Filek T. & Joniak P., 2020: Small mammal assemblage from lacustrine Late Pleistocene deposits near Ovčiarsko (Northern Slovakia). Acta Geologica Slovaca, 12, 2, 121–135.

Small mammal assemblage from lacustrine Late Pleistocene deposits near Ovčiarsko (Northern Slovakia)

Thomas Filek¹ & Peter Joniak²

¹Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; thomas.filek@univie.ac.at
²Department of Geology and Paleontology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; peter.joniak@uniba.sk

Abstract

The Quaternary assemblage of small mammals from Ovčiarsko (Northern Slovakia) is documented and described here for the first time and consists of the following faunal elements: Arvicola amphibius, Chionomys nivalis, Dicrostonyx cf. torquatus, Ochotona pusilla, Sicista cf. trizona, Cricetulus migratorius, Alexandromys oeconomus, Microtus agrestis, Microtus tatricusand Lasiopodomys gregalis. The fossil leftovers of each taxa represent mostly food remains from birds of prey. Based on the faunal characteristics and comparison with other sites from Central Europe, especially from Slovakia, the biostratigraphic age of the fossiliferous horizon represents the Late Vistulian Pleniglacial. Paleoecologically, the fossil small mammal assemblage from Ovčiarsko indicates a steppe environment with occasional forested areas and a water body nearby.

Key words: Rodentia, Lagomorpha, Late Vistulian, taphonomy, biostratigraphy, paleoecology

Manuscript received: 2020-06-29

Revised version accepted: 2020-10-30