Late Aragonian mammal sites of Cuesta del Rey (Duero Basin, Burgos, Spain)

[EN]: The Cuesta del Rey mammal sites located on the NE border of the Duero Basin are of great importance with regard to understand the general biostratigraphy of the basin, because Miocene mammal sites are extremely scarce in this area in comparison with the central part of the basin. The mammals identified in Cuesta del Rey-1 are: Eulipotyphla: cf. Miosorex sp.; Rodentia: Heteroxerus sp., Armantomys cf. tricristatus, Megacricetodon ibericus, Megacricetodon minor-Megacricetodon debruijni, Hispanomys sp. And Democricetodon sp. The Cuesta del Rey-1 rodent assemblage is characteristic of the end of the upper Aragonian (MN 7/8, end of the middle Miocene), equivalent to the local subzone G3 of …

First record of Mesopithecus (Cercopithecidae, Colobinae) from the Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula

We report dental remains of the extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus from the Turolian (MN13, Late Miocene, ca. 6.23 Ma) locality of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). They include most of the deciduous dentition and the unerupted germs of the first molars of a single infantile individual, as well as two lower left lateral incisors from two additional individuals. On the basis of morphometric comparisons, mainly based on the Ms, these remains are attributed to the Late Miocene species Mesopithecus pentelicus. They represent a significant addition to the knowledge of the deciduous dentition of this taxon, much less well-known than the permanent dentition. Although this genus was widely distri…

Musteloidea (Carnivora, Mammalia) del Mioceno Superior de Venta del Moro (Valencia, España)

The purpose of the present work is to describe the Musteloidea from the Late Miocene locality of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). We have identified the following species: Martes ginsburgi nov. sp., Lutra affinis Gervais, 1859, Plesiogulo monspessulanus Viret, 1939 and Promephitis alexejewi Schlosser, 1924. Besides Plesiogulo monspessulanus which was already described in this locality and in Las Casiones (MN 13, Teruel Basin), we are approaching an unedited Musteloidea assemblage from the Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula. The m1 of Martes ginsburgi nov. sp. is similar in size and morphology to the Asian species of the genus, M. anderssoni and M. zdanskyi, but it differs in having a very wi…

First occurrence of Sivatherium Falconer and Cautley, 1836 (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Giraffidae) in the Iberian Peninsula

he sivatherine clade includes some of the largest giraffids and emerged during the late Miocene. Sivatherium hendeyi, the earliest known species of the Sivatherium genus, was first described from the lower Pliocene of Langebaanweg (5.15 ± 0.1 Ma, Cape Province, South Africa). Here we describe the first possible occurrence of Sivatherium from western Europe from the lower Pliocene (MN14) of Puerto de la Cadena (4.9 Ma, Murcia, Spain). The new material consists of dental and postcranial remains. The Puerto de la Cadena Sivatherium, together with the presence of Macaca sp. and Debruijnimys sp., indicates a connection between African and European faunas during the early Pliocene and a possible …

Presencia de Vulpes praeglacialis (Kormos, 1932) en el yacimiento pleistoceno de la Sierra de Quibas (Abanilla, Murcia)

We describe the first remains of Canidae from the Lower Pleistocene karstic locality of Quibas (Abanillas, Murcia) that increasing the representation of carnivores in this site. These fossils are identified as Vulpes praeglacialis, the typical Lower Pleistocene fox. This assignment is based on their small size and the poorly developed posterior cuspid of the p/3.

