List of Erinaceidae and Dimylidae from the Late Miocene of Slovakia
Abstract
The families Erinaceidae and Dimylidae are represented in the Late Miocene localities of Slovakia (Borský Svätý Jur, Krásno, Pezinok, Šalgovce, Studienka, Triblavina) by at least six hedgehog species (“Schizogalerix” voesendorfensis, Schizogalerix cf. moedlingensis, Lantanotherium sanmigueli, Atelerix cf. depereti, Atelerix aff. depereti, cf. Postpalerinaceus sp., Erinaceinae gen. and sp. indet.) and two dimylid species (Plesiodimylus chantrei, Metacordylodon aff. schlosseri). The material of Lantanotherium sanmigueli from the western Carpathians is investigated, revealing a broad variability in all samples. Additionally, deciduous premolars of Lantanotherium are described for the first time. Erinaceid species are frequent in the Vallesian but their abundance strongly declines afterwards. As an exception, Schizogalerix reentered the Danube and Vienna basins during MN11, likely from eastern Europe. Erinaceinae displays a low diversity during the Late Miocene of central Europe, which tends to support a pan-European diversity phenomenon. The humidity-dependent Dimylidae species are abundant during the late Vallesian. Rare finds of Plesiodimylus confirm the survival of this family into early MN11 in the Pannonian region.