Teeth of early generations of Early Pleistocene elephants (Mammalia, Elephantidae) from Sinyaya Balka/Bogatyri site (Sea of Azov Region, Russia)

Abstract Based on study of a series of early generations' teeth DP4/dp4 – M1/m1 of elephants from the Late Villafranchian–Early Galerian locality Sinyaya Balka/Bogatyri (Taman peninsula, Russia) the variability of their characteristics is established. There is no clear normal distribution of main diagnostic dental parameters in the sample. This confirms the assumption of the possible presence of two elephant taxa in the structure of Taman Faunistic complex from south Eastern Europe, which was made earlier on the basis of the M3 teeth. The main part of the collection is represented by remains of the late meridionaloid elephant subspecies Archidiskodon meridionalis tamanensis , typical for late Early Pleistocene of Eastern Europe and neighboring regions. Individual specimens of the sample may refer to other form of elephants with similar morphological teeth characteristics, probably to Phanogoroloxodon mammonthoides . Though the lesser diagnosticity of early generation teeth in comparison with the M3/m3, it was found that they can be used when determining the taxonomic forms of elephants, even for the meridionaloid elephant subspecies.