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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.

Available remains of the barbourofelin Albanosmilus jourdani from the Middle to Late Miocene of the Valles-Penedes Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula) are described. In addition to the dentognathic remains described by previous authors, the new material includes a complete cranium, a calvarium and several mandibles from Abocador de Can Mata, Creu Conill 20 and Hostalets Superior. It is concluded that Albanosmilus, previously considered a subjective junior synonym of Sansanosmilus, must be resurrected as a polytypic genus including A. jourdani (= A. vallesiensis). The most plesiomorphic North American barbourofelin, previously included in Barbourofelis, is also transferred into Albanosmilus as A. whitfordi. An emended diagnosis of Albanosmilus is provided. The results of a cladistic analysis support the monophyly of the family Barbourofelidae and the tribe Barbourofelini, further indicating that amongst the latter, Sansanosmilus occupies the basalmost position. The two Albanosmilus species are more derived, altho...

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 .

Anchitherium nievei sp. nov. is erected on the basis of dentognathic remains from the late Aragonian (MN7+8, ca. 12.3–12.1 to 11.7–11.6 Ma, Middle Miocene) of three localities from the Abocador de Can Mata local stratigraphic series (els Hostalets de Pierola, Valles-Penedes Basin, Catalonia, Spain). This taxon differs from endemic species of Anchitherium from the inner Iberian basins, most closely resembling A. aurelianense, A. hippoides and A. steinheimense by its marked brachyodonty and small dental size, although differing by dental proportions and several details of occlusal morphology. From a paleoenvironmental viewpoint, the presence of this taxon fits well with previous inferences that indicated a relatively closed and humid forested habitat, more similar to that of similarly aged French localities.

In the past, the tragulid species Dorcatherium crassum has been considered a synonym of Dorcatherium naui, although they are currently considered distinct species. The former has an exclusively Aragonian (MN4 to MN6) stratigraphic range, whereas D. naui is considered a typically Vallesian species (MN9 and MN10) that survives until the Turolian (MN11). There are only a few previous citations of Dorcatherium from the European latest Aragonian (MN7+8), and only that of Przeworno (Poland) can be securely attributed to D. naui. Here we describe dentognathic and postcranial remains of Dorcatherium from several localities from the stratigraphic series of the Abocador de Can Mata (ACM), in els Hostalets de Pierola (Valles-Penedes Basin, Catalonia, Spain). These Dorcatherium remains, from both the lower (ca. 11.9-12.5 Ma, MN7) and upper (ca. 11.6 Ma, MN8) portions of the ACM series, constitute the earliest record of D. naui from the Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe. They most closely resemble D. naui from the Vallesian, but still share several features with D. crassum. On the basis of the unique combination of features displayed by the ACM material, a new subspecies, D. naui meini is erected. Its distinct status from the nominotypical subspecies, D. naui naui, is reinforced by the chronological differences between the two taxa. The morphological similarities between Dorcatherium and the extant water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus) tentatively suggest the presence of forested and humid paleoenvironments in this area of the Valles-Penedes Basin during the latest Aragonian. Nevertheless, Dorcatherium is very rare in ACM and displays a very patchy chronological distribution. Together with the similarly spotty distribution of both primates and castorids along the ACM series, this suggests that very humid conditions might have been only intermittently present in this area throughout the latest Aragonian.

Cranial and dentognathic remains of Trocharion albanense (Carnivora, Mustelidae, Leptarctinae) from the Valles-Penedes Basin (Barcelona, Spain), ranging from the middle to the late Miocene, are described. Most of the newly described material comes from several sites of the Abocador de Can Mata (ACM) section (in the municipal term of els Hostalets de Pierola), but remains from other Catalan localities (Sant Quirze, Castell de Barbera, and Can Llobateres) are also described. The material from ACM includes two partial crania and several mandibles. This enables description of several aspects of craniodental morphology previously unknown for this taxon, such as the presence of first upper premolars, as well as the presence of a conspicuous and rhomboid double temporal crest. Accordingly, an emended diagnosis of the genus Trocharion is provided, together with a differential diagnosis with respect to other leptarctine genera. A cladistic analysis based on craniodental features is consistent with Trochar...

Pliopithecus (Pliopithecus) canmatensis sp. nov. is described from several Late Aragonian localities from Abocador de Can Mata (ACM) in els Hostalets de Pierola (Valles-Penedes Basin, Catalonia, Spain), spanning from ∼11.7 to 11.6 Ma (C5r.3r subchron), and being correlated to the MN8 (reference locality La Grive L3). The ACM remains display a pliopithecine dental morphology with well-developed pliopithecine triangles on M/2 and M/3. This, together with other occlusal details, negates an attribution to the subgenus Epipliopithecus. Although slightly smaller, the ACM remains are most similar in size to comparable elements of P. piveteaui and P. antiquus. Several occlusal details (such as the greater development of the buccal cingulid in lower molars) and dental proportions (M/3 much longer than M/2), however, indicate greater similarities with P. antiquus from Sansan and La Grive. The ACM remains, however, differ from P. antiquus in dental proportions as well as occlusal morphology of the lower molars (including the less peripheral position of the protoconid and more medial position of the hypoconulid, the more mesial position of the buccal cuspids as compared to the lingual ones, the narrower but distinct mesial fovea, the higher trigonid, and the more extensive buccal cingulid, among others). These differences justify a taxonomic distinction at the species level of the ACM pliopithecid remains with respect to P. antiquus. Previous pliopithecid findings from the Valles-Penedes Basin, previously attributed to P. antiquus, are neither attributable to the latter species nor to the newly erected one. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A synthesis of the vertebrate fossil record of Abocador de Can Mata (els Hostalets de Pierola, Valles-Penedes Neogene basin) is reported, with special emphasis on taxonomic and biostratigraphic aspects. For the moment being, this macrosite includes a succession of 91 micro- and/or macrovertebrate sampled localities, which are distributed along about 300 m of stratigraphic series, spanning a time interval of more than a million years, corresponding to the late Aragonian. During the 28 months of field work performed along the 2002-2003, 2004 and 2005 campaigns, more than 15,000 macrovertebrate fossil remains and more than 1,300 small mammal teeth have been recovered—an amount that shall be surely increased in the future, when sieving and sorting of the accumulated sediments is finished. An exhaustive list of all the localities and their stratigraphic contextualization is reported for the first time, along with an updated faunal list and a proposal of local biozonation. The great fossiliferous richness of that area and the huge sampling effort, combined with the requirements of current laws on the protection of paleontological patrimony, explain the success of the paleontological intervention. To sum up, the extension of Can Mata’s rubbish dump provides a unique opportunity for investigating the faunal composition of terrestrial ecosystems from the late Aragonian in Southwestern Europe.