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The land mammal record of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia, NE Spain) ranges from the early Miocene (Ramblian) to the late Miocene (Turolian), that is from about 20 to 7 Ma. Here we present an updated review of the mammal succession focusing on biochronology as well as on environmental and faunal changes. Based on faunal similarities with central Europe, we interpret this basin as a transitional zone between the forested environments of northern regions and the more arid landscapes of the inner Iberian Peninsula. The quality of the Vallès-Penedès record and its chronostratigraphic control is clearly better for the late Aragonian and the Vallesian (between 12.6–9.0 Ma), especially for small mammals. Therefore, we analyze small mammal diversity dynamics during this interval. Contrary to previous analyses, which found an abrupt extinction event coinciding with the early/late Vallesian boundary (the Vallesian Crisis), our results show that this pattern is due to uneven sampling. Instead, taxonomic richness slowly decreased since the late Vallesian as a result of a series of extinctions that mostly affected forest-dwelling taxa.

The Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia, Spain) is a classical area for the study of the Miocene land mammal faunas and includes one of the densest and most continuous records in Eurasia. Furthermore, it is the type area for the Vallesian European land mammal age. After decades of study a huge amount of bio- and magnetostratigraphic data have been collected, allowing an unprecedented dating accuracy. Here we provide an updated local biostratigraphy for the late Aragonian, Vallesian and Turolian of the Vallès-Penedès Basin. This new biostratigraphic scheme is almost exclusively based on fossil rodents, which are the most abundant and one of the best known mammal orders in the area. Our proposal represents a significant refinement compared to previous attempts and provides a formal diagnosis and description of each zone, as well as clear definition of boundaries and a reference locality and section. The chronology of zone boundaries and main bioevents is based on detailed magnetostratigraphic data. The defined biozones allow for the correlation of the sites without associated magnetostratigraphical data. Finally, the correlation of the Vallès-Penedès local zones with other detailed local biostratigraphies, such as those of the Calatayud-Montalbán and Teruel basins (east-central Spain) is discussed. The sequence and chronology of the main bioevents is roughly comparable, although the rodent succession and the structure of the assemblage show important differences between these areas., This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2014-54373-P and RYC- 2013-12470 to ICV; CGL2014-55900-P), and the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (2014 SGR 416) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

A new species of Cricetodontini (Cricetidae, Rodentia, Mammalia), Cricetodon nievei sp. nov. from the Toril section (Toril 3A, Toril 3B, Toril 2) and Las Planas 5H is described. All this sites belong to the local biozone G3 (late Aragonian, late middle Miocene) from the Calatayud-Daroca Basin (Zaragoza, Spain). The new species displays a mosaic pattern consisting in a combination of primitive and derived characters: the upper molars have a basal Cricetodon-like pattern - short and not complete ectolophs -, whereas the lower molars share several derived features with the older representatives of Hispanomys - absence of metalophulid II. The generic assignation of the new taxon is further discussed and it is compared with all the species of Cricetodon and Hispanomys described until date. This mosaic evolutionary pattern of dental characters is also recognized in other species of Cricetodontini from Europe during the late Aragonian, although involving different combination of morphological characters. At this time, the diversity of the tribe increases, including species with complex morphology and higher intraspecific variability than the older representatives. The new species proposed here is morphologically close to Cricetodontini recorded outside the Calatayud-Daroca Basin, especially C. albanensis and H. decedens from France. Finally, the palaeoecological context of the new species is discussed; the stratigraphical distribution of Cricetodon nievei sp. nov. coevals changes in the faunal assemblages which are possibly related to an increase of humidity detected in the Calatayud-Daroca Basin.

