Στην Σάμο ζούσαν δύο είδη ρινόκερων!

Του Ιω. Γιαουρτσάκη

Πρόσφατες παλαιοντολογικές αποστολές σε περιοχές με απολιθώματα του Μειοκαίνου στην λεκάνη των Μυτιληνιών, στο νησί της Σάμου, στην Ελλάδα, έχουν αποκαλύψει πολλά υπολείμματα ρινόκερου, που αντιπροσωπεύουν δύο είδη κερασφόρων ρινόκερων:

-Ο δίκερως / Diceros neumayri (Osborn, 1900), και

-ο δίοπλος του Πικερμίου / Dihoplus pikermiensis (Toula, 1906) 

ΠΗΓΗ: Ioannis Giaourtsakis «The Late Miocene Mammal Faunas of the Mytilinii Basin, Samos Island, Greece: New Collection. 9. Rhinocerotidae», Project: Systematic studies on the fossil rhinoceroses (Rhinocerotidae, Mammalia) of Greece, January 2009. ΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ, 5.2.2009.

Δίκερως ρινόκερως Μυτιληνιών Σάμου.

Abstract

The recent paleontological expeditions to the late Miocene fossiliferous localities of the Mytilinii Basin on Samos Island, Greece, have unearthed numerous rhinocerotid remains that represent two species of horned rhinoceroses, “Diceros” neumayri (Osborn, 1900) and Dihoplus pikermiensis (Toula, 1906). The morphological differences between the two species are discussed. The absence of the hornless rhinoceros Chilotherium in our sample, which is known from previous Samos collections, is attributed to the limited material, particularly from the stratigraphically older localities of Mytilinii-3 (MYT) and Mytilinii-4 (MLN) of the Potamies ravine. In the well-sampled localities of the younger Mytilinii-1 (MTL) faunal assemblage of the Adrianos ravine, a significant interspecific dominance of “Diceros” neumayri over Dihoplus pikermiensis has been documented. The comparison of the Samos rhinocerotids with other Turolian localities in Continental Greece and Western Asia indicates a closer resemblance to the Asian ones, in particular from Anatolia. The marked differences in the relative distribution of rhinocerotid taxa among the Turolian localities of the Eastern Mediterranean and adjacent regions are related to environmentally-controlled provincial differences and suggest the expansion of more open and arid habitats on Samos and in Anatolia compared to Continental Greece during this period of time.

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