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…

The southernmost Miocene occurrence of the last European herpetotheriid Amphiperatherium frequens (Metatheria, Mammalia)

Abstract The present work provides for the first time a detailed description of teeth attributable to metatherians in the Miocene fossil record of Spain, and justifies their generic and specific ascription. The fossil elements found correspond to Amphiperatherium frequens, the last herpetotheriid that inhabited Europe. This is so far the southernmost occurrence of this species, thus showing that its geographic range extended further southward than previously thought.

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…

Mio-Pliocene rodent assemblages from Alcoi Forn (Alcoy Basin, Eastern Spain). Biostratigraphical and palaeoclimatical inferences

AbstractIn this work, we describe four new micromammal sites in the northern side of the Gormaget ravine, in the Alcoy Basin (Spain): AF-1’06, AF-1’07, AF-1A and AF-2. Based on the study of the faunal remains from these localities, we infer a latest Turolian-earliest Ruscinian age for AF-1’06 and AF-1A, and an earliest Ruscinian age for AF-1’07 and AF-2. The species assemblage of the locality AF-1’06, the only one which have yielded a sufficient number of remains to perform a palaecological analysis, shows warm and dry conditions near the Mio-Pliocene boundary in the Alcoy Basin. These data show a reduction of dry and warm indicators from older to younger localities in the Alcoy Basin, sugg…

Giraffid remains from several Neogene localities from the Temel Basin (Spain) are stu­ died. The material belongs to the following sites: Masia de la Roma and Masia del Barbo (Vallesian); Masada del Valle 2 (Turolian); La Gloria 4 and La Calera (Alfambrian). Fos­ sils recently obtained are described, with special emphasis on the Pliocene taxa that were previously unrecorded in this basin. The presence of Decennatheriumpachecoi in the Va­ llesian and Birgerbohlinia schaubi in the Turolian is specified here. In order to make a dis­ tinction between both species two characteristics can be pointed out among the rest: the postcranial skeleton of Decennatherium is more slender than the one of Bir…

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…

The fossil rodent faunas of the localities Alcoy 2C and 2D (Alcoy Basin, Spain). Implications for dating the classical locality of Alcoy-Mina

In the Gormaig area (Alcoy basin, SE Spain) a number of fossil mammal localities are known, of which only the classic site of Alcoy-Mina, known since the mid-19th century, has yielded remains of macrofauna. In the vicinity of this site are the localities of Alcoy-2C (AL2C) and Alcoy-2D (AL2D), probably representing the levels of Alcoy-Mina. The faunal assemblage allows dating the AL2C and AL2D localities as Early Pliocene (end of the Early Ruscinian or early-late Ruscinian boundary, MN14-MN15). Several taxa (Pliopetaurista and Glis) are thought to have affinities for humid and close biotopes. En el área del Gormaig (cuenca de Alcoy, SE España), se conocen toda una serie de yacimientos de ma…

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…

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…

A new approach to the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene forms of the genus Apocricetus. Apocricetus alberti (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Venta del Moro (Cabriel Basin, Spain)

Abstract The species of the genus Apocricetus are considered to form the phyletic lineage A. aff. plinii (MN11)– A. plinii – A. alberti – A. barrierei – A. angustidens (MN16). Along this lineage, gradual morphological and biometrical changes occur, but not all the species are represented by rich populations. The assemblage of Apocricetus alberti from Venta del Moro is by far the most abundant collection of this species. This population shows a great morphological variability in some characters like the morphology of the anteroconid and the anterolophulids in m1 and the shape of the anterolophule in M1, with morphotypes that resemble both older and younger populations of Apocricetus . Along …

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…

Fossil micromammals of the early Pliocene locality of Almenara MB: biostratigraphical and palaeoecological implications

In this work, we have studied the fossil rodent, insectivore and chiropteran faunas, of a new locality from the AlmenaraCasablanca karstic complex, named ACB MB (Castellón, east Spain). We consider an early Ruscinian age for this site, close to the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, and infer warm and relatively humid conditions from the analysis of the micromammal assemblage. We remark the presence of two species of Eliomys in ACB MB, rare in localities of this age, and the lack of any gerbil remains, fossil markers of faunal interchanges between Africa and Europe in the context of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, recorded in the nearby late Miocene site of ACB M

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.

Bats from the classical site of Venta del Moro (Late Miocene, Eastern Spain)

The presence of bat fossils in localities of fluvio-lacustrine origin is quite uncommon, and usually these remains are poorly preserved or not studied in detail. In the present work we study the ba...

En el presente trabajo se estudian dos nuevos yacimientos descubiertos recientemente en el area de Crevillente (Alicante), los cuales han proporcionado restos de macromamiferos. Ambos afloramientos, denominados Crevillente 15 y Crevillente 16, se encuentran proximos entre si, y sus respectivas asociaciones fosiles son muy semejantes, indicando una edad Turoliense medio (MN12). Desde el punto de vista geologico, se ha precisado la posicion estratigrafica de las localidades con respecto a Crevillente 2, que es el yacimiento mas importante de los conocidos en esta area. Ademas, tambien se ha descrito la estratigrafia de detalle del tramo en que se encuentran los dos niveles estudiados. Por otr…

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.

Vegetation and climate in the eastern Iberian Peninsula during the pre-evaporitic Messinian (late Miocene). Palynological data from the Upper Turolian of Venta del Moro (Spain)

International audience; The present paper reports a complete palynological study of the Upper Turolian sediments outcropping at the Venta del Moro site (eastern Iberian Peninsula). The pollen assemblages observed mainly reflect the local and regional vegetation, which must have formed part of a wetland ecosystem within a general setting of open steppe, as indicated by the great abundance and diversity of herbaceous pollen. This reflects the persistence of open vegetation in the Iberian Peninsula after the Middle Miocene when it became extensive. We here report the most recent record of Disanthus for the Iberian Peninsula. This shrub played an important role in an unusual, edaphically-mediat…

The first palaeontological study of the locality of Quibas dates from the end of the 1990ties (Montoya et al., 1999), describing over 60 vertebrate taxa. One of these was a caprine assigned to Capra sp. aff. Capra alba. Recent excavations yielded new remains of this taxon, which permits a more profound study of its affinities and an assignation to Capra alba, without reservation. This assignation is based on the morphological and metrical comparison of the skulls, horn cores, dentition and metapodials from Quibas with those of Capra alba from Venta Micena (Orce Granada).

Paracamelichnum Jumillensisn.ichnogen. n.ichnosp., Upper Miocene Camelidae Ichnites from the Hoya de la Sima site (Murcia, Spain)

In the proximity of Jumilla (Murcia, Spain) there is a site called Hoya de la Sima with mammal footprints dating from the Upper Miocene. This site is an old gypsum quarry where footprints of Hipparion, Pecoripeda, Carnivora, Ursidae, and Proboscidea were discovered. While the site was being cleaned and conditioned after the discovery to protect the prints, Camelidae and other prints were unearthed and are currently being studied. The description of the Camelidae ichnites demonstrates that these belong to a new ichnogenera, produced by the prints of Paracamelus. The grouping of trackways is congruent with the gregariousness of these animals and with the concentration observed in similar site…

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 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…

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.