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The paper deals with results of the study of freshwater fish remains obtained from the Miocene deposits of Bełchatów open-cast brown coal mine in 1984 and 1986. These fossils are represented mainly by numerous disarticulated bones which are assumed as belonging to cyprinid (Tinca sp.) and esocids (Esox sibiricus, Esox sp.), as well as to indeterminate bony fishes (Teleostei indet.). The find of the Siberian pike described herein is the oldest occurrence of this species in Europe, and allows extending its previously known range to the west. Some aspects of the palaeogeography and palaeoecology of the late early Miocene fish assemblage of Bełchatów with reference to the distribution of E. sibiricus are discussed.
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Historical Biology
An International Journal of Paleobiology
ISSN: 0891-2963 (Print) 1029-2381 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ghbi20
Fishes from the Miocene lacustrine sequence of
Bełchatów (Poland)
Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Adam Nadachowski, Ewa Świdnicka & Krzysztof
Stefaniak
To cite this article: Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Adam Nadachowski, Ewa Świdnicka & Krzysztof
Stefaniak (2019): Fishes from the Miocene lacustrine sequence of Bełchatów (Poland), Historical
Biology
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1561671
Published online: 09 Jan 2019.
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Fishes from the Miocene lacustrine sequence of Bełchatów (Poland)
Oleksandr Kovalchuk
a,b
, Adam Nadachowski
c
, Ewa Świdnicka
d
and Krzysztof Stefaniak
d
a
Department of Aquaculture, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine;
b
Department of Palaeontology,
National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine;
c
Institute of Systematics and Evolution of
Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland;
d
Department of Palaeozoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, University of
Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
ABSTRACT
The paper deals with results of the study of freshwater sh remains obtained from the Miocene deposits
of Bełchatów open-cast brown coal mine in 1984 and 1986. These fossils are represented mainly by
numerous disarticulated bones which are assumed as belonging to cyprinid (Tinca sp.) and esocids
(Esox sibiricus, Esox sp.), as well as to indeterminate bony shes (Teleostei indet.). The nd of the
Siberian pike described herein is the oldest occurrence of this species in Europe, and allows extending
its previously known range to the west. Some aspects of the palaeogeography and palaeoecology of
the late early Miocene sh assemblage of Bełchatów with reference to the distribution of E. sibiricus are
discussed.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 6 July 2018
Accepted 18 December 2018
KEYWORDS
Cyprinidae; Esocidae;
morphology; range
dynamics; brown coal mine;
Ottnangian-Karpatian
Introduction
The composition of the freshwater ichthyofauna of the
Northern Hemisphere was formed in general terms during
the late Cenozoic (Sytchevskaya 1989). Miocene was a period
when the seasonality of climate has increased, however, the
average annual temperature has been relatively stable
(Herbert et al. 2016). It was marked by profound environ-
mental change in ecosystems, in particular the appearance of
the latitudinal gradient visible in modern times (Ivanov et al.
2011). The faunistic analysis of the fossil sh remains from
the heterochronous deposits in Central Europe allows us to
trace the temporal changes in sh assemblages, to clarify the
time of the appearance of extant taxa and their groups in the
fossil record, to nd out the routes of their migrations, to
indicate the centres of origin of individual components of the
assemblages and the formation of their ranges.
In this paper, we provide a detailed description of all
freshwater sh fossils obtained from the Miocene deposits
of the Bełchatów lignite mine in Poland. This locality was
discovered in the 1960s, and later, since 1980s, numerous
fossils, namely plants (Worobiec 1995; Worobiec and
Worobiec 2005; Worobiec and Szynkiewicz 2007), mollusks
(Stworzewicz 1995,1999a,1999b; Stworzewicz and Sołtys
1996; Kadolsky and Piechocki 2000), mammals (Kowalski
1993a,1993b,1997; Rzebik-Kowalska 1993,1994,1996,
2005; Nadachowski 2001; Garapich 2002) were found there
and described in a huge number of publications (for other
references, see also Fostowicz-Frelik et al. 2012).
We attempt to clarify the systematic position for sh
remains briey described by Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak
(1986) as well as those not processed before. All studied
specimens come from several exposures located on the
exploited escarpment in the Bełchatów mine. Based on
obtained data, we provide a short overview of the environ-
ment of Bełchatów, with an insight to its palaeobiogeography.