Dietary behaviour and competition for vegetal resources in two Early Miocene pecoran ruminants from Central Spain

ABSTRACT Dietary behaviour and competition for resources are investigated for the small-sized ruminants Andegameryx Ginsburg, 1971 and Procervulus Gaudry, 1877 representatives of two largely distinct states of diversification of pecorans. Results obtained from dental microwear and mesowear methodologies are concordant with a mixed feeder strategy for the taxa from the Early Miocene environments of the Iberian Chain (Central Spain). Further, the Spanish taxa investigated had less abrasive diets than their relatives from others similarly aged localities in Europe. This fact raises an important evolutionary uncertainty concerning the traditional characterization of first pecorans as specialize…

Two species of small-medium size felids, Felis aff. silvestris and Caracal depereti nov. sp., have been identified from the Pliocene karstic locality of Layna (Soria, Spain). Caracal depereti nov. sp. shows close affinities with Caracal issiodorensis, species that has been traditionally classified in the genus Lynx. This new interpretation implies that there are no evidences of lynxes in the Pliocene of Westem Europe, and probably this consideration can be applicable to other Eurasiatic localities where Lynx issiodorensis has been determined.

Una mandibula de Lynx issiodorensis (Croizet y Jobert, 1828) (Carnivora, Mammalia) en el Plioceno Inferior de Cuevas del Almanzora (Almeria, España)

Se describe una mandíbula del felido Lynx issiodorensis (Croizet y Jobert, 1828) hallada en sedimentos marinos del Plioceno inferior (Formación Cuevas), en la localidad de Cuevas del Almanzora (Cuenca de Vera, Almería, España). Se discute su relación con los ejemplares atribuidos a dicha especie, procedentes de diferentes localidades del Plioceno superior y Pleistoceno inferior europeos, y se compara con las formas primitivas de L. issiodorensis del Plioceno inferior español. El rango temporal de la especie en Europa parece cubrir el final del Rusciniense y todo el Villafranquiense. En cambio, en la Península Ibérica abarca todo el Plioceno, pero al parecer es ya sustituida desde el Pleisto…

Paleodiversity of the Superfamily Ursoidea (Carnivora, Mammalia) in the Spanish Neogene, related to environmental changes

In the present study we analyse the diversity of the Superfamily Ursoidea during the Neogene of the Iberian Peninsula to further compare it with that of the Neogene of Western Europe to find the different associations of this group. The results indicate that both the diversity and the taxonomy amongst these two regions show important variations, thus letting their interpretation in terms of climatic differentiation. We might relate variations in the abundance of the Ursoidea to the environmental fluctuations taking place during the Miocene and Pliocene. Therefore, they could enable us to reach the assessment of these biogeographical distributions in order to deduce the preferential niches o…

Kretzoiarctos gen. nov., the oldest member of the giant panda clade

The phylogenetic position of the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Carnivora: Ursidae: Ailuropodinae), has been one of the most hotly debated topics by mammalian biologists and paleontologists during the last century. Based on molecular data, it is currently recognized as a true ursid, sister-taxon of the remaining extant bears, from which it would have diverged by the Early Miocene. However, from a paleobiogeographic and chronological perspective, the origin of the giant panda lineage has remained elusive due to the scarcity of the available Miocene fossil record. Until recently, the genus Ailurarctos from the Late Miocene of China (ca. 8–7 mya) was recognized as the oldest undoubted me…

Early Pliocene continental vertebrate fauna at Puerto de la Cadena (SE Spain) and its bearing on the marine-continental correlation of the Late Neogene of Eastern Betics

In this paper, we synthesize sedimentological, magnetostratigraphic and paleontological data from the continental vertebrate site of Puerto de la Cadena (Murcia, SE Spain), in order to clarify its age. The study site is located on the northern edge of the Carrascoy mountain range, in the upper part of the Cigarrón Unit. The end-Messinian discontinuity has been detected at the base of this unit, which indicates it has an early Pliocene age. Abundant remains of small and large vertebrates, including rodents, lagomorphs, primates, carnivorans, perissodactyls, artiodactyls, proboscideans, testudines, squamats, and crocodiles, have been found in this area. Some of these elements are of African o…

Una nueva especie de <i>Agriarctos</i> (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae, Carnivora) en la localidad de Nombrevilla 2 (Zaragoza, España)

Una nueva especie de úrsido primitivo, Agriarctos beatrix procedente de la localidad de Nombrevilla 2 (Zaragoza, cuenca de Calatayud-Daroca) es descrita en este trabajo. Los nuevos fósiles de Nombrevilla 2 se relacionan estrechamente con Agriarctos depereti de la localidad de Soblay (Vallesiense superior, Francia), pero en la forma española los caracteres derivados compartidos son más primitivos. Agriarctos beatrix es la primera aparición conocida hasta el presente de un miembro de la subfamilia Ailuropodinae en el registro fossil.

