Quaternary megafauna from Bilehsavar area, northwest Iran

Dasht-e-Moghan basin in the northernmost parts of Iran represents a small enclave of the Kura intermontane trough, which is mainly present in the south of the Caucasus region. Although Quaternary large mammals are known by few fragmentary materials from western, eastern and central Iran, recent discoveries in Bilehsavar area brings new opportunities for better understanding of the Quaternary megafuana in Iran.Well preserved dental, cranial and skeletal specimens of proboscideans, cervids, bovids, equids and rhinos have been discovered in the Foulad lu gravel mine in Bilehsavar area. The fossils preserved in two horizons in fluvial and near shore deposits and occur within finer grain sediments in the much coarser gravel/conglomerate settings. The molars of the proboscideans indicate presence of Mammuthus meridionalis/trogonthori. The partial skull and tusks of the proboscidians probably belong to the same species. Cervid antler fragments are assigned as Cervus cf. elaphus. Gazelle sized bovids and Equus sp. are also present.These fossils are typical of the Eurasian Quaternary megafauna, indicating early to late Pleistocene age for the fossil locality. Due to their occurrence in the higher stratigraphical levels of the Quaternary sediments in Moghan basin, they are more likely of late Quaternay age. Similar occurrences can be traced in the adjacent countries in the Caucasus, Anatolia and eastern Mediterranean regions. These findings indicate the high potential of megafauna’s preservation in Moghan region and mark it as the best place for further investigations.

کلیدواژه ها:

Megafauna ، Dasht-e-Moghan ، Mammuthus ، Cervus ، Equus