Maia Bukhsianidze

• PhD
• Senior Researcher at Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi

Mammalian humerus shape is mostly predicted by loading. This constraint is lifted for cetaceans and, therefore, can reflect other, specific evolutionary trends. To test this hypothesis, the three-dimensional shape of the humerus for 36 taxa of extinct and extant cetaceans was analyzed. The shape variance concurs with the evolution of diverging bale...

The Early Pleistocene site of Dmanisi (Georgia, Lesser Caucasus), dated to 1.8 Ma, is a relevant locality not only for documenting one of the earliest human evidences in Western Europe, but also for its geographical placement, at the end of a natural corridor that allowed fauna communication between Africa and Eurasia. The amphibian and reptile rem...

The present book is a result of the study of Georgian Late Cenozoic deposits by palynological method. Nearly 30 sections are described. Two types of palynological diagrams are constructed for each section. The first one reflects the percentage of fluctuations of pollen grains of the main woody plants over time, while the second one is constructed b...

წინამდებარე ნაშრომი საქართველოს გვიანკაინოზოური ნალექების პალინოლოგიური მეთოდით შესწავლის შედეგია. აღწერილია დაახლოებით 30-მდე ჭრილი. ყოველი ჭრილისთვის აგებულია ორი ტიპის პალინოლოგიური დიაგრამა. პირველი ასახავს ხე-მცენარეების მტვრის მარცვლების პროცენტული რაოდენობის მერყეობას დროში, ხოლო მეორე აგებულია ლანდშაფტური მეთოდით და ასახავს მცენარეული ფორმა...

The timing of the Holocene transition of the Black Sea from a brackish lake to a marine sea has long been debated. Here, we report on the earliest records of cetaceans in the Black Sea region as a proxy for the connection with the Mediterranean and the transition from a brackish to marine environment. We base our analysis on cetacean skeletal finds...

Mammalian humerus shape is strongly predicted by loading and other functional factors. This constraint is lifted for cetaceans and, therefore, it could reflect other, specific evolutionary trends. For testing this hypothesis, the three-dimensional shape of the humerus for 32 taxa of extinct and extant cetaceans was analyzed. The shape variance was...

Amynodontidae are an extinct family of Rhinocerotoidea (Perissodactyla) known from the middle Eocene to the latest Oligocene of Asia, North America, and Europe. We describe here two specimens of Amynodontidae, a skull and a mandible of Zaisanamynodon borisovi Belyaeva, 1971 from the late Eocene of the Zaysan Basin (Kazakhstan) and a skull of Metamy...

Equus suessebornensis is one of the most intriguing species of the Early and Middle Pleistocene Eurasian Equus. Although it was described from the Middle Pleistocene site of Süssenborn, in recent years its biochronological correlation has been extended to the Early Pleistocene, raising a debate in the scientific community. In this contribution, we...

Cenozoic faunal exchanges between Europe, Asia, Africa and America played a key role in shaping modern-day Eurasian ecosystems with dispersal pathways controlled by the dynamics of natural palaeogeographic barriers (e.g., deserts, isthmuses, large water bodies, etc.). The South Caucasus is a mountainous region between Asia and Europe, which served...

Mammalian humerus shape is strongly predicted by loading and other functional factors. This constraint is lifted for cetaceans; therefore, it could reflect other specific evolutionary trends. For testing this hypothesis we analyzed 3D shape by methods of geometric morphometry (using 499 semilandmarks) for 32 cetacean taxa which included Protocetida...

Amynodontidae Scott & Osborn, 1883 are an extinct family of Rhinocerotoidea Owen, 1845 known from the middle Eocene to the latest Oligocene of Asia, North America, and Europe. We report here two unpublished specimens of Amynodontidae, a skull and a mandible of Zaisanamynodon borisovi Belyaeva, 1971 from the late Eocene of the Zaysan Basin (Kazakhst...

The present 3D Dataset contains the 3D model of a specimen of Metamynodon planifrons (UNISTRA.2015.0.1106) described and figured in: Veine-Tonizzo, L., Tissier, J., Bukhsianidze, M., Vasilyan, D., Becker, D., 2023, Cranial morphology and phylogenetic relationships of Amynodontidae Scott & Osborn, 1883 (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotoidea) https://doi.o...

The Pliocene and Early Pleistocene three-toed horses of Western Eurasia (Caucasus, Anatolia, Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe, Italian and Iberian Peninsulas and England) have been studied since the second half of the 19th Century, leading to different interpretations of their taxonomy and evolution. Herein we provide a revision of the taxa from...

The intercontinental faunal dispersions played a key role in the shaping of the modern-day Eurasian ecosystems. The Cenozoic faunal exchanges between Europe, Asia, Africa and America were controlled by the dynamics of natural palaeogeographic barriers (e.g., deserts, isthmuses, large water bodies, etc.) leading to repetitive closures and openings o...

