biostratigraphy Biostratigraphy is the branch of stratigraphy which focuses on correlating and assigning relative ages of rock strata by using the fossil assemblages contained within them.Hine, Robert. "Biostratigraphy." ''Oxford Reference: Dictionary of Biology ...

, MN 4 is one of the MN zones used to characterize the

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

mammal faunas of the

Neogene The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of th ...

of Europe. It is preceded by MN 3 and followed by

MN 5 Minnesota State Highway 5 (MN 5) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with MN 19 and MN 22 in Gaylord and continues east and northeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with MN 120 in Maplewo ...

; together, these three zones form the

Orleanian The Orleanian age is a period of geologic time ( MN 3–5, (mya)), within the Miocene and used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Astaracian age and follows the Agenian age. ; Agenian-Early Orleanian migration ...

age of the

middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), epoch made up of two Stage (stratigraphy), stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0. ...

. This zone starts within magnetostratigraphic

chron Chron may refer to: Science * Chronozone or chron, a term used for a time interval in chronostratigraphy * Polarity chron or chron, in magnetostratigraphy, the time interval between polarity reversals of the Earth's magnetic field Other * ...

C5Dr, at 18 million years ago, and ends within chron C5Cr, at 17.0 million years ago, although some different correlations have been proposed.Steininger, 1999, p. 16 The reference locality used to correlate faunas with this zone is La Romieu (southwestern France); other localities include Artesilla and

Buñol Buñol is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, Spain. The municipality has an area of some 112 km2, and is situated approximately 38 km west of the provincial and autonomous community capital city, Valencia. It lies alon ...

in Spain, Tägernaustrasse-Jona in Switzerland, Erkertshofen 2 and Petersbuch 2 in Germany, Belchatov C in Poland, and

Aliveri Aliveri () is a town and a community in the island of Evvoia, Greece. It is part of the municipal unit Tamyneoi, and the seat of the municipality Kymi-Aliveri. Aliveri is situated in the central part of the island, on the South Euboean Gulf. I ...

in Greece.Mein, 1999, p. 28 In this zone, the common

muroid The Muroidea are a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except ...

rodent '' Democricetodon'' immigrates into Europe from Asia, followed shortly after by three other muroids: '' Megacricetodon'', '' Eumyarion'', and '' Anomalomys''. '' Cricetodon'', which later also reaches western Europe, is only present in Greece in MN 4 in Europe. The archaic muroid '' Melissiodon'' last appears in MN 4, as does '' Ligerimys'', a member of the extinct

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

family

Eomyidae Eomyidae is a family of extinct rodents from North America and Eurasia related to modern day pocket gophers and kangaroo rats. They are known from the Middle Eocene to the Late Miocene in North America and from the Late Eocene to the Pleistocene ...

. The

dormouse A dormouse is a rodent of the family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their long, dormant hibe ...

Glirulus ''Glirulus'' is a genus of dormouse. The only extant species is the Japanese dormouse ''(Glirulus japonicus)'' but fossil species indicate that the genus was widespread in Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hem ...

'', which occurs in older deposits in Turkey, first appears in Europe; this genus contains a single living species, the

Japanese dormouse The Japanese dormouse (''Glirulus japonicus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae endemic to Japan. It is the only extant species within the genus ''Glirulus''.Holden, M. E.. 2005. Family Gliridae. pp. 819–841 ''in'' Mammal ...

(''Glirulus japonicus''). The

proboscidea Proboscidea (; , ) is a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Three l ...

n genera—members of the group that includes the

elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

s—''

Archaeobelodon ''Archaeobelodon'' is an extinct genus of proboscidean of the family Amebelodontidae that lived in Europe and North Africa (Egypt) during the Miocene from 16.9 to 16.0 Ma, living for approximately . ''Archaeobelodon'' was an ancestor of '' Plat ...

'' and ''

Prodeinotherium ''Prodeinotherium'' is an extinct representative of the family Deinotheriidae that lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia in the early and middle Miocene. ''Prodeinotherium'', meaning "before terrible beast", was first named in 1930, but soon after, t ...

'' first appear in Europe. The rhinoceros ''

Diaceratherium ''Diaceratherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid from the Oligocene and Miocene of Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiograp ...

