Original scientific paper
Problems and dilemmas concerning the identification of the fossil Bovine Atlas in comparison with recent Bovines
Dejana Brajković
; Institute for Quaternary Palaeontology and Geology, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, A. Kovačića 5, Zagreb, Croatia
Zlatan Bajraktarević
; Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Kralja Zvonimira 8, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Babić
; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Zagreb, Croatia
Tajana Bajraktarević - Čičin-Šain
; DePartment of Orthopaedic Surgery Medical School, University of Zagreb, Salata 7, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
During gravel exploitation from the river Sava near Županja an isolated bovine atlas was found. After palaeontological study (morphometric characteristics, brown colour, strong petrification) it was determined to pertain to the Upper Pleistocene bovines (Bison sett Bos). Detailed anatomical, metrical and radiological comparison was made between the fossil atlas from Županja and the atlas of recent Istrian cattle (Bos taurus primigenius), which is the representative of the most primitive primogenetic bovine form, osteologically completely akin to the original fossil species Bos primigenius. Using the literature data both atlases were metrically correlated with the atlases of the following fossil and recent species: Bison priscus, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius and Bos taurus. It was not possible to determine the fossil atlas generically, while the recent one is well defined. All analyses indicate that problems concerning the identification of isolated atlases, which were hitherto studied on the fossil and recent bovine species mentioned above, are equally expressed both on the fossil atlas from Županja as well as on the atlas of the primitive recent Istrian cattle species (Bos taurus primigenius).
Keywords
Mammals; Bovines; Upper Pleistocene; Alluvium; Sava river near Županja; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
307251
URI
Publication date:
29.6.1994.
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