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First evidence of endemic Murinae (Rodentia, Mammalia) in the early Pliocene of the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2019

Enric Torres-Roig Open the ORCID record for Enric Torres-Roig [Opens in a new window] ,
Pedro Piñero ,
Jordi Agustí ,
Pere Bover  and
Josep Antoni Alcover
Enric Torres-Roig*
Affiliation:
Departament de Biodiversitat i Conservació, IMEDEA, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l’Oceà, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Pedro Piñero
Affiliation:
IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, 43007, Spain Àrea de Prehistòria Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, 43002, Spain
Jordi Agustí
Affiliation:
IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, 43007, Spain Àrea de Prehistòria Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, 43002, Spain ICREA, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
Pere Bover
Affiliation:
ARAID Foundation, IUCA-Aragosaurus, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Josep Antoni Alcover
Affiliation:
Departament de Biodiversitat i Conservació, IMEDEA, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain
*
Email: etorres@imedea.uib-csic.es
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Abstract

A new insular species of Paraethomys (Muridae, Rodentia) with medium-sized hypsodont teeth is described from the Zanclean of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean). The m1 displays the most distinctive traits: hypsodonty, a high occurrence of an unusual anterior cingulum, a well-developed labial cingulum, high accessory labial cuspids resembling the Apodemus pattern and a funnel between c1 and the hypoconid. Paraethomys balearicus sp. nov. preserves traits close to those present in the earliest populations of Paraethomys meini from the upper Turolian, such as a developed posterior spur on t3 in the M1, a connection between t4 and t8 in the M1, a narrow connection between t6 and t9 in the M1 and the occasional presence of an individualized t9 and a t12 in some M2s. The relationship between the new taxon and its direct mainland ancestor gives additional support to a Messinian origin for the so-called Myotragus fauna, which became isolated after the refilling of the Mediterranean Sea 5.33 Ma ago. The absence of Paraethomys in other known younger Mallorcan sites suggests that its extinction most probably occurred at an indeterminate time during the Pliocene Epoch.

Keywords

biogeographyParaethomysMallorcaMessinian Salinity Crisis (MSC)Myotragus fauna
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 156 , Issue 10 , October 2019 , pp. 1742 - 1750
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

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