Professor Viacheslav Mikhailovich Chkhikvadze

Institute of Palaeobiology
Georgian Academy of Sciences
Niagvari Street 4
380008 Tbilisi
Georgia
tel. +995 32 997210
e.mail slava@mail.bci.ge

Personal information

Viacheslav Mikhailovich Chkhikvadze, born January 4, 1940, in Moscow, was educated in Tbilisi and in 1964 graduated from the Department of Biology, Tbilisi State University. L.K. Gabunia and L.L. Natadze supervised his Diploma work. During his late school years V.M.Chkhikvadze regularly participated in a number of paleontological expeditions (South Georgia) serving as an assistant-collector. In 1964 he was employed in the Institute of Paleobiology, Georgian Academy of Sciences, were he works at present (Senior Assistant - 1964, Junior Scientific Fellow - 1966, Senior Scientific Fellow - 1975, Leading Researcher - since 1986). In May 1972 V.M. Chkhikvadze obtained his Candidate of Sciences Degree (Scientific supervisor - L.P. Tatarinov), and in December 1991 - Doctor of Sciences Degree (Ph.D.). He has participated in a number Regional, All-Union (Soviet), and International conferences, congresses and symposia. He has been elected a member of All-Union Paleontological Society, Moscow Society for Natural Studies, All-Union Herpetological Society, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Under his initiative and organisation the First Caucasian Herpetological Conference was held in Tbilisi in 1983.

In a course of almost forty years V.M. Chkhikvadze engaged himself in a vast number of paleontological and zoological expeditions (Mongolia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Far East, Moldavia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgizia, Uzbekistan, Northern Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Georgia). Besides, he was not just a participant, but also a permanent guide of the first Joint Kazakh-Georgian-American paleontological expedition in the Zaisan Lake region (1993-1995), as well as initiator and organiser of the first Joint Georgian-American paleontological expedition in South Georgia (Benara, 1996). However, the most significant results were obtained after expedition works in the Zaisan depression (Eastern Kazakhstan). Within 1966-1995 period, almost every year, V.M. Chkhikvadze carried on excavation works in this depression, jointly with paleontologists and geologists of Moscow (1966-1982), Leningrad (1972-1978), Ust-Kamenogorsk (1981), Ufa (1983-1987), and Washington (1993-1995). The results of Zaisan expeditions had in the past, and still have a paramount impact on the paleontological, biochronological, and paleogeographical sciences.

V.M. Chkhikvadze is an active fossil-hunters. The following findings are directly related to his name: first Asiatic marsupial (Asiadidelphis asiaticus), as well as archaic caiman turtles (Chelydrasia minax: Zaisan depression) and the oldest giant salamanders of Asia (Zaissanurus beliajevae: Zaisan depression), first Asiatic toothed bird (Pseudodontornithidae: Azerbaijan), ancient dolphin (Oligodelphis: Azerbaijan), first World reliable finding of the fossil big-headed turtles (Platysternidae: Planiplastron tatarinovi: Central Kazakhstan), first finding of Eocene rodents in the USSR (Tamquammys tantillus: Zaisan depression), first finding of Mylagaulidae in Asia (Tschalimys ckhikvadzei: before this finding this extinct group of rodents was known in Northern America only), sensational discovery in 2000 of a whole series of new locations (faunistic shelves, just as in Zaisan!) with remains of vertebrates in the Iori River basin (Eastern Georgia, Middle Eocene - Lower Pleistocene), etc.

Since 1991 V.M. Chkhikvadze is a lecturer of zoology in Tbilisi Pedagogical University. In 1997 he was awarded with the title of Professor. Under his supervision three Candidate Dissertations and over 10 graduation works have been fulfilled. He was a scientific supervisor and later - scientific counsellor, of well-known animalist artist Lasha Tskhondia. V.M. Chkhikvadze is author of over 170 publications (including seven monographs, three of which are collective volumes); he has describes a number of new species, genera and families of extinct amphibians and reptiles (Lindholmemydidae, Sinochelyidae, Sinaspideretidae); in his honour several new species of fossil animals and plants were named.

Bibliography
(Warning: the list is going to be completed; at present it is not reported in which language the papers are written)

1960

. Gabunia L.K. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1960. Giant land tortoise from Oligocene of Benara (South Georgia). Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 24(2): 189-196.

