Samuel Mansino

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

Abstract In 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, suggesting a change to colder and more humid conditions during the Early Pliocene.

Apocricetus barrierei (Rodentia, Mammalia) from La Bullana 2B and La Bullana 3 (Cabriel Basin, Valencia, Spain). Revision of the Late Miocene–Early Pliocene forms of the genus Apocricetus

Apocricetus Freudenthal et al. (Treballs del Museu de Geologia de Barcelona 7: 11–93, 1998) is a medium to large Cricetinae, practically without mesolophids in the m1 and m2, with long third molars; anterior and posterior protolophule are present and the posterior metalophule is reduced or absent. Apocricetusbarrierei (Mein and Michaux Comptes Rendus Academie de Sciences de Paris D 270: 2780–2783, 1970) was defined on the basis of three specimens from the French locality Chabrier. Apart from this site, several French and Spanish localities of Early Pliocene age contain remains of this species. Despite this extra material, the species is poorly characterized, and none of the localities contains material of all six dental elements. In this paper, two new assemblages from La Bullana 2B and La Bullana 3 (Cabriel Basin, Spain) are described. The rich assemblage from La Bullana 2B provides a better insight in the metrical and morphological variability of this species.KurzfassungApocricetus Freudenthal et al. (Treballs del Museu de Geologia de Barcelona 7: 11–93, 1998) ist eine mittelgrosze bis grosze Cricetine, fast ohne Mesolophid in m1 und m2, lange dritte Molaren; vorderer und hinterer Protolophulus und hinterer Metalophulus reduziert oder fehlend. Apocricetusbarrierei (Mein and Michaux Comptes Rendus Academie de Sciences de Paris D 270: 2780–2783, 1970) gründet sich auf drei Zähnen aus der Französischen Lokalität Chabrier. Daneben ist sie dokumentiert in verschiedenen Französischen and Spanischen frühpliozänen Fundstellen. Die Art ist mangelhaft charakterisiert und keine seiner Fundstellen enthält Material von allen sechs Zahnpositionen. In dieser Arbeit beschreiben wir zwei neue Populationen aus La Bullana 2B und La Bullana 3 (Cabriel Becken, Spanien). Die reiche Aufsammlung aus La Bullana 2B erlaubt eine bessere Einsicht in die metrische and morphologische Variabilität dieser Art.

Sierra del Colmenar 1A, a new late Messinian (Late Miocene) locality in the Bajo Segura Basin (SE Spain): biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental implications

Abstract In this paper, we have studied a new micromammal site from the Sierra del Colmenar section (Elche, SE Spain), named Sierra del Colmenar 1A (SCO-1A), representing the uppermost levels of Messinian age of the Bajo Segura Basin. The sedimentary context of this locality corresponds to a costal lagoon with marine influence. The fossil site has yielded remains of Apodemus aff. gorafensis, Paraethomys meini, Apocricetus alberti, Occitanomys alcalai, Ruscinomys sp., Eliomys cf. truci, Muscardinus sp., Parasorex ibericus, Prolagus michauxi and Soricidae indet. Based on this assemblage, we propose a Late Miocene age (MN13) for the locality SCO-1A, matching the previously inferred age for the stratigraphic unit in which the fossil site is situated. According to its faunal composition, we infer warm and humid climate conditions in the moment of formation of this locality, agreeing with the environmental conditions of the Messinian age in a parallic sedimentary context.

Muridae from the late Miocene site of Venta del Moro (Eastern Spain)

Abstract Murids are usually the dominant faunas of the late Miocene and early Pliocene micromammal assemblages. The present work deals with the murid faunas of the well-known late Miocene locality of Venta del Moro, comprising over 2700 molars ascribed to the taxa Apodemus gorafensis, Occitanomys alcalai, Paraethomys meini and Stephanomys dubari. This list differs from those of previous studies by the presence of A. gorafensis instead of A. gudrunae. The presence of A. gudrunae in younger localities than Venta del Moro implies that both species, considered ancestor and descendant, coexisted for some time. In addition, the analysis of such an extensive collection has allowed us to check the variability of the studied species in great detail, such as the development of the longitudinal connections of O. alcalai, to a greater extent than previously described. Finally, we discuss the biometrical changes of the lineages of Paraethomys in Southern Europe from MN13 to MN15, and hypothesize about the mechanisms behind these variations in size.

