The easternmost record of the largest anguine lizard that has ever lived – Pseudopus pannonicus (Squamata, Anguidae): new fossils from the late Neogene of Eastern Europe

We here report on new material of Pseudopus pannonicus, the iconic and largest-known representative of the lizard clade Anguinae, from several late Neogene localities across Moldova, Ukraine, and regions of the North Caucasus – the last representing the easternmost known occurrence of this extinct species. Today, Pseudopus apodus, the last extant Pseudopus representative, is found in a variety of habitats ranging from South-East Europe to Central Asia. In the late Cenozoic of Europe, however, several extinct species of Pseudopus existed. Among them, interestingly, P. pannonicus displayed the largest spatiotemporal range of the genus, occurring from Spain to the North Caucasus and known from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene. Although it has been reported in a plethora of European localities, P. pannonicus is a taxon “with several questionings related to its few diagnostic features vs. numerous features shared with P. apodus”. The elements described here exhibit some variability, but their overall morphology undoubtedly resembles that of previously described material of P. pannonicus. The lacrimal from Tatareshty, moreover, represents the first fossil lacrimal reported for P. pannonicus. Besides, the fairly complete maxilla with a length of almost 3.7 cm is the largest maxilla ever reported for this taxon, expanding our knowledge of its gigantism. In addition, several features are described and discussed regarding their diagnostic relevance for P. pannonicus. The relationship between body size and some of these features was tested statistically. Consequently, two cranial characters and one vertebral feature peculiar to P. pannonicus were retained in the diagnosis of the species

Amphibians and reptiles from the late Miocene and early Pliocene of the Ptolemais area (Western Macedonia, Greece)

We herein describe the amphibians and reptiles from the Ptolemais fossil assemblage, originating from 12nearby localities in northwestern Greece, spanning from the late Miocene (MN 13) to the early Pliocene(MN 15). Amphibians are known exclusively of anurans, with the genera Latonia and Rana being identified,the latter constituting the oldest so far known record of that lineage in Greece. Turtles are representedby the testudinid cf. Testudo, whereas numerous other indeterminate testudinoids are known. Lizardsinclude scincids, lacertids, and at least two anguids. Among them, the material referred to scincids andthe anguid Anguis constitute one of only rather few such occurrences described in the fossil record ofthe Eastern Mediterranean. Snakes are represented by indeterminate “colubrines” and the genus Natrix.The different ages of the Ptolemais fossiliferous localities, along with their close geographic vicinity offerthe opportunity to study potential survival/extinction patterns of its amphibians and reptiles across theMio-Pliocene boundary, a time interval that has been crucial for European herpetofaunas.© 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Ré s u m é Nous décrivons ici les amphibiens et reptiles provenant de l’assemblage fossile de Ptolémaïs, issusde 12 localités géographiquement proches au nord-ouest de la Grèce, couvrant une période allant duMiocène supérieur (MN 13) au Pliocène inférieur (MN 15). Les amphibiens sont uniquement représentéspar des anoures, dont les genres identifiés sont Latonia et Rana. La présence de ce dernier constitue laplus ancienne occurrence connue à l’heure actuelle en Grèce. Les tortues sont représentées par cf. Tes-tudo, bien que plusieurs restes indéterminés de testudinoïdes soient connus. Les lézards comprennent desscincidés, des lacertidés et au moins deux anguidés. Chez les lézards, le matériel référé aux scincidés ainsique l’anguidé Anguis constituent l’une des quelques occurrences éparses connues dans le registre fossilede l’Est de la Méditerranée. Les serpents sont représentés par des « colubrines » indéterminés et le genreNatrix. Les différents âges des localités fossilifères de Ptolémaïs, associés à la proximité géographique deces dernières, offrent l’opportunité d’étudier les modèles potentiels de survie/extinction des amphibienset des reptiles autour de la limite Mio-Pliocène, une période cruciale pour les herpétofaunes européennes.© 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits r´eserv´es