Tibor SOS¹, Attila TÓTH² & Ioan TANŢĂU^3
1Association for Bird and Nature Protection “Milvus Group”, RO- 540620 Târgu Mureş, no. 22, Crinului str., tibor.sos@gmail.com.
²Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Department of Environmental Sciences, RO-400112 Cluj-Napoca, no. 4. Matei Corvin str., totha@sapientia.ro.
³Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Department of Geology, RO-400084 Cluj-Napoca, no. 1, M. Kogălniceanu str., ioan.tantau@ubbcluj.ro

NEW REPTILE FOSSIL RECORDS FROM CORUND (EASTERN TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA) AND THEIR  PALEOENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE

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The carbonate deposit, located in Corund (Romania) area is well-known by the 19^th century, because of the spectacular, colored carbonates found in three outcrops. The reptile fossils found in these carbonates are unique, not only because these are first occurrences for the studied area, but also because such type of reptile fossils were not described in the literature related to Europe Pleistocene – Quaternary reptile fauna. The identification of reptile fossils on casts or molds is highly facilitated by comparison with present forms – which could be a more comfortable charge for a “neoherpetologist”, than a paleoherpetologist. In this paper, the authors describe two specimens of Anguidae (Anguis fragilis) and one specimen of Colubridae (Coronella austriaca, Zamenis longissimus). This entire species has a broad distribution range and shows a high ecological tolerance. In view of reptile’s identity and based on a palinological study, an attempt of paleoenvironmental reconstruction is also presented.