Lissamphibians and squamate reptiles from the early middle Miocene of Litke, Northern Hungary

We report herein an early middle Miocene (MN 6) assemblage of lissamphibians and squamate reptiles from the Pannonian region, Northern Hungary. The localities of Litke 1 and 2, of about 15.2–14.8 Ma, have produced at least 18 different taxa, originate mainly from terrestrial habitats. The faunal composition with a number of thermophilous taxa, including agamids, varanids and erycine boids, indicates moderately warm climatic conditions with relatively low level of mean annual precipitations. Common elements with those known from the late early Miocene to early/middle Miocene transition of Central and Western Paratethys suggest close biogeographic relationships between the western and eastern parts of the European continent. However, typical groups of the “Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum” are unknown from Litke localities, suggesting altered palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental conditions for the eastern region of Central Paratethys at that time.