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While the swabian and franconian karsts of southern Germany have yielded rich and important neogene vertebrate faunas, the middle to late Miocene transition is still extremely underrepresented. This period is however key for the understanding of the European mammal evolution. A microtoid rodent Microtocricetus M2 is described and commented in this paper. The fossil discovered in the karst filling Petersbuch 69 is regarded herein such as derived and might be thus the youngest fossil of the genus in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dental features of more than 28 species of the Afro-Malagasy molossids have been examined in order to determine the affinities of fossil specimens from Berg Aukas, Namibia. All species were classed into morphotypes on the basis of their dental patterns: - Otomops has a more plesiomorphic morphotype and, among the large species, Mops is more derived; among somewhat smaller molossids, Mormopterus, Tadarida and Nyctinomus have primitive morphotypes, whereas Myopterus is derived. Previously the fossil remains of Chaerephon sp. Mormopterus sp. and cf. Sauromys sp. were identified from the Miocene site of Berg Aukas I. While Chaerephon and Sauromys occur in Africa today, the presence of the insular genus Mormopterus in the Miocene of Berg Aukas may indicate the continental origin of this genus. The taxonomic suggestions and conclusions of the extant Molossidae and some taphonomic remarks about their Miocene remains are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomic diversity of the insectivorous bat family Emballonuridae, which occurs widely in the tropics of the Old and New Worlds, is considered. Special emphasis is placed on extant African emballonurids which comprise about 11 species belonging to four genera: Coleura, Paremballonura, Saccolaimus and Taphozous. The functional aspects of their odontology are analysed. Most extant African emballonurids are typically cave-dwellers, so it is not surprising that their fossil remains have been found in the Miocene karstic site of Berg Aukas I in Namibia. Dentognathic fossils from Berg Aukas I most probably belong to Saccolaimus sp. and Taphozous sp. (Taphozoinae) and some specimens evidently represent new species of the subfamily Emballonurinae. Remains of Taphozoinae are the most abundant in the taphocenoses, but specimens of smaller Emballonurinae are also well-represented. Future taxonomic study of fossil emballonurids from Berg Aukas will surely throw light on questions of diversification of the group from the Middle Miocene to the Holocene and could be useful for palaeoclimatic reconstructions in this part of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preliminary results of the research on the bat fossils from the Miocene breccias of the Berg Aukas I site are presented. In total 4866 fossil bat fragments comprising mostly dentary fragments and isolated teeth from the 116 breccias blocks were analyzed. The fossil bat material comprises the representatives of Megachiroptera (cf. Pteropodidae) and at least seven different bat families of Microchiroptera belonging to Hipposideridae, Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Emballonuridae, Molossidae, Nycterdae and Megadermatidae. The rhinolophids and hipposiderids combined are the most common species in the Miocene assemblages. The emballonurids and vespertilionids occupy second place in occurrence, while the megadermatids and molossids occur in fewer than one third of all breccia blocks. Records of Megachiroptera were the rarest. More tropical conditions of the Otavi Mountainland region during Miocene time is confirmed by the rather high occurrence of emballonurids and megadermatids in the Miocene assemblages from the Berg Aukas I site. Full study of the fossil material from the site could provide additional information on the origin, evolution and dispersion of bat fauna of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]