Carnivora from the Early Pleistocene locality of Karnezeika (Southern Greece)

Abstract

Karnezeika is an Early Pleistocene locality in the Peloponnese, South Greece. More than 3000 specimens have been unearthed and studied, revealing the presence of a large mammal assemblage, which corresponds to the middle Villafranchian biochronological unit. The bovid fauna of the site has already been presented, as well as the scarce remains of a large cercopithecid, which characterizes Karnezeika as a primate-bearing fossil site. Herein, we describe the Carnivora of this locality. The carnivore guild of Karnezeika was found to consist of seven different taxa including Vulpes alopecoides, Felis sp., Megantereon cultridens, Ursus etruscus, Pachycrocuta brevirostris, Baranogale helbingi, and a Mustelidae indet. Interestingly, the presence of the giant, short-faced hyena P. brevirostris among the assemblage shows that this species was present in SE Europe before the Olduvai subchron, similarly to Western Europe. Furthermore, based on the new and relatively well-preserved specimens belonging to the rare mustelid B. helbingi, we discuss some possible taxonomic interpretations of this species. Finally, the majority of the carnivora taxa present in Karnezeika indicate a mixed habitat which agrees with previous palaeoenvironmental results concerning the site.