Vicente D. Crespo

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.

A new species of Plesiodimylus (Dimylidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from the Early Miocene of Spain

Abstract We report a new dimylid species, Plesiodimylus ilercavonicus sp. nov., from the Early Miocene locality of Mas d’Antolino B-5 (Ribesalbes-Alcora, Castelló, Spain). This new species of Plesiodimylus is an amblyodont form of the genus and exhibits some primitive characters. The phylogenetic and palaeoenvironmental implications of this southern occurrence of Plesiodimylus in Lower Miocene sediments are discussed. http://zoobank.org/lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E78DB979-6552-4BE2-BEC9-FA2EA05B7B39

Early Miocene mammal assemblages from the Campisano ravine in the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin (E Spain)

We present 45 new paleontological sites with fossil mammals, their faunal lists and the syntethic stratigraphic column from the Campisano ravine in the Araia/Mas de Antolino outcrop (Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin; Valencian Community, E Spain). The synthetic stratigraphic column of this basin is divided into five units, named A to E in Anadón (X Congr Nac Sedimentol 1:9–12, 1983), and for the first time, we report a detailed stratigraphic column of Unit C, in which the studied sites are included. This ravine is divided into the following sections: Mas dels Coixos, Mas de Torner, Araia Cantera Sud, Barranc de Campisano, Foieta la Sarra, Mas d’Antolino B and Corral de Brisca. Based on the study of more than 3000 faunal remains from these localities, we infer a lower Aragonian age (MN4, Early Miocene). Particularly, the described sections can be correlated to the local biozone C, in the upper part of the MN4 of the Calatayud-Montalbán Basin (Spain), the type area of the Aragonian age.ResumenEn este trabajo presentamos 45 nuevos yacimientos paleontológicos con restos de mamíferos fósiles, así como sus respectivas listas faunísticas y la columna estratigráfica sintética del barranco de Campisano del afloramiento de Araia/Mas de Antolino (Cuenca de Ribesalbes-Alcora; Comunidad Valenciana, E de España). La columna estratigráfica sintética de esta cuenca se divide en cinco unidades, nombradas de la A a la E por Anadón (1983), por primera vez, reportamos una columna estratigráfica detallada de la Unidad C, en la cual se incluyen los yacimientos aquí estudiados. El barranco en estudio se divide en las siguiente secciones: Mas dels Coixos, Mas de Torner, Araia Cantera Sud, Barranc de Campisano, Foieta la Sarra, Mas d’Antolino B y Corral de Brisca. Basado en el estudio de más de 3000 restos faunísticos de estos yacimientos, inferimos una edad Aragoniense inferior (MN4, Mioceno Inferior). Particularmente, las secciones descritas pueden correlacionarse con la biozona local C de la Cuenca de Calatayud-Montalbán (España), área tipo de la edad Aragoniense, situada en la parte superior de la MN4

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.