First record of Dicrostonyx (Rodentia, Mammalia) in the Late Pleistocene/?Holocene sediments of Croatia

• Main Author: Jadranka Mauch Lenardić
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Croatian Geological Survey 2013-10-01
• Series: Geologia Croatica
• Subjects: lemming, Dicrostonyx, teeth, morphometric analyses, Late Pleistocene, Romuald's Cave, Croatia
• Online Access: http://www.geologia-croatica.hr/ojs/index.php/GC/article/view/605
• ISSN: 1330-030X; 1333-4875

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fossil remains of lemmings (<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dicrostonyx</em> sp.) have been discovered for the first time in Croatia. The small sample of 11 teeth (M</span>_{<span style="font-size: x-small;">1-3 </span>}<span style="font-size: small;">and M</span>^{<span style="font-size: x-small;">1</span>}<span style="font-size: small;">) originate from the Late Pleistocene/?Holocene sediments from the Romuald's Cave (western Istria). The resemblance has been observed in morphological data, while some metrical parameters differ slightly in comparison to the findings from some other European localities, for example from Poland and Austria. The lenght of M</span>_{<span style="font-size: x-small;">1</span>}<span style="font-size: small;">s from Croatian sample is bigger than from Austrian ones (Nixloch and Merkenstein Caves), while is the same like in specimens from Polish Late Glacial, but smaller than the Polish Holocene findings, respectively. The differences in A/L and C/W1 indices have been also observed between samples from the Romuald's Cave and Polish samples of the Late Glacial and Holocene age. As good indicator of cold and dry climate, the lemmings from the Romuald's Cave give support to the conclusion that this part of Europe was refugial region for this and some other small mammal species during the expansions of the ice cover, and reflect Quaternary environmental fluctuations, which were frequent and pronounced at the end of this period.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>