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We report the finding of two partial specimens of Cryptolepas rhachianecti (Cirripedia, Coronulidae), a coronulid barnacle known only to inhabit the skin of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), in Pleistocene-aged sediments from the Canoa Basin, Ecuador. While the historical range of gray whales includes the North Pacific and North Atlantic, to our knowledge this is the first inferred evidence of a gray whale population having resided within the South Pacific. We describe the two Cryptolepas rhachianecti fossils, use isotopic analysis to investigate evidence of migration in their host whales, and discuss their implications for our understanding of gray whale evolutionary history.

Eomellivora is a large-bodied mellivorine mustelid genus widely distributed throughout Eurasia and North America during the late Miocene (MN9-MN13). Here, we report the oldest Eurasian material of Eomellivora based on a palate and two mandibular fragments from ACM/PTA-A2, a pre-Vallesian (11.21 Ma; latest MN7+8) locality of Abocador de Can Mata (Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula) that slightly predates the first appearance datum of Hippotherium by ~30 kyr. The described material differs from Hoplictis helbingi - another large mustelid recorded within the same basin in the roughly coeval site of Castell de Barberà (~11.2, earliest MN9) - and more closely resembles Eomellivora spp. Despite closer resemblances in both size and dental shape with the Vallesian (MN9-MN10) species Eomellivora piveteaui, the ACM material differs in possessing multiple features that may be considered plesiomorphic. A new species, Eomellivora moralesi sp. nov., is thus erected based on the described material. A cladistic analysis confirms that the new species occupies a basal-most position within the Eomellivora clade, in agreement with its older age and more plesiomorphic morphology.

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 to cf. Crocodylus sp. because the apomorphies of this genus are not preserved and a referral to C. checchiai cannot be supported on a morphological basis. However, it is likely that this late Miocene species, originally described from Libya (As Sahabi) and later identified also in Kenya, could have dispersed across the Mediterranean Basin multiple times and colonized the southern areas of Mediterranean Europe, as evidenced by several Crocodylus or Crocodylus-like remains described during the past years., This research has beenfunded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PGC2018-094122-B-100), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (CGL2016-76431-P; AEI/FEDER, UE), the Research Groups CSIC 64 1538 and CAM-UCM 910607, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme, consolidated research group 2017 SGR 116 GRC to D.M.A., and Beatriu de Pinós contract 2017BP 00223 from AGAUR to J.A.). E.T. contributed to thisproject while funded by the European Union’s FP7programunder the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no.609402 - 2020 researchers: Train to Move (T2M). À.H.L.isfinancially supported through a postdoctoral grant from Operational Programme Research, Development and Education—Project‘ Postdoc@MUNI’ (no. CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_027/0008360). M.D. acknowledges also the University of Turin (Fondi di Ateneo 2018 and 2019).

New Pleistocene fossilized turtle remains from five localities of western Ecuador (Santa Elena Province) are described here. All these shell (carapace and plastron) fossil remains come from the Tablazo Formation and belong to three different lineages of cryptodires (“hidden-necked” turtles). The most abundant remains belong to geoemydids, attributed here to the genus Rhinoclemmys (indeterminate species). Less abundant in occurrence are the kinosternidids, attributed to Kinosternon (indeterminate species), and the first fossil record of chelydrids, Chelydra(indeterminate species), in the entirety of Central and South America.

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 member of the Ailuropodinae, suggesting that the panda lineage might have originated from an Ursavus ancestor. The role of the purported ailuropodine Agriarctos, from the Miocene of Europe, in the origins of this clade has been generally dismissed due to the paucity of the available material. Here, we describe a new ailuropodine genus, Kretzoiarctos gen. nov., based on remains from two Middle Miocene (ca. 12–11 Ma) Spanish localities. A cladistic analysis of fossil and extant members of the Ursoidea confirms the inclusion of the new genus into the Ailuropodinae. Moreover, Kretzoiarctos precedes in time the previously-known, Late Miocene members of the giant panda clade from Eurasia (Agriarctos and Ailurarctos). The former can be therefore considered the oldest recorded member of the giant panda lineage, which has significant implications for understanding the origins of this clade from a paleobiogeographic viewpoint.

Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya Altres ajuts: research groups CSIC-64-1538 and CAM-UCM-910607 Carnivoran-dominated fossil sites are scarce in the fossil record but provide precious information on the diversity and ecology of past carnivoran guilds. The Cerro de los Batallones sites host the oldest carnivoran-dominated assemblages, with the highest carnivoran abundances observed in the fossil record. Batallones-3 (Late Miocene, Madrid Basin, Spain) hosts three discrete, carnivoran-dominated fossiliferous levels deposited in a 15m-diameter, 4m-high pseudokarstic cavity with 1m-high talus cone located beneath the mouth of the cavity on the roof. Levels I, II and III are multitaxic multidominant assemblages, with the sabretooth cats Promegantereon ogygia and Machairodus aphanistus and the ursid Indarctos arctoides being the most abundant species. These carnivoran-dominated assemblages are autochthonous and show diagenetically fractured but well-preserved remains (complete, little to no weathering or abrasion). Root marks and manganese oxide precipitation are common and more abundant in Level III, due to modern pedogenic processes. There are also a few allochthonous, badly preserved (weathered and abraded) herbivore remains that were washed into the cavity. The taphonomic homogeneity of all three levels suggests recurring taphonomic and geologic processes throughout the accumulation of infill in the cave. The trap-like nature of the cave, unbroken and largely unweathered carnivoran bones suggest these predators intentionally jumped into the cave but were unable to escape.

In the present paper, we describe the craniodental remains of three individuals of an amphicyonid previously determined as Thaumastocyon sp. from the late Miocene (c. 9.1 Ma) pseudokarstic site of Batallones-3. Dentognathic differences in relation to other Thaumastocyoninae enable a new taxon, Ammitocyon kainos gen. et sp. nov., to be defined; it is both the most recent and the most complete member of this subfamily known in the fossil record. The results of our phylogenetic analysis demonstrate that this new form reached the maximum degree of specialization within Thaumastocyoninae, a group that includes the most hypercarnivorous amphicyonid species of the Miocene. The masticatory apparatus of A. kainos is extremely derived, with the loss of the mesial premolars (P3 / P2 and p1–p3) and the third molars (M3 / m3). The robustness of the chin and muzzle is in contrast with the slender and highly sectorial postcanine dentition (p4 / m2 and P4 / M2), features that are consistent with the values provided by an analysis of the bending resistance of the mandible performed for these specimens. All the anatomical features combined, both cranial and postcranial, reveal the complexity of the body plan of A. kainos. This species combines a derived hypercarnivorous dentition with one of the most robust postcranial skeletons recorded for all large caniform carnivorans, outlining an enigmatic taxon that possesses unique ecological adaptations., The present study was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Research Projects PGC2018-094122-B100 and CGL2016-76431-P) (AEI/FEDER, UE), the Research Groups CSIC 64 1538 and CAM-UCM 910607, the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme, and Beatriu de Pinós contract 2017 BP 00223 from AGAUR to JA), and Gobierno de Aragón (E33_17R). Additionally, our research received funding from the SYNTHESYS Project http://www.synthesys.info/, which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 ‘Capacities’ Program under the grant agreement (SYNTHESYS; CZ-TAF-3329) with JA. The ‘Juan de la Cierva Formación’ program (FJC2018-036669-I), from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities also funded AV.

Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. Government of Aragon (Group ref. E33_17R and Group ref. E33_20R), Research Groups CSIC 64 1538 and UCM 910607 The Amphicyoninae of the early Miocene from the locality of Tuchořice, the Czech Republic, are represented by three species. Two of them are classified within the tribe Amphicyonini: Paludocyon bohemicus (Schlosser, 1899) as the type species of Paludocyon n. gen., and a large-sized amphicyonid determined as Megamphicyon carnutense (Antunes et Ginsburg, 1977). Dehmicyon n. gen. aff. schlosseri is determined by two small teeth. This new genus has been proposed for the species Amphicyon schlosseri Dehm, 1950 from Wintershof-West and is tentatively included in the tribe Pseudarctini nov. together with the genera Ictiocyon and Pseudarctos. This association of Amphicyoninae provides valuable information on the taxonomy and systematics of this subfamily during the early Miocene, at which time important environmental changes were taking place in Europe, which undoubtedly affected the evolution of Amphicyonidae.

