O. Gy. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 23. (Budapest, 1989)

Topál, Gy.: Tertiary and Early Quaternary remains of Corynorhinus and Plecotus from Hungary (Mammalia, Chiroptera) 33-55. o.

Beremend. There is a fourth, posterior cusp (smaller than in 1/2) in 1/1 of the new animal, however, it is missing in P. abeli. P. pliocaenicus has greater values than both P. abeli and P. cf. abeli in 19 characters (see Tables 3, 4, 5, 6): P4/-M3/ length, P4/-M3/ alveoTar length, C-P4/ length, C-P4/ alveolar length, M1-M3/ length, upper C basal length, upper C basal width, P2/ width, C-P/4 length, lower C basal length, lower C basal width, P/3 basal length, P/3 basal width, P/4 width, M/2 length, M/2 width, M/3 trigonid width, M/3 talonid width, height of coronoid process. Both P/2 and P/3 are basally longer and wider in P. pliocaenicus thus, the species is probably more primitive. The basal cross-sectional outline of P/4 is angular in the new species and not obliquely cut on the anterior buccal margin as in Beremend P. abeli. The posterior outer portion of P/4 in P. abeli seems to be anteriorly drawn or pressed forward, not as in P. pliocaenicus. As compared to P. cf. abeli, P. pliocaenicus was greater (without overlap) in 21 characters (see Tables 3, 4, 5, 6), showed marginal overlap in 7 measurements, and extensive overlap in all the other 15 measurements. CONCLUSIONS The most recent findings of Plecotus (Corynorhinus) from the Upper Miocene of Polgárdi prove the presence of this, nowadays Nearctic, plecotine group as early as about six million years ago in Eurasia. One of the oldest known plecotine in the Holarctic. This animal proved to be new for science and was named P

lecotus (Corynorhinus^ atavus by the author in 1988. The next younger findings of Corynorhin

us-like bat came from Podlesice, Poland and Osztramos Loc. 9, Hungary, aged Lower Pliocene. The present study could not show wheter this animal belonged to a new species or how close it was to Plecotus {Coryno rhinus) atavus

, because of the fragmentary state of the material used in this work. In any case, it was not P. (C.) crassidens as presumed in earlier studies. Corynorhinus-like plecotines disappeared from Europe during the Betfian substage of the Lower Pleistocene. Its most recent record (with the discovery of a well preserved rostrum) means the third known locality of this animal, Plecotus (Corynorhinus=Paraplecotus) crassidens Kormos, 1930 in the Carpathian Basin. A detailed comparison of the fossil remains and the recent Plecotus (C.) townsendii pallescens revealed that Plecotus (C. ) atavus sp. n. showed some characters which could be considered as primitive features, though in some respects it was already on the way towards P. (C. ) crassidens of the Lower Pleistocene. The latter was most probably on the top of a side-branch somewhat remote from the main stock. However, until such time as other populations and further specimens are discovered and a detailed study of the Pliocene animal, first of all the material from Podlesice is made, retaining Paraplecotus as a subgenus besides Corynorhinus seems to be unnecessary. Based on rather uncertain evidence, and at present just on negative proof, it seems that Plecotus (Plecotus) species appeared in Europe later than Plecotus (Corynorhinus). Anyhow, their absence at Polgárdi during the Upper Miocene should be considered cautiously. The first known appearance happened during the Lower Pliocene in Europe. Osztramos Loc.

9 of this age furnished two species of them. A smaller one, P. cf. abeli is related to P. abeli. At present the rather incomplete and fragmentary material does not allow a separation from P. abeli collected at Beremend Localities 16 and 17, Lower Pleistocene. On the other hand, both P. cf. abeli and P. abeli listed in the present work are evidently related to P. auritus PLATE II; Figs 1-6 occlusal and buccal views of left mandibles of Plecotus (Corynorhinus) species: Figs 1-2 No. V. 15229 left mandible, selected paratype of P. (C. ) atavus:" 1= occlusal view, 2= buccal view. Figs 3-4 No. V. 86.20. left mandible of P.(C.) crassidens: 3= occlusal view, 4= buccal view. Figs 5-6 left mandible of No. 58. 74. 1. P. (C.) townsendii pallescens: 5= occlusal view, 6= buccal view. Fig. 7 occlusal view of right mandible of No. 71. 20. 1. Plecotus (Plecotus) auritus. Fig. 8 occlusal view of right mandible of No. 70. 14. 1. Plecotus (Plecotus) austriacus. Figs 9-10 No. V. 86. 14. right mandibular fragment, holotype of Plecotus (Plecotus) pliocaenicus: 9 = occlusal view, 10 = buccal view. Fig. 11 occlusal view of No. V. 86. 15. left maxillary fragment, selected paratype of P. (P.) pliocaenicus.