Sciuridae (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Venta del Moro (Cabriel Basin, Spain): biostratigraphical, phylogenetic and palaeoecological inferences

Abstract Fossil squirrels are relatively abundant in Aragonian and Ramblian assemblages, but very scarce in the Late Turolian and Ruscinian of the Iberian Peninsula. Until now, the locality of Venta del Moro has yielded over 4500 micromammal dental remains, but just nine of them are sciurids. In this assemblage, we have identified the taxa Pliopetaurista pliocaenica, Heteroxerus cf. mariatheresae and Atlantoxerus cf. margaritae. This is the first co-occurrence of the genera Pliopetaurista, Heteroxerus and Atlantoxerus in the same locality, being also one of the oldest records of P. pliocaenica, the oldest record of a form that could be related to A. margaritae, and the youngest record of the genus Heteroxerus. In addition, we hypothesize about the phylogeny of Pliopetaurista in the light of recent discoveries. Finally, the presence of the genera Heteroxerus and Atlantoxerus suggests an open environment and relatively dry environmental conditions, while Pliopetaurista is purportedly a flying squirrel, dweller of forested habitats and wet climates. Based on this, we infer an open environment of grassland type, bordered by forested habitats, agreeing with the conditions supposed for Venta del Moro according to its macromammal and floral assemblages.

A New Eliomys from the Late Miocene of Spain and Its Implications for the Phylogeny of the Genus

In this paper, we describe a previously unknown species of the glirid Eliomys from the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene Cabriel, Alcoy and Granada basins of southeastern Spain. Eliomys yevesi sp. nov. is characterized by its relative small size, narrow lingual wall and common presence of two centrolophs in the upper molars, and well-developed centrolophids in the lower molars. The new species is the probable ancestor of E. intermedius, which in turn represents the ancestor of the extant E. quercinus. According to its morphologic and biometric features, the origin of E. yevesi sp. nov. is likely to be found in some population of E. truci from the Late Miocene. Based on these affinities, we propose the lineage E. truci—E. yevesi sp. nov.—E. intermedius—E. quercinus, in which there is a trend towards the development of centrolophs, as well as the reduction of accessory crests.

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

Abstract 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 bat association of the classical Late Miocene locality of Venta del Moro, which have yielded remains of five taxa of chiropterans. Two new bat species are described in this work: Pipistrellus rouresi sp. nov., a new form to the extremely scarce Neogene register of pipistrelle bats, and the horseshoe bat Rhinolophus antonioi sp. nov. Additionally, we describe the oldest and southernmost record of Myotis podlesicensis, a mouse-eared bat of African origin, as well as an undetermined taxon belonging to the noctule bats, Nyctalus sp., and a further taxon of Vespertilionidae indet. With the description of this new material, the record of Late Miocene bats from Europe is increased. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3B41C73D-9C09-46DA-A77C-1C6F1FB0F014 http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:82B8A593-6DF5-4CD4-820D-7279E3C6C9D1

Tertiary ecosystems: evolution and palaeoenvironments

Abstract The 1st International Meeting of Early-stage Researchers in Palaeontology (IMERP), heir of the Spanish and Portuguese EJIP (Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología/Meeting of Young Researchers in Palaeontology), was a great success in terms of participation and number of scientific contributions presented. The congress, held in the Valencian locality of Alpuente (SE Spain) congregated more than 160 researchers from 16 different countries. The event was divided in five different workshops, of which one of them, ‘Tertiary ecosystems: evolution and palaeoenvironments’, was hosted by the authors of this work. The extended versions of the abstracts presented in this workshop comprise the 12 papers of this special volume.