Dursunlu (Pleistocene of Turkey)

Where: Turkey (38.3° N, 31.9° E)

• Paleocoordinates: 38.1° N, 32.0° E (Wright 2013)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Dursunlu Formation, Early/Lower Pleistocene (2.6 - 0.8 Ma)

• The Dursunlu deposit comprises (lower) Pleistocene lacustrine limestones, marls and clays with lignite beds. Cores suggest some 45-50m of sedimentary infill.

•The basal portion of core one is +5m and is fine reddish mud, presumed alluvial with a terrestrial origin.The overlying 45m are a 'shallowing upwards lacustrine sequence, incorporating intermittent episodes of fluctuating lake level(s), shallowing and even subaerial exposure(s).'

•Dating - palaeomagentism indicates Reversed polarity with two weak Normal records. It is suggested that this represents the lower part of the Matuyama Chron. Biharian on faunal records.

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lignite

• Vertebrate fossils are confirmed in two levels of lignite, but others may have come from elsewhere. The known fossiliferous layers are in the upper lignite member at -10 to -12m and in the basal part of bedded silty clays at -4m.

•The majority of the cores are greenish, partially laminated clays, with lignite bands and occasional silty clays with rootlets and molluscs.

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: salvage, sieve,

• Fossils and artefacts were recovered from the spoil heaps of a large lignite quarry.

•Microfaunal remains were recovered by sieving.

•Collection contains 175 archaeoogical artefacts.

•Specimens kept at MTA, Ankara.

Primary reference: E. Gulec, F. C. Howell, and T. D. White. 1999. Dursunlu - a new Lower Pleistocene faunal and artifact-bearing locality in southern Anatolia. in Ullrich, H., ed, Hominid evolution - Lifestyles and survival strategies. Edition Archaea, Gelsenkirchen/Schwelm. 349-364 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: archaeological analysis

PaleoDB collection 39314: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 26.05.2004

Creative Commons license: CC0 (CC0)

Taxonomic list

• Also 3 larger undetermined bovid specimens, represented by 2 lower teeth and a tarsal (cuboravicular).

•41 species of birds have also been identified, but these were reported elsewhere.

