Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 39(1) 1996

Issue:

VOL 39(1) 1996

Keywords:

Pliocene, Pleistocene, Arvicolidae, Biochronology, Neuleiningen

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Biochronological implications of the arvicolids (Mammalia: Rodentia) from the Pliocene and Pleistocene faunas of Neuleiningen (Rheinland-Pfalz, southwest Germany)

• Lutz MAUL

Abstract:

Several fissures north of Neuleiningen have yielded rich small mammal associations. The arvicolids are identified as: Ungaromys dehmi, Clethrionomys kretzoii, C. hintonianus, Pliomys episcopalis, Mimomys pitymyoides, M. pusillus, M. tornensis, M. ostramosensis, M. savini, Borsodia cf. newtoni, Microtus ex gr. pliocaenicus/deucalion, M. ex gr. hintoni/thenii, and Lemmus cf. kowalskii. Among the Biharian (sensu FEJFAR & HEINRICH 1980, 1989) faunas from Neuleiningen, those of NL 5 and 15 are somewhat younger than NL 2, 3 and 13 because of the occurrence of more advanced Mimomys and Microtus species. The associations of NL 7, 9 and 14 on the one hand and NL 4 and 11 on the other belong to different levels of the uppermost Villányian (sensu FEJFAR & HEINRICH 1980, 1989). The validity of this biochronological sequence of the Neuleiningen faunas and correlations with other European faunas are supported by quantitative data on the crown height of the rooted forms and the A/L-Index of the rootless taxa.