Tragoportax Pilgrim, 1937

Kostopoulos, Dimitris S., 2005, The Bovidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the late Miocene of Akkaşdağı, Turkey, Geodiversitas 27 (4), pp. 747-791 : 772

Genus Tragoportax Pilgrim, 1937

Tragoportax aff. amalthea (Roth F Wagner, 1854)

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — P2-M3: AK2-314 ( LPM = 104.2, LP = 46.5, LM = 57.6), AKB-52 ( LPM = 108.2, LP = 48, LM = 62); p2-p4: AK12-82 (Lp = 49.2); p3-p4: AK3-119; p4: AK2-461.

DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION

The presence of a second tragocere at Akkaşdagwı is documented by a few toothrows with clear boselaphin morphology. In contrast to the previous form, it has a slightly larger size, shorter premolars comparatively to the molars, strong and posteriorly extended metastyle on M3 (goatlike), P2 equally long as P3, both with weaker paracone-parastyle complex, p4 longer than p3, metaconid of p4 directed posteriorly, paraconid of p3,4 less developed and not projected posteriorly. The morphological features and the proportions of the dentition ( Figs 16 ; 17 ) are very close to the Pikermian Tragoportax amalthea , a species to which it could be attributed. T. rugosifrons ( Schlosser, 1904) from Samos and Axios valley is also close dimensionally but with slightly different tooth structure (strong and projected parastylid and wider metaconid on lower premolars, more developed paracone-parastyle complex on the upper premolars) ( Solounias 1981; Bouvrain 1994b; Roussiakis 1996).

Figures

FIG. 16. — Premolar/molar index against toothrow length (upper dentition) in Miotragocerus and Tragoportax., Miotragocerus valenciennesi (Gaudry, 1861), Akkaşdağı; ■, Tragoportax aff. amalthea (Roth & Wagner, 1854), Akkaşdağı; L, M. macedoniensis Bouvrain, 1988, Dytiko;, T. rugosifrons (Schlosser, 1904), Axios valley;, Miotragocerus and Tragoportax from Pikermi; ▲, M. cf. pannoniae (Kretzoi, 1941), Nikiti-1.

FIG. 17. — Premolar/molar index against toothrow length (lower dentition) in Miotragocerus and Tragoportax. Symbols as in Figure 16 and, VTK-38, M. valenciennesi (Gaudry, 1861) from Vathylakkos (Bouvrain 2001).