'' last appears in MN 4 and five other rhinoceros genera, ''

Plesiaceratherium ''Plesiaceratherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotids. It includes two species: ''P. gracile'' from China and ''P. mirallesi'' from France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overse ...

'', ''

Brachypotherium ''Brachypotherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid that lived in Eurasia and Africa during the Miocene. Many species of ''Brachypotherium'' have been described. Some species have moved to other genera, such as ''B. aurelianense'' being tra ...

'', ''

Lartetotherium ''Lartetotherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid that lived during the Miocene in Europe and possibly China.Deng, T.; Li, S., 2023. Restudy of Rhinocerotini fossils from the Miocene Jiulongkou fauna of China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 61: 198- ...

'', ''

Gaindatherium ''Gaindatherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid that lived in Asia during the Miocene. It is mainly known from the Siwalik Hills in Pakistan, though its fossils have been found as far west as the Negev desert. Description ''Gaindatherium' ...

'', and ''

Hispanotherium ''Hispanotherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid of the tribe Elasmotheriini endemic to Europe and Asia during the Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma) ...

'', make their first appearance. '' Phyllotillon'', a member of the related extinct family

Chalicotheriidae Chalicotheriidae (from Ancient Greek ''khálix'', "gravel", and ''theríon'', "beast") is an extinct family of herbivorous, odd-toed ungulate (perissodactyl) mammals that lived in North America, Eurasia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene to the ...

, migrates into Europe during MN 4. Several

artiodactyl Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla ( , ). Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes (the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof). The other t ...

s, such as the pig ''

Bunolistriodon ''Bunolistriodon'' is an extinct genus of pig-like animals from Eurasia and Africa during the Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by ...

'', the

tragulid Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small, even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, and are the only living members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are kno ...

Dorcatherium ''Dorcatherium'' is an extinct genus of tragulid ruminant which existed in Europe, East Africa, and the Siwaliks during the Miocene and possibly Pliocene. Dorcatherium by Mauricio Anton.jpg, Dorcatherium sp. by Mauricio Anton Dorcatherium minu ...

'', the

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

-like '' Lagomeryx'', the

bovid The Bovidae comprise the family (biology), biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes Bos, cattle, bison, Bubalina, buffalo, antelopes (including Caprinae, goat-antelopes), Ovis, sheep and Capra (genus), goats. A member o ...

-like '' Amphimoschus'', and the first true bovid of Europe, ''

Eotragus ''Eotragus'' is an extinct genus of early bovid. Species belonging to the genus inhabited Europe, Africa, and Asia during the Miocene some 20-18 million years ago. It is related to the modern nilgai and four-horned antelope. It was small and pr ...

'', first occur during MN 4. The last occurrence of the primitive

ruminant Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microb ...

'' Amphitragulus'' also falls in this zone. The immigrant African

creodont Creodonta ("meat teeth") is a former order of extinct carnivorous placental mammals that lived from the early Paleocene to the late Miocene epochs in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Originally thought to be a single group of animals ance ...

Hyainailouros ''Hyainailouros'' ("hyena-cat") is an extinct polyphyletic genus of hyaenodont belonging to the family Hyainailouridae that lived during the Early to Late Miocene, of which there were at least three species spread across Eurasia and Africa ...

'' occurs in Europe during MN 4. Among

carnivora Carnivora ( ) is an order of placental mammals specialized primarily in eating flesh, whose members are formally referred to as carnivorans. The order Carnivora is the sixth largest order of mammals, comprising at least 279 species. Carnivor ...

ns, the first occurrences of the

mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborde ...

'' Leptoplesictis'' and the saber-toothed '' Prosansanosmilus'' fall in MN 4.

References

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Literature cited

*Mein, P. 1999. European Miocene mammal biochronology. Pp. 25–38 in Rössner, G.E. and Heissig, K. (eds.). The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe.

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 515 pp. *Steininger, F. 1999. Chronostratigraphy, geochronology and biochronology of the Miocene "European Land Mammal Mega-Zones (ELMMZ)" and the Miocene "Mammal Zones (MN-Zones)". Pp. 9–24 in Rössner, G.E. and Heissig, K. (eds.). The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe. Munich: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 515 pp. Miocene Regional geologic time scales Biostratigraphy