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An Almost Complete Skeleton of Metailurus Parvulus (Carnivora

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An Almost Complete Skeleton of Metailurus Parvulus (Carnivora Geobios 39 (2006) 563–584 http://france.elsevier.com/direct/GEOBIO/ Original article An almost complete skeleton of Metailurus parvulus (Carnivora, Felidae) from the late Miocene of Kerassia (Northern Euboea, Greece) Un squelette presque complet de Metailurus parvulus (Carnivora, Felidae) du Miocène supérieur de Kerassia (Eubée du Nord, Grèce) Socrates J. Roussiakis a,*, George E. Theodorou a, George Iliopoulos b a Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, Greece b Department of Geology, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK Received 17 December 2004; accepted 11 April 2005 Available online 28 July 2006 Abstract We describe a partial skeleton of Metailurus parvulus from the Turolian site of Kerassia 1 (Northern Euboea, Greece). The material, which consists of a mandible, the anterior and posterior limb-bone elements, some sternal bones and some vertebrae, is the most complete known of this species. The dental material is compared to specimens from Pikermi and Chomateri (Greece), and China. The limb-bones available offer us the possibility to discuss the status of some previously described specimens from Pikermi. The limb proportions indicate that M. parvulus had elongated posterior limbs relative to the anterior ones, which reflects developed jumping skills. M. parvulus had moderately developed cursorial abilities, intermediate between open and closed habitat felids, and probably frequented primarily relatively open woodlands. © 2006 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved. Résumé Nous décrivons ici un squelette presque complet de Metailurus parvulus qui provient de la localité turolienne de Kerassia 1 (Eubée du Nord, Grèce). Le matériel, constitué d’une mandibule, des segments des membres antérieurs et postérieurs, et des portions de la colonne vertébrale et du sternum, est le plus complet connu de cette espèce. La denture est comparée aux pièces de Pikermi et Chomateri (Grèce), et de Chine. Les os des membres disponibles nous offrent la possibilité de discuter l’état de quelques pièces déjà décrites provenant de Pikermi. Les proportions des membres de M. parvulus indiquent que le membre postérieur était plus long que le membre antérieur, ce qui montre que M. parvulus était capable de bonds puissants. Ses adaptations à la course étaient médiocrement développées et le classent dans une situation intermédiaire entre les félidés de terrain ouvert et ceux des forêts. M. parvulus fréquentait probablement des régions légèrement boisées. © 2006 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved. Keywords: Metailurus; Felidae; Carnivora; Euboea; Greece, Late Miocene; Palaeoecology Mots clés : Metailurus ; Felidae ; Carnivora ; Eubée ; Grèce, Miocène supérieur ; Paléoécologie * Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (S.J. Roussiakis). 0016-6995/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2005.04.002 564 S.J. Roussiakis et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 563–584 1. Introduction from its corresponding zygopodium joint. The same is true for the left scapula, which was found distal to the left manus and In 1992, the University of Athens started systematic excava- not, as expected, close to the proximal humerus head. The atlas tions near the village of Kerassia, Northern Euboea. So far, se- and axis were disarticulated, but in contact with each other. ven fossiliferous sites have been located. Three of them (Keras- Near these were the remaining cervical vertebrae and some sia 1, Kerassia 3 and Kerassia 4) are very rich in fossils. These sternal bones. The thoracic vertebrae were not in articulation sites are located across a road-site cut. They have been grouped except from some fragmentary centra. The mandible was found into two fossiliferous levels: a lower one and an upper one. The preserved close to the left scapula. Kerassia 1 (K1) site belongs to the upper fossiliferous level and The recovered skeletal elements of M. parvulus were found is relatively younger stratigraphically than the sites Kerassia 2 at the top of the bone accumulation and occupied an area of (K2), Kerassia 3 (K3) and Kerassia 4 (K4) which belong to the approximately half a square metre. Accompanying it, some lower fossiliferous level (Theodorou et al., 2001, 2003). scarce Hipparion remains were found. The bones have per- The excavations carried out until 2000 have shown that the fectly preserved articular surfaces, and no signs of erosion. mammalian fauna of the K1 site includes Microstonyx major er- The stylopodium and zygopodium elements present longitudi- ymanthius, Palaeotragus rouenii, Helladotherium duvernoyi, Sa- nal weathering cracks, indicating that these limb-bone elements motherium major, Tragoportax cf. amalthea, Gazella sp., Hip- were exposed on the surface for a significant period of time