Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Terre, Planètes, Environnement, UMR 5276, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, ENS Lyon, Bvd. du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
J Hum Evol. 2012 Jul;63(1):162-79. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.04.007. Epub 2012 Jun 6.
The aim of this study is to describe the environments where the cercopithecid Mesopithecus was found during latest Miocene in Europe. For this purpose, we investigate the paleoecology of the herbivorous ungulate mesofauna of three very rich late Miocene fossil localities from southwestern Bulgaria: Hadjidimovo, Kalimantsi and Strumyani. While Mesopithecus has been found in the two first localities, no primate remains have yet been identified in Strumyani. Comparison between localities with and without primates using the herbivore mesofauna allows the cross-corroboration of paleoenvironmental conditions where this primate did and did not live. A multi-parameter statistical approach involving 117 equid and 345 bovid fossil dental and postcranial (phalanges, metapodia, astragali) remains from these three localities provides species to generic-level diet and locomotor habit information in order to characterize the environment in which Mesopithecus evolved. The analysis of dental mesowear indicates that the bovids were mainly mixed feeders, while coeval equids were more engaged in grazing. Meanwhile, postcranial remains show that the ungulate species from Hadjidimovo and Kalimantsi evolved in dry environments with a continuum of habitats ranging from slightly wooded areas to relatively open landscapes, whereas the Mesopithecus-free Strumyani locality was in comparison reflecting a rather contrasted mosaic of environments with predominant open and some more closed and wet areas. Environments in which Mesopithecus is known during the late Miocene were not contrasted landscapes combining open grassy areas and dense forested patches, but instead rather restricted to slightly wooded and homogeneous landscapes including a developed grassy herbaceous layer.
本研究旨在描述在最新的上新世时期在欧洲发现的长尾猕猴所处的环境。为此，我们调查了来自保加利亚西南部三个非常丰富的上新世晚期化石地点（Hadidimovo、Kalimantsi 和 Strumyani）的草食性有蹄类动物的古生态学。虽然在头两个地点发现了长尾猕猴，但在 Strumyani 还没有发现灵长类动物的遗骸。通过对有灵长类动物和无灵长类动物的地点使用食草动物的中小型动物群进行比较，可以相互印证这种灵长类动物生活和不生活的古环境条件。涉及这三个地点的 117 个马科和 345 个牛科化石牙齿和后肢（指骨、跖骨、距骨）的多参数统计方法，提供了物种到属级别的饮食和运动习惯信息，以便对长尾猕猴进化的环境进行特征描述。对牙齿中微磨损的分析表明，牛科动物主要是混合食者，而同期的马科动物则更多地参与放牧。与此同时，后肢遗骸表明，来自 Hadidimovo 和 Kalimantsi 的有蹄类物种在干燥环境中进化，其栖息地范围从略带树木的区域到相对开阔的景观，而无长尾猕猴的 Strumyani 地点则反映了一个更为对比鲜明的环境镶嵌体，以开阔和一些更为封闭和湿润的区域为主。在上新世晚期已知长尾猕猴所处的环境并非是结合了开阔草地和茂密森林斑块的对比鲜明的景观，而是相对局限于略带树木和均匀的景观，包括发达的草本植物层。
