An example of biostratigraphy and biochronology studies: Analysis of small mammal fossils of Kütahya Altintaş

Progonomys first emerged in the Siwalik region of Pakistan about 12.3 million years ago and geographically expanded its range to the Wetsern Asia and Europe during the early late and middle late Miocene. Progonomys is a very common Vallesian form and its first fossil record is known from the Sinap locality (10,1 Ma, Turkey) in Western Asia. Additionally, Progonomys findings are reported from the Bayraktepe II, Karaozu, and Cumali localities of Antaolian late Miocene. Cumali, from the early Turolian (MN11) of Anatolia, represents the last appereance of Progonomys in this bioprovince. In this study, expanded collection of Altıntas locality (Kütahya) is decribed within a specific focus on the Progonomys specimens. Following the Wessels (2009) the results are interpreted in terms of taxonomic composition and biocronologic context. 40 isolated upper and lower molars morphologically and biometrically are anlayzed and ascribed to Progonomys cathalai. Findings of this study are in accord with Wessel (2009) and confirm her results. In terms of size and morphology, expanded Progonomys collection of Altıntas 1 locality fits in the size variation of the Altintas 1 main collection (Wessel, 2009) and Montredon collection (Schaub, 1938). Additionally, the results of this study based on the expanded new collection supports the MN9-10 (Vallesian) biocronological time range suggested by Wessels 2009.