Folia Historico-Naturalia Musei Matraensis - A Mátra Múzeum Természetrajzi Közleményei 17. (1992)

Hír, J.: Subfossil Mesocricetus population from the Toros Mountains (Turkey) (Mammalia)

Fol. Hist.-nat Mus. Matr., 17: 107-130, 1992 Subfossil Mesocricetus population from the Toros Mountains (Turkey) (Mammalia) HIR János ABSTRACT: The results of the metrical and morphological Investigation on a Holocene Mesocricetus molar series is given. The material was collected from a small cave In the Bolkar Dag, 3000 m h. above sea level. The majority of the molars refers to the Mesocricetus auratus WATERH0USE, 1B39 species. The systematic position of few small sized molars Is uncertain: Mesocricetus sp. ? INTRODUCTION In the summer of 1989 I could take a study-tour to Turkey as scholarshipper

. In the course of it I took a trip in the alpine region of the Bolkar Oag as a member of a Turkish-French speleological expedition. Not far from the 2 nd campsite of the expedition I collected a subfos3ll vertebrate fauna which is rich in species and in individuals as well: Rana sp. 1 Ophidia lndet. 1 tacerte sp. 1 Aves indet. 2 Chiroptera indet. 2 Erinaceus sp. 1 Crocidura leucodon (HERMANN 1780) 2 Lepus sp. 2 Cltellus citellus (LINNAEUS 1766) 11 Dryomys laniger FELTÉN et STORCH 1968 8 Allactaga euphratlca THOMAS 1B81 9 Mus sp. 1 Apodemus (karstomys) mystacinus DANFORD et ALSTON 1877 1 Apodemus sylvatlcu9-taurlcus-flavicollis gr. 72 Spalax nehringi SATUNIN 1898 33 CrlcetuluB mlgratorlus (PALLAS 1773) 45 Mesocricetus auratus WATERH0USE 1839 101 Mesocricetus sp. ? 4 Arvicola terrestris persicus 1 Pitymys majori (THOMAS 1906) 4 Microtus (Chionomys) nivalis (MARTINS 1842) 165 Microtus arvalls-socialis-guentheri gr

. 145 sum total 612 The preliminary valuation of the fauna was published by HÍR, 3. (1992). The locality Is situated In the Northern side of the Bolkar Mountains not far from Darbo0az and Madenköy villages (Fig. 1,2). The frequented campsite and "picnic site" Meydan sprlngmedow is approachable on dirty roads from the two settlement. There Is a pathway from the Meydan to the Kara GÖ1 and Çini Göl lakes. Both of them originated In glacial cirques. On the left side of the pathway from the Meydan to the Kara GÖ1 a cave is visible on the border of the Permian black limestone and Eocene nummulitic limestone-conglomerate. The entrance of the cave is situated about 3000 m above the sea level (height:l,6 m, widt! 1,5 m, length: 2,5 m)

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