This paper contains formal definitions of the Early to Middle Aragonian (late Early–Middle Miocene) smallmammal biozones from the Aragonian type area in North Central Spain. The stratigraphical schemes of two of the best studied areas for the Lower and Middle Miocene, the Aragonian type area in Spain and the Upper Freshwater Molasse from the North Alpine Foreland Basin in Switzerland, have been compared. This comparison allows the analysis of the order of shared mammal events in the two countries, and the quantification of the resulting asynchronies based on their temporal correlations. The order of the events is very similar in Spain and Switzerland. In order to estimate the diachrony, two age-model options are used for the Swiss record. Our preferred option yields no discrepancies with SW European paleomagnetic and radiometric calibrations of the Ramblian and Early Aragonian bioevents. All Swiss first taxa occurrences precede those in the Aragonian type area by 0.74Myr on average. The asynchronies (1-2Myr) of the species arriving in the late Middle to early Late Aragonian may be higher than in the Early Aragonian (0-1Myr). The implications for the biochronological mammal Neogene system are discussed. Evidence is given confirming the unfeasibility of a formal European biozonation, since it is realised, that 1) most indicator species and many genera of rodents yielding the most detailed zonations have limited geographical ranges hampering recognition of the mammal Neogene zones; and 2) first and last taxon occurrences are diachronical. Therefore, the mammal Neogene system based on a sequence of time-ordered reference localities is preferred to the one based on selected bioevents “developed in widespread geographic areas”.

Vallesian (early Late Miocene) strata from the recently introduced Ca˜nada 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 Ca˜nada 8 (Biozone H) is dominated by shrews, whereas the assemblage of Ca˜nada 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, Ca˜nada 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 Ca˜nada 12 is the youngest published record of this large spiny hedgehog.

This paper contains formal definitions of the Early to Middle Aragonian (late Early-Middle Miocene) smallmammal biozones from the Aragonian type area in North Central Spain. The stratigraphical schemes of two of the best studied areas for the Lower and Middle Miocene, the Aragonian type area in Spain and the Upper Freshwater Molasse from the North Alpine Foreland Basin in Switzerland, have been compared. This comparison allows the analysis of the order of shared mammal events in the two countries, and the quantification of the resulting asynchronies based on their temporal correlations. The order of the events is very similar in Spain and Switzerland. In order to estimate the diachrony, two age-model options are used for the Swiss record. Our preferred option yields no discrepancies with SW European paleomagnetic and radiometric calibrations of the Ramblian and Early Aragonian bioevents. All Swiss first taxa occurrences precede those in the Aragonian type area by 0.74Myr on average. The asynchronies (1-2Myr) of the species arriving in the late Middle to early Late Aragonian may be higher than in the Early Aragonian (0-1Myr). The implications for the biochronological mammal Neogene system are discussed. Evidence is given confirming the unfeasibility of a formal European biozonation, since it is realised, that 1) most indicator species and many genera of rodents yielding the most detailed zonations have limited geographical ranges hampering recognition of the mammal Neogene zones; and 2) first and last taxon occurrences are diachronical. Therefore, the mammal Neogene system based on a sequence of time-ordered reference localities is preferred to the one based on selected bioevents "developed in widespread geographic areas".

Material of Hispanomys (Rodentia, Cricetodontinae) is described from various localities at Batallones (MN10) (Madrid, Spain). All of it belongs to a single species, which differs from the other known species of the genus and a new taxon, Hispanomys moralesi sp. nov., is created for it. The samples from the various localities show differences interpreted as being the result of slight age disparities amongst the different sites. Although they were previously thought to be coeval, Batallones 10 is probably older than Batallones 1, which is possibly older than Batallones 3. Hispanomys moralesi sp. nov. is characterized by several morphological features such as the lack of cingula and mesolophs, the presence of well-developed ectolophs, four- or five-rooted M1, short or absent mesolophids, and reduced and simplified M3. Hispanomys moralesi sp. nov. is a relatively derived species, the evolutionary stage of which is comparable to those of other members of the genus from the Upper Vallesian., This study has been partly funded by research projects CGL2008-05813-CO2-01, (MICIIN, Spanish Government), CGL2007-65208, CGL2008-04200/BTE and Research Group UCM 910607. R. L. A. is currently supported by the Ramón y Cajal Program. I. G.-P. has a postdoctoral contract with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

