On the disappearance of Grebeniki, a late Miocene vertebrate locality

Abstract

The history of the discovery, studying and disappearance of Grebeniki, a locality of bone remains of late Miocene vertebrates is presented. This paleontological object had been developing for more than 60 years and it is one of the most known and richest in Europe by the number of fossil records and their well-preserved state, and the taxonomic diversity of extinct fauna. Grebeniki is the type locality of the Grebeniki Paleofaunal Subassemblage. Due to its value, it was included into the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine as a Geological Nature Monument of the same name in the Odesa region. The disappearance of this locality in the late 1970s was not because of human activity, but the influence of natural factors. Quite possibly, it has not disappeared forever and might be revealed again through the same erosion processes that buried it.

Keywords

• paleontology
• vertebrates
• grebeniki
• ukraine