Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/2. (2011)

Paleontology

The giant deer megaloceros giganteus (Cervidae, Mammalia) at Seleus

In Seleuj, there is a different taphonomy if compared either to the localities from the Republic of Moldova (archaeological Upper Paleolithic sites; Croitor, 2008), or to Ireland (swampy environment, with fair preservation of numerous complete or nearly complete skeletons; Listner, 1994). As we already mentioned, the new locality yielded for instance just a fragmentary bone, carried by the water streams before its definitive burial in the terrace alluvia. In such circumstances, we have very meager arguments available to coin a sharp stratigraphy: there is not any additional taxon alongside the giant deer, and radiometric dating is missing too. However, considering the time range and the extinction of this species in the whole Europe (Listner, 1994; Stuart et ah, 2004), tacking also into consideration the stratigraphy of the other finds in Romania, one can appreciate that the Seleu§ specimen rather belonged to an Upper Pleistocene representative.

Acknowledgements. Authors thank Marian Нага for allowing the access to the giant deer specimen collected by himself at Seleuj.

REFERENCES

1. Aaris-S0rensen, K., Liljegren, R. 2004. Late Pleistocene remains of giant deer (

Megaloceros giganteus Blumenbach) in Scandinavia: chronology and environment. Boreas

, 33: 61—73, Oslo.

2. Croitor, R., 2008. Giant deer Megaloceros giganteus

(Cervidae: Mammalia) from the Late Pleistocene of Moldova. Oltenia, Studii }i comunicdri, Jtiintele Naturii, XXIV: 262—266, Craiova.

3. Jurcsák, T., 1974. Monumente ale naturii. In: Repertoriul Monumentelor naturii, arheologice, istorice, etnografice, de arhitecturä fi artä din judetu] Bihor. Ed. Muzeul Tarii Crifurilor: 320—399, Oradea.

4. Koch, A., 1876. Erdély ősemlős maradványai és az ősemberre vonatkozó leletei. Erdély Múzeum- Egyetemi Évk., V: 117-148, Kolozsvár.

5. Koch, A. 1891. Erdély ősemlőseinek átnézete. A Magyar orvos természet 1890 augusztus Nagyvárad tart. XXV vánd. tart. Vándorgy. Munkálalai

: 456M66, Nagyvárad.

6. Koch, A., 1900. Systematische Übersicht der fossilen Wirbeltierreste der Lander der Ungarischen Krone. Magy. orv. term.-vizsg. Vándorgy Munka.,

30: 526—560, Budapest.

7. Lister, A.M. 1994. The evolution of the giant deer, Megaloceros giganteus

(Blumenbach). Zooogical Journal Linnean Society of London, 112: 65—100, London.

8. Rädulescu, C., Samson, R, 1985. Pliocene and Pleistocene Mammalian Biostratigraphy in Southeastern Transylvania (Romania). Travaux de llnstitut de Spéologie „Emile Racovitza”,

XXIV: 85-95, Bucurefti.

9. Samson, R, Hermann, W, 1968. Contributii la cunofterea perisodacilelor fosile din terasa inferioarä aTirnavei Mari de la Bräteiu. Lucrärile Institutului de speologie „Emil Racovitä”,

VII: 255-269, Bucurefti.

10. Stuart, A. J., Kosintsev, R, Higham, T. E, Lister, A. M. 2004. Pleistocene to Holocene extinction dynamics in giant deer and woolly mammoth. Nature,

431: 684—689.

11. Szentpétery, v. S., 1911. Schädelbruchstück eines Cervus euryceros Cuvier von Olasztelek. Múzeumi Füzetek, Mitteilungen aus der Mineralogisch-Geologischen Sammlung des Sienbenbürgischen Nationalmusuems, Bd. L, 1: 3—5, Kolozsvár.

CERBUL GIGANT MEGALOCEROS GLGANTEUS (CERVIDAE, MAMMALIA) DE LA SELEU§ (JUDETUL MURE§)

(rezumat)

Cerbul gigant {Megaloceros giganteus)

este un ierbivor mare fosil, relativ comun ín depozitele pleistocene din Románia. Totufi, este considerabil mai rar decit alte ierbivore contemporane precum mamutul, rinocerul lános sau bizonul de stepá. О hemimandibulá de cerb gigant a fost recent descoperitá in Transilvania, ín aluviunile terasei inferioare ale Tárnavei Mari, la Seleuf. Cum descoperirea de la Seleuf se referá la un fragment scheletic izolat, afadar fara alti taxoni asociati, este dificil de a preciza cu exactitate vársta geologicá a depozitului din care provine fosila, ínsá daca luam in considerare extinctia acestui mamifer ín intreaga Europá, putem presupune mai degrabä cá terasa in discutie revine Pleistocenului terminal. Seleuf este о nouá localitate cu cerb gigant in Románia.

105