Review of the earliest Central European Ochotona (Mammalia: Lagomorpha), with a description of a new species from Poland
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Łucja Fostowicz-Frelik
Abstract
The fossil record of the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Ochotona in Central and Western Europe is sparse. Only a few species, confined mostly to the type localities, have been described from that period. The Villányian representatives include O. polonica (Zamkowa Dolna Cave, Poland) and O. dehmi (Schernfeld, Germany), whereas the Biharian representatives are O. horaceki (Honce, Slovakia), O. lazari (Gombasek, Slovakia) and O. valerotae (Les Valerots, France). The ochotonid material from Poland, yielding the most comprehensive evidence of the earliest Central European Ochotona is presented. In addition, the Biharian record is complemented by O. zabiensis sp. nov. from Żabia Cave (Poland). The p3 occlusal pattern and mandibular characters fully support erecting a new species. On the other hand, O. dehmi is synonymized with O. polonica and O. valerotae treated as a subspecies. The Villányian and Biharian pikas with relatively elongated p3, well-defined trigonid, long posteroconid, and the slender, low mandible form a conspicuous phylogenetic lineage. This lineage became extinct at the end of Biharian, and differs significantly from steppe pika, O. pusilla, widespread in Europe during the Last Glaciation. O. lazari and O. horaceki share many similarities with this species and are included into the O. pusilla lineage.
©2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- Original Studies
- Review of the earliest Central European Ochotona (Mammalia: Lagomorpha), with a description of a new species from Poland
- Decline of peccaries in a protected subtropical forest of Brazil: toward conservation issues
- Ranging behaviour of translocated roe deer in a Mediterranean habitat: seasonal and altitudinal influences on home range size and patterns of range use
- How rare is the rare Andean cat?
- Copulatory pattern of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum
- Geometric morphometric analysis of Iranian wood mice of the genus Apodemus (Rodentia, Muridae)
- A survey of the small mammals of Minziro Forest, Tanzania, with several additions to the known fauna of the country
- Short Notes
- Seasonal use of a waterhole by Nubian ibex Capra nubiana (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)
- Early reproduction onset in four species of Didelphimorphia in the Peruvian Amazonia
- Southernmost record for a living marsupial
- Feeding habits of American mink from Biebrza Wetlands affected by varied winter conditions
- Book Reviews
- Book reviews
- Meeting announcements
- 10.1515/MAMM.2008.013
Articles in the same Issue
- Original Studies
- Review of the earliest Central European Ochotona (Mammalia: Lagomorpha), with a description of a new species from Poland
- Decline of peccaries in a protected subtropical forest of Brazil: toward conservation issues
- Ranging behaviour of translocated roe deer in a Mediterranean habitat: seasonal and altitudinal influences on home range size and patterns of range use
- How rare is the rare Andean cat?
- Copulatory pattern of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum
- Geometric morphometric analysis of Iranian wood mice of the genus Apodemus (Rodentia, Muridae)
- A survey of the small mammals of Minziro Forest, Tanzania, with several additions to the known fauna of the country
- Short Notes
- Seasonal use of a waterhole by Nubian ibex Capra nubiana (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)
- Early reproduction onset in four species of Didelphimorphia in the Peruvian Amazonia
- Southernmost record for a living marsupial
- Feeding habits of American mink from Biebrza Wetlands affected by varied winter conditions
- Book Reviews
- Book reviews
- Meeting announcements
- 10.1515/MAMM.2008.013
