Mesowear analyses of sympatric ungulates from the late Miocene Maragheh, Iran

This study investigates the palaeoecology of fossil hypsodont equids and bovids from the late Miocene Maragheh Formation, northwestern Iran. No fossil pollen data has been available from Maragheh. Thus, dietary reconstruction of herbivorous ungulates is an important resource for understanding the terrestrial vegetation of the region. Mesowear analysis was applied to fossil cheek teeth of hipparionine horses and bovids with well-described geological contexts from Maragheh (“ Hipparion ” fauna). Results suggest that the hipparionine horses were not typical grazers, whereas the bovids relied on broader resources from tree leaves to grasses. The report of the site yielding these fossil animals suggests that they were excavated from a single quarry and bed representing their sympatric habitat. Therefore, the diversity of mesowear score represents dietary differentiations of the Maragheh ungulates, which are consistent with the concept of a mosaic vegetational habitat proposed by previous mesowear studies. This study analysed the bovids as composited groups because it was difficult to identify them by individual species. For further palaeoecological discussion, continuous fossil excavation with geological survey is required.