Publication details
First Occurrence of Testudo kalksburgensis Toula, 1896 in the Czech Republic
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Czujan’s sand-pit locality (CSP) from the Middle Miocene (MN6-MN7+8, Mikulov, Czech Republic) is known for its singular mammalian assemblage, but reptiles have not received any attention, and more specifically, fossil turtles have never been studied in detail. We report unpublished material of the medium-sized tortoise Testudo kalksburgensis Toula, 1896 (Testudines: Testudinidae) from Czujan’s sand-pit (CSP), which is housed at the Moravian Museum in Brno, as well as presenting a revision of the type material from Wien-Kalksburg (MN5-MN6, Austria), housed at the paleontological collections of the University of Vienna. The new material from CSP is formed by several complete shells, multiple shell fragments and postcranial remains, which are assigned within the subgenus Chersine. Furthermore, the new material further allows us to ascertain the first record of Testudo kalksburgensis in the Czech Republic, and likely extends the chronostratigraphic range of this species to the late Serravallian (although the age of CSP is still contentious). All this material, together with the remains of the type locality (a partial shell), will enable in the future an emended diagnosis of Testudo kalksburgensis, which is characterized by a trapezoidal anterior plastral lobe. Our assessment further indicates that Testudo kalksburgensis is closely related to Testudo catalaunica Bataller, 1926 and Testudo steinheimensis Schleich, 1981. More detailed comparisons with other small-medium tortoise remains from Middle Miocene localities from West and East Europe would be required to evaluate the presence of T. kalksburgensis outside Central Europe, as well as to clarify the position within the subgenus Chersine. |