A new Sarmatian (late Middle Miocene) vertebrate assemblage from the periphery of the Forecarpathian Basin

A new Early Sarmatian s.l. (Volhynian, late Middle Miocene) vertebrate assemblage is described from the outskirts of the Forecarpathian Basin, which at that time was an integral part of the Eastern Paratethys. The studied fossils come from greenish-grey and black silts and clays of the Kharalug locality (Rivne Oblast, Ukraine), which palaeogeographically is situated nearby to the north-eastern coast of the basin. The studied sample comprises 115 specimens, mainly of fish bones, whereas reptiles (turtles) and birds (ducks) are represented by a single bone each. The fish remains have been assigned to five genera and three families (Cyprinidae, Siluridae, and Percidae), of which percids are the most abundant being represented by pikeperches (Leobergia, Sander) and perches (Perca). The studied Kharalug assemblage is likely mixed, its taxonomic composition is relatively poor, and, although less diverse, demonstrates some similarity to assemblages of the subsequent (Bessarabian) stage of the Eastern Paratethys. The ecological features of the revealed taxa along with the geological and palaeogeographical contexts suggest a shoreside freshened palaeoenvironment for the Kharalug locality, possibly a lagoon or a lake at some distance from the coastline. The obtained results may contribute to the reconstruction of local Miocene palaeoenvironments within the Paratethyan realm.