Vörös A. szerk.: Fragmenta Mineralogica Et Palaentologica 18. 1996. (Budapest, 1996)
Equus (lAllohippus) sp.; Only the distal part of a mt 3 (distal width = 50 mm) speaks for the presence of a slender horse in the material of Beremend 16. Archidiskodon meridionalis (Nesti); A fragment of a molar with two lamellae is the proof for the presence of this stratigraphically important element. ECOLOGICAL AND STRATIGRAPHICAL CONCLUSIONS From ecological point of view the whole animal assemblage, similarly to other ones in the Villány-Mountains, has a steppe character, with a great quantity of snakes (Ophidia), with the presence of bustards (Otis), steppe lemmings (Lagurus), porcupine (Hystrix) from among smaller vertebrates and antilopes in the large mammal-fauna. The proportion of the members of forest-environment (perhaps Epimachairodus and the first appearance of "true deer": Cervus in our territory) and the water elements (fishes, desmans) is subordinate. The appearance of some "boreal" elements (e.g. Bombicilla garrulus from birds and Alopex from mammals) in this Mediterranean environment speaks for a change in the climatical demands of these forms during their evolution. On the other hand, it seems to be remarkable that, considering shrews, in some places of the localities Crocidura appears to be predominant (B/16/9) together with Apodemus and the strictly Mediterranean bats: Rhinolophus mehelyi, whereas in other places chiefly Sorex (with northern relatives B/ 16/5/8/19) was found. This facts show how cautious we must be with paleoclimatical conclusions (always individual and chiefly on generic, rather than specific level!). As the faunal lists show, the localities B/16 and B/17 are, as mentioned above, geologically contemporaneous. They give a colourful and a many-sided picture about the contemporaneous life of vertebrates. They differ from the hitherto known more than forty vertebrate localities of the Villány region in two features: (1) The special richness of the bat-fauna, which refer to the presence of a cave at that times. (2) The frequency of large mammals, which may give a basis for supposing the presence of a natural trap (shaft) which functioned as a gatherer of large ungulates and carnivores as well. At the same time the small mammal bones fossilized in owl-pellets are present also in considerable quantity. From stratigraphical point of view the appearance of the vole Allophaiomys, present in all parts of the localities, is decisive. Due to the "inundation of information" also in the science, as mentioned above, we know at present about 120 localities in Europe (from Spain, through Middle-Eastern Europe to the Caspian Sea, cf. MAUL 1990), in Middle Asia and in North America (Dakota: MARTIN, oral comm. 1994) characterized by the appearance of this vole. In the rich series of localities in the Villány Mountains this is the fifth occurrence of Allophaiomys (former known from Villány 5/, Nagyharsányhegy 21 /mixed/ and Somssich-hegy 1/ 121, see JÁNOSSY 1986) together with Lagurus arankae. The only Arvicola-Wke pattern of the enamel of Mj of Allophaiomys speaks for an earlier stage of the Betfia-Phase. The contemporaneous occurrence of Allophaiomys with Mimomys savini in B/16, noticed in some localities in Europe (MAUL 1990), is to be examined in respect of
