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Fossil nautilids of the genus Aturia have been recorded in the Middle Miocene (Langhian – Badenian) deposits in the Čučerje area near Zagreb, Croatia, at the palaeogeographical southwestern margin of the Central Paratethys sea. The specimens are housed today at the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb, and determined at species level as Aturia aturi (De Basterot, 1825). Specimens are preserved as casts, with phragmocone and no last (living) chamber. In order to define complete size of the fossil shells, we chose 36 well-preserved samples for geomathematic modelling of the shell with the last chamber. Using the numerical analyses of the length, width and thickness of the cast we performed biometric analysis of the nautilid samples. Based on the biometrics and geomathematical modelling, results indicate possible sexual dimorphism present in the analysed samples. For further conclusions more specimens are necessary, as well as the comparison with neighbouring contemporaneous localities. |
