Publication details
Osteology of Zygolophodon turicensis (Mammalia, Proboscidea)
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Neogene proboscideans are identified mostly on the basis of teeth, the postcranial skeleton being studied only rarely. As a consequence, little is known about ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, intraspecific variability and even interspecific differences of these mammals. Zygolophodon turicensis is a mammutid from the Middle Miocene of Europe. Permanent teeth are well known, but the data on upper tusks, deciduous premolars, mandibles and some post-cranial bones of this species have been published only occasionally. The material studied here comes from a locality known as Czujan’s Sand Pit, near Mikulov (Czech Republic), and is housed in the Moravian Museum at Brno. This locality has yielded a rich assemblage of Astaracian mammals with a high number of proboscideans. Among these, Z. turicensis is unusually predominant. Remains studied include tusks, mandibles and appendicular skeletal elements of at least eight individuals. The bones and tusks were measured, described and compared to related species in order to obtain more information on the anatomy of, and variability within, Z. turicensis. Tusks were also cross-sectioned so as to assess the Schreger pattern which can be seen in cross sections of tusks of all elephantiform proboscideans and its nature enables species distinction. Tusk microstructure and postcranial anatomy reliably differentiate Z. turicensis from other Neogene proboscideans. Moreover, Z. turicensis likely exhibits sexual dimorphism which is characterised by the absence of mandibular tusks in females. The present study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the skeletal anatomy of Z. turicensis. |