1968

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1968. Sakyidae - a new family of fossil tortoises. Paleontologichesky Zhurnal, 2: 88-94.

1970

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1970. The earliest Cainozoic tortoises of the USSR. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 60(3): 749-752.

. Chkhikvadze V.M.,1970. On the origin of the modern Palaearctic land tortoises. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 75(1): 245-247.

1971

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1971. First find of the tertiar tortoise of the family Platysternidae. Paleontologichesky Zhurnal, 4: 137-139.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1971. On the history of the tortoise family Chelydridae. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 61(1): 237-240.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1971. New tortoise species of the Oligocene of Kazakhstan and the systematic position of some of the fossil species of Mongolia. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 62(2): 489-492.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1971. Three new fossil species of land tortoises from Zaisan Basin (Eastern Kazakhstan). Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 64(1): 245-248.

1972

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1972. On the systematic position of Tertiary giant land tortoises of the Palearctic. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 65(3): 745-748.

1973

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1973. Relationship of form and function of turtles shell as index of direction of natural selection. In.: General qustions of evolutionary palaeobiology. Tbilisi, edit. Metsniereba Publishers, 65-77.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1973. Tertiar turtles of the Zaisan Basin. Tbilisi, edit.: Metsniereba Publishers, 1-100.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1973. New data on tertiary turtles of Georgia. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 69(3): 745-748.

1974

. Kusnetzov V.V. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1974. The Eocene fresh-water turtles from the Chinzhaly beds (Southern Kazakhstan). Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 76(1): 209-212.

. Shuvalov V.F., Chkhikvadze V.M., 1974. Bambu-Huduk - a new large occurence of Upper Cretaceous turtles in South-Western Mongolia. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 76(2): 481-484.

1975

. Shevyreva N.S., Chkhikvadze V.M. & Zhegallo V.I., 1975. New data on the vertebrate fauna of the Gashato formation(Mongolian Peoples's Republic). Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 77(1): 225-228.

. Shavalov V.F. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1975. New data on Late Cretaceous turtles of South Mongolia. The joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeont. Expedition. Trans., 2: 209-224.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1975. The volume and status of the turtles of the suborder Amphichelydia Lydekner 1889. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR., 78(3): 745-748.

1976

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1976. On the status of some fossil turtles from Mongolia, China and East Kazakhstan. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 82(3): 745-748.

1977

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1977. The fossil turtles of the family Sinemydidae. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR (biol.ser.), 3(3): 265-270.

. Kusnetzov V.V. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1977. New data on fresh-water tortoises (Testudines,Emydidae) from the Middle Oligocene of the Turgai Basin(Kazakhstan,USSR). Acta zool.Cracoviensia, 22(3): 37-44.

. Vekua A.K., Kalandadze K.S. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1977. New palaeontological finds in the White Cave (Western Georgia). Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 96(3): 745-748.

1979

. Shuvalov V.F. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1979. On stratigraphical and systematical position of some freshwater turtles from new cretaceous localities in Mongolia. The joint Soviet-Mongolian paleontological expedition. Transactions, 8: 58-76.

1980

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1980. Systematic position of the Neogene fresh-water turtles of Moldavia,the Ukraine and some Central European countries.Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 99(3): 721-724.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Shuvalov V.F., 1980. On the origin of the soft-shelled turtle. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 100(2): 501-503.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Shuvalov V.F., 1980. On the origin of the soft-shelled turtles. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 100(2): 501-503.

. Venus B.G., Verzilin N.N., Kyansep-Romashkina N.P., Mironenko O.A., Tolstikova N.V., Starikov V.P., Stankevich E.C., Shevyreva N.S. & Chkhikvadze V.M.,1980. Paleolimnology of Zaisan. Leningrad. Nauka, 1-184.

1981

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1981. On the question of the origin of the big-headed turtles (Platysternidae). In.: General questions of Paleobiology,Tbilisi, Metsniereba Publishers, 131-145.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Yassamanov N.A., 1981. On taxonomic status of fossil tortles of the Lake Baical and Maritime Territory. In.: Herpetological investigations in Siberia and the Far East. Leningrad, 121-123.

