In biostratigraphy, MN 5 is one of the MN zones used to characterize the fossil mammal faunas of the

Neogene The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...

of Europe. It is preceded by MN 4 and followed by MN 6 and is part of the

Orleanian The Orleanian age is a period of geologic time ( MN 3–5, (mya)), within the Miocene and used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Astaracian age and follows the Agenian age. ; Agenian-Early Orleanian migration At t ...

age of the

middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma to 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma (million y ...

. MN 5 starts within

magnetostratigraphic Magnetostratigraphy is a geophysical correlation technique used to date sedimentary and volcanic sequences. The method works by collecting oriented samples at measured intervals throughout the section. The samples are analyzed to determine their ' ...

chron Chron may refer to: Science * Chronozone or chron, a term used for a time interval in chronostratigraphy * Polarity chron or chron, in magnetostratigraphy, the time interval between polarity reversals of the Earth's magnetic field Other * ...

C5Cr, at 17.0 million years ago, and ends at the start of chron C5Bn.1r, at 15.0 million years ago, although some different correlations have been proposed.Steininger, 1999, pp. 16–17 The reference locality used to correlate faunas with this zone is Pontlevoy-Thenay in France; other localities include

La Retama LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 ( ...

in Spain,

Castelnau-d'Arbieu Castelnau-d'Arbieu (; oc, Castèthnau d'Arbiu) is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France. Geography Population See also *Communes of the Gers department The following is a list of the 461 communes of the Gers depar ...

in France, and Sandelzhausen in Germany.Mein, 1999, p. 28 In this zone, the muroid rodent '' Cricetodon'' first appears in western Europe, as do the poorly known '' Lartetomys'' and '' Mixocricetodon''.Mein, 1999, p. 29 In the extinct rodent family Eomyidae, the genus '' Ligerimys'' last appears during MN 5, but '' Keramidomys'' and '' Eomyops'' appear as immigrants.Mein, 1999, p. 28 The last European marsupial, ''

Amphiperatherium ''Amphiperatherium'' is an extinct genus of metatherian mammal, closely related to marsupials. It ranged from the Early Eocene to the Middle Miocene in Europe. It is the most recent metatherian known from the continent. Description Like modern ...

'', last appears in France and Spain during MN 5, but persists into MN 6 in Germany. The primate '' Pliopithecus'' first appears during MN 5. The rhinoceroses ''

Prosantorhinus ''Prosantorhinus'' is an extinct genus of rhinoceros from the lower and middle Miocene. The small teleoceratine rhinocerotid was found in western Europe and Asia. Description ''Posantorhinus'' was a similarly sized animal to the Sumatran rhino ...

'', ''

Plesiaceratherium ''Plesiaceratherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinoceros. It includes two species: ''P. gracile'' from China and ''P. mirallesi'' from France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Euro ...

'', ''

Hispanotherium ''Hispanotherium'' was a genus of rhinoceros of the tribe Elasmotheriini endemic to Europe and Asia during the Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Mioce ...

'', and ''

Gaindatherium ''Gaindatherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinoceros that lived in Asia during the Miocene. It is mainly known from the Siwalik Hills in Pakistan, though its fossils have been found as far west as the Negev desert. Description ''Gaindatherium'' is ...

'' make their last appearance, but '' Ancylotherium'' and '' Hoploaceratherium'' first appear during MN 5. '' Chalicotherium'', a member of the related extinct family

Chalicotheriidae Chalicotheres (from Greek '' chalix'', "gravel" and '' therion'', "beast") are an extinct clade of herbivorous, odd-toed ungulate (perissodactyl) mammals that lived in North America, Eurasia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene until the Early Pl ...

, also appears for the first time. Several artiodactyls, such as the pig ''

Conohyus ''Conohyus'' was an extinct genus of suid that existed during the Miocene in Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and tr ...

'', the deer ''

Heteroprox ''Heteroprox'' is an extinct genus of deer from the Miocene of Europe. Description ''Heteroprox'' was a mid-sized deer that would have been similar in appearance to a muntjac Muntjacs ( ), also known as the barking deer or rib-faced deer, ( ...

'' and ''

Dicrocerus ''Dicrocerus elegans'' (Its name is Greek for "fork antler") is an extinct species of deer found in France, Europe (related species in Asia). ''Dicrocerus'' probably came from Asia, from the region where true deer are believed to have originated ...

'', and the

musk deer Musk deer can refer to any one, or all seven, of the species that make up ''Moschus'', the only extant genus of the family Moschidae. Despite being commonly called deer, they are not true deer belonging to the family Cervidae, but rather their fa ...

'' Micromeryx'' first appear, and the pigs ''

Bunolistriodon ''Bunolistriodon'' is an extinct genus of pig-like animals from Eurasia and Africa during the Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geolog ...

'' and ''

Aureliachoerus ''Aureliachoerus'' was an extinct genus of suids that existed during the Miocene in Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history ...

'' and the ruminants '' Amphimoschus'' and ''

Lagomeryx ''Lagomeryx'' is a genus of prehistoric ungulate that lived in Eurasia from the lower to middle Miocene. Fossil remains were found in Europe and Asia. Description This animal looked not very different from present chevrotains, but possessed two ...

'' last appear in MN 5. Two artiodactyl genera, ''

Triceromeryx ''Triceromeryx'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Palaeomerycidae, endemic to Europe from the middle Miocene epoch, 16.9—16.0 Ma, existing for approximately . It was similar to ''Ampelomeryx'', a herbivore. Taxonomy ''Tric ...

'' and '' Pseudoeotragus'', occur only during MN 5. The primitive artiodactyl ''

Cainotherium ''Cainotherium'' is an extinct genus of rabbit-sized prehistoric even-toed ungulates. These herbivores lived in Europe from the Eocene until the early Miocene. The skeletal anatomy of these hare-like animals suggest they, along with other member ...

'' last appears in France and Spain, but persists into MN 6 in Germany.

References

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Literature cited

*Mein, P. 1999. European Miocene mammal biochronology. Pp. 25–38 in Rössner, G.E. and Heissig, K. (eds.). The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe. Munich: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 515 pp. *Steininger, F. 1999. Chronostratigraphy, geochronology and biochronology of the Miocene "European Land Mammal Mega-Zones (ELMMZ)" and the Miocene "Mammal Zones (MN-Zones)". Pp. 9–24 in Rössner, G.E. and Heissig, K. (eds.). The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe. Munich: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 515 pp. Miocene Regional geologic time scales