Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

A new protictithere from the late Miocene hominoid locality Ravin de la Pluie of Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece)

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
View saved research
Image Paläontologische Zeitschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article concerns the study of a protictithere from the late Miocene of Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece). The material was found in the hominoid-bearing mammal locality Ravin de la Pluie (RPl), which is corellated with the late Vallesian, MN 10. The available material, including maxillary and mandibular elements, is described and compared morphologically and metrically with the known Eurasian protictitheres. The small size, the low cusps(-ids) of the teeth, the protocone of the P4, which is in line with the mesial border of the parastyle, the large molars (especially the M2), the small buccal projection of the M1 paracone, the strongly molarized p4, the strong metaconid and large talonid with high entoconid of the m1 separate the RPl protictithere from the known Eurasian protictitheres and allow the erection of a new species, named P. thessalonikensis n. sp.

Kurzfassung

Der vorliegende Artikel bezieht sich auf die Studie eines Protictitheres aus dem oberen Miozän Axios-Tal (Mazedonien, Griechenland). Das Material wurde in der Gegend Ravin de la Pluie (RPL) gefunden, in der hominoide Säugetiere vorkamen, und die mit dem oberen Vallesium, MN 10, entspricht. Das zur Verfügung stehende Material, einschließlich Überbleibseln von Ober- und Unterkiefern, wird morphologisch und metrisch mit dem bekannten eurasischen Protictitheres beschrieben und verglichen. Die geringe Größe, die niedrigen Höcker in den Zähnen, das auf der gleichen Linie mit dem Vorderrand der Parastyle befindliche Protocon des P4, die großen Backenzähne (vor allem die M2), die kleine bukkale Projektion der Paracone in der M1, die stark molarisierten p4, das starke Metaconid und das große Talonid mit hohem Entoconid im M1, unterscheiden die RPL Protictithere von den beiden wichtigsten eurasischen Taxa P. gaillardi und P. crassum und erlauben die Errichtung einer neuen Spezies namens Protictitherium thessalonikensis n. sp.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Image
Fig. 2
Image
Fig. 3
Image
Fig. 4
Image
Fig. 5
Image
Fig. 6
Image

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  • Arambourg, C., and J. Piveteau. 1929. Les Vertébrés du Pontien de Salonique. Annales de Paléontologie 18: 59–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crusafont-Pairó, M., and G. Petter. 1969. Contribution a l’étude des Hyaenidae. La sous-famille des Ictitheriinae. Annales de Paléontologie 35(1): 89–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Bonis, L., and G.D. Koufos. 1991. The late Miocene small carnivores of the lower Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece). Geobios 24(2): 361–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Bonis, L., G. Bouvrain, and G.D. Koufos. 1999. Palaeoenvironments of the hominoid primate Ouranopithecus in the late Miocene deposits of Macedonia, Greece. In Hominoid evolution and climatic change in Europe: The evolution of the neogene terrestrial ecosystems in Europe, ed. J. Agusti, L. Rook, and P. Andrews, 205–237. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Bonis, L., G. Bouvrain, D. Geraads, and G.D. Koufos. 1992. Diversity and palaeoecology of Greek late Miocene mammalian faunas. Palaeogeography Palaeoeclimatology Palaeoecology 91: 99–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Depéret, C. 1892. La faune des mammiferes miocenes de la Grive Saint-Alban. Archives d’museun Histoire naturelle Lyon 5: 31–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth-Mayor, C.I. 1903. New Carnivora from the middle Miocene of La Grive St-Alban. Geological Magazine, n.s. 1: 534–538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaillard, C. 1899. Mammifères miocènes nouveaux ou peu connus de La Grive st-Alban. Archives d’museun Histoire naturelle Lyon 7: 1–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Ø., D.A.T. Harper, and P.D. Ryan. 2001. PAST: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica 4(1): 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaya, T., D. Geraads, and V. Tuna. 2005. A new Late Miocene mammalian fauna in the Karaburun Peninsula (W. Turkey). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Abhandlungen 236(3): 321–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koufos, G.D. 1980. Palaeontological and Stratigraphical study of the Neogene continental deposits of the Axios Valley basin. Ph D thesis, Univ. Thessaloniki. Scientific Annals Faculty Physics and Mathematics, University Thessaloniki 19(11):1–322.

