THE ENDEMIC MARINE FISH FAUNA FROM THE EASTERN PARATETHYS RECONSTRUCTED FROM OTOLITHS FROM THE MIOCENE (MIDDLE SARMATIAN S.L.; BESSARABIAN) OF JURKINE (KERCH PENINSULA, CRIMEA)
Journal: RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA
Year: 2023

Reconstructing fossil bony fish faunas using otoliths is a well-established method that allows a diverse and dense record in time and space to be assembled. Here we report about a rich otolith-based fish fauna from the middle Sarmatian s.l. (middle Bessarabian) from Jurkine, Kerch Peninsula, Crimea. The study is based on more than 5,000 specimens constituting 36 different species, 24 of which are new and 2 remain in open nomenclature. This assemblage represents the first major otolith associatio