Home

New ochotonids (Lagomorpha) from the Pleistocene of France

Margarita A. ERBAJEVA, Sophie MONTUIRE & Jean CHALINE

en Geodiversitas 23 (3) - Pages 395-409

Published on 28 September 2001

The mammalian fauna of insectivores, rodents and lagomorphs found at Les Valerots (Nuits-Saint-Georges, Côte-d'Or) dated as early Pleistocene based on the association of Hypolagus Dice, 1917, Mimomys savini Hinton, 1926, Allophaiomys Kormos, 1932 and Dicrostonyx Gloger, 1841 includes only two species of lagomorphs belonging to the families Leporidae and Ochotonidae. Examination of the ochotonid remains shows that the pika from the Les Valerots site is a new taxon, Ochotona valerotae n. sp. Study of the representative fossil material of Ochotona pusilla Pallas, 1768 found at the localities of La Fage (Corrèze) and of Baume de Gigny (Jura) in France reveals that the small late Pleistocene pika can be described as a new subspecies of Ochotona pusilla: Ochotona pusilla occidentalis n. ssp. The history of Ochotona pusilla in Eurasia is reviewed.


Keywords:

Mammalia, Lagomorpha, Ochotonidae, Pleistocene, France, new species, new subspecies

Download full article in PDF format Order a reprint