Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, Serie A 118 (2016)

Obituary for Gerhard Niedermayr
Dr. Gerhard Niedermayr unexpectedly passed away in Vienna on July 17, 2015, at the age of 74. With him the Natural History Museum in Vienna (NHMV) lost an internationally renowned mineralogist and curator.
Gerhard niedermayr was born on June 16, 1941, in Vienna, Austria and studied petrology at the University of Vienna, where he received his PhD in 1965. In the same year, he entered the NHMV and was appointed as curator of the mineral collection at the Department of Mineralogy and Petrography in 1970. From 1980 until his retirement in 2006 he was head of the “Staatliches Edelsteininstitut” (State Gem Institute).
Gerhard niedermayr has been well known for his numerous scientific contributions to the regional mineralogy of Austria and foreign countries (e.g., Norway, Greenland, Kenya, Egypt, Namibia, Madagascar and Nepal). Another important aspect of his activities was his intense interaction with the amateur mineralogical community including diverse outreach activities (public lectures, mineralogical excursions and expeditions) and the co-operation with mineral collectors in scientificprojects. Last but not least, his personal acquaintance with many collectors and dealers also enabled him to acquire several exquisite specimens for the mineral collection of the Natural History Museum Vienna.
However, Gerhard niedermayr will be remembered by his friends and colleagues not only as a dedicated curator with an overall connoisseurship in minerals and gemstones, but also as a warm and pleasant person.

Zusammenfassung
Am 17. Juli 2015 starb nach kurzer schwerer Krankheit Dr. Gerhard niedermayr, rund einen Monat nach Vollendung seines 74. Lebensjahres in Wien. Mit ihm hat das Naturhistorische Museum einen verdienten Wissenschafter und Sammlungsleiter verloren. Insgesamt war er 41 Jahre am Wiener Museum tätig, davon 36 Jahre als Kurator der Mineraliensammlung und 27 Jahre als Leiter des Staatlichen Edelsteininstituts.

The fossil record of the ghost shrimp genus Balsscallichirus Sakai, 2011 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Callianassidae) is revised. Barnardcallichirus Sakai, 2011 and Tirmizicallichirus Sakai, 2011 are considered subjective synonyms of Balsscallichirus. Based on the examination of extant species it is argued that the morphology of the major cheliped merus, in combination with other hard part morphology characters, is sufficient for assignment of the fossil material into the genus. Main identifying characters are on merus which is keeled along its midline and its lower half is tuberculated; its lower margin possesses broad proximal meral hook continuing into a lobe distally; the entire lower margin is subdivided into numerous irregularly spaced spines. Three species, Callianassa sismondai A. Milne-edwArds, 1860, C. floriana Glaessner, 1928, and Podocallichirus laepaensis Hyžný & Muñiz, 2012, originally described from the Miocene of Italy, Austria and Spain, respectively, are assigned to Balsscallichirus herein. Neocallichirus wellsi Schweitzer, Feldmann & Gingerich, 2004 from the Upper Eocene of Pakistan is tentatively assigned to that genus as well. Spatial and temporal distribution of the genus indicates that at least since the Oligocene, and possibly even sooner (the Late Eocene), the genus has been restricted to the Western Tethys Region. Later, it migrated also into West Atlantic establishing present day communities.
Key words: Decapoda, Callianassidae, Callianassa, Tirmizicallichirus, Podocallichirus, fossil record, palaeobiogeography

Two new families of Galatheoidea from the Mesozoic are described. Paragalatheidae encompasses members of Paragalathea and Mesogalathea, as well as two new genera: Discutiolira and Lemacola. The genus Paragalathea is herein restricted to its original definition. New species within the Paragalatheidae established in this paper are: Paragalathea arcella, P. crenarvina, P. ternata, P. vultuosona, Lemacola jenniferae, L. rossi, L. salia, Mesogalathea macra, M. pyxis, and M. retusa. The new family Catillogalatheidae is described to encompass species from the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous. New genera established within Catillogalatheidae include: Catillogalathea, Tuberosagalathea, Serraphylctaena, and Vasconilia. New species established within Catillogalatheidae are: Catillogalathea falcula, Catillogalathea patruliusi, Catillogalathea purcarenensis, Galatheites aiola, G. diasema, G. obtecta, Hispanigalathea tithonia, Tuberosagalathea antefixa, T. tornatilis, and Vasconilia xystosa. The genus Galatheites is redescribed. Some observations and remarks are made on the preservation of cuticle and ornamentation on galatheoid dorsal carapaces.
Keywords: Galatheoidea, Ernstbrunn Limestone, Tithonian, new taxa

