Beydere 3: a new early Miocene small mammal assemblage from the western Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

ABSTRACT The new micromammal site of Beydere 3 represents a typical Anatolian MN3 fauna in the high diversification and abundance of Eumyarion. Notably, two Eumyarion species are new; combined, they make up almost half of the assemblage. While Eumyarion beyderensis sp. nov. shows simple morphology in upper molars, Eumyarion aegeaniensis sp. nov. shows a more complex lophs pattern. In addition, Beydere 3 yielded nine species of rodents and an ochotonid: the hamsters Cricetodon kasapligili, Mirrabella crenulata, Megacricetodon hellenicus, Democricetodon doukasi, Vallaris zappai and Eumyarion sp., the dormice Glirulus ekremi and Glis sp., the beaver Steneofiber eseri, the squirrel Palaeosciurus fissurae and Ochotonidae indet. The fauna is significant in that it represents the first common occurrence of Megacricetodon in Anatolia. Eumyarion and Megacricetodon are both dominant groups which may indicate a signal of environmental change, but still closer to wet conditions. This, in combination with the new species of Eumyarion, suggests that Beydere 3 represents a time slice which was previously not recorded in Anatolia. Radiometric dating of ashes overlying the section indicates that the age of the locality is older than 18.21 (± 0.19) Ma.