Magyar Királyi Földtani Intézet (2002.)
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A Magyar Állami Földtani Intézet Évi Jelentése, 2002 (2004), pp. 143–152. Fossil turtle found in Romania — overview A romániai fosszilis-teknõs leletek áttekintése MÁTYÁS M. VREMIR Babeº-Bolyai University, Dept. of Geology and Palaeontology, Kogãlniceanu 1, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Vertebrate Palaeontology, Reptilia, Chelonii, Tárgyszavak: Gerincesek, paleontológia, hüllõk, Chelonii, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, Romania Mezozoikum, Cenozoikum, Románia Abstract Összefoglaló As only a few strictly palaeontological studies on Romanian A romániai fosszilis teknõsökrõl eddig viszonylag kevés fossil turtles have been published, a more complete picture of the kimondottan paleontológiai tanulmány jelent meg, ezért indokolt chelonian palaeofauna is given on the basis of recent researches. és szükségszerû a teknõs paleofaunának alábbiakban bemutatott, From 73 palaeontological sites, made available the presence of friss kutatásokra támaszkodó, átfogó jellegû rendszerezése. A several Mesozoic taxa, as well as Palaeogene, Neogene and jelenleg ismert 73 lelõhely leleteit áttekintve több mezozoos, Quaternary findings, which belong to three infraorders: valamint paleogén, neogén és negyedkori taxon anyaga áll ren- Proganochelydia, Pleurodira and Cryptodira. delkezésünkre; rendszertanilag ezek a Proganochelydia, Pleuro- Besides the problematic middle Triassic (Anisian) dira és Cryptodira alrendekbe sorolhatók. Proganochelys, and some late Cretaceous, Palaeocene and early A több kérdést felvetõ, középsõ-triász (anisusi) korú Eocene Pleurodiran forms (Dortokidae; Podocnemididae; Proganochelys leleten, valamint néhány késõ-kréta, felsõ-pale- ?Bothremydidae), the palaeofauna is represented by diverse océn illetve alsó-eocén korú nyaktekerõ-teknõs (Pleurodira) cryptodiran taxa, including several tortoises (Kallokibotidae, alakokon kívül (Dortokidae; Podocnemididae; ?Bothremydidae), Testudinidei), fresh water turtles (Emydidae, Geoemydinei, leleteink között számos nyakbehúzó (Cryptodira) teknõs marad- Chelydridae, Trionychidae and Carettochelidae), as well as sea ványa található meg. Ezek között megemlítjük a szárazföldi turtles (Cheloniidae). teknõsöket (Kallokibotionidae, Testudinidei), az édesvízi This paper is intended to highlight the present state of knowl- teknõsöket (Emydidae, Geoemydinei, Chelydridae, Trionychidae edge regarding the Romanian palaeocheloniological data, with- és Carettochelidae), valamint a tengeri teknõsöket (Cheloniidae). out any intention to resolve systematic questions beyond the pos- A tanulmány célja bemutatni a romániai paleocheloniológiai sibilities given by the fossil materials and the general knowledge ismeretek jelenlegi állását, annak igénye nélkül, hogy a vizsgált on the European fossil turtle faunas. anyag által kínált lehetõségeken, illetve az európai fosszilis teknõsfaunára vonatkozó általános ismereteken túl rendszertani kérdéseket oldjon meg. Historical framework some crocodilian bones from the Upper Eocene of Cluj area, which, in part, belonged to a sea turtle (material lost). The first record on Romanian fossil turtles is by FICHTEL Later, KOCH (1884, 1894 and 1900) mentioned materi- (1780; SZALAI, 1934), who mentioned an unidentified pleu- als from Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits of Transylvania. ral bone from Transylvania. PETERS (1855) described a One problematic chelonioid (?) footprint from the Lower pleural bone fragment allocated to the genus Trionyx Cretaceous (Neocomian) sandstone deposits from Lãpuº (NHM, Wien), originating from the Middle Eocene of (Maramureº County); - two remains of Emys sp. from the Turnu Roºu (Sibiu County). Also PÁVAI (1871) signaled Middle Eocene of Jibou in Sãlaj County (in fact the Late 144 MÁTYÁS M. VREMIR Palaeocene Ronella botanica), and from the Pliocene of Regarding the Pliocene fossil turtle assemblage of Cãpeni (Covasna County), as well as a large “emydid” Mãluºteni and Bereºti, a few more studies were published. from the Late Cretaceous of Haþeg basin (the well known MACAROVICI, VANCEA (1960), reviewing a part of this Kallokibotion); — two “chelydrid” findings (allocated to material, described the Testudo praegraeca ibera (medium the genus Trachyaspis VON MEYER, 1843), one pleural size), Testudo grandis (large-size), Testudo sp. indet., and plate possibly belonging to a sea turtle, as well as a few Clemmys malustensis species. Later MLYNARSKI (1969) Trionyx sp. remains, all from the Upper Eocene of Cluj- determined the presence of Testudo macarovici Gilãu region (Cluj County). MLYNARSKI, 1969 (= Testudo praegreca ibera), Geoemyda The “emydid” materials from the Haþeg basin were sig- malustensis (MACAROVICI, VANCEA 1960) (= Clemmys naled also by