Abstract
Two new late Oligocene species of Deperetomys: D. calefactus and D. saltensis, are described and the affinities between the various species are discussed. The new records extend the stratigraphic range of Deperetomys into the Oligocene, making it the first European Miocene murid that can be traced across the “Cricetid vacuum”. A single M1 of a large early Oligocene murid that may represent the oldest record of Deperetomys is described. The classification problems that arise as a result of the fast increase of information of the Paleogene Muridae from Asia and the Middle East are addressed and the need to recognise and define clades above the genus level is demonstrated. Our conclusion is that the Deperetomys clade contains at least three different evolutionary lineages.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 821-840 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments |
| Volume | 100 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Funding
Miloš Milivojević contributed essentially to the success of our field work in the Balkans. We thank Jovan Stojanović and the hotel Nina team for the way they cared for us during our stays in Babušnica and Mile Ilić for his hospitality on the premises of the old Ljuberadja watermill. The support by the staff of the Ugljevik Bogutovo Selo mine, in particular Svetlana Ranovica, head of the geology department and her staff is gratefully acknowledged. The direction and staff of the Fruška Gora National park (Paragovo) are thanked for permissions and support. The SEM pictures of the enamel microstructure were made by Hans Meeldijk and those of the cheek teeth by Tilly Bouten (both Utrecht University). The photographs of Bagacricetodon tongi were kindly provided by Helder Gomes Rodrigues. The critical remarks of the reviewers Larry Flynn and Olivier Maridet helped to improve the paper. The field work has been supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and the Hans de Bruijn Foundation.
Keywords
- Balkans
- Deperetomys
- Muridae
- New species
- Oligocene
- Systematics