Geological settings
The studied locality is situated in central Poland (51°15ʹN,
19°20ʹE), between Warta and Pilica rivers, near 15 km
southwards of the town Bełchatów (Figure 1(A)). This is
an open-cast brown coal mine, whose deposits are geneti-
cally connected with a series of tectonic depressions within
the Kleszczów Graben (Stuchlik et al. 1990;Krzyszkowski
1993; Szynkiewicz 2000;GotowałaandHałuszczak 2002).
That graben is lled with Neogene and Quaternary deposits
lying on Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks, and a salt diapir of
Permian (Zechstein) age in its central part (Hałuszczak
2004). The Neogene sequence in Bełchatów consists from
bottom to top of subcoal (PW), coal (W), clayey-coal (I-W),
and clayey-sandy (I-P) lithostratigraphic units (Figure 1(C)).
The formation age of the entire thickness of clastic deposits
intercalated with lignite beds, lake marls and volcanic ash
layers near 60 m in depth is estimated to be early to early
late Miocene, i.e. EggenburgianPannonianinthemarine
scheme of Central Paratethys stages (Fostowicz-Frelik et al.
2012). Three principal faunal levels have been previously
recognised (Nadachowski 2001). Among them, the oldest is
Bełchatów C or BE-C (OttnangianKarpatian, 18.1 ± 1.7 Ma
after Burchart et al. 1988; Piller et al. 2007;Hilgenetal.
2012). BełchatówBorBE-Bassemblageismiddleinage
(early Badenian, 16.5 ± 1.3 Ma according to Burchart et al.
1988; Piller et al. 2007;Hilgenetal.2012), and the most
recent is those of Bełchatów A (BE-A). Based on small
mammalian remains, the age for the latter assemblage can
be correlated to late Sarmatianearly Pannonian (Kowalski
CONTACT Oleksandr Kovalchuk biologiest@ukr.net
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1561671
© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Published online 09 Jan 2019
and Rzebik-Kowalska 2002; Fostowicz-Frelik et al. 2012).
Fish-bearing strata are located just between the BE-C and
BE-B assemblages, being younger than BE-C and older than
BE-B.Theageofthesh fossils is late early Miocene (see
Figure 1(C)).
Material and methods
The fossil sh material from the beds of Bełchatów was
obtained by A. Jerzmańska, E. Świdnicka, accompanying
with A. Hałuszczak and R.J. Wilczyński (both geologists)
during their eld campaigns in 1984 and 1986 (Figure 1(B)).
It comes from exposures near boreholes Nos. 88/14, 87/13
and 341B and was collected at +50 and +62 meters above sea
level (a.s.l.). The sh fauna of Bełchatów occurs in the higher
part of the coal unit (W) consisting of three coal sems (i.e.
main coal (D) and C (III) and B (II)), two levels of humic
coals (called as cuboidal clays), lacustrine limestones and
clayey layers (Figure 1C).
The environmental setting of these layers was previously
interpreted as a shallow lake with a thick layer of organic
debris accumulated at the bottom (Wagner 1996; Widera
2016). The burial of remains most likely occurred in anoxic
conditions (Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986). In total, 140
disarticulated bones and their fragments embedded in the
coaly clay matrix from Bełchatów are stored in the
Department of Palaeozoology (Institute of Environmental
Biology, University of Wrocław). Bones and scales were
identied based on comparisons with extinct and modern
taxa from the literature (Galkin 1958; Obrhelová 1970;
Sytchevskaya 1974,1976,1980,1989; Gaudant 1978;
Gaudant et al. 2002; Kovalchuk et al. 2017) and osteological
database (Tarcerie et al. 2016). Determination of elements
was accomplished using diagnostic features based on com-
Figure 1. Geographic location and stratigraphical position of the Bełchatów Lignite Mine (after Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986, with modications): Alocation of
the Bełchatów in Poland; Bcollecting of sh remains in Bełchatów by A. Jerzmańska and A. Hałuszczak in 1984; Cgeneralized scheme of the prole. For
abbreviations see Geological setting.
2O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
parative observations and literature summaries (Grande
1999; Grande et al. 2004). There are numerous additional
small bone fragments in the palaeoichthyological collection
of ZPALWr. (see Appendix). However, due to their poor
preservation, these specimens have been neither identied at
least to order or family, nor adequately measured. The
taxonomical hierarchy in this paper follows Nelson et al.
