Beremendia (Mammalia, Soricidae) remains from the late Early Pleistocene Somssich Hill 2 locality (Southern Hungary) and their taxonomic, biostratigraphic, palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical relations

Abstract

Beremendia fi ssidens and B. minor remains of the late Early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna of the Somssich Hill 2 locality are described. B. minor is reported here as a new element in the site. This record emended the stratigraphic range of this species to the Early Biharian Stage, Nagyharsányhegy Phase (ca. 900 ka). The detailed morphological and morphometrical studies gave a chance to make a new diff erential diagnosis between the two forms. Both of them might have been characterized by special nutrition strategy (poisoning snails and other small animals by their grooved lower incisor and storing them in their pits) and they could have lived in forest- and bushcovered lake-, or riversides. The European stratigraphical and palaeobiogeographical occurrences of the genus are summarized on the basis of published literature