The stylopodium and zeugopodium of Mammuthus meridionalis (Nesti) discovered at Leu, Dolj County (Romania)

The paleontological deposit from Leu, discovered in 1998, is situated 25 km southeast from Craiova (South-West of Romania). This deposit is located on the right slope of the Frasin Valley, at about 10 m height as against the stream of water, in a sand and gravel quarry.
   The paleontological content is the following: Mammuthus meridionalis, Stephanorhinus group etruscus/hundsheimensis, Equus stenonis Cocchi, Leptobos etruscus Falconer, Leptobos sp., Eucladoceros sp., Castor plicidens Major, Ursus etruscus Cuvierand a few coproliths belonging to a canid.
   The mammalian association from Leu was attributed to Pleistocene, namely to the zone MN 18.
   The fauna discovered at Leu is similar to the ones already described, located in several deposits in Oltenia – Irimesti (Mitilan’s Fountain), Tetoiu (Bugiulesti) – horizon 2 – and from the Romanian Plain – Prundu.
   In Eastern Europe, the fauna from Leu is equivalent to the fauna from the Odessian Complex, which contains the same large mammals. In Central Europe, an equivalent could be the Kisslangian level in the Netherlands, the correspondent could be represented by the Eburonian level. In France and Italy, the equivalents are the faunas from Senèze and Olivola.
   Most of the fossil samples (over 90%) discovered at Leu belong to the species Mammuthus meridionalis: three mandibles, two upper M3, 24 vertebrae, numerous ribs, carpians, metacarpians, tarsians, metatarsians, patellas, and phalanx. To these elements, the bones of stylopodium and zeugopodium are added: one humerus, one radius, one cubitus, one femur, six tibias and two fibulas.
   The humerus of M. meridionalis discovered at Leu is reconstituted from several fragments and it presents deteriorations at the cranial side of the proximal extremity. It is characterized by massiveness and poor relief. The head is low and broad.
   Unfortunately, the ulna is rather deteriorated.
   The radius discovered at Leu is reconstituted out of several fragments and it presents deteriorations at the proximal extremity; the distal extremity is missing.
   The femur discovered at Leu is characterized by the following peculiarities: relatively short diaphyse, under-developed head and badly emphasized condyls.
   The six tibias of M. meridionalis from Leu are massive and rectilinear. The proximal extremity is the greatest portion of the bone. The shaft of the bone has a prismatic shape in the proximal half, while in the distal half is closer to a cylindrical shape. The distal extremity displays a cochlea for the articulation with the astragal.
   In Romania, M. meridionalis as a species is relatively frequent at the level of Pleistocene, but descriptions of the post-cranial skeleton undertaken so far are scarce and extremely concise.
   This research is a contribution to the better knowledge of the post-cranial skeleton of the M. meridionalis species.