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The tribe Cricetodontini is a common cricetid group found in several European basins from the Miocene. Here we present a study of the fossils of this group found in the Duero Basin. We updated the biostratigraphical assignation of some of the localities in which several species of Cricetodontini have been found. Cricetodontini remains from eight localities from the central sector of the Duero Basin have been described, measured and assigned to a species. The presence in these localities ofHispanomys aguirrei,H. lavocati,H. nombrevillaeandH. aragonensishas allowed correlating them to the biostratigraphic scale built for the Miocene in Calatayud-Daroca Basin, identifying biozones G3, H and I (MN7/8 – MN10, Late Aragonian – Early Vallesian, Middle – Late Miocene). Furthermore, this study constitutes the first citation of this species in this basin, exceptH. aguirrei, previously described in the Duero Basin. After this work, the biostratigraphical assignation of the studied sites is now well known. We evidenced the resemblance of Duero and Calatayud-Daroca basins. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The most updated stratigraphical distributions of the Cricetodontini from the Calatayud–Daroca Basin are presented. Cricetodon sansaniensis (local biozone F, MN6, middle Aragonian) and Cricetodon jotae (local biozone G1, G2 and G3, MN6-MN7/8, Middle–Upper Aragonian) from the middle Miocene are described and discussed. Generally, the genera of Cricetodontini were used to define large time intervals, whereas the species were neglected in the local biostratigraphical studies. The results presented herein show that, for the Calatayud–Daroca Basin, most of the stratigraphical distributions of the species of Cricetodontini are strongly linked with the local biozonation. That reveals that they could be used as good biostratigraphical indicators. Moreover, the unusually long local biozone G3 could be redefined and subdivided based on the distributions of the four species of Cricetodontini present in it. However, it is recommended to complete the study of the whole rodent fauna before proposing a new biozonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to develop paleoecological studies involving many fossil sites, there is a need to establish a consistent time framework, which enables us to arrange the fossil associations according to a sequence of biotic events and subsequently to test a relationship with paleoenvironmental changes. The nature of the continental fossil record has given rise to much controversy with regard to the establishment of general biostratigraphical scales. Additionally, biochronological scales are sometimes all that can be proposed. The primary goal of the present paper is to present a time arrangement for the Iberoccitanian micromammalian fossil sites from the latest Middle Miocene to the Mio–Pliocene boundary, spanning around 7millionyears (approximately 12.61–4.95Ma). Herein we study over one hundred faunal lists of rodents from the Iberoccitanian Region, compiled from the literature. Previous research has described two biogeographical provinces in our study area: a northern one (Vallès–Penedès and southeast France) and a southern one (all the Iberian basins, except the Vallès–Penedès). We therefore conducted Alroy''s Maximum Likelihood Appearance Event Ordination (ML AEO) methodology, applying it to the database compiled for each province. Finally, using available numerical dates for a quarter of the sites, we obtained a calibrated ordination for all localities. In each analysis, the results obtained are roughly coherent with the Mammalian Neogene units (MN) and allow estimation of the numerical ages for the entire set of fossil sites included in the study. Nevertheless, our results show severe diachrony between the two biogeographic provinces of the Iberoccitanian Region in relation to the MN boundaries, which might be linked to the existence of a refuge area associated with more humid environments in the northern province. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vallesian (early Late Miocene) strata from the recently introduced Cañada section (province of Zaragoza, east Central Spain) have yielded fairly large insectivore assemblages. These show that, after the generally dry Aragonian, the Vallesian gave rise to more humid conditions that were favourable to insectivores, both in number of taxa, and in overall number of specimens. The assemblage of Cañada 8 (Biozone H) is dominated by shrews, whereas the assemblage of Cañada 10 (uppermost Biozone H) contains the oldest record of Desmanella in the area. This seems to signify a bioevent in which after millions of years of absence, talpids return to the area. In addition to the Vallesian assemblages, a small Turolian insectivore fauna has been recovered. On the basis of the rodents, Cañada 12 was assigned to Biozone L, and the insectivore assemblage is very similar to the assemblages from the Teruel basin of that zone. This implies that the discovery of Postpalerinaceus in Cañada 12 is the youngest published record of this large spiny hedgehog. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]