification of a cervid is highly speculative, and we prefer to refrain from naming the Strumyani one, especially as there are a number of different species (and perhaps many more different names) in the late Miocene. Furthermore, this cervid displays some remarkable features (large p2, p4 much more molarized than p3) unmatched in other localities, and its teeth have no special resemblance to any of them. Unidentified cervid remains from the Turolian of South-Western
Bulgaria
are known also from the localities of Hadjidimovo and Ploski-Bairamitsa.