Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributors -- Acknowledgements: The European Science Foundation -- 1 Introduction -- PART I Palaeogeography of the circum-Mediterranean region -- 2 Mediterranean and Paratethys Palaeogeography during the Oligocene and Miocene -- Introduction -- Birth of the Paratethys -- First Paratethys isolation -- Tropical marine excursion -- The Gomphotherium Landbridge -- Re-opening of the Indo-Pacific gateway -- Final closure between Eurasia and Africa -- References -- 3 Pliocene tephra correlations between East African hominid localities, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea -- Introduction -- Research strategy -- Site locations and regional climatology -- Pliocene-Pleistocene variability of regional climate and the Indian monsoon -- Analytical methods -- Results -- Tephra abundances and the Site 721/722 age model -- Chemical correlation results of selected tephra layers between 3.4-4.0 Ma -- Discussion -- Tephrostratigraphic links between East Africa, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea -- Comparison of radioisotopic and orbitally tuned tephra ages -- The Moiti Tuff - 722A 12-4 (90-120 cm) -- The Wargol Tuff - 721C 13-3 (90-120 cm) -- Beta Tulu Bor Tuff - 722A 11-1 (30-60 cm) -- Assignment of orbitally tuned ages to previously undated tephra -- Lokochot Tuff - 722A 11-4 (60-90 cm) -- Lomogol Tuff - 722A 11-5 (60-90 cm) -- Conclusions -- References -- 4 Climatic perspectives for Neogene environmental reconstructions -- Introduction -- Both the water and energy regimes need to be considered when describing climate, as well as climate's relationship to vegetat -- Climate today -- First-order global variations in climate -- Precipitation curve -- Atmospheric circulation -- Factors that modify first-order patterns in climate -- Africa -- Climate's relationship to vegetation.

The physiographic evolution of the African continent is more critical to understanding late Neogene paleoenvironmental change -- The wetland grasslands of Africa - why grass pollen is not a definitive indicator of aridity -- Elucidating paleoecological anomalies in species richness/vegetation -- Summary and conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- PART II Miocene mammalian successions -- 5 A critical re-evaluation of the Miocene mammal units in Western Europe: dispersal events and problems of correlation -- Introduction -- Problems of correlation -- Development of endemic lineages -- The problem of the synchronism of the faunas -- Environmental factors -- Intrabasinal level -- Suprabasinal level -- Latitudinal factors -- Altitudinal factors -- Problems in the early Miocene: the need for an extended Ramblian -- MN1 -- MN2a -- MN2b -- MN3 -- The middle Miocene: the Aragonian -- MN4 -- MN5 -- MN6 -- MN7 -- MN8 -- The beginning of the late Miocene: the Vallesian -- MN9 -- MN10 -- The latest Miocene: the Turolian -- MN11 -- MN12 -- MN13 -- Concluding remarks -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 6 Large mammals from the Vallesian of Spain -- Introduction -- Fossil faunas -- Diversity and palaeoenvironmental changes -- Conclusions -- References -- 7 Trends in rodent assemblages from the Aragonian (early-middle Miocene) of the Calatayud-Daroca Basin, Aragon, Spain -- Introduction -- Association structure -- Diversity -- Equitability -- Number of species and sample size -- Number of species -- Species richness -- Relative humidity and temperature -- Earliest and Latest Known Records -- Discussion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 8 The Late Miocene small mammal succession from France, with emphasis on the Rhône Valley localities -- Introduction -- Primates -- Insectivora -- Chiroptera -- Lagomorphs -- Sciuridae and Castoridae -- Gliridae.

Eomyidae - Zapodidae -- Cricetidae - Anomalomyidae -- Muridae -- Discussion and conclusions -- References -- Appendix Updated Faunal Lists For The Main Local Faunas -- MN 9 -- MN 10 -- MN 11 -- MN 12 -- MN 13 -- 9 Late Miocene mammals from Central Europe -- Introduction -- Large mammals -- Biostratigraphy -- The hominoids -- Palaeoecology -- Toward a macromammalian biostratigraphy of the Late Miocene -- The faunal turnover at the Vallesian/Turolian boundary -- Small mammals -- Comments on nomenclature and taxonomy -- The micromammal succession: the insectivores -- The micromammal succession: the rodents -- Late Vallesian-Early Turolian rodent succession by individual frequencies -- Late Vallesian-Early Turolian succession by species numbers -- Note on palaeoenvironments -- References -- 10 An overview on the Italian Miocene land mammal faunas -- Introduction -- The Abruzzi-Apulia paleobioprovince -- The Tusco-Sardinian paleobioprovince -- The definition of the present day Italian physiography and biogeography -- Concluding remarks -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 11 The Miocene large mammal succession in Greece -- Introduction -- Biozones MN3-MN4 -- Biozone MN4 -- Biozones MN4-MN5 -- Biozone MN5 -- Biozones MN6-MN8 -- Biozones MN11-MN13 -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 12 Chronology and mammal faunas of the Miocene Sinap Formation, Turkey -- Introduction -- General lithostratigraphy and inter-areal correlations of the Miocene sequence -- Sedimentation and sedimentary environments -- Chronology -- Mammal succession -- Materials and methods -- Sampling -- Taxonomic richness -- Entries, exits and relative turnover -- Discussion and conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 13 The Late Miocene small mammal succession in Ukraine -- Introduction -- Grytsivsky mammalian complex -- Kalfynsky mammalian complex.