NOPCSA (1897), who later (NOPCSA, 1923 a, malustensis), Geoemyda cf. mossoczyi MLYNARSKI, 1964, b) described them as two new amhychelideans (Kalloki- and Chelydridae gen. et sp. indet. (= Testudo grandis). botion bajazidi NOPCSA, 1923 a. and K. magnificum BERECZ, CUCU (1979) mentioned some remains allocated NOPCSA, 1923 a). KADIÆ (1916) also mentioned a few tur- to Testudo aff. graeca LINNAEUS 1758, Emys sp., and tle bones from the northern part of Haþeg basin (Vãlioara Geoemyda mossoczyi. Finally, BACHMAYER, MLYNARSKI and Ciula Mare) collected from Late Cretaceous beds. (1983) published some remarks regarding the species At the beginning of the 20th century, LÖRENTHEY Testudo macarovicii. (1903), reviewed some of the fossil materials, and SAMSON, RãDULESCU (1963) investigated another quite described two new species: Trionyx clavatomarginatus similar vertebrate fauna from the late Pliocene (Romanian) (Trionychidae) and Euclastes? kochi (Cheloniidae?), both of Irimeºti (Oltenia region), where the presence of from the Upper Eocene of Cluj region. Geoemyda mossoczyi was recorded (KHOZATSKY, In the Extracarpathian regions, SIMIONESCU (1922, 1930) MLYNARSKI, 1966). Also, MLYNARSKI (1968) published data published for the first time data regarding the Late Pliocene regarding the vertebrates of Irimeºti and Mãluºteni as well as (Romanian) vertebrate assemblage from Mãluºteni the Pontian occurrence of Brusturi–Tãtãruº (Bihor County). (Southern Moldova), including fossil turtles, belonging to New mentions or descriptions can be added. FUCHS the genera Clemmys, Testudo and Trionyx. BARBU (1930) (1962) has a quotation of an Early Miocene Trionyx sp. published a catalogue of the fossil vertebrates of Romania, from Cluj, which is a large specimen recently published by only containing an incomplete list of the fossil turtles VREMIR, CODREA (1997). A middle Miocene trionychid (Kallokibotion bajazidi is listed as a dinosaur). specimen (Trionyx sp. aff. pliopedemontanus SACCO, SZALAI (1932, 1934) made the first overview of 1897) was described by MACAROVICI, MOTAº (1965), from Hungarian palaeocheloniological data. He presented six Reghiu (Vrancea region). POPOROGU (1972) also men- sites from Transylvania, describing new materials of Emys tioned a Late Oligocene large sized Trionyx sp., from the strandi SZALAI, 1934 (Oligocene of Cluj), Emys sp. (Pontian Lupeni coal field (Hunedoara County). A Plio-Pleistocene of Brusturi–Tãtãruº), Emys orbicularis LINNAEUS, 1758 (Villafranchian) Testudo kalksburgensis TOULA, 1896 was (Pliocene of Cãpeni), Trionyx sp. (Oligocene of Ticu- published by FUHN, JURCSÁK (1972) from Oradea (Bihor Aghireº), Testudo sp. and Trionyx nopcsai SZALAI, 1934 County). (Pontian of Brusturi – Tãtãruº). GLAESSNER (1935) made the JURCSÁK (1973, 1976, 1978) and HUZA et al. (1987) second overview of the Hungarian fossil testudines, includ- presented some problematic turtle remains from the ing Transylvanian findings. Middle Triassic (Anisian) of Peºtiº (Bihor County). A few Freshwater turtle remains (first mentioned by SZALAI exoskeletal elements were allocated to the genus 1932 as Clemmys sp.) were also mentioned by VERESS (1944) Proganochelys BAUR, 1888. in her Ph.D. thesis from the Early Oligocene of Cluj. Another CIOBANU (1977) erected a new cheloniid species under unpublished study (PACSA 1958) contains descriptions of a the name of Chelonia oligocena, from the Early Oligocene few remains collected from the same occurrence, without any of Piatra Neamþ (Neamþ County). Later, CHKHIKVADZE further taxonomic identification. MLYNARSKI, MÉSZÁROS (1990) suggested its probable appartenance to the genus (1963) made a review of these palaeontological materials, Glarichelys ZANGERL 1958. which were allocated to Clemmys strandi (SZALAI 1934). GROZA (1983), GRIGORESCU (1983) and GRIGORESCU et Later, MLYNARSKI (1966) followed Szalai’s work on review- al. (1985) mentioned from the Late Cretaceous of Haþeg ing the fossil turtles housted in Hungarian collections (includ- basin some new turtle specimens, belonging to ing specimens from Transylvania), assigned this species to Kallokibotion bajazidi, as well as undetermined remains. Chinemys. He also described or mentioned new specimens A re-examination of the type materials of Kallokibotion belonging to Kallokibotion bajazidi and Pleurosternon sp. bajazidi, kept in the British Museum (N. H.) in London, (Late Cretaceous of Haþeg basin), Trionyx clavatomarginatus was recently made by GAFFNEY, MEYLAN (1992). As a (late Eocene of Cluj), Trionyx sp. and Chelydra? sp. result, the systematic position of those species was (Oligocene of Ticu-Aghireº), Trionyx sp. (“Pliocene” of resolved in the infraorder Cryptodira. Finally, other Late Borsec), Emys orbicularis (Late Pliocene of Baraolt - Cãpeni) Cretaceous materials (Kallokibotion bajazidi) were pub- as well as