There are many hypotheses regarding influences on the early hominin biogeographic spread into Eurasia; among them is increased meat-eating. Dmanisi in Georgia is one of the rare Early Pleistocene sites in Eurasia, and here we present primary information and analysis of the medium and large mammal taphonomy, contributing information about site forma...

The Pliocene and Early Pleistocene three-toed horses of Western Eurasia (Caucasus, Anatolia, Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe, Italian and Iberian peninsulae and England) have been studied since the second half of the 19th Century, with the following taxa identified from several fossiliferous sites: “Hipparion” crassum, “Hipparion” rocinantis, “...

We undertake a comparative mammalian zoogeographic analysis with the aim of revealing the extent to which the Dmanisi Early Pleistocene large mammal assemblage resembles, at the genus level, African, Arabian, and Eurasian localities of similar age. The inclusion of Old World Pliocene and Pleistocene mammalian faunas provides us with insights into t...

Pliocene and earliest Pleistocene Northern Eurasian rhinocerotines are poorly documented and understudied in comparison to Pleistocene and Miocene ones. However, they represent a key-group of species for understanding the phylogeny and historical biogeography of their Pleistocene relatives. In the present paper, we revise the abundant material from...

The carnivore guild of the Early Pleistocene site of Dmanisi is among the most diverse of the Early Pleistocene of the entire Old World. It includes 14 carnivoran taxa: Homotherium latidens, Megantereon whitei, Panthera onca georgica, Acinonyx pardinensis, Lynx issiodorensis; Pachycrocuta brevirostris; Canis (Xenocyon) lycaonoides, Canis borjgali,...

The Global climate reorganisation in the late Pliocene linked to enhancement of the Atlantic Ocean Thermohaline Circulation (AOTC), instigated a transition to glacial-interglacial cyclicity in the Quaternary. Enhancement of the AOTC amplified atmospheric precipitation over the Eurasian interior strengthening Northern Hemisphere Glaciation. Increase...

The Equus datum has been established as a geochronologic 'instantaneous' migratory event of a North American Equus species into Eurasia at the beginning of the Pleistocene (2.58 Ma). A remarkable radiation of Equus followed across Eurasia and Africa. Dmanisi includes excellent remains of Equus, well calibrated between 1.85 and 1.76 Ma. Our morpholo...

Free download - Share Link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1d6d8AlZXMPNI Abstract_Rhinocerotidae represents a common element in the Eurasian Pleistocene faunas. Origin, dispersal route, and biochronology of several species are still poorly understood due to gaps in the fossil record, in particular from central Eurasia. A remarkable collection of r...

Equus stenonis is one of the most prevalent European Pleistocene fossil horses. It is believed to be the possible ancestor of all Old World Early Pleistocene Equus, extant zebras and asses, and as such provides insights into Equus evolution and its biogeography and paleoecology. The Equus stenonis holotype skull (IGF560) was first described by Igin...

This study addresses the roles of biotic agents in site formation in the B1 strata of Block 2 at Dmanisi, Georgia, using theoretical and analogous frameworks for the interpretation of spatial behaviors of carnivores and hominins. For this study, stone material, faunal remains, and coprolites are analyzed to determine if any spatially distinct behav...

In the complex scenario of Plio–Pleistocene mammalian faunal turnovers, recent research on canids has revealed an increasingly higher number of species than previously thought. In this framework, Georgia had a key role in the biogeographic dispersion of fauna from/to Asia, Africa, and Europe. Historically attributed to Canis etruscus, the rich Cani...

The Southern Caucasus, with its special geographic position and complex topography, is a well-known biodiversity hotspot. However, the formation of this hotspot remains largely unstudied. To reveal this, a thorough study of the fossil record of the region is necessary. In the present paper, we describe for the first time fossil monitor lizards (Var...

The Pontocaspian (Black Sea - Caspian Sea) region has a very dynamic history of basin development and biotic evolution. The region is the remnant of a once vast Paratethys Sea. It contains some of the best Eurasian geological records of tectonic, climatic and paleoenvironmental change. The Pliocene-Quaternary co-evolution of the Black Sea-Caspian S...

The sequencing of ancient DNA has enabled the reconstruction of speciation, migration and admixture events for extinct taxa¹. However, the irreversible post-mortem degradation² of ancient DNA has so far limited its recovery—outside permafrost areas—to specimens that are not older than approximately 0.5 million years (Myr)³. By contrast, tandem mass...

Ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing has enabled unprecedented reconstruction of speciation, migration, and admixture events for extinct taxa. Outside the permafrost, however, irreversible aDNA post-mortem degradation has so far limited aDNA recovery within the ~0.5 million years (Ma) time range. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS)-based collagen type I (COL1)...

