Alloptox katinkae sp. nov. (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae), westernmost Eurasian record of the genus from the early Middle Miocene vertebrate fauna of Litke 2 (N Hungary)

Abstract

Alloptox katinkae sp. nov. (Ochotonidae: Lagomorpha) from the late MN5 of Litke 2 (early middle Miocene, N Hungary) is the northernmost record of the genus in Europe, and the westernmost record in Eurasia. The main peculiarities of the teeth of A. katinkae reside in their thick enamel band, p3 with large triangular, not indented anteroconid without enamel hiatuses, very reduced protoconid, large meta+entoconid, and P2 with convergent main flexa entering half of the tooth and bilobed metacone. A. katinkae shares most morphological and dimensional similarities with A. anatoliensis that actually is the geographically closest species and overlaps its chronologic range. The dental features of A. katinkae and analyses of the rest of the faunal assemblage of Litke 2 indicate that A. katinkae, contrarily to other congeneric species, lived in a wooded, wet environment. This study also evidences the problems related to the phylogeny of the genus Alloptox and the related palaeobiogeographical questions.