A link of the Late Miocene giraffid migration pathway from the peri-Aegean lands to the northeastern Eurasian areas

Abstract

The southeastern retreat of the Paratethys Sea constrained by the Middle Sarmatian uplift of the last Eastern Carpathians nappe (Pericarpathian Nappe) caused the progressive emergence of land masses contiguous to the Dacian Basin. Diverse faunas, including large mammals, colonized these lands. However, giraffes remain poorly documented. This paper attests to the presence of giraffids documented by postcranial bones of Samotherium major and Helladotherium duvernoyi. So far, both genera have only been listed in Romania without any information about the retrieved fossil bones, description, or illustration. The fossils described herein – a metacarpal of Samotherium major and two metatarsals, and an astragalus of Helladotherium duvernoyi – were sampled from four Late Miocene outcrops of the Eastern Carpathians Foreland (Creţeşti 1, Văleni, Pogana and Fălciu). Two outcrops (Văleni and Fălciu) have just been discovered. Moreover, in this paper Samotherium major is described for the first time in Romania. During the Late Miocene, the giraffids were elemental components of the so-called Pikermian Biome of the Greco-Irano-Afghan Province. This biome extended from the peri-Aegean lands to Iran. However, several occurrences are known from northeastern Eurasian areas (Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, and Hungary). The new Romanian occurrences represent a link between the southern and northeastern giraffid faunas during the Late Miocene of eastern Europe, indicating a presumed migration pathway.