This paper summarizes knowledge on the Neogene–Quaternary terrestrial fossil record from the Middle Kura Basin accumulated over a century and aims to its integration into the current research. This fossil evidence is essential in understanding the evolution of the Eurasian biome, since this territory is located at the border of Eastern Mediterranea...

This is the figure in the article Bukhsinidze M., Chagelishvili R., Lordkipanidze D. "Late Miocene vertebrate site of Chachuna (Iori valley, Georgia, Southern Caucasus)" Bulletin of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, in press

This is the figure for the paper: Bukhsianidze M., Chagelishvili R., Lordkipanidze D. (2018) Late Miocene vertebrate site of Chachuna (Iori valley, Georgia, Southern Caucasus). Bulletin of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences (in press).

Chachuna (Gare Kakheti, Georgia) is one of the fossil vertebrate sites in the Kura foreland of the Eastern Paratethys, alongside the better known Upper Sarmatian s.l. (Khersonian) Eldari, Udabno and Iagludja (idem Rustavi) sites. We describe the geological setting of the Chachuna site and provide a preliminary list of vertebrate fauna. The site is...

Unlike the Asian and North American Pliocene record, fossil occurrences of Canidae in Europe (and Africa) are uncommon and fragmentary. The revision of canid material from the late Pliocene site of Kvabebi (eastern Georgia) revealed the contemporaneous occurrence of three different taxa: (1) Nyctereutes megamastoides (a derived species of the Euras...

The Non Pollen Palynomorphs group includes the remains of various fresh-water algae, cyanobacteriae, phytolites, fungi spores, tracheal cells of wood, starch grains, tephra, animal hairs, remains of insects and invertebrates. The mentioned types of palynomorphs provide valuable information on palaeogeographic conditions of the region of the time wh...

The unique finds of bones of ancient hominids in Dmanisi dated to 1.8 million years ago show that southern Georgia like the Caucasus as a whole is a corridor of early human migration from Africa.

Hipparion fauna is of major importance for dating the Neogene fossil-bearing sediments. There are a number of sites with Hipparion fauna in the Southern Caucasus. Out of them only two are dated as Upper Sarmatian: Eldari (Azerbaijan) and Iaghludja (Georgia). Fossil bearing Sarmatian sediments were recently found in Kaspi district, Georgia. Fossil f...

The Bondi Cave sequence A new sequence containing human remains from a previously unstudied cave, Bondi Cave, has been discovered in Georgia, with deposits dating to the Caucasian Upper Pleistocene. This site lies in the basin of Rioni-Kvirila Rivers, in the Imereti region of north-western Georgia. The site has yielded a long sequence with human oc...

The porcupine family (Hystricidae) is notable for the diversity of fossil and modern forms. Due to vagueness of morphological characters their taxonomy is not yet established. Lately an interesting work by van Weers and Rook was published about the taxonomy of European, Asian and African porcupines in which the authors propose relatively natural an...

This article analyzes and discusses the chronological and zoogeographic context of the Pliocene site of Kvabebi in order to shed light into the background of the early human occupation of Eurasia, as evidenced by the early Pleistocene site of Dmanisi. New paleontological and paleomagnetic research has allowed this site to be placed in a reverse int...

This paper presents a summary of the current state of knowledge on the evolution and fossil record of Bovidae and identifies topics and problems for further study. The earliest records of the different bovid tribes are reviewed, along with their geographic locations. Future work on the fossil bovid record should focus on: the reinvestigation of ost...

Diliska fauna is of outstanding biostratigraphic significance. The presence of Anancus arvernensis, Equus stenonis and Mimomys polonicus undoubtedly dates the fauna to the end of Pliocene and indicates that fauna corresponds to the terminal part of the MN17 unit. The fauna occupies an intermediate position between Dmanisi and Kvabebi faunas. Dilisk...

Fossil remains of hystrix are not found in the Pliocene of the Eastern Georgia, however they were widely spread in the Pleistocene of the Western Georgia. Lately interesting material of fossil hystrix was found in Dmanisi site in the layers that are transitional from Pliocene to Pleistocene (MN17/MQ18). The article is dedicated to the results of th...

Tsalka, a lower pleistocene palaeontological site in the Caucasus : Correlation with Dmanisi site (Georgia)

The Plio-Pleistocene site of Dmanisi, Georgia, has yielded a rich fossil and archaeological record documenting an early presence of the genus Homo outside Africa. Although the craniomandibular morphology of early Homo is well known as a result of finds from Dmanisi and African localities, data about its postcranial morphology are still relatively s...

A new species of fossil Capra (Capra dalii nov. sp.) is described from Dmanisi (Transcaucasia, Georgia, ≈ 1.76 Ma). The fossils are found together with the earliest undoubted human remains in Eurasia, stone tools and abundant faunal material which correspond to the Middle to Upper Villafranchian transitional complex. Among the Dmanisi Bovids Capra...