Tapirus sp.

Geraads, Denis, Spassov, Nikolaï, Hristova, Latinka, Markov, Georgi N. & Tzankov, Tzanko, 2011, Upper Miocene mammals from Strumyani, South-Western Bulgaria, Geodiversitas 33 (3), pp. 451-484 : 458-459

Tapirus sp.

The tapir is represented at Str-1 by a right distal tibia FM-2247 (dist. TD = 37; dist. APD = 30.2). As in suids, it shows a large and rugose synchondral articulation for the fibula, but differs in: the more anterior position of the medial maleolus; the wide, flattened and oblique lateral articular facet of the tibial cochlea; the shallow distal articular surface (in lateral and medial views); the weak development of the distal tuberosity of the caudal surface. All these features are typical of some perissodactyls, especially rhinos and tapirs, and match those of a small tapir. Its maximum weight could be estimated, after a direct comparison with the corresponding bone of wild boars of known weight, at about 150 kg, comparable to that of the modern Andean tapir, Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin, 1829) .

Turolian tapirs are rare in Europe. With a few exceptions (Dorn-Dürkheim and Sarmasag), all of them are from Southern Europe, and most of them are probably of late Turolian age: Autley and Arc ( France); Baccinello V3 and Casino ( Italy); Kreka ( Bosnia); Djonaj ( Kosovo); Beli Breg, Balsha and Hrabarsko ( Bulgaria). Early to middle Turolian finds are rare: Camallera II ( Spain), Aubignas II ( France), Dorn-Dürkheim ( Germany), Sarmasag ( Romania), Hadjidimovo ( Bulgaria) ( Made & Stefanovic 2006; Spassov & Ginsburg 1999 and pers. obs.). The Zivoino find, from the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), near Bitola, could be late Turolian ( Made & Stefanovic 2006): the Miocene deposits of this coal bearing area yield a Turolian fauna (pers. obs. NS) but the presence of Zygolophodon Vacek, 1877 (Garevski, Markov & Garevska unpublished) in the coal deposits of the region indicate the possibility of an earlier age. The age of Barro ( France) is also uncertain (Turolian or Ruscinian) ( Spassov & Ginsburg 1999; Made & Stefanovic 2006). Unpublished finds from the Turolian of Bulgaria (Staniantsi, Beli Breg, Kanina quarry and Ploski), together with the find from Strumyani 2, make Bulgaria and the northern Balkan area the region with the largest number of Turolian Tapirus remains in Europe.

The systematics of those tapirs is unclear. As a rule they are small, and a small form is already present in the Vallesian of Central Europe, where it coexists with the large T. priscus Kaup, 1833 . This small form was referred to a distinct genus, Tapiriscus Kretzoi, 1951 ( Guérin & Eisenmann 1994), but generic separation is doubtful ( Spassov & Ginsburg 1999; Made & Stefanovic 2006) as the type material is restricted to a few isolated lower premolars and is rather uninformative. Another species of small Turolian tapir, Tapirus balkanicus Spassov & Ginsburg, 1999 , was erected on the basis of a mandible from Balsha and a maxilla from Hrabarsko ( Bulgaria). Thus, a phylum of small tapirs might have existed in Europe from the Vallesian to the late Turolian with two successive species, progressively adapting (including in their decreasing body size and improved mobility) to harder vegetation and more arid and open conditions.