A collection of recent and subfossil mammals from southern Turkey (Asia Minor), including the dormouse Myomimus personatus

Summary

Living representatives of twelve species of mammal are recorded from the vicinity of Finike, south-western Asia Minor. A further six species were found in the form of skulls or skeletons, mainly on the surface of cave floors. Some of these, along with an additional eight species, were also found by excavating the floor of a cave that now opens on the face of a cliff. These were associated with artefacts suggesting that the entire deposit was formed about 5000 B.C. All the mammals from the cave deposit are of species known to be living in Asia Minor, except the dormouse Myominus personatus.

Philistomys roachi Bate, from Pleistocene and post-Pleistocene cave deposits of Israel, is shown to be a synonym of Myomimus personatus Ognev.