Leonid Rekovets

Arvicola mosbachensis (Schmidtgen 1911) of Mosbach 2: a basic sample for the early evolution of the genus and a reference for further biostratigraphical studies

Arvicola materials from Mosbach 2, including the types ofA. mosbachensis housed at the Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main, are described. Six specimens display incipient root development. This population is therefore one of the oldest of the genusArvicola. This is confirmed by SDQ and tooth length values indicating a primitive evolutionary stage. The age of the population correlates with either Cromer Interglacial III or IV.The type material ofArvicola cantianus consists of a few fragmentary molars only. This scarce material does not permit a clear assessment of the most significant features in middle Pleistocene populations, rootless molars with negative enamel differentiation, and is not clearly distinguishable from eitherMimomys savini orArvicola terrestris. We therefore propose to restrict the nameA. cantianus to the type material. All other middle PleistoceneArvicola finds should be referred toA. mosbachensis,KurzfassungDie im Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg in Frankfurt am Main aufbewahrtenArvicola Reste von Mosbach 2, einschließlich des Typusmaterials vonA. mosbachensis, werden beschrieben. Die an sechs Exemplaren zu beobachtende beginnende Wurzelbildung belegt, daß es sich hierbei um eine der ältestenArvicola Population handelt. Die SDQ-Werte sowie die Zahnlängen verweisen ebenfalls auf ein primitives Evolutionsniveau. Das Alter der Population kann mit dem Cromer Interglazial III oder IV korreliert werden.Das Typusmaterial vonArvicola cantianus besteht nur aus wenigen fragmentarischen Molaren. Hierbei kann die Ausbildung der für die taxonomische Zuordnung der mittelpleistozänenArvicola Funde wichtigen Merkmale, Wurzellosigkeit der Molaren und negative Schmelzdifferenzierung, nicht eindeutig festgestellt werden. Das Material ist somit weder vonMimomys savini noch vonArvicola terrestris eindeutig abgrenzbar. Daher wird vorgeschlagen, die Verwendung des NamensA. cantianus auf das Typus Material zu beschränken. Alle anderen mittelpleistozänenArvicola Funde sollten zuA. mosbachensis gestellt werden.

New data on Eulipotyphla (Insectivora, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene of Ukraine

Remains of Erinaceidae, Talpidae and Soricidae (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eight localities are described: three (Popovo 3, MN11, Verkhnya Krynitsa 2, MN11/ MN12 and Lobkove, MN12) from the Late Miocene, two (Verkhnya Krynitsa 1, early MN16 and Popovo 2, late MN16) from the Pliocene, one (Popovo 1, MN16/MN17) from the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary, one (Popovo 0, MN17) from the Early Pleistocene and one (Medzhybozh, Q3) from the early Middle Pleistocene. Short geological characteristics as well as local and stratigraphic positions were described. The list of insectivore species includes: Schizogalerix sp., cf. Mygalinia hungarica, Ruemkelia sp., Desmana sp., cf. Desmana sp., Miosorex grivensis, cf. Miosorex sp., Crusafontina cf. kormosi, cf. Asoriculus sp., Neomysorex alpinoides, Neomys newtoni, Petenyia dubia, Petenyia hungarica, cf. Beremendia minor, Beremendia fissidens, Zelceina sp. Both the abundance of insectivore remains and their taxonomic diversity vary among localities. The most numerous and diverse assemblage (10 taxa of three families) is that of the Late Miocene Verkhnya Krynitsa 2. The remaining seven localities yielded one to three species. The remains are described, measured and illustrated, and their systematic positions and distributions are discussed. Barbara Rzebik-Kowalska. Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Kraków, Poland rzebik@isez.pan.krakow.pl Leonid I. Rekovets. University of Environmental and Life Sciences of Wrocław, Chełmoński 38c, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland and National Museum of Natural History, B.Khmelnicki 15, 01030 Kiev, Ukraine leonid.rekovets@up.wroc.pl

Enamel ultrastructure of molars in †Anomalomys gaillardi and some spalacid taxa (Rodentia, Mammalia)

The paper presents results of the study of molar enamel ultrastructure in †Anomalomys gaillardi from the late Miocene and some extinct and recent Spalacidae species (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the territory of Ukraine. We characterize the similarities and differences in the enamel structure between extinct and recent forms, as well as between different taxa within the genera †Anomalomys, †Pliospalax, and Spalax. Analysis shows that the tooth enamel of the studied species is multilayered and differs in the presence of its different types, as well as in the arrangement of prisms. A more complex enamel structure was discovered in †Anomalomys gaillardi from the late Miocene of Ukraine compared to Pliocene †Pliospalax and, especially, Pleistocene and recent Spalax. It allows us to assume that anomalomyids and spalacids are distantly related and they evolved independently. Dariusz Nowakowski. Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Anthropology, 5 Kożuchowska st., Wrocław, 51-631 Poland. darekn@hot.pl Leonid Rekovets. Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, 38c Chełmonskiego st., Wrocław, 51-630 Poland. leonid.rekovets@upwr.edu.pl Oleksandr Kovalchuk. National Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Department of Paleontology, 15 Bogdan Khmelnytsky st., Kyiv, 01030 Ukraine. biologiest@ukr.net Edward Pawlina. Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Genetics, 7 Kożuchowska st., Wrocław, 51-631 Poland. edward.pawlina@upwr.edu.pl Vitalii Demeshkant. Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, 38c Chełmonskiego st., Wrocław, 51-630 Poland, demeshkant@gmail.com

Dental enamel ultrastructure in Ochotona and Prolagus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae) from three late Miocene localities in Ukraine

The comparison of the dental enamel of late Miocene ochotonids from the Ukraine shows only very subtle differences. The ultrastructure of premolars, molars, and incisors of pikas: Ochotona and Prolagus (Lagomorpha, Ochotonidae) from three localities (Popovo 3, MN 11; Verkhnya Krynytsya 2, MN 12; Lobkove, MN 12/13) is mainly multilayered. In cheek teeth it is composed of a radial (up to 60% of total enamel thickness) and an irregular layer (up to 40%). There is almost no difference in the enamel ultrastructure between remains of different geological age and tooth position (premolars, molars). However, the lower incisor of Ochotona differs from the upper one in having a radial enamel and a HSB layer, whereas the upper have a radial and a tangential enamel. Minor differences between the various species of Ochotona and Prolagus could be recognised in the arrangement of the prisms. Emilia Rabiniak. Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Animal Breeding, 51-630, Wroclaw, Chelmonskiego 38c, Poland. emilia.rabiniak@up.wroc.pl Leonid Rekovets. Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Animal Breeding, 51-630, Wroclaw, Chelmonskiego 38c, Poland. leonid.rekovets@up.wroc.pl Dariusz Nowakowski (corresponding author). Department of Anthropology, Institute of Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences , ul. Kożuchowska 5, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland. darekn@hot.pl