Early Pleistocene amphibians and squamates from Copăceni (Dacian Basin, southern Romania)

Abstract

This paper describes an Early Pleistocene amphibian and squamate assemblage from the Dacian Basin, southern Romania. The fossil sample allows for the identification of a moderately diverse assemblage, which includes representatives of 13 genera of the families Salamandridae (Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus sp.), Bombinatoridae (Bombina sp.), Hylidae (Hyla aff. Hyla arborea), Bufonidae (Bufo bufo), Pelobatidae (Pelobates syriacus), Ranidae (Ranidae indet., Pelophylax sp., Rana ?temporaria, Rana sp.), Lacertidae (Lacertidae indet.), Anguidae (Pseudopus sp.), Natricidae (Natrix natrix), and Colubridae (Coronella austriaca, Zamenis longissimus). The taxonomic composition of the Early Pleistocene amphibian and squamate assemblage from Copăceni is similar to the one reported from other Romanian sites of the same age, and also to that of Recent Romanian herpetofaunas. The amphibian and squamate assemblage from Copăceni supports the existence of a permanent freshwater body, of neighbouring forests or shrubberies, and thick soil, in an Early Pleistocene climate that was warmer than the present one.