Amphibians and reptiles from the late Miocene and early Pliocene of the Ptolemais area (Western Macedonia, Greece)

tWe herein describe the amphibians and reptiles from the Ptolemais fossil assemblage, originating from 12nearby localities in northwestern Greece, spanning from the late Miocene (MN 13) to the early Pliocene(MN 15). Amphibians are known exclusively of anurans, with the genera Latonia and Rana being identified,the latter constituting the oldest so far known record of that lineage in Greece. Turtles are representedby the testudinid cf. Testudo, whereas numerous other indeterminate testudinoids are known. Lizardsinclude scincids, lacertids, and at least two anguids. Among them, the material referred to scincids andthe anguid Anguis constitute one of only rather few such occurrences described in the fossil record ofthe Eastern Mediterranean. Snakes are represented by indeterminate “colubrines” and the genus Natrix.The different ages of the Ptolemais fossiliferous localities, along with their close geographic vicinity offerthe opportunity to study potential survival/extinction patterns of its amphibians and reptiles across theMio-Pliocene boundary, a time interval that has been crucial for European herpetofaunas.