The Astaracian age is a period of

geologic time The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relating strata to time) and geochro ...

(), equivalent with 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 ...

and used more specifically with

European Land Mammal Ages The European Land Mammal Mega Zones (abbreviation: ELMMZ, more commonly known as European land mammal ages or ELMA) are zones in rock layers that have a specific assemblage of fossils (biozones) based on occurrences of fossil assemblages of Europ ...

. It precedes the

Vallesian The Vallesian age is a period of geologic time (11.6–9.0 Ma) within the Miocene used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Turolian age and follows the Astaracian age. The so-called Vallesian Crisis resulted in the ...

age and follows 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. The Astaracian overlaps the

Langhian The Langhian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, an age or stage in the middle Miocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma and 13.65 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago) during the Middle Miocene.GeoWhen (2007) The Langhian was ...

and

Serravallian The Serravallian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or a stage in the middle Miocene Epoch/Series, which spans the time between 13.82 Ma and 11.63 Ma (million years ago). The Serravallian follows the Langhian and is followed by the Tortonian. ...

ages.Paleo Database: Astaracian
/ref> During the Late Orleanian and Astaracian (), oscillating sea levels resulted in a succession of palaeogeographic changes in the Eastern

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

; 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 Chalkidiki (; el, Χαλκιδική , also spelled Halkidiki, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos region co ...

peninsula includes the small tragulid ''

Dorcatherium ''Dorcatherium'' is an extinct genus of tragulid ruminant which existed in Europe, East Africa and the Siwaliks during the Miocene and Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends fro ...

'', the

giraffid The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (one ...

Palaeomeryx ''Palaeomeryx'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Palaeomerycidae, endemic to Europe and Asia from the Miocene epoch, 16.9 – 7.25 Ma, existing for approximately . Taxonomy ''Palaeomeryx'' was named by von Meyer (1834 ...

'', and the suiform '' Sanitheres''. The Thymiana locality (MN 5, ) on

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mast ...

includes both the giraffid '' Georgiomeryx'', ''Dorcatherium'', the ctenodactylid '' Sayimys'' as well as an immigrant from Asia, the

proboscidea The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family ( Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Fr ...

n '' Choerolophodon'' known from the

Bugti Bugti ( bal, بُگٹی ) is a Baloch tribe found in eastern Balochistan, Pakistan. , it was estimated to comprise over 180,000 people, mostly living in the Dera Bugti region of Pakistan. They are in turn divided into the Rahija,Marhita, Perozani, ...

fauna (MN 3, ) in India. Primates also arrived during MN5: '' Pliopithecus'' is known from

Elgg Elgg is a municipality in the district of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. On 1 January 2018 the former municipality of Hofstetten merged into the municipality of Elgg. History Elgg ( la, Elgovia, Sacer pagus) is first menti ...

in Switzerland and

Pontlevoy Pontlevoy () is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France. Geography The village of Pontlevoy is 14 miles southwest of Blois, in the eastern part of Touraine. It is a 20-minute drive from the chateaux of Amboise, Cheverny, C ...

- 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 ''Kenyapithecus wickeri'' is a fossil ape discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961 at a site called Fort Ternan in Kenya. The upper jaw and teeth were dated to 14 million years ago. One theory states that ''Kenyapithecus'' may be the common ances ...

'' found at the Pasalar and Candir localities in Turkey. and at Neudorf-Sandberg in Slovakia. The primate genus was accompanied by the

aardvark The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlik ...

Orycteropus ''Orycteropus'' is a genus of mammals in the family Orycteropodidae within Tubulidentata. The genus is known from Late Miocene to recent of Africa. The only living species within Tubulidentata is the aardvark (''Orycteropus afer''). Species ...

''. From Asia came the hyracoid ''

Pliohyrax ''Pliohyrax'', is a genus of hyracoids (the cavy-like group of animals most closely related to elephants and manatees). It grew to sizes greatly exceeding those of any living hyrax, though it was by no means the largest member of this family. Fo ...

'', the

cervid Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindee ...

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 originate ...

'', and the suid '' Listriodon''. Asian bovids such as ''

Protragocerus ''Protragocerus'' is an extinct genus of antelope from the late Serravallian Age (around 13 to 11 million years ago) of the Miocene Epoch. Fossils of the genus have been found in France, India, and Saudi Arabia. It is classified under the ...

'', '' 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 The Paratethys sea, Paratethys ocean, Paratethys realm or just Paratethys was a large shallow inland sea that stretched from the region north of the Alps over Central Europe to the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Paratethys was peculiar due to its p ...

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

Miocene Miocene geochronology {{geochronology-stub