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 Debruijnimys julii in La Bullana 2B open new questions about the phylogenetic relationship between Debruijni-mys species from the Miocene and Pliocene of the Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, preliminary paleomagnetic data indicate an age between 4.997 Ma and 4.896 Ma for La Bullana 2B, and between 5.235 Ma and 4.997 Ma for La Bullana 3. Las localidades de La Bullana 3 y La Bullana 2B (Valencia, E Spain) han cedido restos de Apodemusgorafensis, Paraethomys aff. abaigari, Stephanomys dubari, Apocricetus barrierei, Sciuridae indet. y Asoriculus cf. gibberodon la primera,y 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 y Atlantoxerussp. la segunda. Basándonos en el estudio de estas ascociaciones de micromamíferos, proponemos una edad correspondiente al Plioceno inferior (MN14) para ambos yacimientos. La presencia de un gerbílido relacionado con Debruijnimys julii en La Bullana 2B plantea nuevas preguntas acerca de la relación filogenética entre las especies de Debruijnimys del Mioceno y Plioceno. Además, datos paleomagnéticos preliminares indican una edad entre 4.997 Ma y 4.896 Ma para La Bullana 2B, y entre 5.235 Ma y 4.997 Ma para La Bullana 3.

Altres ajuts: Research Groups CSIC 64 1538 and CAM-UCM910607 The occurrence and diversity of elasmobranchs from the Oligocene-Miocene boundary from Tropical America is poorly known in comparison with the paleodiversity from younger Neogene intervals of the region. Here we describe a new elasmobranch assemblage from the rich fossil site of Montañita-Olón (Dos Bocas Formation, Santa Elena, Ecuador), where other vertebrates have already been described: for example, sea turtles and cetaceans. We report a total of 27 elasmobranch taxa, 19 of which are new fossil records for Ecuador, 10 new records for the Central Eastern Pacific and four new records for South America. Additionally, in order to reconstruct the environment where these marine remains were deposited, we performed abundance, paleobathymetric and habitat preference analyses, concluding that they were likely deposited in an outer neritic (open shelf) environment. The study of Oligocene and early Miocene marine elasmobranchs faunas in Tropical America is key to addressing the issues in the evolutionary history of this group.

