The beaver (Mammalia, Castoridae) from the Miocene of Sandelzhausen (southern Germany)

The Early/Middle Miocene boundary locality Sandelzhausen (MN5, southern Germany) yielded three beaver teeth: one lower incisor fragment and two strongly worn upper premolars, a right and a left one. The latter are so similar in wear, height, size, and enamel pattern that they probably represent one individual. Although the teeth have been referred to Chalicomys jaegeri Kaup, 1832 (e.g., Hugueney 1999, Fahlbusch 2003), it seems more likely that they belong to Steneofiber depereti Mayet, 1908. However, the assignment of the present material to either one of these species is difficult, because in the advanced wear stage some diagnostic characteristics cannot be assessed. As to ecological implications for the locality Sandelzhausen the taxonomic identity of these two beaver species may not be important. Both are known from riverine, lacustrine or swamp sediments, and it can be assumed that they usually lived in close vicinity to water. Thus, the presence of beaver remains supports the presence of water at Sandelzhausen. However, the teeth might have an allochthonous origin from creeks of the rising Alps.