Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 86. (Budapest 1994)

Hír, J.: Cricetus cricetus nanus Schaub, 1930 (Mammalia, Rodentia) finds from the Carpathian Basin

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 86. Budapest, 1994 p. 13-27 Cricetus cricetus nanus Schaub, 1930 (Mammalia, Rodentia) finds from the Carpathian Basin by J. HÍR, Pásztó HÍR, J. (1994): Cricetus cricetus nanus Schaub, 1930 (Mammalia, Rodentia) finds from the Carpathian Basin. Annls hist. -nat. Mus natn. hung. 86: 13-27. Abstract - Detailed metrical and morphological analysis of Cricetus cricetus nanus materials is given with the stratigraphical and biogeographical relations. With 19 figures and 15 tables. INTRODUCTION In the Hungarian Plio-Pleistocene paleovertebrate material the cricetids are represented by numerous taxa and by large numbers of specimens. In spite of this fact the intensive study of the group was relatively neglected by Hungarian researchers. Cricetids have secondary importance behind arvicolids from stratigraphical point of view and the tooth morphology of the different hamster species was regarded as uniform (KRETZOI 1941). The author of this article tried to take the first steps in the revision of the Plio-Pleistocene cricetids in the Carpathian Basin by metrical and statistical morphological methods (HÍR 1989, 1992a, 1993). LOCALITIES AND MATERIAL Betfia 2 is the type locality of the Biharium and the Betfia Phase is located in the territory of Romania not far from Oradea (Nagyvárad). The localities of the Betfia quarry were excavated by KORMOS (1930), KRETZOI (1941) and TERZEA & JURCSÁK (1969). The material collected in different periods is stored in Hungarian and Romanian museum collections. The author investigated the finds placed in the Hungarian Geological Institute under the inventory numbers Ob 4141/a, Ob 4141/b, Ob 4175, Ob 4187/a, Ob 4187/b, Ob 4196, Ob 4204/1, Ob 4204/2, Ob 4204/3, Ob 4204/4, Ob 4204/5, Ob 4204/6, Ob 4204/7. Material: 8 maxillae with complete tooth-rows, 4 maxillae with incomplete tooth-rows, IMI, 1M2, 1M3; 14 mandibulae with complete tooth-rows, 32 mandibulac with incomplete tooth-rows, 5ml, llm2, 3m3. The hill Osztramos is situated not far from the northernmost point of Hungary, in the Aggtelek Karstic Region, between the villages of Tornaszentandrás and Bódvarákó. In the large limestone quarry of the hill fissures and caves were excavated and damaged by mining activity during the seventies. The fossiliferous fissure fillings and cave sediments produced remarkable vertebrate faunae. The age of them is between the Middle Pliocene and the Middle Pleistocene. The material was collected and elaborated by JÁNOSSY (1972, 1973, 1974, 1986) and JÁNOSSY & KORDOS (1977). Material of Osztramos 8: 4 maxillae with incomplete tooth-rows, 7M1, 4M2, 4M3; 4 mandibulae with complete tooth-rows, 3 mandibulae with incomplete tooth-rows, 12ml, 12m2,9m3. It is stored in the Department of Geology and Paleontology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum under inventory number V. 73. 105. Material of Osztramos 14: 1 maxilla with complete toothrow, 8 maxillae with incomplete tooth-rows, 28M1, 23M2, 18M3; 1 mandibula with complete toothrow, 5 mandibulae with incomplete tooth-rows, 10ml, 14m2, 13m3. It is stored in the Department of Geology and Paleontology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum under the inventory number V. 75. 169. METHODS The measurements were taken using the ocular-micrometer of a stereomicroscope to an accuracy of 0.01 mm. After PRADEL (1981, 1988) the following dimensions were measured: LM1-3 - length of upper row of molars; L ml-3 - length of lower row of molars;