[EN] We describe dentognathic remains of four individuals of the poorly known mustelid Circamustela Petter, 1967 from the late Miocene sites of Batallones-3 and 5 (MN10, Torrejon de Velasco, Madrid, Spain). These new fossils allow us to describe Circamustela peignei n. sp., a more primitive species than Circamustela dechaseauxi Petter, 1967 from Can Llobateres (MN9, Vallès Penedès Basin, Spain). Circamustela peignei n. sp. shows, among other features, an M1 with a more developed metacone, a smaller metastylar area, a mesially located protocone, and a more developed m1 metaconid compared to that of C. dechaseauxi. The new taxon differs from most Euroasian Miocene marten-like mustelids, such as the middle Miocene martens “Martes” sansaniensis (Lartet, 1851), and “Martes” filholi Depéret, 1887, the vallesian Martes meli-bulla Petter, 1963 and the Turolian/Ventian Martes woodwardi Pilgrim, 1931, Martes ginsburgi Montoya, Morales & Abella, 2011, Pekania palaeosinensis (Zdansky, 1924), and Paramartes pococki Kretzoi, 1952, in smaller size, a reduced lingual platform of the M1 and a more reduced m1 talonid and m2. However, C. peignei n. sp. is closer to the Chinese and Greek hypercarnivorous Sinictis dolichognathus Zdansky, 1924. Circamustela spp., and Sinictis Zdansky, 1924 can be interpreted as adapted to a more carnivorous diet than those of the more generalist martens, such as Martes spp., Paramartes Kretzoi, 1952 and Pekania spp., [FR] Les restes dentognathiques de quatre individus d’un mustélidé peu connu Circamustela Petter, 1967, sont décrits. Ces nouveaux fossiles provenant du Miocène supérieur de Batallones-3 et 5 (MN10, Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Espagne) nous permettent de définir une nouvelle espèce, Circamustela peignei n. sp., plus primitive que Circamustela dechaseauxiPetter, 1967 de Can Llobateres (bassin de Vallès Penedès, MN9, Espagne). Comparé à C. dechaseauxi, C. peignein. sp. possède, entre autres, une M1 avec le métacone plus développé, une plus petite zone métastylaire et un protocone situé mésialement et une m1 dont le métaconide est plus développé. Cette nouvelle espèce diffère de la plupart des mustélidés du Miocène euroasiatique de type martre, comme “Martes” sansaniensis (Lar-tet, 1851) et “Martes” filholi Depéret, 1887 du Miocène moyen, Martes melibulla Petter, 1963 du Vallesien et Martes woodwardi Pilgrim, 1931, Martes ginsburgi Montoya, Morales & Abella, 2011, Pekania palaeosinensis (Zdansky, 1924) et Paramartes pocockiKretzoi, 1952du Turolien /Ventien par sa taille moindre, la réduction de la plate-forme linguale de la M1 et un talonide de la m2 plus petit. Circamustela peignei n. sp. est plus proche de l’espèce hypercarnivore Sinictis dolichognathusZdansky, 1924 de Chine et de Grèce. En ce sens, Circamustela spp. et Sinictis Zdansky, 1924 peuvent être interprétés comme étant adaptés à un régime plus carnivore que celui des martres les plus généralistes telles que Martes spp., Paramartes Kretzoi, 1952 et Pekania spp., The support of the DST-NFR Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE-Pal) toward this research for A. V. (COE2018-09POST and COE2019-PD07) is hereby acknowledged. A.P.R. is a pre-doctoral FPI fellow-ship (BES-2013-065469) of the project CGL2012-37866. This study was also supported by PGC2018-094122-B-100 (Ministerio de Investigación e Innovación), Agencia Estatal de Investigación-European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (CGL2016-76431-P, AEI/FEDER, EU), the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme and Beatriu de Pinós contract 2017 BP 00223 from AGAUR to J.A), and the research group UCM 910607.

This study is one of the palaeontological research proj­ects subsidized by the Departamento de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte­ Gobierno de Aragon and Grupo de Investigacion de Referencia E04_17R FOCONTUR cofinanciado por el Departamento de Innovacion, Investigacion y Universidad (Gobierno de Aragon) y fondos FEDER Aragon 2014­2020, “Construyendo Europa desde Aragon”; the Instituto Aragones de Fomento. DH is researcher in formation in the FPU 2013 program granted by the Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte, Spain). The support of the DST­NFR Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE­Pal) toward this research for A.V. (COE2018­09POST and COE2019­PD07) is hereby acknowledged. This study was supported by the Spanish Research Projects CGL 2015­68333­P and CGL2016­76431­P (AEI/ FEDER, UE), the BSCH­UCM910607 of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Research Groups CSIC 64 1538 and CAM­UCM 910607, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme, and Beatriu de Pinos contract 2017 BP 00223 from AGAUR to JA).

The rich fossiliferous locality of Rudabanya (Hungary) is dated to the Vallesian (late Miocene, MN 9). It contains several taxa of the order Carnivora. The aim of the present paper is to describe remains belonging to a new genus and species of Ursidae, Miomaci panonnicum. It is represented by upper and lower teeth which are compared to other Miocene ursids. Miomaci nov. gen. is most similar to Indarctos and is attributed to the tribe Indarctini within the sub-family of the Giant Panda, Ailuropodinae. Study of the dental micro-wear, despite the small sample size, shows that its diet was composed by tough food with shearing and less crushing mastication, indicating ecological similarities with the Giant Panda. Its habitat was probably a lakeshore with abundant herbaceous monocots.

