The sirenian Metaxytherium (Mammalia: Dugongidae) in the Badenian (Middle Miocene) of Central Europe
- Author(s)
- D P Domning, Peter Pervesler
- Abstract
The fossil record of sirenians in the Middle Miocene (Badenian; Langhian-early Serravallian) of the Central Paratethys region (principally eastern Austria) is reviewed, and new specimens are described from the localities of Gainfarn, Baden/Rauchstallbrunngraben, ?St. Margarethen, and Retznei (Austria) and Fazekasboda (Hungary). All these are referred to Metaxytherium medium (Desmarest, 1822) Hooijer, 1952, which is the only sirenian here recognized in the Middle Miocene of the Central Paratethys. Thalattosiren petersi (Abel, 1904) Sickenberg, 1928 is considered synonym of Metaxytherium medium. This conclusion extends the known geographic range of M. medium, and is consistent with the hypothesis that European and North African Miocene and Pliocene Metaxytherium formed a single, anagenetically-evolving lineage. Although the area in which “Thalattosiren petersi” was thought to occur (mainly the Vienna Basin) was progressively cut off from other marine basins during the course of the Badenian, and could conceivably have supported an endemic sirenian taxon isolated on the northeastern margin of the range of M. medium, the few diagnostic specimens available do not appear to support this scenario. Metaxytherium medium is considered an ecological generalist among sirenians, inhabiting tropical to warm temperate shallow marine waters and feeding on seagrasses. Its fossil record in the Central Paratethys ends with the Badenian, but its lineage continued in the Mediterranean into the Late Pliocene.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Howard University
- Journal
- Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences
- Volume
- 105
- ISSN
- 0251-7493
- Publication date
- 2012
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106001 General biology, 105101 General geology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/a94e00ce-fa85-4768-ab6d-e88b123dee84