The Mammalian Geochronology and Biogeography of Paşalar (Middle Miocene, Turkey)

The Paşalar fauna includes 56 mammalian species of European. Asian, African and North American origin. Evidence provided on the stage-of-evolution of the primates Sivapithecus darwini and cf. Kenyapithecus, the rodent Turkomys pasalarensis, insectivores, carnivores, rhinos, suids and ruminants suggests that Paşalar is correlative with the Late Langhian marine stage and European Mammal Neogene Zone 6., circa 15 Ma (million years ago). A review of the Paşalar fauna\u27s biogeographic history suggests that it was aggregated by a succession of pulsed intercontinental geographic extensions tied to global sea-level lowering events during the earlier half of the Miocene