Nineteen skeletal elements from the Pliocene site of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg 26 (Lower Austria, Leithagebirge) could clearly be assigned to cervids. They are distinguishable based on body size and bone characters. Eucladoceros sp., Praeelaphus perrieri, and Dama pardinensis were identified. A pedicle with a fragment of the burr as well as a 2nd anterior phalanx is consistent with Eucladoceros sp. and Arvernoceros ardei. Two mandibles and a fragmentary metatarsal bone belong to Procapreolus sp. or Croizetoceros ramosus.
The features of the teeth and skeletal elements of these deer are predominantly plesiomorphic and their development stage corresponds with the cervids from Perrier-Etouaires at about 2.78 myr (Nomade et al. 2014), MNQ16b (Guérin 2007). All recorded deer species are also known from Vialette (MNQ16a), France, considered to be about 3.1/3.2 myr in age (Heintz 1970; lacombat et al. 2008). This identification is in accordance with the small mammal faunal list (Rabeder 1997). The occurrence of thermophilic taxa such as an early member of the Dama-lineage and Procapreolus agrees with the presence of Miniopterus and Coluber and indicates warm climate.
Arvernoceros ardei and Praeelaphus perrieri could previously not be separated based on postcranial skeletal features. Some distinguishing criteria are discussed here. A close relationship between Arvernoceros and Eucladoceros is discussed on the basis of numerous corresponding skeletal features. The close relationship of “Cervus” pardinensis, “Cervus” rhenanus, and Dama nestii with Middle Pleistocene and recent Dama dama (Pfeiffer 1999a, 2005) is further supported and they are therefore combined here in the genus Dama. Additional arguments are discussed here with regard to resolving the unsatisfactory priority problem of Metacervocerus and Pseudodama.
Keywords: Pliocene, Austria, cervids, Arvernoceros, Dama pardinensis, Eucladoceros, Procapreolus, Praeelaphus perrieri, skeletal characteristics, taxonomy

Kurzfassung
Aus dem Fundhorizont der pliozänen Fundstelle Bad Deutsch-Altenburg 26 (Niederösterreich, Leithagebirge) konnten 19 Skelettelemente eindeutig Cerviden zugeordnet werden. Mindestens vier Cervidenarten lassen sich unterscheiden, die in der Körpergröße und an den Knochenmerkmalen deutlich differenziert sind.
Eucladoceros sp., Praeelaphus perrieri und Dama pardinensis sind eindeutig nachgewiesen. Sowohl zu Eucladoceros sp., Praeelaphus perrieri als auch zu Arvernoceros ardei kann ein Rosenstockfragment mit Geweihansatz passen, zu Eucladoceros sp., oder Arvernoceros ardei eine 2. Phalanx anterior.
Zu Procapreolus sp. oder Croizetoceros ramosus gehören zwei Mandibulaäste und ein Metatarsusfragment.
Die Merkmalsausprägungen der Zähne und Skelettelemente der Cerviden von Deutsch-Altenburg zeigen eine Häufung plesiomorpher Charaktere und eine hohe Übereinstimmung in der Entwicklungsstufe mit den Cerviden aus Perrier-Etouaires (2,78 Mio. J. vor heute; Nomade et al. 2014), MNQ16b (Guérin 2007). Alle vorkommenden Cerviden sind aber bereits seit dem unteren Villafranchium (MNQ 16a, vor 3,1/3,2 Mio. Jahren) in Frankreich (Vialette, Heintz 1970; lacombat et al. 2008) und Italien (Triversa, Abbazzi et al. 1995, Procapreolus cusanus) nachgewiesen. Diese zeitliche Einordnung entspricht der nach den Kleinsäugern getroffenen Einstufung von Deutsch-Altenburg 26 (Rabeder 1997). Das Vorkommen warmzeitlich angepasster Hirsche wie Dama pardinensis, einem Vorfahren des rezenten europäischen Damhirsches Dama dama, und Procapreolus sp. steht im Einklang mit dem Nachweis von Miniopterus und Coluber und spricht für warmes Klima.
Arvernoceros ardei und Praeelaphus perrieri sind bisher nicht eindeutig am postcranialen Skelett unterschieden worden. Einige Unterscheidungskriterien werden hier diskutiert. Eine enge Verwandtschaft von Arvernoceros und Eucladoceros wird wegen der hohen Übereinstimmung der Skelettmerkmale diskutiert. Die enge Verwandtschaft von “Cervus” pardinensis, “Cervus” rhenanus, Dama nestii mit mittelpleistozänen bis rezenten Damhirschen (Pfeiffer 1999a, 2005) wird anhand von weiteren Argumenten bestärkt, sie sind deshalb unter einer Gattung Dama vereinigt. Das unbefriedigende Prioritätsproblem mit den Gattungsnamen Metacervocerus und Pseudodama kann so gelöst werden.
Schlüsselwörter: Pliozän, Österreich, Cerviden, Procapreolus, Dama pardinensis, Praeelaphus perrieri, Eucladoceros, Arvernoceros, Skelettmerkmale, Taxonomie.

