Allocricetus ehiki Schaub, 1930

Pazonyi, Piroska, Mészáros, Lukács, Hír, János & Mta-Mtm-Elte, Zoltán Szentesi, 2016, The lowermost Pleistocene rodent and soricid (Mammalia) fauna from Beremend 14 locality (South Hungary) and its biostratigraphical and palaeoecological implications, Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 33, pp. 99-134 : 114-115

Allocricetus ehiki Schaub, 1930

( Figs 19–24 )

Material – 55 molars.

Measurements – Table 5 .

Description – The molars show the general characters of the modern hamsters: the cones/ conids are definitely higher than the lophs/lophids.

M 1: Anterostyle is found in 4/11. Parastyle is not developed as cuspula, only cingulum is found. Protolophule 1 is developed in 8/11. Short remnant mesoloph is rare: 1/11. Entostyle is completely missing. It has three or four roots.

M 2: It has rectangular outline. The labial anteroloph is slightly longer and stronger than the lingual one. Protolophule 1 is constant. Remnant mesoloph is completely missing. It has four roots.

M 3: It has subtriangular outline. The posterior portion (hypocone, metacone) is narrower than the anterior one (protocone, paracone). The labial anteroloph is definitely better developed than the lingual one. Protolophule 1 is constant. In the centre of the occlusal surface central ring and remnant mesoloph are missing. It has three roots.

M 1: Mesial surface is smooth and concave without anterostylid. Anteroconid consists of two equally developed cuspulas. The anterolophulid connects the labial anteroconid cuspula and the protoconid. Mesoconid and mesolophid are not developed. It has two roots.

M 2: It has rectangular outline. Lingual anterolophulid is missing (4/13), short (6/13), or middle developed (3/13). Mesolophid is rare (3/13). It is short, and reaches the posterior basis of the metaconid. Mesoconid is not developed. It has two roots.

M 3: It has subtriangular outline, the entoconid is reduced. Lingual anterolophid is missing (4/7) or short (3/7). Mesolophid is missing (3/7), or short (4/7). It does not reach the posterior surface of the metaconid (2/7), or reaches the posterior surface of the metaconid (2/7). Central ring is missing. It has two roots.

Remarks – Some plesiomorph characters (remnant mesolophs/mesolophids, undivided or 3-parted anteroconids) of the A. ehiki populations of Villány 3 and Osztramos 3 ( HÍR 1993) are not found among the molars of Beremend 14.

Allocricetus cf. ehiki or other large-sized Allocricetus species first appeared in the Late Miocene of Anatolia and Greece: Allocricetus aylasevimae, Çorakyerler , Turkey (MN 10–11) by ÜNAY et al. (2006); Allocricetus sp. , Kavurca, Turkey (MN 13) by RUMMEL (1998); Allocricetus cf. ehiki, Maramena , Greece (MN 13) by DAXNER-HÖCK (1995).

In the Carpathian Basin this species appeared in Villány 3 and occurred up to the Middle Pleistocene. Last occurrence was found in the level 8 in the sequence of Tarkő ( HÍR 1997).

Figures

Figs 19–24. Allocricetus ehiki Schaub, 1930. – 19. Left M (VER 2016.3574.1.).– 20. Left M (VER 1 2 2016.3574.2.). – 21. Right M (reversed) (VER 2016.3574.3.). – 22. Left M1 (VER 2016.3574.4.). – 3 23. Left M2 (VER 2016.3574.5.).– 24. Right M3 (reversed) (VER 2016.3574.6.). Scale bars = 1 mm