(2016), Froese and Pauly (2018). The osteological terminol-
ogy in this paper follows Sytchevskaya (1976) and Lepiksaar
(1994). Bones were measured according to Morales and
Rosenlund (1979) using an electronic caliper Mitutoyo with
0.01 mm precision.
Abbreviations:BMacronym of ichthyological collection
from the Miocene deposits of Bełchatów; ZPALWr.
Department of Palaeozoology, University of Wrocław.
Systematic palaeontology
Subdivision Teleostei Müller 1846 sensu Arratia 1999
Order Esociformes Berg 1940
Family Esocidae Cuvier 1817
Genus Esox Linnaeus 1758
Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya 1974
Figure 2(AK, M)
Esox sp.: Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986, p. 26, Figure 2.
Material
Two vomers (ZPALWr. BM/59, BM/77), one frontal (ZPALWr.
BM/89), three parasphenoid fragments (ZPALWr. BM/39, BM/
67-68), one left palatine in part (ZPALWr. BM/15) and counter-
part (ZPALWr. BM/16), four fragments of palatine (ZPALWr.
BM/43-46), one quadrate (ZPALWr. BM/76), three articulars
(ZPALWr. BM/22-23, BM/114), one left dentary (ZPALWr.
BM/10), 12 dentary fragments (ZPALWr. BM/11-12, BM/17,
BM/19-20, BM/26-27, BM/38, BM/71-74), one isolated tooth
(ZPALWr. BM/13) and its fragment (ZPALWr. BM/79), two
fragments of cleithra (ZPALWr. BM/78, BM/101).
Description
The vomers (Figure 2(A,B)) are represented by two notably
massive vomerine heads, each with partly or completely bro-
ken arm. The latter is supposed to be long, wide and attened,
as far as can be judged basing on morphology of this bone in
other fossil and modern pikes. Well-developed rounded pro-
jections are located anterolaterally on edges of the dental eld
whose width in BM/59 and BM/77 is 18.2 mm and 17.0 mm,
respectively. Teeth are bigger in the anterior part of the bone
as compared with those located posteriorly.
The frontal (Figure 2(C)) is characterized by a thickened
posterior portion of the medial suture, a narrow sphenotic slit
and a distinct anterolateral crest extending from the shaft of
the supraorbital canal on the ventral surface. Lateral edges of
the bone are slightly eroded.
Three parasphenoids (Figure 2(D)) are preserved in part,
with clearly visible grooves of the carotid arteries. Posterior part
of the bone is widened caudally, while its dorsal medial crest is
narrowed in the same direction. There is a medial denticle at
the level of ascending wings. Width of the bone in its medial
part varies from 5.5 mm in BM/39 to 12.4 mm in BM/67.
The palatine (Figure 2(K)) is wide and attened, with
destroyed edges. There are seven rows of C-shaped small
tooth bases on the ventral side of the palatine. Width of the
bone is 12.7 mm.
The quadrate (Figure 2(M)) is destroyed and characterized
by the presence of wide articular facet.
The articular bone (Figure 2(I)) is massive, with a high wall
(anguloarticular angle is equal to 70°), an elongated and later-
ally compressed posterior process, and a wide articular facet.
The dentary (Figure 2(E,F, J)) is elongate and massive. It
has a well-developed dental shelf, which smoothly rises onto
the medial wall. Teeth at the symphysis (Figure 2(J)) are
arranged in two rows, and internal one is better developed.
Twenty C-shaped crown bases, gradually increasing in dia-
meter in the direction towards the symphysis, are well visible
at the bone surface. A clear lateral groove separates the ante-
rior edge of the dentary from rest of the bone and forms
a ventral bulge in the symphysis. The attened anterior edge
of the bone is almost straight and thickened at the symphysis.
The latter is characterized by the absence of the symphysial
notch. Six pores for the sensory canal (Nelson 1972) are
visible at the ventral surface of the dentary. Measurements
of specimens from Bełchatów are presented in Table 1.
There is one elongate, dagger-shaped marginal tooth
(Figure 2(G,H)). It is laterally compressed, with slightly
curved crown, partly worn sharp tip, and rounded
(C-shaped) inated base. Cutting edges are slightly narrowed.
