Palaeoecology and chronology of the Vallesian (late Miocene) in the Eastern Mediterranean region

During the last 30 years several new Vallesian localities have been found in the Eastern Mediterranean and a great amount of fossils have been unearthed. Extensive studies on systematics and datation provided new data that allow a more detailed study of the Vallesian in this area. The biochronological and magnetostratigraphic data of the Eastern Mediterranean suggest that: (a) the Astaracian/Vallesian boundary in this area must be correlated to ∼ 10.7 Ma at the moment, (b) the early/late Vallesian (MN 9/10) boundary to ∼ 9.7 Ma, and (c) the Vallesian/Turolian (MN 10/11) boundary cannot tightly be constrained because the relevant localities are not precisely dated. The study of the Vallesian faunas and their comparison to the modern ones allow an estimation of the palaeoecological conditions. In the Southeastern Mediterranean the environment was open and dry during the whole Vallesian. In the Black Sea area it was relatively closed during the early Vallesian (MN 9), but became more open and dry during the late Vallesian (MN 10). On the other hand, in Western and Central Europe the environment remained closed and more forested until mid-Vallesian.