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The Astaracian age is a period of geologic time (), equivalent with the Middle Miocene and used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Vallesian age and follows the Orleanian age. The Astaracian overlaps the Langhian and Serravallian ages.〔(Paleo Database: Astaracian )〕 During the Late Orleanian and Astaracian (), oscillating sea levels resulted in a succession of palaeogeographic changes in the Eastern Mediterranean; the opening and closing of the Tethys seaway resulted in temporary land-bridges between Africa and Eurasia. Three short periods of faunal migrations between the continents can be distinguished: During the Late Orleanian, MN 5 (), a first wave of migrations from Africa correspond to fossil fauna from Greece. The Antonios locality (MN 4/5, ) on the Chalkidiki peninsula includes the small tragulid ''Dorcatherium'', the giraffid ''Palaeomeryx'', and the suiform ''Sanitheres''. The Thymiana locality (MN 5, ) on Chios includes both the giraffid ''Georgiomeryx'', ''Dorcatherium'', the ctenodactylid ''Sayimys'' as well as an immigrant from Asia, the proboscidean ''Choerolophodon'' known from the Bugti fauna (MN 3, ) in India. Primates also arrived during MN5: ''Pliopithecus'' is known from Elgg in Switzerland and Pontlevoy-Thenay in France and prevailed until the end of the Vallesian.〔 A second wave from Africa in the Early Astaracian, MN 6 (), included the hominoid ''Griphopithecus''; a Eurasian relative to the African ''Kenyapithecus'' found at the Pasalar and Candir localities in Turkey. and at Neudorf-Sandberg in Slovakia. The primate genus was accompanied by the aardvark ''Orycteropus''. From Asia came the hyracoid ''Pliohyrax'', the cervid ''Dicrocerus'', and the suid ''Listriodon''. Asian bovids such as ''Protragocerus'', ''Tethytragus'', and ''Hypsodontus'' known from Asia Minor and Chios during MN 5 migrated into Africa as part of this wave.〔 A third wave during MN 7/8 () probably took place, but the late Astaracian is poorly documented. A seaway most likely joined the Paratethys and the Mediterranean, preventing migrations. The hominoid ''Dryopithecus'' appeared in Europe together with the Asian suid ''Propotamochoerus''. The rodent genus ''Cricetulodon'' is known from Western and Central Europe from MN 3 and from the end of MN 7/8 in Turkey and Greece.〔 == References == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Astaracian」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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