Villa A, Abella J, Alba DM, Almécija S, Bolet A, Koufos GD, et al., Monitor lizards (genus Varanus) inhabited Europe at least from the early Miocene to the Pleistocene. Their fossil record is limited to about 40 localities that have provided mostly isolated vertebrae. Due to the poor diagnostic value of these fossils, it was recently claimed that all the European species described prior to the 21st century are not taxonomically valid and a new species, Varanus amnhophilis, was erected on the basis of fragmentary material including cranial elements, from the late Miocene of Samos (Greece). We re-examined the type material of Varanus marathonensis Weithofer, 1888, based on material from the late Miocene of Pikermi (Greece), and concluded that it is a valid, diagnosable species. Previously unpublished Iberian material from the Aragonian (middle Miocene) of Abocador de Can Mata (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Barcelona) and the Vallesian (late Miocene) of Batallones (Madrid Basin) is clearly referable to the same species on a morphological basis, further enabling to provide an emended diagnosis for this species. Varanus amnhophilis appears to be a junior subjective synonym of V. marathonensis. On the basis of the most complete fossil Varanus skeleton ever described, it has been possible to further resolve the internal phylogeny of this genus by cladistically analyzing 80 taxa coded for 495 morphological and 5729 molecular characters. Varanus marathonensis was a large-sized species distributed at relatively low latitudes in both southwestern and southeastern Europe from at least MN7+8 to MN12. Our cladistic analysis nests V. marathonensis into an eastern clade of Varanus instead of the African clade comprising Varanus griseus, to which it had been related in the past. At least two different Varanus lineages were present in Europe during the Neogene, represented by Varanus mokrensis (early Miocene) and V. marathonensis (middle to late Miocene), respectively., This research has been supported by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad)–European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (CGL2016-76431-P and CGL2017-82654-P, AEI/FEDER EU), by the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme) and by the Italian MIUR (PRIN 2009MSSS9L_002). The study of the Batallones material was carried out thanks to the SYNTHESYS Project funded by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 ‘Structuring the European Research Area’ Programme (ES-TAF-1975 to MD). Access to the collections of Natural History Museum Wien was also possible thanks to a SYNTHESYS grant (AT-TAF-4591) to AV. AB is a Newton International Fellow (NF160464), funded by the Royal Society. Fieldwork at ACM was funded by CESPA Gestión de Residuos, S.A.U. The Cerro the los Batallones project was funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (CGL2015-68333-P), the Research Groups CSIC 641538 and CAM-UCM 910607, and the Dirección General de Patrimonio (Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid).

Carnivore-rich fossil sites are uncommon in the fossil record and, accordingly, provide valuable opportunities to study predators from vantages that are rarely applied to ancient faunas. Through stable isotopes of carbon and a Bayesian mixing model, we analyze time-successive (nearly contemporaneous), late Miocene carnivoran populations from two fossil sites (Batallones-1 and Batallones-3) from central Spain. Stable isotopes of carbon in tooth enamel provide a reliable and direct methodology to track ancient diets. These two carnivoran-dominated fossil sites display differences in the composition and abundance of the carnivoran species, with some species present at both sites and some present only at one site. This disparity has been interpreted as the consequence of habitat differences between Batallones-1, the older site, and Batallones-3, the younger site. However, carbon isotope values of carnivore and herbivore tooth enamel suggest a common habitat of C3 woodland originally present at both sites. The differences in the carnivoran faunas rather may be the consequence of the dynamics of species entrance and exit from the Madrid Basin during the time elapsed between Batallones-1 and Batallones-3 and changes in population densities due to biotic factors. We infer higher levels of interspecific competition in Batallones-3 than in Batallones-1 because of the larger number of similar-sized, sympatric predators; the clear overlap in their δ13C values (except for the amphicyonid Magericyon anceps); and similarity of their preferred prey: the hipparionine horses. Finally, carbon stable isotopic composition of Indarctos arctoides teeth implies that this ursid was a carnivorous omnivore rather than a herbivorous omnivore. This work demonstrates the insights that stable isotopes can provide in characterizing the feeding ecology and trophic interactions of ancient carnivoran taxa., This study was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) 696 project CGL2011-25754.