The re-discovery of the type material of Conohyus simorrensis and Parachleuastochoerus valentini prompted a revision of European tetraconodonts which led to more precise definitions of these taxa, and revealed that there were two additional genera of the subfamily represented in the European fossil record, Retroporcus (type species R. complutensis) and Versoporcus (type species V. steinheimensis). Continued research on European tetraconodont fossils housed in various European museums has resulted in a certain amount of reallocation of specimens previously attributed to Hyotherium, Propotamochoerus, and Conohyus. This article reviews tetraconodont material from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Turkey and includes some undescribed specimens from Spain, focussing on their biostratigraphic implications.
Keywords: Suidae, Tetraconodontinae, Miocene, Biostratigraphy, Europe

The present study investigates the faunal material from Putzenkopf Nord at Bad Dürrnberg (Austria). Animal remains, dated to the La Tène A-C1 period, were retrieved from the settlement and the surrounding graves. A total of 12,573 bones have been identified and analyzed for the present study, demonstrating that the faunal composition fits well to previous samples from Dürrnberg (Ramsautal, Ramsaukopf, Putzenfeld, and Putzenkopf). The analysis of domesticated specimens indicates that cattle are by far the prevalent species. The majority of finds belong to adult individuals, suggesting that they were mainly introduced in the complex after their exploitation for products by the farmers, in the vicinity of Dürrnberg. The examination of the wild fauna exhibits that game contributed minimally to the bone deposits.
The comparative study conducted for the mixed material of the graves indicates some significant differences in comparsion to the domestic refuse assemblages: the grave goods were principally long bones of cattle and pig, and a relatively high percentage of animals was slightly younger. Another very interesting aspect is the existence of bone artifacts with polished surfaces or engravings. These findings provide valuable information for the interpretation of daily activities. Within this frame the comparative study among the assemblages excavated at Dürrnberg and other Celtic sites has provided additional knowledge.
Keywords: Dürrnberg, Putzenkopf Nord, La Tène A-C1, animal bones

Zusammenfassung
Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt 12.573 Tierknochenfunde aus den Grabungen im Bereich Putzenkopf Nord auf dem Dürrnberg bei Hallein (Salzburg, Österreich). Das Material wird den Phasen La Tène A-C1 zugeordnet. In vieler Hinsicht ähneln die Ergebnisse den bereits vorgelegten Analysen der Fundkomplexe vom Ramsautal, Ramsaukopf, Putzenfeld, und Putzenkopf. Nach der Fundzahl dominieren mit Abstand Hausrinder vor Schweinen und kleinen Hauswiederkäuern. Die Siedlungsbefunde deuten auf die Verwertung adulter, schlachtreifer Tiere hin, die von den Bauern der Umgebung geliefert wurden, und besonders im Falle der Rinder, auch auf ausgeprägte Sekundärnutzung. Die Jagd spielte eine minimale Rolle. Die Analyse des Materials aus den Gräbern zeigt Unterschiede in Bezug auf die Verteilung der Elemente (mehr fleischreiche Regionen) und die Altersstruktur (höheres Prozent der jungen Tiere). Einen anderen interessanten Aspekt liefert die Untersuchung der Knochen mit Bearbeitungsspuren. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit liefern wir vergleichende Studien mit anderen Fundstellen weiterführende Informationen über das tägliche Leben.
Stichwörter: Dürrnberg, Putzenkopf Nord, La Tène A-C1, Tierknochenfunde