Szabó János szerk.: Fragmenta Mineralogica Et Palaentologica 20. 2002. (Budapest, 2002)

FRAGMENTA PALAEONTOLOGICA HUNGARICA 20, BUDAPEST, 2002 Middle Miocene insectivores and rodents (Mammalia) from Sámsonháza (Northern Hungary) by János HÍR & Lukács Gy. MÉSZÁROS Abstract — A Middle Miocene microvertebrate fauna was excavated from four localities (Sh 0-3) close to Sámsonháza. The vast majority of the mammal finds came from Sh 3. The fossiliferous layer of this locality yielded also a rich molluscan fauna referring to the Middle Badenian. The described insectivors and rodents came from the MN 6 zone of the Astaracian faunal unit. Key words — Insectivora, Rodentia, Miocene, Middle Badenian, Astaracian, MN6, stratigraphy, Northern Hungary. HÍR, J. & MÉSZÁROS, L. GY. (2002): Middle Miocene insectivores and rodents (Mammalia) from Sámsonháza (Northern Hungary). — Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica, 20:9-23. Introduction The small village Sámsonháza is situated in the southeastern part of Nógrád County, ten kilometres from the town Pásztó. The surroundings of the settlement are well known in the Hungarian geological literature, because the outcrops of limestone and different calcareous sediments Figure 1 — The topographical position of the geological sections and microvertebrate localities of Sámsonháza. — 1: Protected section of the Mátra Volcanics Formation; 2: Type section 1 of the Sámsonháza Formation; 3: Type section 2 of the Sámsonháza Formation; 4-7: Vertebrate localities "Sámsonháza 0-3" (0: the uppermost layer of the type section 2) contain rich Early Badenian marine fauna. This series was named as Sámsonháza Formation and Szilagy Claymarl Formation by ITÁMOR (1985). On the top of the marine complex fluviatile-continental clays, gravels were described with nonmarine molluscan fauna (SÜMEGHY 1925). The sporadic vertebrate fossils (e.g. crocodile teeth) were classified as Sarmatian (NOSZKY 1940). The fluviatile and continental complex was cktermined as Sajó Valley Formation by HÁMOR (1985). Figure 2 — The section of the locality Sámsonháza 3. — 1: Calcareous sand bearing Pirrenella moravica shells; 2: Limestone with fossil roots; 3: Grey mud with a mass of freshwater molluscs and bones; 4: Grey sandy mud; 5: Coarse-grained gravel with sand lenses.