engleski

Morphometric analyses of arvicolids from some Croatian localities

A total of 1, 331 arvicolid teeth have been determined from three Upper Pleistocene Croatian localities: Vindija cave (near Ivanec), Marlera I (southern Istria) and Mujina cave (near Trogir). They belong to the following species: Arvicola terrestris, Microtus ex gr. arvalis/agrestis, M. oeconomus, M. subterraneus, Chionomys nivalis and Clethrionomys glareolus. From this material, 676 first lower molars have been separated for metrical analyses, following the method proposed by VAN DER MEULEN (1973). The M1 total length (L), the length of anteroconid complex (a) and the A/L index of teeth from all of the above-mentioned sites and species were compared with data from other European localities, from Slovenia (Podjamca and Divje babe I ; TOSKAN 2002), Austria (Nixloch ; NAGEL 1992), Poland (Upper Pleistocene localities ; NADACHOWSKI 1982), France (Gigny ; DESCLAUX et al. 2002) nad Bulgaria (Bacho Kiro ; NADACHOWSKI 1984). The results of the comparisons and possible correlations are discussed. Morphotypes (partly after NADACHOWSKI 1982) were determined for 884 M1 teeth. All the species mentioned, with the exception of Chionomys nivalis, are represented by 487 M1 from the Vindija cave. The bulk of this material was found in complexes E+F and G (approximate age of 42.0 - 18.5 ka B.P.). The Marlera I locality yielded 375 molars (Microtus ex gr. arvalis/agrestis - 363 M1 ; M. subterraneus - 12 M1), whilst the Mujina cave produced 22 M1(Microtus ex gr. arvalis/agrestis - 17 M1 ; C. nivalis - 5 M1). In the Vindija cave, the dominant morphotypes are type A in Arvicola terrestris (42.45%) and M. subterraneus (41.67% - 12 M1). However, in the case of the 117 teeth of Microtus ex gr. arvalis/agrestis obtained from this site, the dominant morphotype is type C (56.41%). A similar dominance of this species was calculated at Marlera I (66.39%). Clethrionomys glareolus, M. oeconomus and M. subterraneus are too poorly represented to allow reliable morphotype comparisons. Comparison of the observed morphotype frequencies with those from the other European sites mentioned above are discussed.

Upper Pleistocene; arvicolids; teeth; morphometric analyses; Croatia

Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg ; Band 256