Mykhailivsky mammalian complex -- Beryslavsky mammalian complex -- Bilkynsky mammalian complex -- Cherevychansky mammalian complex -- References -- PART III Palaeoenvironments: non-mammalian evidence -- 14 Marine invertebrate (chiefly foraminiferal) evidence for the palaeogeography of the Oligocene-Miocene of western… -- Introduction -- Stratigraphy -- Timing of the closure of Tethys -- Palaeogeography and faunal migration -- Notes on larger benthonic foraminifera -- Early Oligocene (Rupelian) -- Late Oligocene-earliest Miocene (Chattian to Aquitanian) -- Late Early-early Middle Miocene (Burdigalian-Langhian) -- Middle Miocene (Early-Middle Serravallian) -- Late Middle-early Late Miocene (Late Serravallian-Tortonian) -- Latest Miocene (Messinian) -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 15 Palaeoclimatic implications of the energy hypothesis from Neogene corals of the Mediterranean region -- Introduction -- Palaeontological and taxonomic background -- Ecological background -- Biogeographical context -- Methods -- Taxa -- Extraction of z-coral data -- The richness-temperature curve -- Results -- Discussion -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 16 Contribution to the knowledge of Neogene climatic changes in western and central Europe by means of non-marine molluscs -- Introduction -- Data analysis of Miocene faunas -- Early Miocene -- Paleoclimatic remarks -- Middle Miocene -- Paleoclimatic remarks -- Late Miocene -- Paleoclimatic remarks -- Data analysis of Pliocene faunas -- Early Pliocene -- Paleoclimatic remarks -- Middle Pliocene -- Paleoclimatic remarks -- Late Pliocene -- Paleoclimatic remarks -- Concluding remarks -- References -- 17 Sedimentary facies analysis in palaeoclimatic reconstructions. -- Introduction -- General setting -- Records of Neogene aridity -- The Messinian evaporites of Tuscany.

Aeolian deposits in the Upper Valdarno Basin -- Mio-Pliocene lignites of Tuscany -- Neogene flood-dominated alluvial successions -- Conclusion -- References -- 18 Neogene vegetation changes in West European and West circum-Mediterranean areas -- Introduction -- Vegetation maps -- Validation of pollen records -- Method for drawing palaeovegetation maps -- The early Aquitanian vegetation -- The Langhian vegetation -- The early Zanclean vegetation -- Neogene vegetation changes in Southwestern Europe -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- PART IV Palaeoenvironments: mammalian evidence -- 19 Shrews (Mammalia, Insectivora, Soricidae) as paleoclimatic indicators in the European Neogene -- Introduction -- Shrews and paleoclimate -- Taxonomical framework -- Crocidosoricinae -- Allosoricinae -- Soricinae: Soricini -- Soricinae: Blarinellini -- Soricinae: Anourosoricini -- Soricinae: Blarinini -- Soricinae: Neomyini -- Soricinae: Beremendiini -- Crocidurinae -- Results -- Summary -- References -- 20 Mammal turnover and global climate change in the late Miocene terrestrial record of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Spain) -- Introduction -- Geological setting and chronostratigraphic framework -- Holarctic dispersals at the beginning of the late Miocene -- Early Vallesian mammal turnover -- The Mid Vallesian Crisis (MVC) -- Latest Vallesian bioevents -- Late Miocene mammal changes in Southern Eurasia and worldwide environmental change -- Concluding remarks: the role of regional physiographic conditions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 21 Palaeoenvironments of late Miocene primate localities in Macedonia, Greece -- Chalicoteriidae as indicators of palaeoecology -- The faunal changes between the Vallesian and Turolian -- Multivariate (factor) analysis -- Recent faunas -- Fossil faunas -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References.

22 The paleoecology of the Pikermian Biome and the savanna myth.