Macaque remains from the early Pliocene of the Iberian Peninsula

Macaques dispersed out of Africa into Eurasia in the framework of a broader intercontinental faunal exchange that coincided in time with the sea level drop associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis. They are first recorded in Europe (Italy and Spain) by the latest Miocene, being subsequently recorded all over Europe, albeit sparsely, throughout the Pliocene and Pleistocene. These fossil European macaques are attributed to several (sub)species of the extant Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus). In Iberia, fossil macaques are best documented by Macaca sylvanus florentina from various Early Pleistocene sites, whereas their published Pliocene record is very scarce. Here we report the oldest po…

First Early Pliocene micromammal faunas from Venta del Moro (Cabriel Basin, Spain) : new data on the Messinian dispersal of Debruijnimys

The localities of La Bullana 3 and LA Bullana 2B (Valencia, E Spain) have yielded remains of Apodemusgorafensis, Paraethomys aff. abaigari, Stephanomys dubari, Apocricetus barrierei, Sciuridae indet. and Asoriculus cf. gibberodon the former, and Apodemusgorafensis, Paraethomys aff. abaigari, Stephanomys dubari, Apocricetus barrierei, Sciuridae indet., Asoriculus cf. gibberodon, Castillomysgracilis, Occitanomysbrailloni, Occitanomys sp., Paraethomys meini, Ruscinomys sp., Eliomys intermedius, Debruijnimys cf. julii and Atlantoxerussp. the latter. Based on the study of these micromammal assemblages, we propose an Early Pliocene age (MN14) for both sites. The pres-ence a gerbilid related to De…

Sedimentología y paleontología del yacimiento Finimioceno de La Portera (Valencia)

14 páginas, 8 figuras, 1 tabla, 1 lámina.

We describe for the first time the radial sesamoid or “false thumb” of the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), showing its great morphological similarities with that of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the differences with that of the rest of the Ursidae. This points to the existence of a common origin for this structure in both species, but considering the accepted phylogenies of ursids, the sharing of a “false thumb” in T. ornatus and A. melanoleuca would be a plesiomorphy for these groups, whereas in the rest of the ursids the radial sesamoid was probably reduced, lacking the specialised function that this bone has in Tremarctinae and Ailuropodinae.

From 1995 until 2006 new paleontological excavations were carried out at Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain), one of the classical Uppermost Miocene (Upper Turolian, MN 13) vertebrate locality of Spain. In the present paper a preliminary synthesis of the methods and main results are presented. Abundant faunal remains were recovered including ten vertebrate taxa no previously recorded from the site. Up to now 43 mammalian species are known from the site. Preliminary list of others groups, as mollusc, are given. The occurrence of foraminifera is reported for the first time.

Coprolites in natural traps : direct evidence of bone-eating carnivorans from the Late Miocene Batallones-3 site, Madrid, Spain

We describe two carnivoran coprolites found in the pseudokarst natural carnivore trap of Batallones-3, from the Late Miocene of Spain. The larger one, comprising multiple indistinguishable fragments of broken and corroded bones, indicates that the producer of the dropping might have been highly capable of crushing the softer parts of large bones. On the other hand, the smaller one shows several relatively larger and more complete bone fragments, thus exhibiting a greater capacity to break and swallow large portions of bone. The external morphology of the large coprolite is similar to that of extant bears, whereas the smaller one more closely resembles that of the living insectivorous hyaeni…

Une faune très diversifiée du Pléistocène inférieur de la Sierra de Quibas (province de Murcia, Espagne)

The Quaternary karstic site of Sierra de Quibas (Abanilla, province of Murcia, Spain) has provided a wide faunal list with more than 60 species. The assemblage of the taxa Arvicola deucalion, Castillomys rivas rivas, Eliomys intermedius, Equus altidens, Capra sp. aff. C. alba and cf. Praeovibos allows the correlation with other Spanish Lower Pleistocene sites in the Betic Cordillera, as Plines 1, Orce 3 and Venta Micena. Therefore Quibas can be located between 1.3 and 1.0 Ma. The palaeoenvironmental features of the area around the karstic cavity and the palaeoclimatic regime are inferred.