Height of the tooth is more than 12 mm, width 6.8 mm.
Remarks
Remains described above are identical in overall morphol-
ogy with those of the extinct Siberian pike Esox sibiricus
previously known in the fossil record of Kazakhstan
(Sytchevskaya 1976), Mongolia (Sytchevskaya 1989)and
Ukraine (Kovalchuk et al. 2017). Concerning the measure-
ments, bones from Bełchatów are signicantly larger than
other fossils previously assigning to this species. It diers
from modern Eurasian pikes and American pickerels in
shortened, wide and attened palatine, double tooth row at
the symphysis, more massive dentary, larger anguloarticular
angle, as well as wider facet of the quadrate. Siberian pike
resembles the Amur pike E. reichertii (and opposed to
E. lucius) in morphology of the vomer and frontals, orienta-
tion of the maxillary process of palatine, and in the structure
of the anterior median crest of the parasphenoid. At the
same time, Siberian pike diers from E. reichertii in more
robust, shorter and higher dentary with straight symphysial
part,greaternumberofporesforthesensorycanal,shorter
and wider palatine, as well as higher anguloarticular angle.
As for the extinct species, E. sibiricus diers from
E. aralensis in narrower dental shelf, absence of the sym-
physial notch and two-row dentition (Sytchevskaya 1976).
Siberian pike resembles E. moldavicus in the structure of the
dentigerous surface of the palatine, but diers in the pre-
dominance of the two-row dentition at the dentary symphy-
sis. It is not possible to adequately compare our material
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY 3
with E. aralensis duetotheabsenceofrespectiveskeletal
elements in Bełchatów.
Esox sp.
Figure 2(I,J)
Material
One vomer fragment (ZPALWr. BM/102), ve dentary fragments
(ZPALWr. BM/24-25, BM/28, BM/32, BM/112), eight tooth
fragments (ZPALWr. BM/47, BM/60, BM/75, BM/107-111),
one opercular fragment (ZPALWr. BM/21), two subopercles
(ZPALWr. BM/33, BM/106), 14 abdominal centra (ZPALWr.
BM/14, BM/34-37, BM/40-42, BM/84-88, BM/104), one sample
with scale plates (ZPALWr. BM/18).
Description
Vomers, articular, opercular and subopercular bones
(Figure 2(L)), dentaries and cleithra contain some features
Figure 2. Miocene sh remains from Bełchatów. A-K, M Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya (1974): Avomer ZPALWr. BM/77, toothed surface; Bvomer ZPALWr. BM/59,
toothed surface; Cfrontal ZPALWr. BM/89, in medial view; Dparasphenoid fragment ZPALWr. BM/68, in dorsal view; E-F dentary ZPALWr. BM/10, in ventral (E)
and dorsal (F) view; G-H isolated tooth ZPALWr. BM/13, in lateral (G) and posterior (H) view; Iarticular fragment ZPALWr. BM/114, in medial view; Jdentary
ZPALWr. BM/38, in dorsal view; Kpalatine ZPALWr. BM/15, toothed surface; Mquadrate ZPALWr. BM/76, in lateral view. L, N-Q Esox sp.: Lsubopercle
ZPALWr. BM/33, in lateral view; Mdentary fragment ZPALWr. BM/112, in lateral view; Osample with scale plate ZPALWr. BM/18; P-Q abdominal centrum
ZPALWr. BM/40, in anterior (P) and lateral (Q) view; R-S Tinca sp., opercular fragment ZPALWr. BM/100, in medial (R) and lateral (S) view. Scale bar equals 5 mm in
B-C, G-H, L, N-O, 1 cm in A, D, I-K, M, P-S, and 2 cm in E-F.
4O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
characteristic of Esox (see Codrea et al. 2018 for more
details). The teeth at the symphysis in one dentary
ZPALWr. BM/112 (Figure 2(N)) are arranged in one row
whose width is equal to 2.2 mm. Isolated teeth are repre-
sented by their medial portions. Centra (Figure 2(P,Q)) are
circular in end view. They are characterized by deep acces-
sory pits on either side of the central longitudinal bony
strut on the lateral surface. The latter is composed of
longitudinal bony bres. Diameter of preserved centra var-
ies from 13.0 to 24.9 mm (mean 18.8 mm). Scales (Figure
2(O)) are typical to those in pikes. Their plates are elon-
gated oval in shape, with strongly developed anterior eld
bearing three rounded festoons. The core of these scales is
sharply shifted to the posterior edge.
