Dr. Nagy I. Zoltán szerk.: Fragmenta Mineralogica Et Palaentologica 6. 1975. (Budapest, 1975)
Comparison of Rh. variabilis n. sp. and Rh. hi p posideros of the Carpathian Middle Pleistocene. Some fragmentary mandibles from the Middle Pleistocene of Hungary (Tarkő Niche and Uppony Cave, JÁNOSSY 1962, 1968) display the same features as the recent animal, at least regarding the available P4 premolars and molars. Osteological features, other than skull and mandible. Humeri. The few fragmentary proximal ends showed a larger caput humeri than the recent bones. The size and strength of the humerus were probably greater and also the width of the trochlea: M = 3.40 mm in Rh. hi p posideros and M = 3.63 in Rh. variabilis n.sp. I found the proc. styloideus pointing a little more laterally when viewd dorsoventrally, and more straightly from a lateral view in the fossil species than in Rh. hi p posideros . In general, the epitrochlea is more pronounced in Rh . variabilis n . sp ., than in Rh. hi p posideros . All these features rather resemble the humeri of Rh. g rivensis and Rh. eur yale. (See: ZAPFE 1950, and FELTEN and al. 1973). Bacula. There were found ten specimens at Osztramos in locality 9., among them two in excellent state and suitable for comparison with recent ones. The baculum of our Kashmir specimen is extremely bent dorsally, so it will be disregarded here. The bacula are much less bent in the new species than in Rh. hip posideros , and though similar in size, still more elongated and longer. (Plate VII, figs. 1-8). The base is narrow and smaller than in recent bones (Plate VII, figs. 3-4), with a very narrow and even, closed and ossified ventral incision. The base is wide and open in Rh. hi p posideros . The shaft is cylindrical as in Rh. hi p posideros , and without flattened wings which are present in Rh . euryale . Beyond a rather straight portion it is decidedly bent a little dorsally, then turned ventrally. This is pronounced by the widened tip, like a spoon with a ventral impression. This form is not known in Rh. hi pposideros . The width of the tip equals with that of the shaft at its two-fifths length from base. The other fossil specimen has a less spoonlike tip, - still decidedly wider than in Rh. hi p posideros - where, instead of a spoon there is a laterally flattened knob. Relationships and historical zoo g eo graphy. The species Rh. g rivensis (DEPERET), described from the Miocene of Grive Saint-Alban, France, is bigger than the present new species (see also measurements given by MEIN 19Ç4). This was shown also by the study of the type-specimen p. JÁNOSSY, oral communication). Several authors contend therefore its relationship with Rh. euryale , but this is probable an erroneous inferemce.I chowed in my previous paper(TOPÁL 1974) that MEIN' s Rh.grivensis lissiensis . 1964, is a distinct species, and resembles Rh. euryale . While the pre sent new species is in many respect different from Rh. grivensis , it is closer to the Moicene species than to Rh. lissiensis . Still, one cannot regard it as a subspecies of the former. Certainly, the remains of the two species, that is, Rh. lissiensis and Rh. variabilis n.sp. occur together in the Pliocene of Osztramos. The age of these Pliocene localities is much less different from that of Lissieu, the type locality of Rh. lissiensis , than from Grive Saint-Alban. One may infer that the Miocene Rh. g rivensis with intermediate features is the common ancestral form of both Rh. lissiensis and Rh. variabilis n.sp. flourishing in the Middle Pliocene. One cannot exclude the possibility that Rh. variabilis n. sp. somehow represents the ancestralform of Rh. hi p posideros . At the somewhat older Podlesice, as well as at Weze, Poland, there was discovered a small Rhinolophus described by KOWALSKI (1956) as Rh. hi p posideros , and later (1962) as Rh. grivensis . In my view, the remains belong doubtless to the present new species, even if, according to my own observations" 1 ", they are a little bigger than the Hungarian specimens. They + I express my appreciation to Dr. K. KOWALSKI for his courtesy in permitting the study and loan of the material in his care.