5 páginas, 3 figuras.-- Trabajo presentado al VIII Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología., [EN]: This work shows the results of the preliminary study of the rodent faunas from the Miocene fossil site of El Cañaveral. This site is compared with other localities from the Madrid Basin of similar age. The morphometric study of the rodent assemblage from El Cañaveral allows us to correlate this site with the local biozone E (Middle Aragonian, Middle Miocene, MN5). Our results indicate that the age of this site is close to the oldest localities of the biozone E., [ES]: En este trabajo se dan a conocer los resultados del estudio preliminar de la fauna de roedores del yacimiento mioceno de El Cañaveral. Este yacimiento se compara con otros yacimientos de edad similar de la Cuenca de Madrid. El estudio morfométrico de la asociación de roedores encontrada, nos ha permitido datar el yacimiento dentro de la biozona local E (Aragoniense medio, Mioceno medio, MN5). Nuestros resultados indican una edad cercana a los yacimientos más antiguos de dicha biozona., Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el proyecto CGL-2008-04200/BTE del MICIIN y el grupo de investigación UCM-910607. VH-B disfruta de una beca predoctoral FPI. AO disfruta de una beca predoctoral FPU. IG-P ha disfrutado de un contrato postdoctoral del MICIIN y la FECYT.

García-Paredes, Israel, Peláez-Campomanes, Pablo, Álvarez-Sierra, M. Ángeles (2009): Gliridae (Rodentia, Mammalia) with a simple dental pattern: a new genus and new species from the European Early and Middle Miocene. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157 (3): 622-652, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00527.x, URL: https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00527.x

SIMPLOMYS ROBUSTUS (DE BRUIJN, 1967) (FIG. 5) Original diagnosis (De Bruijn, 1967: 259, translated from Spanish): ‘[Large Pseudodryomys with simple dental pattern. The upper molars have neither centrolophs nor extra ridges. The m1 and m2 have a small centrolophid. The m3 is reduced]’. Emended diagnosis by Daams (1974: 236): ‘ Pseudodryomys -assemblages consisting of large teeth which differ from P. simplicidens in size and in the less reduced m3. The dental patterns of the other molars are identical of those of P. simplicidens ’. Emended diagnosis: Large Simplomys in which the dental pattern in m1 and m2 is formed by the four main ridges and a well-developed centrolophid. The latter extends diagonally into the central valley but never exceeds the middle part of the occlusal surface. The m3 always has a posterior valley and shows little reduction in its posterior part. The M1 may rarely present a small anterior centroloph. Differential diagnosis: Simplomys robustus differs from S. simplicidens by having the premolars and the m3 less reduced in size and less simplified in morphology. The posterior valley of m3 is, in contrast to S. simplicidens, always present. When both species occur in the same assemblage, S. robustus is always larger than S. simplicidens. Type locality: Ateca 3, Calatayud–Montalbán basin, Spain (local zone Z, MN 3, Lower Miocene). Stratigraphical distribution: Local zones Z to C (MN 3–MN 4, Lower Miocene). Geographical distribution: Spain, Portugal, and France., Published as part of García-Paredes, Israel, Peláez-Campomanes, Pablo & Álvarez-Sierra, M. Ángeles, 2009, Gliridae (Rodentia, Mammalia) with a simple dental pattern: a new genus and new species from the European Early and Middle Miocene, pp. 622-652 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157 (3) on page 640, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00527.x, http://zenodo.org/record/5443075, {"references":["De Bruijn H. 1967. Gliridae, Sciuridae y Eomyidae (Rodentia, Mammalia) miocenos de Calatayud (provincia de Zaragoza, Espana) y su relacion con la bioestratigrafia del area. Boletin del Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana 78: 189 - 373.","Daams R. 1974. Pseudodryomys (Gliridae, Rodentia, Mammalia) from Early and Middle Miocene deposits in Spain. Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen Series B 77: 201 - 240."]}

