Mustela praenivalis Kormos, 1934

Gasparik, Mihály & Pazonyi, Piroska, 2018, The macromammal remains and revised faunal list of the Somssich Hill 2 locality (late Early Pleistocene, Hungary) and the Epivillafranchian faunal change, Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 35, pp. 153-178 : 163

Mustela praenivalis Kormos, 1934

( Fig. 18 )

Material – Layer 4: Left M 1; right P 4 (V.82.148).

Layer 5: Left mandibula fragment with M 1 and alveoli of M 2; right maxilla fragment with C and P 2; left lower caninus; left and right P 4 (V.82.105).

Layer 6: Right P 4; right M 1 (V.82.110).

Layer 8: Right lower caninus (V.83.22).

Layer 15: Left mandibula fragment with P 4 and M 1 (V.89.37).

Layer 33: Right lower caninus (VER 2018.2653.).

Layer 34: Right upper caninus (VER 2018.2652.).

Layer 37: Left lower caninus (VER 2018.2642.).

Layer 39: Right mandibula fragment with P 4 and M 1 (VER 2018.2649.).

Layer 41: Left mandibula fragment with P 4, M 1, M 2 and alveoli of P 3 (VER 2018.2664.) ( Fig. 18 ).

Layer 43: Right mandibula fragment with M 1 and alveoli of P 4 and M 2; right maxilla fragment with P 4; left P 4 fragment; left lower caninus fragment; left upper caninus fragment (VER 2018.2671.).

Remarks – There are some extremely small sized specimens amongst the least weasel remains. They certainly belonged to adult and not juvenile individuals. These can be identified as remains of an extremely small female, but another possible option if we suppose the presence of a third weasel species, is a dwarf sized one which could be the early representative of the extant least weasel ( Mustela nivalis nivalis ) or its probable ancestor.

Such remains from the Somssich Hill 2 record:

Layer 43: Right lower caninus and right upper caninus (VER 2018.2673.).

Layer 19: Right humerus fragment; left upper caninus (VER 2018.2616.).

Figures

Figs 17–34. Carnivora remains from Somssich Hill 2. – Fig. 17. Mustela palerminea Petényi right mandibula fragment (VER 2018.2680.), buccal view. – Fig. 18. Mustela praenivalis Kormos left mandibula fragment (VER 2018.2664.), lingual view. – Figs 19–20. Pannonictis sp. right P3 (VER 2018.2639.). – Fig. 19. Lingual view. – Fig. 20. Occlusal view. – Figs 21–22. Pannonictis sp. left P 4 (VER 2018.2639.). – Fig. 21. Buccal view. – Fig. 22. Occlusal view. – Figs 23–24. Martes foina cf. intermedia (Severtzov) left mandibula fragment (VER 2017.8220.). – Fig. 23. Occlusal view. – Fig. 24. Lingual view. – Fig. 25. Martes foina cf. intermedia (Severtzov) left humerus fragment (VER 2018.2661.), posterior view. – Fig. 26. Felis cf. lunensis Martelli left femur fragment (VER 2018.2612.), posterior view. – Figs 27–28. Felis cf. lunensis Martelli deciduous right lower caninus (V.83.24). – Fig. 27. Lingual view. – Fig. 28. Buccal view. – Figs 29–32. Felis cf. lunensis Martelli left MT III fragment (VER 2018.2690.). – Fig. 29. Lateral view. – Fig. 30. Medial view. – Fig. 31. Proximal view. – Fig. 32. Anterior view. – Figs 33–34. Homotherium sp. right I3 fragment (V.82.100). – Fig. 33. Lingual view. – Fig. 34. Anterior view. All scale bars = 10 mm