1982

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1982. On the finding of fossil Cryptobranchidae in the USSR and Mongolia. Vertebrata Hungarica, 21: 63-67.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1982. The large snapping turtle from Pliocene of North Black Seaside. Vestnik zoologii. Kiev, 1: 15-20.

. Kusnetzov V.V. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1983. Late Cretaceous Trionychidae of locality Shakh-Shakh from Kazakhstan. In.: Materials on the history of fauna and flora of Kazakhstan, Alma-Ata, 9: 33-37.

1983

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1983. First International Symposium on Fossil Turtles (simposial talk), Paris, 105-113.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., Shammakov S.Sh. & Zerova G.A., 1983. Materials to the formation history of Squamata fauna of the Middle Asia and Kazakhstan.Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR (ser. biol. sciences), 2: 3-8.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1983. The fossil turtles of Caucasus and Northern Black Seaside region. Edit. Metsniereba Publishers, Tbilisi, 1-149.

1984

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1984. Survey of the fossil urodelan and anuran amphibians in the USSR. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 10(1): 5-13. (in Russian with English summary).

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1984. Classification des tortues de la famille des Emydidae et leurs liens phylogenetiques avec d'antres familles. Studia Palaeocheloniologica. Vol.1, 105-113.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1984. Early paleogen turtles of Zaisan. In.: "Flora and fauna of Zaisan Bassin". Edit. Metsniereba Publishers, Tbilisi, 62-66.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1984. On the findings of fossil Cryptobranchidae in the USSR and Mongolia. Vertebrata Hungarica, 21: 63-67.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1984. New species of tortoise from the Middle Eocene of Fergana. Paleontologichesky sbornik. Lvov., 21: 74-78.

. Zerova G.A. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1984. Review of cenozoic lizards and snakes of the USSR. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR., 10(5): 319-326.

1985

. Lavrov V.V., Bendukidze O.G. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1985. Type section of the Aral suite in Sayaken (North Aral region) and its fauna. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 117(1): 173-176.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Zerova G.A., 1985. European Herpetological Meeting (3rd originary general meeting of the Societas Europea Herpetologica), Prague, (poster), 689-694.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1985. Fossil turtles of the family Sinochelydae. Vestnik zoologii, 1, 40-45.

. Gaiduchenko L.L. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1985. A new species of caiman turtle from Pavlodar Priirtishia.Geologia i geofisika. Novosibirsk., 1: 116-118.

1986

. Shuvalov V.F. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1986. On the composition and age of the Ekhingol Basin deposits in Mongolia and the first finds of fossil turtles in them. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 124: 433-436.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Tuniev B.S., 1986. On the taxonomic status of Modern land tortoise of the Western Transcaucasus. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 124(3): 617-620.

. Zerova G.A., Lungu A.N. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1986. Large fossil vipers from Northern Black Seaside and Transcaucasus. Procedings of the Zoological Institute.Leningrad, 158: 89-99.

1987

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. Sur la classification et les caracteres de certaines tortues fossiles d'Asie, rares et peu etudiees. Studia Palaeocheloniologica, 2: 55-85.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. On Systematic position of the USSR Far East soft-shelled turtle. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 128(3): 609-611.

. Nesov L.A. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. New evidence on Paleocene turtle remains from South Kazakhstan.Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 125(1): 177-180.

. Efimov M.B. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. The review of finds of fossil Crocodiles of the USSR. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 13(3): 200-207.

. Bakradze M.A. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. Materials for tertiary history of the herpetofauna of Caucasus. Herald of the Museum of Georgia. 34-A: 176-193.

. Bakradze M.A., Tarkhnishvili D.N. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. On the distribution of Pelobates syriacus in Georgia.Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 127(1): 165-168.

. Kusnetzov V.V. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. Late Cretaceous Trionychidae of locality Shakh-Shakh from Kazakhstan. Materials on the history of fauna and flora of Kazakhstan (Alma-Ata), 9: 33-37.

. Iasamanov N. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1987. The climate of the Caucasus in the past and future. The nature of Georgia, 6: 8-9.

