Late Miocene large-sized Bovidae (Mammalia) from Dimeh, SW Iran: contribution to depositional diachrony and palaeobiogeography

We describe here cranial and dental material of large bovids (Bovidae, Mammalia) from the Upper Miocene fossil site of Dimeh, SW Iran. Six taxa have been recognized: Palaeoryx cf. pallasi, Skoufotragus laticeps, Plesiaddax? sp., Samokeros minotaurus, Tragoportax cf. amalthea and the new species Tragoportax perses. The (i) shortened, rectangularly shaped basioccipital with strong anterior tuberosities, (ii) weakly textured and subtriangularly shaped rugose area delimited by strong temporal ridges, (iii) deep and wide intercornual plateau, (iv) narrow interparietal, (v) wide nasals, and (vi) strongly tilted backwards, clearly heteronymously twisted horncores with sharp, flaring anterior keel, and highly positioned distal demarcation, are features that in combination differentiate T. perses nov. sp. from any other known Eurasian species of this genus. Ιn addition, its particular morphological features bring it closer to certain specimens of the Afro-Arabian region assigned to T. cyrenaicus. The new data, along with previous and revised ones on the small antelopines, complete the systematics of the Dimeh bovid assemblage and allow further discussing its significance at local and regional scales.