Nikolaï Spassov

Upper Miocene mammals from Strumyani, South-Western Bulgaria

Geraads D., Spassov N., Hristova L., Markov G. N. & Tzankov T. 2011. — Upper Miocene mammals from Strumyani, South-Western Bulgaria. Geodiversitas 33 (3): 451–484. ABSTRACT The localities of Strumyani in the Struma valley (South-Western Bulgaria) yield a rich assemblage of large mammals, including more than 20 species, hipparions and rhinos being especially well represented. Many species are commonly found in the Balkano-Iranian province, but there are also some rarely found taxa, such as Tapirus Brünnich, 1771, Dorcatherium Kaup, 1833, and a cervid that looks different from other contemporaneous finds. The instantaneous nature of the deposition shows that the association of taxa with likely diverse ecological requirements reflects a truly mosaic environment. The close similarity of the faunal association with that of Pikermi implies a similar middle Turolian age, although some differences suggest that Strumyani is earlier than this Greek locality. The issue of the age of Turolian sites of the Balkans is discussed.

New specimens of Propotamochoerus (Suidae, Mammalia) from the late Miocene of the Balkans

We describe new remains of the small Suidae Propotamochoerus from the late Miocene of Macedonia and Bulgaria, which greatly increase the European sample. They are clearly distinct from both the Vallesian P. palaeochoerus and the Pliocene P. provincialis, but cannot be satisfactorily referred to the Asian species P. hysudricus or P. hyotherioides. It is likely that these Balkan specimens belong to a species of their own, probably distinct from the P. palaeochoerus - P. provincialis lineage.

First record of ostriches (Aves, Struthioniformes, Struthionidae) from the late Miocene of Bulgaria with taxonomic and zoogeographic discussion

Boev Z. & Spassov N. 2009. — First record of ostriches (Aves, Struthioniformes, Struthionidae) from the late Miocene of Bulgaria with taxonomic and zoogeographic discussion. Geodiversitas 31 (3): 493-507. ABSTRACT We describe two new fossils, the distal end of a right tarsometatarsus and a proximal pedal phalanx of the left third toe, from two sites in southwestern Bulgaria: Kalimantsi (middle Turolian) and Hadzhidimovo-2 (MN 11/12 boundary). These specimens are compared to Neogene-Quaternary ostriches, and are referred to Struthio cf. karatheodoris. A general overview of Neogene-Quaternary ostrich specimens, a taxonomic discussion of late Miocene Eurasian struthionid taxa, and the ecological and Zoogeographic implications of the new specimens are presented.

A new Sporadotragus (Bovidae, Mammalia) from the late Miocene of Bulgaria

We provide a systematic revision of the late Miocene caprine genus Sporadotragus Kretzoi, 1968, the type-species of which was described from Samos under the specific epithet schafferi. It is distinct from the poorly known Pseudotragus. Some specimens from Samos are rather distinctive, but the whole morphological variation there encompasses that of Palaeoryx parvidens from Pikermi, and we follow earlier authors in considering the two names as synonymous. New material from two late Miocene localities of south-western Bulgaria, Kalimantsi and Strumyani, is referred to a new species, S. vasili, which is more primitive than the Greek one in some skull features, but not in the horn-core morphology.

A skull of Simocyon primigenius (Roth & Wagner, 1854) (Carnivora, Ailuridae) from the late Miocene of Karaslari (Republic of Macedonia), with remarks on the systematics and evolution of the genus

A well preserved skull of the Miocene ailurid Simocyon primigenius (roth & WaGNer, 1854) from the fossil locality of Karaslari, Veles region (Republic of Macedonia), briefly described by GarevSki (1974), is re-examined. It reveals the skull morphology of the species and contributes to the understanding of the evolution of the genus. The skull of the middle Turolian Simocyon primigenius from South-Eastern Europe has unique and derived characteristics, related to a high morpho-functional specialisation: strongly domed and enlarged frontal region that would be correlated with large frontal sinuses. It is concluded that the Chinese material of Simocyon from Baode (ZdaNSky 1924), previously included in the same species, should instead be called S. zdanskyi kretZoi in kadić & kretZoi 1927, of which the Fugu skull (WaNG 1997) is probably an early representative (chronostage). The peculiar skull morphology of Simocyon primigenius could be related either to the development of the olfactory sense, or to skull reorganization linked with an emphasis of bite power on the carnassials and molars.

Musteloid carnivores from the upper Miocene of South-Western Bulgaria, and the phylogeny of the Mephitidae

ABSTRACT The upper Miocene sites of Hadjidimovo and Kalimantsi in southwestern Bulgaria have yielded fossils of three musteloids: the ailurid Simocyon Wagner, 1858, the mustelid Promeles Zittel, 1890, and several skulls of Promephitis Gaudry, 1861, an Eurasian member of the Mephitidae. Extant mephitids are represented by three New World and one South-Asian genera. Palaeomephitis Jäger, 1839, Miomephitis Dehm, 1950, and Proputorius Filhol, 1890, from the Middle Miocene of Europe, as well as several American Clarendonian to Hemphillian (late middle to late Miocene) genera have also been ascribed to the Mephitidae. We show that the mephitid status of Palaeomephitis, Miomephitis, and Proputorius is doubtful, and that the late Miocene Promephitis is at a lower grade of encephalization than modern Mephitidae and could be the sister taxon of Pleistocene and modern forms, which can be called Mephitinae. Within this subfamily, the American Pleistocene and modern taxa form the sister group of the Asian Mydaus Cuvier, 1821, which displays numerous autapomorphies. A major, previously unnoticed characteristic of the Mephitinae and Promephitis is that their P4 lingual cusp is an hypocone, unlike that of the Clarendonian American forms, in which it is a protocone. The latter taxa should therefore be excluded from the Mephitidae, although they are probably closely related.