1988

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Shuvalov V.F., 1988. The first find of Cretaceous Chelonians in the Ekhingol Basin (Mongolia). Acta Zool. Cracoviensia, 31(18): 509-512.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1988. Taxonomic status of modern land tortoise of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 14(2): 110-114.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Shuvalov V.F., 1988. A new spesies of soft-shell turtle from the Upper [Cretaceous] sediments of Mongolia. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 14(3): 198-204.

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Melik-Adamian G.U., 1988. The new data about Pliocene fauna of Nurnus, in Armenia, and description of the fossil subspecies of Caspian terrapin. Bulletin of Zoology, 6: 71-74.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1988. The first find of fossil remains of tortoises of genus Agrionemys in North Caucasus. Bulletin of Zoology, N 1, 62.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1988. The secret of stone turtles (one co-author). Priroda, 6: 42-43. 60. Sharapov Sh., Amiranashvili N.G. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1988. A new land turtle Upper Pliocene species from Tajikistan. Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR, 31(8): 545-547.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1988. New data concerning turtles of Miocene and Pliocene of the North Caucasus. In the collected works: Animal world of the North Caucasus and the contiguous territories. Stavropol: 128-139.

1989

. Chkhikvadze V.M.,1989. The Neogene turtles of USSR. Edit.Metsniereba Publishers, Tbilisi, 1-102.

. Chkhikvadze V.M.,1989. On the systematic position of tertiary giant land tortoises from Asia, Europe and Africa. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, 133(2): 429-432.

. Sharapov Sh., Amiranashvili N.G. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1989. Horsfieldi's tortoise - Agrionemys horsfieldi (Gray,1844) from the late paleolithic site Ogzi-Kichik (Southern Tadjikistan). Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Tadjik SSR (biol.ser.), 1: 70-73.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1989. First World Congress of Herpetology, Canterbury, (poster).

1990

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1990. The Paleogene turtles of USSR. Edition Metsniereba Publishers, Tbilisi, 1-95, (monography).

. Chkhikvadze V.M., Amiranashvili N.G. & Ataev Ch., 1990. New subspecies of tortoise from the South-Western Turkmenistan. Procedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR, 72-75.

1991

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1991. On the systematic position of the recent land turtle from the Araxi's valley. The works of Tbilisi State University, 305: 59-63.

. Amiranashvili N.G., Gutieva N.V. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1991. New data concerning the herpetofauna of Paleolithic of Georgia. Work: Mesozoic and Cenozoic flora and fauna of Georgia. Tbilisi, Metsniereba: 159-169.

1992

. Bakradze M.A. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1992. The list of Georgian amphibians and reptiles.Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia, 146(3): 623-629.

. Seidel M.E., Meylan P.A., Gaffney E.S., Chkhikvadze V.M. & Nessov L.A., 1992. Monophyly and relationships of a restricted Emydidae. 35-th annual meeting of The Society for the study of amphibians and reptiles. University of Texas at El Paso : 81.

1993

. Khosatzky L. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1993. A new data of the miocenic terrapins of Baicalemys genus. Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia, 148(3): 155-160.

1994

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1994. The Oligocene and Miocene turtles from Zaysan and Aralo-Turgai regions. Oligocene-Miocene transition in the Northern Hemisphere (Project 326 OMTNH), Aktjubinsk-Moscow, 8.

1995

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Kharabadze E., 1995. Amphibians and reptiles from the Early Pleistocene of Georgia (Dmanisi, Lower Apsheronian). Terra Nostra. Quaternary research XIY International Congress (Abstracts). Berlin: 48.

1996

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Amiranashvili N., 1996. History of the fossil turtles studies in the Caucasus. Bull. Georgian Academy of Sciences, 154(3): 470-475.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1996. Phylogenetic relationships among extinct and recent turtles of the family Emydidae sensu stricto. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 16 (3, Supplement): 28A.

. Bakradze M. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1996. Reptiles. In the book: Materials of biomulticoloufulness of Georgia. Tbilisi: 68-71.

1997

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 1997. Ancient turtles of the tribe Sakyini from Paleogene sediments of Eastern Kazakhstan. The Third World Congress of Herpetology. Abstracts. Prague: 41.

