Revision of the Nikiti 1 (NKT) fauna with description of new material

Abstract

The mammal collection of Nikiti 1 (NKT) is relatively poor; it has been already described in a series of publications. During the last field trips in Nikiti (2004–2009), the unearthed material from NKT remained scarce; it is described herein, alongside a revision of the old collection. The newly described material includes some rhinocerotid remains assigned to “Diceros” neumayri and Dihoplus pikermiensis. The revision of the old collection upgrades the systematics of the rest of the fauna. The large-sized hipparion is assigned to Hipparion aff. giganteum; the subspecies Prostrepsiceros houtumschindleri syridisi is upgraded to a separate species, P. syridisi; the NKT boselaphine is transferred to Miotragoceros and possibly represents a new species; last, the material previously assigned to ?Oioceros and Gazella is transferred to Hispanodorcas. The new faunal list from NKT consists of the following taxa: Ouranopithecus macedoniensis, Hyaenidae sp., Hipparion aff. giganteum, Hipparion macedonicum, Dihoplus pikermiensis, “Diceros” neumayri, Microstonyx major, Helladotherium duvernoyi, Bohlinia attica, Bohlinia nikitiae, Palaeotragus sp., Prostrepsiceros syridisi, Hispanodorcas cf. orientalis, Miotragocerus nov. sp., and Bovidae indet. The revised fauna and the evolutionary relationships of the various species highlight the Vallesian age of the fauna and help to a more precise dating of the locality.