A NEW LISTRIODONT SUID, BUNOLISTRIODON-MEIDAMON SP-NOV, FROM THE MIDDLE MIOCENE OF ANATOLIA

The early middle Miocene (MN 6; ca. 15 Ma) locality of Pasalar in west ern Anatolia (Turkey) has produced a large and well studied collection of land mammals, including hominoid primates. We confirm the cooccurr ence of two species of listriodont suids at this locality, and describ e one of them as Bunolistriodon meidamon sp. nov. The other species is referred to Listriodon splendens. B. meidamon is characterised by ext reme widening of the central incisors, large size of the male upper ca nines, labiolingually compressed (''meidamonic'') lower male canines, and narrow cheek teeth. These synapomorphies define a clade comprising at least B. latidens and B. meidamon, which are thus separated from t he plesiomorphic species complex of listriodonts lacking lophed molars (Listriodon, Lopholistriodon) or cranial appendages (the ''horned'' k ubanochoeres).