Palaeoenvironment of the Eastern Mediterranean Miocene hominoids

During Miocene several hominoids were living in Eastern Mediterranean (Balkans, Black Sea, Asia Minor). The known middle Miocene hominoids are Griphopithecus alpani and Kenyapithecus kizili, known the previous one from the localities of Çandir and Paşalar (Turkey) and the second from Paşalar; both localities are dated either to MN 5 or to MN 6. The late Miocene hominoids include the following taxa: a. Ankarapithecus meteai from the early Vallesian (MN 9) localities Sinap-12, 8A (Turkey); b. Ouranopithecus macedoniensis from the late Vallesian (MN 10) localities of Xirochori-1, Ravin de la Pluie and Nikiti-1 (Greece); c. Ouranopithecus turkae, found in the early Turolian (MN 11) locality of Çorakyerler (Turkey); d. Udabnopithecus garedziensis known from the latest Vallesian (MN 10) locality of Udabno I (Georgia); e. Graecopithecus freybergi discovered in the late Miocene locality of Pyrgos Vassilissis (Greece), and f. a single premolar is known from the middle Turolian (MN 12) locality of Chirpan (Bulgaria); the sole premolar has similarities with O. macedoniensis. The faunal composition, diversity and similarity of the hominoid bearing mammal assemblages of Eastern Mediterranean are analyzed by various techniques.
   The faunal composition of the middle Miocene hominoid bearing assemblages indicates closed environment with warm/humid conditions, while during late Miocene the environment was relatively open/dry. The analysis and comparison of the hominoid bearing mammal assemblages with other Eurasian middle and late Miocene ones, as well as with modern faunas from known environments indicate that all the European middle Miocene faunas and the Vallesian ones of Western Europe can be correlated to the modern closed assemblages (tropical/subtropical forests, seasonal forests) indicating similar palaeoenvironment. On the other hand, all the late Miocene with or without hominoids assemblages of Eastern Mediterranean (except Udabno I) are correlated with the modern open assemblages suggesting relatively open landscape with warm and dry conditions (wooded savannah, savannah with shrubs, savannah with grass). The habitat of Griphopithecus alpani and Kenyapithecus kizili was similar to that of a monsoon forest with meadows. The hominoids Ankarapithecus meteai, Ouranopithecus macedoniensis, Ouranopithecus turkae and the Chirpan hominoid were living in open landscape (savannah with trees, bushes, shrubs and grass) under warm/dry conditions. The palaeoenvironment of Udabnopithecus garedziensis seems to be more closed and humid than the other late Vallesian ones and closer to that of the middle Miocene assemblages.