Un nuevo suido con dientes yugales tubulidentados e hipselorrizos del Mioceno inferior de Córcoles, España

[EN] Excavations at Córcoles, Guadalajara, Spain (MN 4) in October 1987, yielded a mandible and several isolated teeth of a strange suiform with tubulidentate cheek teeth, initially interpreted to be the remains of Tubulidentata. The specimens are complete enough to remove any doubt about which Order (Artiodactyla) and Superfamily (Suoidea) they belong to. They are here attributed to the Family Doliochoeridae, being related to the genera Bransatochoerus (MP 30) and Lorancahyus (MN 2) both of which have hypsorhizic cheek teeth, the latter with tubules in the teeth, but not to the fully-expressed extent seen in the fossils from Córcoles and the molars retain a distinct and large pulp cavity, …

Identification problems of arid environments in the Neogene–Quaternary mammal record of Spain

Abstract In this work, we investigate if broadly used methodologies are adequate to detect periods of aridity based on the Spanish fossil record and try to infer which of them were more or less severe. Thus, we present a qualitative statistical approach to two popular palaeoecological methodologies: ecological diversity and cenograms. Discriminant models, derived from modern localities of known biome, determined the probable biomes of Neogene–Quaternary fossil assemblages. Principal component analyses (PCA) provided additional inference on their ordination within an aridity gradient. While models work adequately with modern faunas, the analyses of the palaeocommunities showed that their eco…

The Ventian mammal age (Latest Miocene): present state

[EN] The Ventian land mammal age includes most of the Spanish faunas assigned to the biochronologic unit MN 13. It is correlatable with the Messinian, although it may include, in its latest part, Early Pliocene faunas. We propose that the Ventian begins with the fi rst occurrence of the Muridae genus Stephanomys (7 Ma, paleomagnetic dating from El Bunker, Teruel basin), well recorded in Teruel basin, and ends with the appearance of Promimomys (ca. 5 Ma), also registered in the Teruel basin. We suggest a new reorganization of the Ventian. The first subdivision corresponds to the zone M (Dam et al., 2001). The second, zone N, is proposed here for the first time, being equivalent to the zone w…

On the socio-sexual behaviour of the extinct ursid Indarctos arctoides: an approach based on its baculum size and morphology

The fossil bacula, or os penis, constitutes a rare subject of study due to its scarcity in the fossil record. In the present paper we describe five bacula attributed to the bear Indarctos arctoides Depéret, 1895 from the Batallones-3 site (Madrid Basin, Spain). Both the length and morphology of this fossil bacula enabled us to make interpretative approaches to a series of ecological and ethological characters of this bear. Thus, we suggest that I. arctoides could have had prolonged periods of intromission and/or maintenance of intromission during the post-ejaculatory intervals, a multi-male mating system and large home range sizes and/or lower population density. Its size might also have he…

Systematic revision of the Late Miocene sabre-toothed felid Paramachaerodus in Spain

Abstract:  A systematic revision of the sabre-toothed cat genus Paramachaerodus Pilgrim, 1913 is presented. Two species are recognized within Paramachaerodus, Pa. orientalis, and Pa. maximiliani, and the genus Promegantereon Kretzoi, 1938 is retrieved to include Promegantereon ogygia. Material from the Turolian Spanish localities of Crevillente-2 (MN 11, Alicante) and Las Casiones (MN 13, Teruel), which was previously assigned to Paramachaerodus, is now included in the tribe Metailurini. The exceptional discoveries at the Spanish Vallesian (MN 10, Madrid) fossil site of Batallones-1 have made it possible to characterize the dentition and cranial anatomy of a previously very poorly known mac…