Remarks
The specimens share similar morphology with respective
bones in Esox. However, their species attribution is uncertain
due to the lack of reliable diagnostic characters.
Order Cypriniformes Bleeker 1859
Family Cyprinidae Bonaparte 1832
Genus Tinca Cuvier 1817
Tinca sp.
Figure 2(R,S)
Cyprinidae gen. indet.: Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986,p.26.
Material
One opercular fragment (ZPALWr. BM/100).
Description
The opercle is represented by its half part, with the wide
concave lamina. It is supposed that the bone has been trape-
zoid in shape. Anterior margin of the opercle is almost
straight, the dorsal one is slightly convex, while the posterior
and ventral margins are completely broken. The supraglenoi-
dal process with widened base (~2.6 mm) is well pronounced,
and the articular facet is lensed in shape and narrowing at the
top. Width of the facet is 3.9 mm, and depth is near 5.2 mm.
In lateral view, a distinct narrow groove runs parallel to the
anterior margin of the bone. Assuming the proportions of the
articular facet and the total dimensions are the same as in
Recent tench Tinca tinca, reconstructed length of the opercle
is about 58 mm, while its width is 42 mm.
Remarks
The opercle resembles those of Tinca in the shape of its anterior
margin and articular facet (see, for example, Radu 2005,p.57),
as well as in the structure of internal postarticular crests and
supraglenoidal process (Obrhelo1970,p.143,gure 25A, B).
However, we identied the specimen as belonging to this genus
only tentatively because of its poor preservation (i.e. destroyed
both posterior and ventral margins).
Discussion
The fossil fauna of Bełchatów contains at least three sh taxa.
Two of them (Esox sibiricus, Tinca sp.) are clearly distin-
guished. The Siberian pike have presumably dominated in
this assemblage. Presumably, the poor diversity of the fossil
assemblage reects the poor diversity of the shes. Such
a small species diversity allows us to assume that these shes
lived in a stressed environment as suggested by Kadolsky and
Piechocki (2000) for aquatic snails.
It is important to focus on some ecotopic preferences of the
extant representatives of the identied genera. Pike is an
ectotherm sh with a wide range of environmental tolerances
(Casselman and Lewis 1996; Newbrey et al. 2008). It is character-
ized as a keystone piscivore shaping the composition, abundance
and distribution of sh assemblages (Craig 2008). This sh most
commonly occurs in shallow, moderately productive and vege-
tated waters (Diana 1979; Harvey 2009). Tench is an omnivorous
sh with a broad diet. It tends to feed in areas with a large supply
of macrophytes (Nordstrom 2011). This sh prefers standing to
slowly owing waters and muddy bottom with abundant vegeta-
tion (Moreno Rendón et al. 2003). According to Worobiec (1995,
2003),theora of Bełchatów is represented by plant remains of 21
species belonging to 15 genera of gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Most of them are representatives of the Arcto-Tertiary subtropical
ora (Worobiec 1995,2003). The nding of sh fossils in humic-
coal clayey deposits also suggests shallow lake conditions
(Worobiec ; Widera 2016).
Diversity of cyprinids and esocids in the Miocene strata of
Europe sheds light upon the evolutionary history of these shes
and establishing some characteristics of their distribution dur-
ing the late Cenozoic (Sytchevskaya 1989). The genus Tinca is
well-known in the European Neogene fossil record (Kovalchuk
2015). Tench remains described are known from the
Burdigalian of Czech Republic (Weiler 1966)andFrance
(Ginsburg et al. 2000), Serravallian of Germany (hme;
Tobien 1986;Gaudant1989)andSwitzerland(Böhme;
Gaudant et al. 2002), as well as from the Tortonian and
Messinian deposits of Austria, Moldova, Russia, Slovakia
(Sytchevskaya 1989;Gaudant1994; Böhme and Ilg 2003;
Titov et al. 2006; Kovalchuk et al. 2014a,2014b) and Ukraine
(Kovalchuk 2015,2017). The discovery of numerous remains
assigned to E. sibiricus in the fossil record of Bełchatów has
a considerable biogeographical signicance (Figure 3).