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

The evolution and occurrence of fossil sea turtles at the Pacific margin of South America is poorly known and restricted to Neogene (Miocene/Pliocene) findings from the Pisco Formation, Peru. Here we report and describe the first record of Oligocene (late Oligocene, ∼24 Ma) Pan-Cheloniidae sea turtle remains of South America. The fossil material corresponds to a single, isolated and well-preserved costal bone found at the Montañita/Olón locality, Santa Elena Province, Ecuador. Comparisons with other Oligocene and extant representatives allow us to confirm that belongs to a sea turtle characterized by: lack of lateral ossification, allowing the dorsal exposure of the distal end of ribs; dorsal surface of bone sculptured, changing from dense vermiculation at the vertebral scute region to anastomosing pattern of grooves at the most lateral portion of the costal. This fossil finding shows the high potential that the Ecuadorian Oligocene outcrops have in order to explore the evolution and paleobiogeography distribution of sea turtles by the time that the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans were connected via the Panama basin.

A new small probable Oligocene dolphin from Ecuador represents a new genus and species, Urkudelphis chawpipacha. The new taxon is known from a single juvenile skull and earbones; it differs from other archaic dolphins in features including widely exposed frontals at the vertex, a dorsally wide open vomer at the mesorostral groove, and a strongly projected and pointed lateral tuberosity of the periotic. Phylogenetic analysis places it toward the base of the largely-extinct clade Platanistoidea. The fossil is one of a few records of tropical fossil dolphins.

Here, we revise all the published and unpublished scimitar-toothed cat remains from the Valles-Penedes Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), in order to confirm their taxonomic attribution to Machairodus aphanistus as well as to provide more precise information about its chronological distribution in this basin. The studied material (including dentognathic as well as postcranial remains) comes from the following localities: Can Mata indeterminate (late MN7+8 or MN9), Creu Conill 22 (MN9), Can Poncic 1 (MN9), Can Llobateres 1 (MN9), Santiga (MN9), La Tarumba 1 (MN10), Viladecavalls (MN10), Ronda Oest Sabadell ROS-D3 (MN10), and Torrent de Febulines (MN10). Most of the studied material fits well with the morphologic and metrical features characteristic of the Vallesian species M. aphanistus , with the exception of the remains from Creu Conill 22 (an undescribed partial P4 formerly attributed to this taxon), which belongs in fact to a medium-sized hyaenid. From a biostratigraphic viewpoint, the removal of the Creu Conill material from the hypodigm of M. aphanistus has important implications, because this locality (11.1 Ma) was considered to record the first appearance datum of this taxon in the Valles-Penedes Basin. However, the report of a previously unpublished talus from Can Mata (late MN7+8 or MN9) indicates that this taxon was present in this basin at least by the earliest Vallesian. Therefore, our results indicate that the first appearance datum of Machairodus in the Valles-Penedes Basin might be somewhat younger than previously assumed, although dating uncertainties for the Can Mata remains preclude a more precise assessment. In contrast, the new mandibular remains from ROS-D3 (MN10) are likely coeval with those from La Tarumba 1, with the last appearance datum of M. aphanistus in the Valles-Penedes Basin corresponding to Torrent de Febulines (ca. 9.1 Ma). The postcranial material described from various Valles-Penedes localities further indicates that M. aphanistus displayed less cursorial adaptations than its purported descendant Homotherium .

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 magnetostratigraphy dates the site at 6.23 Ma. In addition, we recalibrated the paleomagnetic age of the Librilla site (Spain) and the North Africa site of Afoud-1 (Morocco) using the Astronomical Tuned Neogene Time Scale. Our results show a two-way African-Iberian mammal dispersal just before 6.2 Ma. These new ages indicate that an ephemeral land corridor existed between the two continents 250 k.y. before the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, reflecting a tentative initial isolation of the Mediterranean Sea. This corridor developed after tectonics closed the Betic Seaway at 6.3 Ma and during the intensification of the latest Miocene glaciation at 6.26 Ma, when water circulation in the Mediterranean became very restricted.

New remains of felid jaws and teeth are described from several localities of the local stratigraphic series of Abocador de Can Mata (ca. 11.9 to 11.6 Ma, Middle Miocene; Valles-Penedes Basin, Catalonia, Spain). Three different taxa are identified: Styriofelis turnauensis , Pseudaelurus romieviensis and Pseudaelurus quadridentatus . The described remains of P. romieviensis enable extending considerably the chronological range of this species in the Iberian Peninsula, in agreement with its record in the rest of Europe. Moreover, it is shown for the first time that P. romieviensis may possess a p2. The presence of this tooth therefore does not constitue a valid diagnostic feature to distinguish P. romieviensis from P. quadridentatus .