Late Miocene remains from Venta del Moro (Iberian Peninsula) provide further insights on the dispersal of crocodiles across the late Miocene Tethys

The dispersal of Crocodylus from Africa to Europe during the Miocene is not well understood. A small collection of cranial fragments and postcranial elements from the latest Miocene (6.2 Ma) site of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain) have previously been referred to Crocodylus cf. C. checchiai Maccagno, 1947 without accompanying descriptions. Here we describe and figure for the first time the crocodylian remains from Venta del Moro, which represent at least two individuals. Our comparisons indicate that this material clearly does not belong to Diplocynodon or Tomistoma - the only two other crocodylians described so far for the European late Miocene. The material is only tentatively referred t…

Late Miocene turnover in the Spanish mammal record in relation to palaeoclimate and the Messinian Salinity Crisis

Abstract The latest Miocene and earliest Pliocene is a period of marked changes in geography and climate in the circum-Mediterranean area. Its geographical situation gives Spain a key position, and its fossil mammal record reflects these important geographical and climatic changes particularly well. The Spanish mammal record shows a gradual change of composition towards the typical Pleistocene and recent fauna, marked by several extinction and dispersal events. These events have the effect that northern Eurasian elements increase, while taxa that locally go extinct may live on in tropical areas. Superposed on this large scale trend, there are some events of short lived incursions of animals…

Fossil remains of Macaca sylvanus florentina (Cocchi, 1872) (Primates, Cercopithecidae) from the Early Pleistocene of Quibas (Murcia, Spain)

The macaque material from the Early Pleistocene site of Quibas (Albanilla, Murcia, Spain), including dentognathic remains, isolated teeth and some postcranial bone fragments, is described. Both metrically and morphologically, this sample must be attributed to Macaca sylvanus (the Barbary macaque). This species is currently distributed through North Africa and Gibraltar, but was much more widely distributed during the Plio-Pleistocene, being represented by several European fossil subspecies. Metrical comparisons of dental size and proportions between extant M. s. sylvanus and fossil Macaca sylvanus florentina from the type locality and other Italian sites are undertaken, in order to classify…

The Quaternary karstic site of Sierra de Quibas (Abanilla, Murcia, Spain) has provided a wide faunistic list with 53 species distributed among gastropods, myriapods, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Especially interesting among the gastropods is Palaeoglandina that became extinct in Europe during the Pliocene. It remains as a relict genus in the Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula. Two of the birds, Gypaetus barbatus and Geronticus eremita, and a snake, Elaphe cf. E. sealaris, are scarcely represented in the fossil record. For several birds, it is the first record in the Lower Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula. Among the mammals, the presence of the Cercopithecine Macaca sylvanu…

Evidence for an African-Iberian mammal dispersal during the pre-evaporitic Messinian

The accurate timing of biogeographic dispersal can be determined by examining the age of fossiliferous strata on either side of a physical barrier. Here we show that African mammals migrated to Iberia and European mammals migrated to North Africa at the same time before isolation of the Mediterranean Sea during the Messinian. The fossil site of Venta del Moro (Spain) exhibits western Europe’s most complete vertebrate fauna for the latest Miocene. Its uniquely cosmopolitan assemblage is evidence of faunal dispersals from Africa and Asia to Europe during the latest Miocene glaciation. A preliminary paleomagnetic study suggested an age of 5.8 Ma for this site, but our expanded magnetostratigra…

We describe the first remains of Canidae from the Lower Pleistocene karstic locality of Quibas (Abanillas, Murcia) that increasing the representation of carnivores in this site. These fossils are identified as Vulpes praeglacialis, the typical Lower Pleistocene fox. This assignment is based on their small size and the poorly developed posterior cuspid of the p/3.