parion sp., Ancylotherium sp., Orycteropus sp., Metailurus cf. (Behrensmeyer, 1978). The fact that the M. parvulus remains parvulus, and possibly Adcrocuta eximia and Choerolophodon were found either articulated or associated in such a small area, sp. (Roussiakis and Theodorou, 2003; Theodorou et al., 2003; and even the presence of some light elements such as the ribs, Iliopoulos, 2003). The available up to now data indicate that a indicate that the M. parvulus carcass was complete or almost Middle Turolian (MN12) age is plausible for the Kerassia 1 site. complete at the time of transportation and the bone elements In 2001, the excavations in K1 revealed a significant part of became disarticulated after its final deposition. The observed a M. parvulus skeleton (Fig. 1). The material includes a mand- slight displacement of some limb-bone elements was probably ible, most of the limb-bone elements, some cervical and thor- due either to calm water movement or trampling. Most likely, acic vertebrae, and some ribs. The skull, the right humerus, the reason for the absence of some skeletal elements is that the most of the right hind limb-bones, the lumbar and caudal ver- local road was cut through the bone accumulation. tebrae, the sacrum, and the pelvis are missing. Most of the bones preserved were found articulated or associated, such as 2. Material and methods the left humerus and its corresponding zygopodium and autop- odium elements. However, the humerus was rotated around its Dental and mandibular measurements follow the method of axis; thus the anconeal process of the ulna was not facing the Werdelin and Solounias (1991). The methodology followed for olecranon fossa but the coronoid fossa of the humerus. The each bone is given in the corresponding table of measurements. right radius, ulna and autopodium were mostly articulated, Even though many bones from the left and right side of the which is also the case with the left tibia, fibula and autopo- body are present, in some cases (carpalia, metapodials, pha- dium. However, the left femur was found about 30 cm away langes) only the measurements of the better preserved speci- Fig. 1. The skeleton of M. parvulus from the late Miocene of Kerassia 1. Fig. 1. Le squelette de M. parvulus du Miocène supérieur de Kerassia 1. S.J. Roussiakis et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 563–584 565 mens are given. All measurements are given in mm with an Mc IV (K1/258/12); left Mc V (K1/258/13); Ph 1, left manus, accuracy of one decimal digit. Whenever we include biblio- dig. I (K1/258/14); Ph 1, left manus, dig. III (K1/258/15); Ph 2, graphic metric data we retain the original accuracy. Slightly left manus, dig. III (K1/258/16); Ph 3, left manus, dig. III (K1/ inaccurate measurements are given in parentheses, or with the 258/17); Ph 1, left manus, dig. II (K1/258/18); Ph 2, left manus, sign “+” in case of slightly broken specimens. Some rib frag- dig. II (K1/258/19); Ph 1, left manus, dig. IV (K1/258/21); Ph 2, ments as well as sesamoid bones found are not included in this left manus, dig. IV (K1/258/22); Ph 1, left manus, dig. V (K1/ study. The terminology applied in the description of the anato- 259/1); Ph 2, left manus, dig. V (K1/259/2); thoracic vertebra mical characters is generally that of Jayne (1898), but the ter- (K1/261); thoracic vertebra (K1/264); 3rd cervical vertebra minology used by other authors (Reighard and Jennings, 1901; (K1/265/1); first sternal bone (manubrium) (K1/265/2); thoracic Evans and Christensen, 1979) has also been taken into consid- vertebra (K1/268). eration. All the material is temporarily stored in the Athens Museum of Palaeontology and Geology. In the future, this ma- 2.2. Abbreviations terial will be exhibited in a new museum planned in Kerassia AMPG, Athens Museum of Palaeontology and Geology, by the local prefecture. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; MNHNP, ’ 2.1. Material Muséum national d Histoire naturelle de Paris; NHML, Natural History Museum of London. Right astragalus (K1/105); distal metapodial part, right Mt III? (K1/106); 6th cervical vertebra (K1/195); atlas (K1/196); 3. Palaeontology axis (K1/197); 4th cervical vertebra (K1/198); right scapula Order CARNIVORA Bowdich, 1821 (K1/200); left femur (K1/201); left humerus (K1/202); left ra- Family FELIDAE Fischer, 1817 dius (K1/203); left ulna (K1/204); right patella (K1/205); thor- Genus Metailurus Zdansky, 1924 acic vertebra (K1/206); 5th cervical vertebra (K1/207); right Metailurus parvulus (Hensel, 1862) ulna (K1/208); right radius (K1/209/1); right scapholunar (K1/ 209/2); right cuneiform (K1/209/3); right pisiform (K1/209/4); 3.1. Description right trapezium (K1/209/5); right trapezoid (K1/209/6); right un- ciform (K1/209/7); Ph 1, right manus, dig. I (K1/209/8); right 3.1.1. Mandible and dentition (Fig. 2 and Table 1) Mc III (K1/209/9); Ph 1, right manus, dig. III (K1/209/10); Ph 2, The described mandible (K1/210) is similar to a mandibular right manus, dig.
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