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The fragment of the right mandibular ramus of Ursus minimus from Kosyakino, Northern Caucasus (ZIN 34996); labial (A), lingual (B) and occlusal (C, D) views.
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... orientalis Schlosser, Aceratotherium cf. incisivum Kaup, Propotamochoerus provincialis Ger- vais, Procapreolus sp., Pliocervus sp., Pseudalces sp., Gazella sp., etc. (Argiropulo, 1939, 1940; Beliaeva, 1940, 1944; Vereshchagin, 1959). Later some of these taxa were redefined. The beaver Amblicastor caucasicus was determinated as porcupine Hystrix caucasicus (Lopatin et al ., 2003); hemicyonid Dinocyon cf. thenardi as ursid Agriotherium sivalense minutum Gerv. (Baryshnikov, 2007). The list of the lagomorph species was also modified: Prolagus caucasicus Averianov et Tesakov, Ochotona cf. antiqua , Hypolagus cf. igromovi Gureev (Averianov & Tesakov, 1998). The geological age of Kosyakino is determinated as Early Ruscinian (MN14) based on lagomorphs (Averianov & Tesakov, 1998) or as Late Ruscinian (MN15) according to carnivores data (Vislobokova et al ., 2001). Ursid findings from Kosyakino were represented by two right mandible fragments. The specimen ZIN 34996 ( Fig. 2) includes the lower canine, alveoli p1p3 and also cheek teeth p4 and m1. The color of bone is light gray. Tooth enamel is light brown, with indistinct dark spots (collected by N.K. Vereshchagin in September 13, 1953). The specimen PIN No.225/253 (Fig. 3) includes the fragment of the lower canine, alveoli p1 p3 and molars m1-m2. The bone is dense; its color is beige turning to light brown. Tooth enamel is colored as that of the specimen ZIN 34996. The bone mineral- ization is high. Vereshchagin (1959: Fig. 24, 1, 3 ) identified the lower jaw fragments from Kosyakino as Ursus cf. arvernensi s but not described it. This paper includes illustrations of both lower jaw fragments of ursids from Kosyakino. Vereshchagin (1959) reported that 12 ursid bones totally were collected in the locality. Moiseevka . The locality is situated at the right bank of the Irtysh River near Moiseevka village in Zhelezin- sky District of Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan (53°27 ¢ N, 75°28 ¢ E). The age of the finding is not precise, but Pliocene age is mentioned in the museum label. The member of green clay is located at the left bank of the Irtysh River; these clays were dated as Oligocene Middle Miocene. The same type of deposits is present at the right bank of the Irtysh River. This member is overlain by Late Miocene and Pliocene deposits (Nikiforova, 1953). Near from the village Moiseevka the member sandy (psammitic) and marlaceous clays was established as Moissevskaya svita, in which were found fossils of Equus stenonis Cocchi fossils (Kostenko, 1963). Zinova (1982) included Moissevskaya svita as a member within the compound of Podpusk-Lebiazchinskaya svita characterized by presence of Archidiskodon gromovi Garutt et Alex., Equus stenonis Cocchi, Elas- motherium sp., Gazella cf. sinensis Teih. et Piv., Vulpe s odessanus Odinz. (= Eocyon odessanus , see Sotnikova & Rock, 2010). E. Vangengeim (1977) considered that Podpusk-Lebiazchinskaya svita is analo- gous to Khaprovian age (Middle Villafranchian) of Eastern Europe. Vislobokova (1996) noted a presence of faunal horizons dated earlier than Middle Villafranchian in the Moisevskaya svita. Deposits of Novostanychnaya svita (stratum) in the neighborhood of the Moiseevka village are of Middle Pliocene age (Zinova, 1982: 44). In the deposits of this unit the bones of small mammals Desmanidae gen.?, Steneofiber , Prosiphneus , and Baranomy s had been collected. According to the opinion of Zazhigin (1980) the presence of Baranomys and degree of evolutionary development of beaver Steneofiber teeth makes possible attribution of Novostanychnaya svita to the horizon directly below the Akchaghylian beds. Its very likely that described lower jaw originates from these deposits. The deposits of this svita have been later attributed by V. Zazhigin to the Late Miocene (MN13; Zykin et al ., 2007). We determine the age of the ursid lower jaw from Moiseevka approximately as Early Pliocene (Early Ruscinian, MN14). This suggestion confirmed by the ursids morphological features described below. Describing material from Kazakhstan presented by right ramus of the lower jaw with m1m2 (PIN No.5332/ 1). It was found at the right bank of Irtysh River (out- crop number 130, specimen 207) in 2.5 km upstream from the Moiseevka village, Omsk Region (now Pavlodar region, Kazakhstan), collected by K. Nikiforova, Institute of Geological Sciences of Academy of Sciences of USSR, Moscow, September 7, 1948. The bone color is dark gray. Teeth are well preserved, the enamel is brown colored. The specimen was identified and labeled as Ursus arvernensis . This specimen was nei- ther described nor figured ...