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We here describe fossil remains from three Lower and Middle Miocene localities of Anatolia, which we tentatively refer to chamaeleonids. The material comprises isolated tooth-bearing bones from the Early Miocene (MN 3) of Sabuncubeli (western Anatolia), the Early Miocene (MN 4) of Dededağ (western Anatolia), and the Middle Miocene (MN 5) of the world-renowned hominoid locality of Paşalar (northwestern Anatolia). If our identifications are correct, these specimens would represent the only fossil record of this group from Anatolia as well as the oldest occurrences of chameleons from Asia. Moreover, the recovery of these specimens across different Lower and Middle Miocene localities, suggest that these animals were a typical element of the Anatolian herpetofaunas of the early Neogene. Differences among the specimens from the three localities point to a higher taxonomic diversity of Miocene Anatolian chamaeleonids, however, based on such limited material, intraspecific or ontogenetic variation cannot be ruled out. The oldest among these occurrences, the Sabuncubeli material, coincides chronologically with the oldest chameleons, which had been previously described from Central Europe (MN 3). As such, this supports the recently suggested biogeographic scenario, according to which chamaeleonids dispersed from Afro-Arabia to Europe during the Burdigalian, via the "Gomphotherium Landbridge," through Anatolia and the Balkans. Finally, a few additional lizard and snake remains from the locality of Dededağ are described, adding to the poorly known fossil herpetofaunas of Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper addresses the study of new fossils of the extinct lutrine Lartetictis Ginsburg & Morales, 1996 from the early middle Miocene of Göriach (Austria, late MN5-early MN6) and from the hominoid locality of Paşalar (Turkey, late MN5). The mandibular material of Lartetictis from Göriach is described and assigned to the type species, Lartetictis dubia. The mandibular and dental specimens from Paşalar proceed from the digging seasons 1983–2018, and constitute one of the larger samples of Lartetictis, enabling us to erect the species Lartetictis pasalarensis sp. nov. Its large size and features that are more derived than those of the Central European L. dubia characterises this new Turkish species. Among other features, L. pasalarensis shows a relatively low and broader P4 protocone, a larger distolingual expansion of the M1 lingual platform, higher cuspids of the m1 and a more trenchant m1 talonid. This new taxon represents the first datum of Lartetictis in Turkey as well as the easternmost record of the genus. Careful comparison between Lartetictis and other extinct otters from the middle Miocene, including Paralutra in Europe, Siamogale in Asia and Mionictis in North America, suggests a closer relationship with the latter group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]