  • Koufos, G.D. 2000. Revision of the late Miocene carnivores from the lower Axios Valley. Münchener Geowissaftlische Abhandlungen 39(A): 51–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koufos, G.D. 2006a. The Neogene mammal localities of Greece: Faunas, chronology and biostratigraphy. Hellenic Journal of Geosciences 41: 183–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koufos, G.D. 2006b. Palaeoecology and chronology of the Vallesian (late Miocene) in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Palaeogeography Palaeoeclimatology Palaeoecology 234: 127–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koufos, G.D. 2008. Carnivores from the early/middle Miocene locality of Antonios (Chalkidiki, Macedonia, Greece). Geobios 41: 365–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koufos, G.D. 2009. Carnivora. In The late miocene mammal faunas of the Mytilinii basin, Samos Island, Greece: New Collection, eds. G.D. Koufos and D. Nagel. Beiträge zur Paläontologie 31: 57–105.

  • Koufos, G.D. 2011a. New material of Carnivora (Mammalia) from the late Miocene of Axios Valley, Macedonia, Greece. Comptes Rendus Palevol (in press).

  • Koufos, G.D. 2011b. Neogene Mammal Biostratigraphy and Chronology of Greece. In Asian neogene mammal biostratigraphy and chronology, ed. W. Xiaoming, M. Fortelius and L. Flynn. New York: Columbia University Press. (in press).

  • Koufos, G.D., and G.E. Konidaris. 2011. Late Miocene carnivores of the Greco-Iranian Province: Composition, guild structure, palaeoecology. Palaeogeography Palaeoeclimatology Palaeoecology 305: 215–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kretzoi, M. 1938. Die Raubtiere von Gombaszög nebst einer Übersicht der Gesamtfauna. Annals Museum Natural Hungarica 31: 88–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mein, P. 1958. Les mammifères de la faune siderolithique de Vieux-Collonges. Nouvelles Archives d’museun Histoire naturelle Lyon 5: 51–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merceron, G., C. Blondel, L. de Bonis, G.D. Koufos, and L. Viriot. 2005. A new dental microwear analysis: Application to extant Primates and Ouranopithecus macedoniensis (Late Miocene of Greece). Palaios 20: 551–561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merceron, G., C. Blondel, L. Viriot, G.D. Koufos, and L. de Bonis. 2007. Dental microwear analysis of bovids from the Vallesian (late Miocene) of Axios Valley in Greece: reconstruction of the habitat of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis (Primates, Hominoidea). Geodiversitas 29(3): 421–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagel, D. 2003. Carnivore from the middle Miocene hominoid locality of Çandir (Turkey). Courier Forschunginstitut Senckenberg 240: 113–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • NOW 2011. Neogene Old World (database with the Neogene localities and their faunal lists). www.helsinki.fi/science/now/database.htm.

  • Petter, G. 1976. Étude d’un nouvel enseble de petits carnivores du Miocène d’ Espagne. Géologie Méditerranée 3(2): 135–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt-Kittler, N. 1976. Carnivores from the Neogene of Asia Minor. Palaeontographica, Abt A 155: 1–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, S., G.D. Koufos, D. Kondopoulou, and L. de Bonis. 2000. Magnetostratigraphy of the late Miocene continental deposits of the lower Axios valley, Macedonia, Greece. In Mediterranean Neogene cyclostratigraphy in marine-continental deposits, ed. G.D. Koufos and C. Ioakim. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, sp. publ. 9: 197–206.

  • Viret, J. 1951. Catalogue critique de la faune des mammifères miocènes de La Grive Saint-Alban (Isère). 1. Chiropteres, Carnivores, Édentés, Pholidotes. Nouvelles Archives Museum Histoire naturelle Lyon 4: 1–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werdelin, L., and N. Solounias. 1991. The hyaenidae: taxonomy, systematics and evolution. Fossil and Strata 30: 1–104.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to several colleagues and students who have excavated with me in the Axios Valley since 1976. Thanks are also due to Dr. G. Rössner (BSPM), Dr. P. Tassy (MNHN) and Dr. C. Argot (MNHN) for giving me access to the material at their disposal and for their help during my visit to their institutes. I thank Drs. G. Merceron, and D. Berthet for providing me with casts, and Dr. D. Kostopoulos for the photos of the type material of P. gaillardi. I also thank Dr. K. Vasileiadou for the linguistic improvement of the text. Many thanks to Drs. A. Turner and L. Werdelin for reviewing the manuscripts and making useful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    George D. Koufos

Authors
  1. George D. Koufos
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to George D. Koufos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Koufos, G.D. A new protictithere from the late Miocene hominoid locality Ravin de la Pluie of Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece). Paläontol Z 86, 219–229 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-011-0126-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-011-0126-9

Keywords

Schlüsselwörter