Emirkaya-2 (Pleistocene of Turkey)

Where: Central Anatolia, Turkey (37.4° N, 31.9° E: paleocoordinates 37.4° N, 31.9° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Middle Pleistocene (0.8 - 0.1 Ma)

• Fossils are from a fissure filling some 5m across in 'late Triassic bituminous limestones which outcrop in the northern foothills of the Taurus chain'. Mimomys - Arvicola association suggests (from European comparisons) a late Biharian date, so site tentatively assigned to Middle Pleistocene. Ursus aff. deningeri is also present.

Environment/lithology: fissure fill

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: bulk,

Primary reference: S. Sen, L. de Bonis, N. Dalfes, D. Geraads, J.J. Jaeger and J.M. Mazin. 1991. Premiere decouverte d'un site a mammiferes pleistocenes dans une fissure karstique en Anatolie centrale. Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences, Paris, Serie II 313:127-132 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 34368: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 28.08.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Abundant small mammals. Collection also contains amphibians, reptiles and birds. Specimens identified as Canid or Hyaenid indet. are also reported. Fauna suggests a humid and partly forested local environment with some permanent water.
Amphibia
  -
Amphibia indet. Linnaeus 1758 tetrapod
present but not described
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Dryomys sp. Thomas 1906 dormouse
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
"Citellus sp." = Spermophilus
"Citellus sp." = Spermophilus Cuvier 1825 ground squirrel
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Castor fiber Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian beaver
 Rodentia - Muridae
Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 Eastern broad-toothed field mouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetulus sp. Milne-Edwards 1867 mouse
Mesocricetus sp. Nehring 1898 mouse
Lagurus pannonicus Kormos 1930 mouse
"Pitymys cf. subterraneus" = Microtus vole
Microtus arvalis Pallas 1779 common vole
Microtus oeconomus Pallas 1776 tundra vole
Chionomys sp. Miller 1908 vole
Mimomys sp. Forsyth-Major 1902 vole
"Clethrionomys sp." = Myodes Pallas 1811 vole
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Ochotona sp. Link 1795 pika
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Sorex sp. Linnaeus 1758 long-tailed shrew
Crocidura sp. Wagler 1832 white-toothed shrew
 Placentalia -
Pecora indet. ruminant
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
 Carnivora - Felidae
cf. Panthera sp. Oken 1816 cat
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Meles meles Linnaeus 1758 European badger
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus aff. deningeri Reichenau 1904 bear
 Carnivora - Canidae
Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus 1758 red fox
Reptilia
  -
Reptilia indet. Laurenti 1768 reptile
present but not described
Aves
  -
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758 bird
present but not described