The Late Miocene paleoenvironment of Afghanistan as inferred from dental microwear in artiodactyls

Abstract

Dental microwear of Late Miocene artiodactyls from Afghanistan can yield information on paleodiet and thus inferences can be drawn about their paleoenvironment. The “Molayan” locality lies at the border between the Greek–Iranian and Siwalik bioprovinces. Knowledge of the paleoenvironment will further our understanding of the faunal exchanges between these two provinces during the Late Miocene. Ninety-nine specimens of seven bovid and one giraffid species are considered. The number and diversity of the samples provide objective data, which enable the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment. Prostrepsiceros aff. vinayaki and Sporadotragus tadzhikistanicus have similar dental microwear pattern, which suggests a “meal by meal” mixed feeding diet. Phronetragus aff. secondus, Gazella sp., and the giraffid Palaeotragus cf. rouenii can only be characterized as mixed feeders in a general sense. Dorcadoxa porrecticornis was an obligate grazer and the two species of Tragoportax were variable grazers. The analysis also brings out clear similarities between extinct grazers and Equus przewalskii, which is a C3 grazer. Isotopic evidence from previous studies supports the microwear data. Comparisons with data from the Late Miocene of the Potwar Plateau suggest strong environmental differences with the Afghan locality. When brought together, this disparate evidence about diet suggests an open and dry environment composed mainly of C3 grasses and evergreen bushes during the Late Miocene in Afghanistan.