A giant rhinocerotoid (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the Late Oligocene of north-central Anatolia (Turkey)

P.-O. Antoine (1) , L. Karadenizli , Gerçek Saraç (2) , Sevket Sen (3)

1 LMTG - Laboratoire des Mécanismes et Transfert en Géologie
2 MTA Genel Müdürlügü
3 Paléobiodiversité et paléoenvironnements

A giant rhinocerotoid is described for the first time south of the Black Sea, in Turkey. The single specimen, a fragmentary radius referred to Paraceratherium sp., originates from conglomerates nearby at Gozukizilli, in the Cankiri-Corum Tertiary basin. These layers correspond to the Lower member of the Kizilirmak Formation. The same locality (Gozukizilli-2) yields also the small rhinocerotid Protaceratherium sp., cf. P. albigense (Roman, 1912). Three other mammal localities (Gozukizilli-1, in the Lower Member of the formation, with several rodent species; Tepe 641 and Kizilirmak, in the Upper Member, with a diversified micro- and macro-mammal fauna) allow us to refer the Kizilirmak Formation as a whole to the Late Oligocene. All the observed taxa have strong Asian and/or European affinities, which precludes any geographical insulation for this part of Anatolia during the Late Oligocene.

Mots clés: indricothere; palaeogeography; Paraceratherium; vertebrate palaeontology

Domaines: Sciences de la Terre

P.-O. Antoine, L. Karadenizli, Gerçek Saraç, Sevket Sen. A giant rhinocerotoid (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the Late Oligocene of north-central Anatolia (Turkey). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 152 (3), pp.581-592. ⟨hal-00319696⟩