Palaeoryx sp.

Kostopoulos, Dimitrios S. & Bernor, Raymond L., 2011, The Maragheh bovids (Mammalia, Artiodactyla): systematic revision and biostratigraphiczoogeographic interpretation, Geodiversitas 33 (4), pp. 649-708 : 682-683

Palaeoryx sp.

Palaeoryx pallasi – Mecquenem 1925: 31.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — MNHN.F: Palate, MAR1011 ( Mecquenem 1925: pl. IV, fig. 2 as P. pallasi ; LPsin = 62.1 mm, LMsin = 82.6 mm, LPMsin = 140.8 mm); right mandibular ramus with p2-m3, MAR1012 +1852 ( Mecquenem 1925: pl. IV, fig. 3 as P. pallasi ; Lp = 54.0 mm, Lm = 84.6 mm, Lpm = 139.3 mm); right mandibular ramus with m1-m3, MAR1068 (Lm = 74.0 mm very worn); left p2-p4, MAR3232 (Lp = 55.4 mm); left m2- m3, MAR3231.

REMARKS

Lydekker (1886) was the first to indicate the presence of Palaeoryx at Maragheh.Later, Rodler & Weithofer (1890) briefly described but did not illustrate an almost complete skull, referred to as Palaeoryx pallasi ( Wagner, 1857) . Mecquenem (1925) assigned to the same species a skull, two isolated horn-cores, a palate and a mandible. Arambourg & Piveteau (1929:footnote) and Geraads (1974) correctly stated that one of the horn-cores illustrated by Mecquenem (1925: fig. 9 left) belongs to a giraffid. Geraads (1974: 48, footnote) also believes that a Maragheh horn-core specimen (MAR658) previously referred by Mecquenem (1925: fig.9 right) to Palaeoryx might in fact belong to a giraffid as well.Additionally, the cranium MAR1396 ( Mecquenem 1925: pl. IV, fig. 1) demostrates nothing in common with Palaeoryx , likely representing a boselaphine,which Bohlin(1936) and later Gentry (1971) ascribed to a large tragoportacine (but see discussion below). The latter author ( Gentry 1971: 237) also suggested that there is no convincing evidence of Palaeoryx from Maragheh.

In contrast to this statement, some large toothrows in MNHN.F ( Mecquenem 1925: pl. IV, figs 2, 3) should be ascribed to Palaeoryx by their moderate hypsodonty, rugose enamel,long premolars compared to the molars, large upper premolars with bilobed P2 and P3, strong paracone rib and parastyle on the wide upper molars, knob-like upper and small lower basal pillars on the molars, and p4 with independent

A metaconid. Although Palaeoryx pallasi was for many years the single known species of the genus from SE Europe and Eastern Mediterranean including several varieties, Kostopoulos (2005, 2009a) recognized that Palaeoryx majori Schlosser, 1904 is a valid species occurring in Samos, Halmyropotamos, Greece and Akkasdaği, Turkey.Dental comparison between Maragheh, Samos and Pikermi does not show striking morphological differences ( Table 15) but toothrow linear measurements indicate that P.majori and P.pallasi are smaller than the Maragheh species (by about 15%). There is, however, an unpublished Palaeoryx palate from Pikermi in MNHN.F (PIK2447) labelled as “ Miotragocerus ?”, which is larger than the typical P. pallasi tooth rows and very similar both morphologically and metrically to the Maragheh palate. MAR1011 ( Mecquenem 1925: pl.IV, fig. 2) differs from PIK2447 only in the slightly stronger development of the molar styles and the more developed paracone rib of P4, which forms a sharper angle with the parastyle.Unfortunatelly the absence of adequate material does not permit further comparison. It is, however,worth noting that a Palaeoryx of comparable size is also known from Nova Emetovka 2, Ukraine ( Krakhmalnaya 1996: 155). Examination of the two available crania (25-3312 and 25-1393) in Kiev suggests that the Nova Emetovka 2 form represents a distinct species from both P. pallasi and P. majori and very similar to the Maragheh form, from which it slightly differs in the P4 morphology.