Abstract

During study of the fossil rodent material from the Csodabogyós Cave, a rich Vasseuromys assemblage was elaborated. Some metrical and morphological characteristics of the finds differ from the Late Miocene (MN 11) Vasseuromys pannonicus from Eichkogel and Kohfidisch and also vary from Vasseuromys tectus described from Ukraine. In this publication a taxonomical description of the new species is presented with its palaeogeographical and paleoecological relationships.

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Abstract

This publication aims to give a detailed taxonomic description of the rich Neocricetodon material collected from Csodabogyós Cave (Keszthely Hills, close to the village Balatonederics) in 2023. The sample is homogenous and close to Neocricetodon skofleki.

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Abstract

The Csodabogyós Cave in western Hungary yielded a rich terrestrial vertebrate fauna during two excavations in 2023. The material comprises 1,053 amphibian and reptile remains, 51 bird bones, 5,640 identifiable mammal teeth and bones, and thousands of bone fragments. The fauna of the Csodabogyós Cave is most similar to that of the nearby Kohfidisch site (Burgenland, Austria). In the description of the shrew material, we raise the need to establish a new genus for “Petenyia” dubia Bachmayer et Wilson, 1970, we extend the stratigraphic range of Asoriculus gibberodon (Petényi, 1864) to the beginning of the MN 11 Zone, and we present a morphological transition between Crusafontina kormosi (Bachmayer et Wilson, 1970) and its descendant, Amblycoptus oligodon Kormos, 1924. Within the bat fauna, Myotis is the richest genus, with six forms. All three size ranges of Rhinolophus are represented, and Miniopterus and Plecotus also occur at the site. In addition, to the typical Late Miocene species of the rodent fauna, a new species of glirid (Vasseuromys n. sp.) and the westernmost and one of the oldest finds of the genus Microtoscoptes are described from the site. Based on the paleoecological analysis, the site’s environment was highly diverse. On the shores of Lake Pannon, a gallery forest and shrub vegetation were found, while further away from the lake was a wooded savannah, with semi-open karstic areas on the higher parts. It may have been warm, but drier than the Middle Miocene, with a seasonal climate, probably characterised by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The age of the fauna is estimated to be approximately 8.7–8.5 million years (early Turolian, MN 11).

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Over the last half a century, a massive amount of data has been gathered on Neogene rodents of Europe. Using the NOW database, we analysed changes in generic diversity during the Neogene and the beginning of the Quaternary. Studies as the present are useful for exploring major changes in diversity, but the pitfalls are many and varied. Whereas the quality of the fossil record is good, there are notable exceptions. Within our dataset, MN 1, MN 12 and MN 17 stand out for the limited number of localities available and the record of the eastern Mediterranean is clearly as yet poorer than that from central Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. The record can be influenced by incomplete faunal lists, outdated literature and unresolved taxonomies. In addition, the use of the MN system presumably obscures patterns, as it often does not allow for a co-eval comparison between various regions. Reconstruction of major patterns starts with the understanding of basic data. Despite all these limitations the results of this work indicate that the record for central Europe consistently shows higher diversity than lower latitudes. The highest peak in diversity is found in MN 15, but the record of the Iberian Peninsula shows no increase at that time. The rodent diversity is surprisingly constant during most part of the Neogene, the stronger variations being related to the diversification of the murinae and arvicolinae groups and decline of the cricetine.

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