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
Elliobus anatolicus, Vulpinae indet.
Pisces
  -
"Pisces indet." = Osteichthyes
"Pisces indet." = Osteichthyes Huxley 1880 bony fish
Amphibia
  -
Amphibia indet.
Amphibia indet. Linnaeus 1758 tetrapod
Mammalia
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Mammuthus cf. trogontherii
Mammuthus cf. trogontherii Pohlig 1885 mammoth
2 complete molars (1 upper, 1 lower) plus eight molar fragments, 1 tusk fragment and 1 rib, 1 metacarpal, 2 partial metapodia, 8 carpals/tarsals, two phalanges.
 Placentalia -
Carnivora indet.
Carnivora indet. Bowdich 1821 carnivoran
9 mandible fragments, 5+ teeth fragments, 6 scaula parts, 2 metacarpals, 1 femur, 1 tibia, 1+ tarsals, 2 metatarsals, 1+ astragali, 13 partial phalanges, 27 metapodial parts, all mostly representative of smaller species.
 Carnivora - Canidae
Vulpes praecorsac, Canis lupus, Canis aff. aureus
Vulpes praecorsac Kormos 1932 fox
1 molar.
Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758 gray wolf
Canis lupus aff. mosbachensis. 9 specimens identified in the paper as Canis, but not to species. These include 3 upper teeth, 1 ulna, 1 metacarpal, 1 femur and 3 calcanea.
Canis aff. aureus Linnaeus 1758 golden jackal
9 specimens identified in the paper as Canis, but not to species. These include 3 upper teeth, 1 ulna, 1 metacarpal, 1 femur and 3 calcanea.
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus sp.
Ursus sp. Linnaeus 1758 bear
1 phalanx.
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Lutra sp.
Lutra sp. Brisson 1762 otter
1 mandible, 3 upper and 2 lower teeth, 2 humerii and 1 astragalus, plus other unstudied specimens.
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Hyaenidae indet.
Hyaenidae indet. Gray 1821 hyaena
2 teeth, 1 partial ulna, 1 phalanx, plus coprolites.
 Carnivora - Felidae
Felinae indet., Lynx aff. issiodorensis, "Felis ex gr. caracal" = Caracal caracal, Panthera aff. pardus
Felinae indet. Trouessart 1885 cat
small. 24 felid specimens listed in the paper, but not to species. 4 upper and 6 lower teeth, 1 scapula, 1 radius, 5 femoral parts, 1 tibia, 4 metatarsals, 1 astragalus and 1 calcaneum.
Lynx aff. issiodorensis Croizet and Jobert 1828 lynx
24 felid specimens listed in the paper, but not to species. 4 upper and 6 lower teeth, 1 scapula, 1 radius, 5 femoral parts, 1 tibia, 4 metatarsals, 1 astragalus and 1 calcaneum.
"Felis ex gr. caracal" = Caracal caracal Schreber 1776 caracal
24 felid specimens listed in the paper, but not to species. 4 upper and 6 lower teeth, 1 scapula, 1 radius, 5 femoral parts, 1 tibia, 4 metatarsals, 1 astragalus and 1 calcaneum.
Panthera aff. pardus Linnaeus 1758 leopard
24 felid specimens listed in the paper, but not to species. 4 upper and 6 lower teeth, 1 scapula, 1 radius, 5 femoral parts, 1 tibia, 4 metatarsals, 1 astragalus and 1 calcaneum.
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae indet.
Rhinocerotidae indet. Gray 1821 rhinoceros
5 cheek teeth, 1 lower premolar and molar, 1 partial maxilla, 1 carpal, 1 cuboid and 1 3rd metatarsal.
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus altidens, Equus caballus
Equus altidens horse
1 set of upper and lower molars. Also, 226 other specimens only identified in the paper as Equus - may be altidens or caballus.
Equus caballus Linnaeus 1758 horse
Equus caballus mosbachensis. Also, 226 other specimens only identified in the paper as Equus - may be altidens or caballus.
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
aff. Gazella sp., Bos aff. primigenius, cf. Gazellospira sp.
aff. Gazella sp. Blaineville 1816 gazelle
1 metacarpal, 2 partial tibiae, 1 astragalus, 1 partial metapodial.
Bos aff. primigenius Bojanus 1827 ox
1 partial horncore, 5 upper and 10 lower cheek teeth, 1 partial radioulna, 4 carpals, 2 metacarpals, 1 partial tibia, 3 calcanei, 1 metatarsal, 1 metapodial and a phalanx.
cf. Gazellospira sp. Pilgrim and Schaub 1939 antelope
1 frontal fragment with base of horncore.
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Megaloceros sp. n. sp., aff. Dama sp., Cervus ex gr. elephas
Megaloceros sp. n. sp. Brookes 1828 Irish elk
7 antler fragments, 7 upper and lower cheek teeth, 1 metacarpal, 3 astragali, 5 naviculars, 4 partial metatarsals and a phalanx.
aff. Dama sp. Frisch 1775 fallow deer
1 distal tibia.
Cervus ex gr. elephas deer
2 antler fragments, 3 teeth, 1 forelimb and 1 hindlimb (tbia, astragalus, metatarsal and phalanges)
 Artiodactyla - Giraffidae
? Giraffa sp.
? Giraffa sp. Brisson 1762 giraffe
1 distal metacarpal.
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamidae indet.
Hippopotamidae indet. Gray 1821 hippopotamus
2 partial canines and 5 partial cheek teeth.
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Sus cf. strozzi
Sus cf. strozzi pig
5 cranio-dental parts, including 4 teeth.
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Spermophilus sp.
Spermophilus sp. Cuvier 1825 ground squirrel
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Lagurus arankae, Microtus (Allophaiomys) nutiensis, Mimomys savini, Mesocricetus auratus, Cricetulus migratorius
Lagurus arankae rodent
new subspecies
Mesocricetus auratus Waterhouse 1839 Golden hamster
Cricetulus migratorius Pallas 1773 rodent
 Rodentia - Dipodidae
Dipodidae indet., Allactaga euphratica
Dipodidae indet. Waterhouse 1842 rodent
 Rodentia - Muridae
Spalax leucodon, Apodemus sp., Micromys sp. n. sp.
Spalax leucodon blind mole
Apodemus sp. Kaup 1829 Eurasian field mouse
Micromys sp. n. sp. Dehne 1841 harvest mouse
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Trogontherium cuvieri, Castor fiber
Trogontherium cuvieri Owen 1846 beaver
Castor fiber Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian beaver
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Leporidae indet., Oryctolagus cuniculus, Lepus sp.
Leporidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus 1758 European rabbit
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Ochotonidae indet.
Ochotonidae indet. Thomas 1897 pika
 Insectivora -
Insectivora indet.
Insectivora indet. Bowdich 1821 insectivoran
Reptilia
 Testudines -
"Chelonia indet." = Testudines
"Chelonia indet." = Testudines Batsch 1788 turtle