77 págs, 24 láms., The Cerro de los Batallones (Los Batallones Butte) is located in the central-northern area of the Madrid Basin, central Spain. Nine vertebrates localities containing a large variety of mammals of Upper Vallesian Age (Late Miocene) have been found associated with the sediments forming the butte. From bottom to top, these sediments consist of magnesian lutite beds (Unit I), paleosols formed of sepiolite and opal (Unit II), and siliclastic, marlstone and carbonate beds (Unit III). The set of ERT profiles developed in Los Batallones Butte have demonstrate that electrical imaging techniques are an estimable tool for the characterization and prospecting of fossil sites developed in fine-grained siliciclastic sequences. These localities contain an exceptionally rich, varied and well-preserved vertebrate fauna together with invertebrate and plant fossils. Carnivore species are strikingly well represented at Batallones 1 and 3, and large herbivore species, such as mastodons, rhinoceros and giraffes, at Batallones 2, 4, 5 and 10. The taphonomical studies, together with the morphological features shown by the sedimentary fills of the mammal localities, permit an overall interpretation of these deposits as vertebrate traps. The study of these localities should offer a significant contribution to our understanding of the formation pattern of trap-like paleontological sites - which so far have been typically reported in karstic-type systems -, as well as an important source of paleobiological information about numerous vertebrate groups., Nuestro sincero agradecimiento a la Comunidad de Madrid (Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico Artístico) por su apoyo a lo largo de todos estos años. A la empresa TOLSA, SA por su inapreciable ayuda en todas las circunstancias. National Geographic Society financió la campaña de Batallones-1 del año 2001. Son muchos los compañeros y amigos que han participado en las excavaciones, y en los diferentes proyectos de investigación de estos yacimientos, a todos ellos nuestro más sincero agradecimiento y nuestros mejores deseos, con la esperanza de seguir contando con su valiosa colaboración. Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco de los proyectos de investigación MEC 2005-03900/BTE y CGL2006-01773/BTE, y del Grupo de Investigación CAM-UCM 910607.

The micromammal fauna from the Middle Miocene (Middle Aragonian) of La Retama, eastern central Spain, is described. It is a relatively poor rodent fauna composed by ten species only, associated to a highly diverse bat fauna, which includes five genera. The insectivores are represented by two species. This fossil assemblage has been correlated to zone Db (MN 5). The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction based on micromammals indicates open and dry conditions for this locality., Se describen los micromamíferos del Mioceno medio (Aragoniense medio) de La Retama, sector centro-oriental español. La fauna de roedores es relativamente pobre y está compuesta únicamente por diez especies. Sin embargo, cabe destacar la elevada diversidad de los quirópteros, representados por cinco géneros. Se describe también dos taxa de insectívoros. Esta asociación fósil ha sido correlacionada con la zona Db (MN5). La reconstrucción paleoambiental de La Retama inferida a partir de la fauna de micromamíferos corresponde a un ambiente abierto y seco., We acknowledge financial support by the MEC projects D.G.I.C.Y.T. Nº PB92-0013, CGL2004-02094/BTE, MCYT-DGI-SGPDI BTE2002-00410, CGL 2005-03900/BTE, the Research Group CAM-UCM 910607 and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha.

[ES] Se presenta un trabajo preliminar para comprobar la aplicabilidad de la morfometría geométrica basada en la definición de landmarks para el estudio de la superficie oclusal de los dientes yugales de lirones o glíridos (Gliridae, Rodentia, Mammalia). Como ejemplo se analiza una muestra de M1 y M2 pertenecientes a la especie Armantomys jasperi DAAMS, 1990 en cuya superficie oclusal son definidos 22 landmarks. El diseño experimental realizado permite la identificación de landmarks y la comparación de los distintos especímenes mediante métodos de superposición. Un análisis de conglomerados jerárquicos muestra la adecuación del método planteado para agrupar M1 y M2. Se ha realizado además un análisis discriminante para ver el porcentaje de acierto en la predicción de cada grupo de molares superiores. Gracias a la exploración efectuada se ha identificado un ejemplar mal clasificado y, preliminarmente, la separación entre M1 y M2 es satisfactoria., [EN] A preliminary work to test the landmark-based geometric morphometrics methods for the study of dental crown pattern of upper cheek teeth of glirids or dormouse (Gliridae, Rodentia, Mammalia) is presented. As an example, a sample of the fossil especies Armantomys jasperi DAAMS, 1990 M1 and M2 has been studied. There are 22 landmarks defined in its oclusal surface. The experimental design that allows the landmarks identification and the comparision of diferents specimens by superimposition methods has been done. A cluster analysis test the capacity of the refered method to distinguish between M1 and M2. A discriminant analysis give the percentage success in prediction in the two upper molars groups. This study allow a satisfactory separation of M1 and M2 and the identification of a mistake in one specimen., El autor disfruta de una beca del MCYT adscrita al proyecto de investigación de la DGESEIC número PB98-0691-C03-02