Contents: Volume 2 (1) 2003 (Printed 21 November 2003)

Shevyreva N.S. , Baranova G.I.

P. 9-13

A series of the cheek teeth of sciuromorphous rodents from the middle Miocene Sarybulak Formation of Zaissan Depression, Eastern Kazakhstan has been investigated. These are referred to Sarybulakia nessovi gen. & sp. nov., Miopetaurista sp., Pteromyidae indet. and Tamias sp.

Lopatin A.V.

P. 15-25

The results of the revision of the Early Miocene beavers (Castoridae) from the Aral Svita of the Akespe and Altynshokysu localities (North Aral Region, Kazakhstan) show the presence of three species: Steneofiber kumbulakensis (Lytshev, 1970), S. schokensis (Bendukidze, 1993) and Asiacastor sp. The study of the dental morphology variability of S. kumbulakensis during the wear process suggests that Capacikala sajakensis Bendukidze, 1993 is the junior subjective synonymous of this species. Capatanka schokensis Bendukidze, 1993 is transferred to the genus Steneofiber.

Lopatin A.V., Tesakov A.S., Titov V.V.

P. 26-32

The revision of Anchitheriomys caucasicus (= Amblycastor caucasicus Argyropulo, 1939) from the early Pliocene (early Ruscinian, MN14) of Northern Caucasus resulted in its attribution to porcupines, rather than to beavers as was initially thought. This form from the Kosyakino sand pit represents a clear species of the porcupine genus Hystrix , H. caucasica . The species shows affinities with the group of semihypsodont porcupines, H. primigenia (Wagner, 1848) (MN12-13) – H. depereti Sen, 2001 (MN15). In size it is larger than the former and close to the latter species. A well preserved P4 from the late Miocene (late Turolian, MN13) locality Morskaya 2 in the Azov Sea Region indicates the first record of H. primigenia in Russia.

Erbaeva M.A.

P. 33-42

New materials on extinct marmots of Western Transbaikalia, the Middle Pliocene Marmota tologoica Ivanijev, 1966 and Middle Pleistocene M. sibirica nekipelovi Erbajeva, 1966 are described.

Baryshnikov G.F.

P. 43-47

The skull of the Pleistocene Hystrix vinogradovi found in Mokhnevskaya Cave in Middle Ural is examined. This find seems to be the northernmost fossil record of genus Hystrix in Europe . H. vinogradovi is similar to the Recent species, H . ( Acanthion ) brachyura , from South-East Asia in the characters of cranial morphology. Thus H. vinogradovi is considered to be a fossil subspecies of H. brachyura : H. brachyura vinogradovi comb.n.

Pavlinov I.Ya., Potapova E.G.

P. 49-58

Cladistic analysis of relationships among 10 Graphiurus species based on 30 cranial characters allowed us to recognize three clades. Accordingly, Aethoglis (includes G . nagtglasi ) and Claviglis (includes G . crassicaudatus ) are to be treated as subgenera. Monophyly of Graphiurus s.str. (supposedly including all other species) is formally proved by our analyses but requires future investigation pending on inclusion of more taxa and characters. Diagnoses of Aethoglis and Claviglis are provided. A possible scenario for the evolution of zygomasseteric construction in Graphiurus is discussed. It is supposed that primitive hystricomorphy is initial, whereas myomorphy is a derived zygomasseteric feature of this genus.

Lissovsky A.A.

P. 59-62

The type material of Ochotona alpina alpina and O. a. atra and other museum specimens of Altai pika from West Altai are analyzed. The neotype and the type locality of O. a. alpina are fixed. The type locality and the type series of O. a. atra are defined more accurately. The both names should be referred to the single taxon of subspecific level (O. a. alpina).