Fossil Vertebrates of Greece Vol. 1: Basal vertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, Afrotherians, Glires, and Primates

Description

This 2-volume set provides a state-of-the-art study of the fossil record and taxonomy of the main vertebrate groups from Greece. Greece stands between 3 continents and its vertebrate fossil record is of great importance for paleontological and evolutionary studies in Europe, Asia and Africa. Fossils from classic, world-famous localities (e.g., Pikermi, Samos) form an essential part of the collections of the most important museums in the world and have been studied by numerous scientists. Recent paleontological research led to the discovery and study of numerous new sites. The volumes contain a taxonomic review of all named and identified taxa, their taxonomic history and current status, as well as historical, phylogenetic and biogeographic information.    Volume 1 contains a synopsis of the fossil record and taxonomy of important groups of vertebrates represented in the fossil record of Greece. The volume deals with some of the early splitting clades, including the basal and enigmatic conodonts and basal tetrapods like fishes, amphibians, and reptiles like lizards, snakes, crocodiles, turtles and tortoises. The second part of the volume deals with basal mammalian clades, some of which are quite characteristic for the fossil record of the country: aardwarks, hyraxes, proboscideans, elephants and mammoths, sea cows, rodents, and lagomorphs. The volume ends with special chapters on the primate fossil record of the country, including some of our most recent and distant relatives.  Foreword Preface Spellings of Toponyms and Personal Names Acknowledgments Contents List of Abbreviations Introduction to the Study of Greek Fossil Vertebrates 1 Vertebrates 2 The Fossil Treasures of Greece 3 Milestones 4 Future Perspectives References The Sedimentary Basins from the Miocene to the Present in Greece: Examples for the Most Studied Basins from North Greece 1 Introduction 2 The Mesohellenic Basin (MHB) Geological Setting Stratigraphic Evolution Vertebrate Fossils in the MHB Basin 3 The Ptolemais Basin (PTB) Geological Setting Stratigraphic Evolution Vertebrate Fossils in the PTB Basin 4 The Axios-Thermaikos Basin (ATB) Geological Setting Stratigraphic Evolution Vertebrate Fossils in the ATB Basin 5 The Mygdonia Basin (MB) Geological Setting Stratigraphic Evolution Vertebrate Fossils in the MB 6 The Strymonikos Basin (SB) Geological Setting Stratigraphic Evolution Vertebrate Fossils in the SB References The Fossil Record of Conodonts in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Conodont Classification and the Great Fossil Enigma 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology 6 Concluding Remarks Appendix References The Fossil Record of Ray-Finned Fishes (Actinopterygii) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview and Collection Information 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution in Greece and Nature of Deposits 5 Systematic Paleontology 6 Conclusions and Avenues for Future Research Appendix References The Fossil Otolith Record of Fishes (Vertebrata: Teleostei) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Methodological Particularities in the Study of Fossil Fish Otoliths 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology 6 Concluding Remarks Appendix References The Fossil Record of Amphibians (Amphibia: Urodela and Anura) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Fossil Record of Lizards and Snakes (Reptilia: Squamata) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Fossil Record of Crocodylians (Reptilia: Crocodylia) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology References The Fossil Record of Turtles and Tortoises (Reptilia: Testudines) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology 6 Concluding Remarks References The Fossil Record of Aardvarks (Mammalia: Tubulidentata: Orycteropodidae) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Fossil Record of Hyraxes (Mammalia: Hyracoidea: Pliohyracidae) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Fossil Record of the Neogene Proboscidea (Mammalia) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology 6 Concluding Remarks Appendix References The Fossil Record of Continental Elephants and Mammoths (Mammalia: Proboscidea: Elephantidae) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Phylogenetic Relationships and Taxonomy 3 Historical Overview and Distribution 4 Systematic Paleontology Valid Taxa Unavailable Taxa Invalid Taxa 5 Conclusions Appendix References The Fossil Record of Sea Cows (Mammalia: Sirenia) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Fossil Record of Rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Family Sciuridae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 Subfamily Sciurinae Hemprich, 1820 Tribe Pteromyini Brandt, 1855 Tribe Sciurini Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 Subfamily Xerinae Osborn, 1910 Tribe Xerini Osborn, 1910 Tribe Marmotini Pocock, 1923 Family Gliridae Muirhead, 1819 Subfamily Bransatoglirinae Daams and de Bruijn, 1995 Subfamily Dryomyinae de Bruijn, 1967 Subfamily Glirinae Thomas, 1897 Subfamily Myomiminae Daams, 1981 Family Castoridae Gray, 1821 Family Dipodidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 Subfamily Sicistinae Allen, 1901 Subfamily Allactaginae Vinogradov, 1925 Family Muridae Gray, 1821 Subfamily Paracricetodontinae Mein and Freudenthal, 1971a Subfamily Pseudocricetodontinae Engesser, 1987 Subfamily Eumyarioninae Ünay-Bayraktar, 1989 Subfamily Anomalomyinae Schaub, 1925 Subfamily Spalacinae Gray, 1821 Subfamily Cricetodontinae Schaub, 1925 Subfamily Cricetinae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 Subfamily Myocricetodontinae Lavocat, 1961 Subfamily Gerbillinae Gray, 1825 Subfamily Murinae Illiger, 1811 Subfamily Arvicolinae Gray, 1821 Family Eomyidae Depéret and Douxami, 1902 Subfamily Eomyinae Winge, 1887 Family Ctenodactylidae Zittel, 1893 Subfamily Ctenodactylinae Alston, 1876 Family Hystricidae Burnett, 1830 6 Concluding Remarks Appendix References The Fossil Record of Hares, Rabbits, and Pikas (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Evolution and Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Family Ochotonidae Thomas, 1897 Family Leporidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 6 Concluding Remarks References The Fossil Record of the Old World Monkeys (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Fossil Record of the Miocene Hominoids (Mammalia: Primates: Hominoidea) in Greece 1 Introduction 2 Historical Overview 3 Phylogenetic Relationships 4 Distribution 5 Systematic Paleontology Appendix References The Hominin Fossil Record from Greece 1 Introduction 2 Phylogenetic Relationships 3 Distribution 4 Systematic Paleontology 5 Summary References Index