We describe cranial and mandibular remains of three undescribed individuals of the giant mustelid Megalictis ferox Matthew, 1907 from the latest Arikareean (Ar4), Early Miocene mammal fauna of Nebraska, and Wyoming (USA) housed at the American Museum of Natural History (New York, USA). Our phylogenetic hypothesis indicates that Ar4 specimens assigned to M. ferox constitute a monophyletic group. We assign three additional species previously referred to Paroligobunis to Megalictis: M. simplicidens, M. frazieri, and “M.” petersoni. The node containing these four species of Megalictis and Oligobunis forms the Oligobuninae. We test the hypothesis that Oligobuninae (Megalictis and Oligobunis) is a stem mustelid taxon. Our results indicate that the Oligobuninae form the sister clade to the crown extant mustelids. Based on the cranium, M. ferox is a jaguar-size mustelid and the largest terrestrial mustelid known to have existed. This new material also sheds light on a new ecomorphological interpretation of M. ferox as a bone-crushing durophage (similar to hyenas), rather than a cat-like hypercarnivore, as had been previously described. The relative large size of M. ferox, together with a stout rostrum and mandible made it one of the more powerful predators of the Early Miocene of the Great Plains of North America., A.V. has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 226506 (SYNTHESYS; SE-TAF-3637), the USC School of Medicine (Columbia, South Carolina, USA), the AMNH (Collection Study Grant Program 2014) and the International Travel Grant 2015 from the Vertebrate Paleontology department of FLMNH from UF. A.V. is researcher in formation in the CSIC program JAE-PRE_CP2011 (CSIC program "Junta para la ampliación de estudios"), co-funded by the European Social Fund. A.P.R. is a pre-doctoral FPI fellowship (BES-2013-065469) of the project CGL2012-37866. This study was also supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (research project CGL2015-68333, CGL2011-28877 and CGL2011-28681), the research group BSCHUCM 910607 and University of South Carolina School of Medicine (Columbia, South Carolina, USA).

A new species of canid (Eucyon debonisi n. sp.) is described from the late Miocene of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). The new species is smaller than all the other Eucyon species, excepting E. intrepidus from the late Miocene of Lukeino (Kenya). Eucyon debonisi n. sp. is characterized by the greater size of the M2 in relation with the M1, showing comparable morphology with E. monticinensis, but this new species has a stronger parastyle, a less developed lingual cingulum and a more closed valley in the talon of the M1. Besides, it has a more slender dentition and mandible than E. monticinensis and possesses a diastema between p1 and p2 and between p2 and p3. Excepting the problematic Cants cipio from the middle Turolian locality of Concud (Spain), E. debonisi n. sp. represents the first modern canid that reached western Europe.

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 distributed from the Late Miocene through the Pliocene across Europe, southwestern Asia, Pakistan, and China, until now its occurence in the Late Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula had not been documented conclusively. Hence, the reported remains considerably enlarge southwestwards the known geographic distribution of Mesopithecus. The presence of this genus at Venta del Moro must be understood within the framework of the significant faunal turnover that took place in European faunas during the latest Turolian (the second Messinian mammalian dispersal), which is further documented at this locality by the occurrence of other eastern immigrants. At the same time, the presence of M. pentelicus at this site agrees well with previous paleoenvironmental and sedimentological evidence, indicating a lacustrine depositional environment with strong hydrologic seasonality., This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL0211-28681, CGL2011-25754, CGL2011-27343, CGL2014-54373-P, and RYC-2009-04533 to D.M.A.), the Spanish Ministerio de Educación (AP2010-4579 to M.P.), and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014 SGR 416 GRC).