Table 1. Measurements of dentaries of Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya (1974) from
Bełchatów, in mm.
Specimen
ZPALWr
Height
of dentary
symphysis
Width
of dentary near the
symphysis
Width of tooth
row
BM/10 ––7.4
BM/11 16.3 10.9 3.5
BM/12 14.7 5.0
BM/38 11.4 7.3 4.5
BM/71 ––10.8
BM/72 ––6.1
BM/73 ––7.5
BM/74 ––4.1
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY 5
This extinct pike was previously reported from the
Serravallian beds of Kazakhstan, as well as from the
Tortonian and Messinian of Mongolia, Russia and Ukraine
(Sytchevskaya 1976,1980,1989; Kovalchuk et al. 2017).
Therefore, Bełchatów, being equal in age to those from the
early Miocene of West Siberia (Sytchevskaya 1976), is the
oldest occurrence of Esox sibiricus in Europe, and now it is
the most western nd for this species. We assume that the
range of the Siberian pike during Miocene covered a wide
zone from Central Asia to Central Europe, between 40° and
60° of northern latitude (Figure 3). The further loss of Esox
sibiricus in Europe and success of morphologically modern
forms (e.g. Esox moldavicus, E. lucius, etc.) is assumed to be
linked to the changing global climate which underwent
a cooling phase after the Miocene Climate Optimum
(Mosbrugger et al. 2005; Ivanov et al. 2011). Increased sea-
sonality with a reduction in the number of warm weeks
meant that temperatures would have favoured species with
a wider temperature tolerance (Kovalchuk and Murray 2016).
Acknowledgments
The research of the rst author (O.K.) was supported by a grant for a visit to
Poland within the framework of cooperation between the Polish Academy
of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. W. Gornig is
acknowledged for making the photos of some studied specimens. We are
sincerely thankful to J. Divay and an anonymous reviewer for their con-
structive comments and advice. We also express our thanks to the editor
Gareth Dyke for his eective management of our submission.
Disclosure statement
No potential conict of interest was reported by the authors.
ORCID
Oleksandr Kovalchuk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-208X
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Figure 3. Miocene localities yielding the skeletal remains of Esox sibiricus:1Sarybulak; 2Holu; 3Dsagzo Chairchan; 4Javor; 5Khirgis-Nur; 6Tchono-
Chariak; 7Popovo 3; 8Lobkove (=Lobkovo); 9Cherevychne (=Cherevichne); 10 Verkhnya Krynitsya 2; 11 Egorovka 2; 12 Orikhivka (=Orekhovka); 13
Vynogradivka 1 (=Vinogradovka 1); 14 Novo-Petrivka (=Novopetrovka, Kuchurgan); 15 Bełchatów. Localities referenced by Sytchevskaya (1989) are indicated as
red circles, those mentioned in Kovalchuk et al. (2017)as yellow circles, and Bełchatów as a green circle.
6O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
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Appendix Indeterminate sh remains (Teleostei indet.) from Bełchatów in the palaeoichthyological
collection of ZPALWr
ZPALWr. BM/69 dentary fragment
ZPALWr. BM/70 opercular fragment
ZPALWr. BM/56-58, BM/63 broken abdominal centra
ZPALWr. BM/29-31, BM/48-55, BM/61-62, BM/64-66, BM/80-83, BM/90-99, BM/103, BM/105, BM/115-130, ВМ/140-149 small bone fragments and debris
ZPALWr. BM/113 bone breccia sample
8O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
... Remarks-The described bones undoubtedly belong to those in representatives of the genus Esox, among which they correspond closely in morphology to †Esox aralensis from the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene of Kazakhstan (Sytchevskaya, 1974(Sytchevskaya, , 1976. This species is similar to †Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya, 1976 from the Miocene and Pliocene of Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia (Sytchevskaya, 1976(Sytchevskaya, , 1989, the Early Miocene of Poland (Kovalchuk et al., 2020), and from the Late Miocene of Ukraine (Kovalchuk et al., 2017b) in the structure of the articular, but differs by having a lower anguloarticular angle. Based on this character, the described specimen is closer to †Esox borealis Sytchevskaya, 1974 from the Late Oligocene of Western Siberia. ...
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