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The Vallesian bovid association from the Ouranopithecus-bearing site of Xirochori-1 (Axios Valley, Greece)

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Abstract

The study of the bovid assemblage from the primate-bearing site of Xirochori-1 in Axios Valley, Northern Greece, reveals the presence of four taxa, namely Gazella sp., Ouzocerus cf. pentalophosi, Helladorcas sp. and ‘Protoryx’ sp., and allows updating the faunal list of the Xirochori-1 Vallesian mammal fauna, dated at around 9.6 Ma. Gazella sp. from Xirochori-1 is distinct from Gazella sp. from the late Early Vallesian fauna from Pentalophos-1, suggesting the presence of two gazelle lineages in the Vallesian of Greece, the former possibly related to the Turolian Gazella pilgrimi. The solid evidence of Ouzocerus and Helladorcas in Xirochori-1 extends the ranges of these two genera into the Late Vallesian of Greece, whereas the presence of a large bovid of the ‘Protoryx group’ increases the signal of caprine-like bovids in the Vallesian of the area. The revision of the Xirochori-1 bovids allows reconsidering the changes through time of the artiodactyl assemblage associated with the hominoid primate Ouranopithecus.

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Acknowledgements

We warmly thank G. Bouvrain for providing us access to her notes and data on the Xirochori-1 bovids; this work is dedicated to her. Denis Geraads, Thomas Mörs, an anonymous reviewer and the Editor-in-Chief, Mike Reich, are thanked for fruitful comments and suggestions.

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  1. School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dimitris S. Kostopoulos & George D. Koufos

  2. Laboratoire Paléontologie-Évolution-Paléoécosystèmes-Paléoprimatologie, UMR CNRS 7262 PALEVOPRIM, Université de Poitiers - UFR SFA - Bât. B35, TSA 51106-6, rue Michel Brunet, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France

    Louis de Bonis

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  1. Dimitris S. Kostopoulos
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Kostopoulos, D.S., de Bonis, L. & Koufos, G.D. The Vallesian bovid association from the Ouranopithecus-bearing site of Xirochori-1 (Axios Valley, Greece). PalZ 94, 179–194 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-018-0437-1

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