© 2015, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Carnivore mammals (Carnivora, Mammalia) constitute a significant component of the Spanish Neogene faunas, not so much due to their fossil abundance, which is generally low, but rather because of their high degree of taxonomic diversity. We assessed their evolutionary dynamics from the fossil record of Iberian carnivores using per-taxon rates of origination, extinctions and turnover combined with a recent approach for removing the sampling signal from diversity curves. Our analysis interval covers most of the Neogene and the early Pleistocene (MN 2 to MN 17), spanning from around 21.6 to 1.8 Ma. We identified six carnivore associations by applying factor analysis to our data. The diversification pattern shows four origination episodes: MN4, MN7/8, MN12 and MN14. We also identified four extinction episodes. The first two are coincident with the onset of the MN 4 and MN7/8 faunas. The last two extinction episodes take place during MN9, coinciding with the Mid Vallesian Crisis (MVC), and MN13, co-occurring with the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC). Two major turnover pulses are recognised during MN4 and MN14, the turnover rate remaining moderately high between MN6 and MN13. We suggest that the pattern observed might be primarily triggered by the biogeographic and climatic shifts that took place during the Neogene., The authors are also grateful to Project CGL2011-25754, MINECO (Spanish Government) and to Research Group BSCH-UCM 910607. A.V. is a trainee researcher of CSIC program JAE-PRE-CP2011 (CSIC program “Junta para la ampliación de estudios”), co-funded by the European Social Fund. D.H. is a trainee researcher of the FPU 2013 program granted by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

[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 with Celadensia (Mein et al., 1990; Dam et al., 2006) plus the part of the zone with two Paraethomys (Dam et al., 2006) in which Celadensia has dissappeared and still does not register Promimomys. The Ventian is now accurately recognized with quite precise boundaries and divisions, so that it can be easily recognized in the Iberian continental basins with Mio-Pliocene sediments allowing refi ned intra- and inter-basin correlations., [ES] La edad de mamíferos terrestres Ventiense incluye la mayoría de las faunas españolas de la unidad biocronológica MN 13. Se correlaciona con el Messiniense, aunque su parte final puede incluir faunas de edad Plioceno basal. El Ventiense comienza con la primera aparición del genero de Muridae Stephanomys (7 Ma; datación paleomagnética de El Bunker, cuenca de Teruel), y termina con la aparición de Promimomys (ca. 5 Ma), ambas registradas en la cuenca de Teruel. En este trabajo proponemos una nueva organización del Ventiense. Una primera división correspondiente a la zona M (Dam et al., 2001), y una nueva zona denominada N, equivalente a la zona con Celadensia (Mein et al., 1990; Dam et al., 2001) más la parte de la zona con dos Paraethomys (Dam et al., 2006) en la que Celadensia ha desaparecido y aún no se registra Promimomys. El Ventiense es ahora reconocido con límites y divisiones precisas, de forma que puede ser fácilmente reconocible en las cuencas continentales Ibéricas con sedimentos Mio-Pliocenos permitiendo unas correlaciones intra e inter cuenca detalladas., This work has been possible thank to the research projects CGL2011-28681, CGL2009-11096, CGL2011-28877 and CGL2011-25754 of the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad

We describe cranial, mandibular, and dental remains of five individuals of the giant mustelid Eomellivora piveteaui Ozansoy, 1965, from the late Miocene (MN10) site of Cerro de los Batallones (Madrid, Spain) - the first complete cranial remains recorded for this species and the most complete remains of the genus. This new sample enables a review of the systematic status of Eomellivora, leading us to accept as valid the species E. piveteaui Ozansoy, 1965, E. wimani Zdansky, 1924, E. ursogulo (Orlov, 1948), and E. hungarica Kretzoi, 1942. Our phylogenetic hypothesis indicates that Eomellivora is the sister taxon of the extant Mellivora capensis and E. piveteaui had a common ancestor within the crown group E. wimani-E. ursogulo. Eomellivora piveteaui was specialized for a more hypercarnivorous diet than the largest extant terrestrial mustelids, although it also had some derived bone-crushing adaptations. Eomellivora piveteaui had an active predatory role in the late Miocene carnivore faunas, exploiting both small and relatively large prey., A.V. is researcher in formation in the CSIC program JAE-PRE_CP2011 (CSIC program ‘Junta para la ampliación de estudios’), co-funded by the European Social Fund. O.S. acknowledges a predoctoral grant from the Spanish Government MINECO. This study was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (research projects CGL2011-25754, CGL2011-28877, and CGL2011-28681)

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.

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.