. Gabounia L.K. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1997. Apercu sur les faunes de vertebres du Paleogene de la region de Zaissan (Kazakhstan de l`Est). Actes du Congres BiochroM. "Biochronologie Mammalienne du Cenozoique en Europe et domaines relies". Montpellier: 193-203.

1998

. Bakradze M. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 1998. Sistematical position of the brown frogs inhabit in Georgia. Third Asian Herpetological Meeting. Abstracts. Almaty: 10.

. Gabunia L.K., Mchedlidze G.A., Chkhikvadze V.M. & Lucas S.G., 1998. Jurassic sauropod dinosaur from the Republic of Georgia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 18(1): 233-236.

1999

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Amiranashvili N., 1999. A new species of land tortoise from the Eocene deposits of Zaisan Basin. Problems of paleobiology (Tbilisi), 1: 251-255.

2000

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2000. Fossil Trionychid turtles from the territory of the former SU. Forth Asian Herpetological Meeting. Abstracts.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2000. Systematic status of extinct soft-shelled turtles of the subgenus Rafetus (Axestemys). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 20(3), suppl. ?3, 35A

. Amiranashvili N.G. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 2000. Land tortois (Testudo bulgarica sp. nov.) from Late Oligocene of Bulgaria. Forth Asian Herpetological Meeting. Abstracts.

. Lucas S.G., Emry R.J., Chkhikvadze V.M. , Bayshashov B., Tyutkova L.A., Tleuberdina P.A. & Zhamangaraeva A., 2000. Upper Cretaceous - Cenozoic lacustrine deposits of the Zaisan Basin, Eastern Kazakhstan. In: Lake basins through space and time: AAPG Studies in Geology, 46: 335-340.

. Muskhelishvili T. & Chkhikvadze V.M.,, 2000. The nomenclature of amphbias and reptiles spread in Georgia. Works of the Zoology Institute. Tbilisi: 222-229.

2001

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2001. Mesozoic reptilians of the Caucasus. Work of the Tbilisi State Pedagogical University, 9: 219-224.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2001. On the systematic position of some Asian fossil turtles. Works of the Tbilisi State Pedagogical University named after S.-S.Orbeliani, 10: 235-240 [in Russian with English abstract].

. Chkhikvadze V.M. & Petrov V.A., 2001. New localities of the late Neogenous turtles of the Iori River Valley (Eastern Georgia). Procedings of the 1st Meeting of the Nikolsky Herpetological Society, 4-7 December 2000, Pushchino-Na-Oke: 332-334.

. Chochieva K.I., Bendukidze O.G. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 2001. Flora and fauna of the Aquitanian sediments of Georgia. Works of the Tbilisi State Pedagogical University, 8: 226-239.

2002

. Bakradze M. A. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 2002. Archil Dzhanashvili and Geogrian Herpetology. In: Collected papers "Biology and the Present". Tbilisi Technical Pedagogical Institute, Tbilisi: 13-17.

. Bakhradze M.A. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 2002. How many species of brown frogs inhabit in Georgia. In: Collected papers "Biology and the Present". Tbilisi Technical Pedagogical Institute, Tbilisi: 138-142.

2003

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. The sea tortoises from Ruepelian Deposits of Germany, Czechia, Romania, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Symposium on turtle origins, evolution and systematics (abstracts). Saint-Petersburg: 16-17.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. Nomenclature of the horny scales in the carapace in Proganochelys quenstedti. Symposium on turtle origins, evolution and systematics (abstracts). Saint-Petersburg: 17-18.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. On the problem of homology of intergular and pectoral scales in turtles. Symposium on turtle origins. Symposium on turtle origins, evolution and systematics (abstracts). Saint-Petersburg: 18).

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. Concerning systematical position (location) of modern swamp turtles of South Caucasus (thesis). Materials of the conference : Researches and security of the animal world of the South Caucasus. Yerevan.

. Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. Results of transitory expedition to the Iori valley (thesis). Materials of the conference: Researches and security of the animal world of the South Caucasus. Yerevan.

. Avakov G.S., Bendukhidze O.G. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. Modern derivates of late tertial arid and semi-arid ecosystems of Eastern and Southern Caucasus. Yerevan.

. Tartarashvili R.V. & Chkhikvadze V.M., 2003. Concerning the systematical position of some amphibians of the South Caucasus.