Middle Miocene insectivore succession from Hungary: preliminary results and ongoing studies

Abstract

During the last decade, intensive field work in the Miocene deposits from Hungary has lead in the discovery of large and well preserved micro-mammal faunas (e.g. Hír 2010). As a result much progress had been made in the understanding of the rodent biostratigraphy and faunal relationships in Eastern Europe. Paradoxically, few studies were undertaken on the Middle Miocene insectivore samples, most of the efforts being focused on younger records. This lack is a shame as this group is traditionally considered a good palaeoenvironmental indicator (particularly for humidity), and recently also proved its importance for palaeogeographical purposes (Furió et al. 2011).

As a first step in the elaboration of the Middle Miocene insectivore faunas from Hungary, we review the Badenian material from Sámsonháza 3 (Nógrád County), and we add new results from the geographically and biostratigraphically close localities Hasznos and Mátrazölös. Clearly, different genera are recorded in the Sarmatian s. str. localities from the Felsötárkany Basin (Heves County), indicating drastic changes in the insectivore faunas during the late Middle Miocene.

In the end, our work is aimed at evaluating the faunal changes in Hungary within the framework of the dynamic evolution of the Middle Miocene European environments.