Early and middle Miocene Sciuridae (Mammalia, Rodentia) from Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

Isolated cheek teeth of Sciuridae (Mammalia, Rodentia) from fifteen early and middle Miocene localities in Anatolia (Turkey) are described. The localities range in age from local zone B to local zone H, which zones are correlated to European MN zones 1 to 7+8. The material represents the two subfamilies Sciurinae (ground and tree squirrels) and Pteromyinae (flying squirrels). The number of different species found at a single locality ranges from one to four. The Sciurinae found belong to the genera Palaeosciurus, Dehmisciurus (formerly called ?Ratufa), Spermophilinus, Tamias, and Atlantoxerus. Members of the Pteromyinae are Hylopetes, Miopetaurista, Aliveria, Albanensia, and Blackia. The MN 2 locality Harami 1 has yielded the oldest Spermophilinus and Miopetaurista known so far. Atlantoxerus adroveri from Bağiçi and Yenieskihisar (MN 7+8) is the first member of the Xerini tribe in Anatolia. The squirrel from Keseköy (MN 3), described as Palaeosciurus aff. feignouxi, shows close morphological resemblance to early Miocene Protospermophilus kelloggi from North America. This may suggest that European Palaeosciurus and American Protospermophilus are closely related genera. Three MN 7+8 localities (Sarıçay, Bağiçi, and Yenieskihisar) yielded two Spermophilinus species, which shows that Spermophilinus developed, at least locally, along two parallel lines. Similarity between Anatolian and European squirrel assemblages confirms that Anatolia was connected to the European part of the Eurasian continent in early and middle Miocene times. The lacustrine character of the sediments, and the presence of both ground and/or tree and flying squirrels indicate that most of the localities represent a wet, but arboreal environment.