Late Miocene Mammut from Varzeghan Region, Northwest of Iran

A Mammutid is described here for the first time from the Late Miocene (MN12 equivalent) deposits of Abkhareh village, Varzeghan region in northwest Iran. It represents Mammut cf. M. obliquelophus (Proboscideans, Mammutidae) including an isolated and moderately worn upper third molar with compressed oblique lophs, typical of mammutids. It shows trilophodonty and developed transverse ridges and greater width in relation to its length. Also, two upper incisors probably belonging to an individual found associated with the molar are assigned as mammutid. The species has already been reported from Russia, the East and Central Europe as well as China. However the studied material expands the geographic distribution of Mammut obliquelophus into western Asia, which could indicate the paleo-geographical expansion of this late Miocene species. The paleoclimatologically results shows that the climate of northwest of Iran in the late Miocene was tropical which is the most preferable one for this mammutid. According to prior authors and after comparative studies with other materials from different countries, the third upper molar teeth and the two associated upper tusks was attributed to the rare species Mammut cf. obliquelophus which worth to be studied more.

کلیدواژه ها:

Mammut ، Miocene ، Proboscideans ، Varzeghan ، Vertebrate Paleontology