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Preliminary results of determination of the Pliocene vertebrate fauna from Kravarsko, Croatia

During recent sedimentological studies in the area of Kravarsko (central part of Croatia, 30 km south from Zagreb) numerous skeletal remains of small vertebrates have been found. Particularly fossiliferous is the outcrop called VGK 39, which is the landslide located 250 m northwest from the center of the Kravarsko village. The investigated sediments belong to the Pliocene Paludina beds. Recent sedimentological study has shown that the sediments are predominantly clayey silt in composition with carbonate content which varies between 15% to 20%. A total of 376 specimens (NISP /Number of Identified Specimens/ = 376) were determined, and they belong to the following taxa: Pisces, Amphibia, Mammalia, as well as pearls (?) of the unionids, and seeds. The most numerous are fish remains, mostly vertebrae, then different teeth and complete or fragmented bones as well. The fish remains (total NISP = 326) are represented by different undetermined bones and teeth (Pisces indet. ; NISP = 277). The other fish finds belong to two families (Cyprinidae and Esocidae), represented by the following genera/species: Abramis brama, ?Barbus sp., Carassius sp., Esox lucius, Scardinius erythrophthalmus, and Tinca tinca. Pharyngeal (cyprinids), and palatine and lower jaw teeth (esocids) are quite abundant. The cyprinid fishes occur in almost every freshwater environment of Euroasia, Africa and North America, while the northern pike (Esox lucius) has holarctic distribution.Furthermore, two fragmented frog (Anura indet.) finds (two radioulnae?) have been also found, while the determination for some specimens (NISP = 27) as pearls (maybe of the unionids) is still unsure. Plant macrofossils are presented by two seeds. As mentioned before, in the same sediments the representatives of the mammalian fauna have been also discovered. These are desman (Desmana sp.), presented by one molar, and voles/arvicolids. Two of seven arvicolid teeth are determined as second (?) and third upper molar of Mimomys cf. pliocaenicus. One complete phalanx belongs to some small mammal (Mammalia indet.), while other bone/teeth remains belong to the rodents (Rodentia indet.), and some small vertebrates (Vertebrata indet.), respectively. Two bone fragments stayed completely unidentified. The desman (water mole) is a semi-aquatic animal and belongs to the insectivores (order Eulipotyphla WADDELL, OKADA, HASEGAWA, 1999 ; family Talpidae FISCHER, 1817 ; tribus Desmanini THOMAS, 1912). These animals (two recent genera/species) live near streams, ponds, lakes and other water bodies. From the fossil records the desmans are well known since the Late Miocene from many Euroasian localities, and they were represented by five genera during the Neogene. Now the genus Desmana is recorded for the first time in Croatia. Determined taxa from the outcrop VGK 39 at Kravarsko belong to two palaeoassemblages: terrestrial and aquatic/semi-aquatic. The latter, fluvio- lacustrine and semi-aquatic fauna is represented by fishes, frogs and desman, while the terrestrial representatives are the arvicolids. It could be presumed that Mimomys cf. pliocaenicus lived beside the water bodies too, like is the case with now-a-days Arvicola amphibius (water vole), which is the descendant of the genus Mimomys. These preliminary data of the microvertebrate fauna research will be combined with the results of the sedimentological analyses for the future paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

fish; mammals; teeth; pearls; Pliocene; Kravarsko; Croatia

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