Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East (systematics, phylogeny, biostratigraphy, palaeogeography, and palaeocology)

L'étude systématique de spécimens fossiles de trois familles de rongeurs de différents gisements du Miocène du Moyen-Orient a conduit à l'identification de cinq espèces dont quatre nouvelles: Sayimys assarrarensis (Ctenodactylidae), Paraphiomys knolli (Thryonomyidae) et Arabosmintus isabellae (Zapodidae) à As Sarrar (Arabie Saoudite) et Sayimys giganteus (Ctenodactylidae) à Hisarcik et Kësekoy (Turquie). Les relations phylogénétiques de ces espèces ont été évaluées par analyses cladistiques et ont permis d'émettre des hypothèses de paléophylogéographie. Cette étude nous fournit un excellent exemple des effets de la tectonique des plaques sur l'histoire d'un groupe animal. L'établissement d'un pont continental entre l'Afro-Arabie et l'Eurasie a rendu possible l'expansion de ces rongeurs sur une vaste étendue et la survenue de phénomènes de spéciation. Au Miocène, des taxons d'origines africaine (Paraphiomys) et asiatique (Sayimys, Arabosminthus) se sont côtoyés sur la plaque arabiqueThe systematic study of fossil specimens of three rodent families from different Lower and Middle Miocene sites of the Middle East allowed to identify five species, among which four are new: Sayimys assarrarensis (Ctenodactylidae), Paraphiomys knolli (Thryonomyidae), and Arabosmintus isabellae (Zapodidae) from As Sarrar (Saudi Arabia), and Sayimys giganteus (Ctenodactylidae) from Hisarcik and Kësekoy (Turkey). The phylogenetic affinities of these species were evaluated by the mean of cladistic analyses and were used to express palaeophylogeographical hypotheses. This study provides us with an excellent example of the considerable impact of plate tectonics on the history of an animal group. The formation of a land bridge between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia allowed a vast expansion of these rodents and the appearance of speciation events. During the Miocene, taxa of Asian (Sayimys, Arabosminthus) and African (Paraphiomys) origins coexisted on the Arabic platePARIS-Museum Hist.Naturelle (751052304) / SudocSudocFranceF

The true world's first sculptures of antediluvian animals, which never were…

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Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East (systematics, phylogeny, biostratigraphy, palaeogeography, and palaeocology)

L'étude systématique de spécimens fossiles de trois familles de rongeurs de différents gisements du Miocène du Moyen-Orient a conduit à l'identification de cinq espèces dont quatre nouvelles: Sayimys assarrarensis (Ctenodactylidae), Paraphiomys knolli (Thryonomyidae) et Arabosmintus isabellae (Zapodidae) à As Sarrar (Arabie Saoudite) et Sayimys giganteus (Ctenodactylidae) à Hisarcik et Kësekoy (Turquie). Les relations phylogénétiques de ces espèces ont été évaluées par analyses cladistiques et ont permis d'émettre des hypothèses de paléophylogéographie. Cette étude nous fournit un excellent exemple des effets de la tectonique des plaques sur l'histoire d'un groupe animal. L'établissement d'un pont continental entre l'Afro-Arabie et l'Eurasie a rendu possible l'expansion de ces rongeurs sur une vaste étendue et la survenue de phénomènes de spéciation. Au Miocène, des taxons d'origines africaine (Paraphiomys) et asiatique (Sayimys, Arabosminthus) se sont côtoyés sur la plaque arabiqueThe systematic study of fossil specimens of three rodent families from different Lower and Middle Miocene sites of the Middle East allowed to identify five species, among which four are new: Sayimys assarrarensis (Ctenodactylidae), Paraphiomys knolli (Thryonomyidae), and Arabosmintus isabellae (Zapodidae) from As Sarrar (Saudi Arabia), and Sayimys giganteus (Ctenodactylidae) from Hisarcik and Kësekoy (Turkey). The phylogenetic affinities of these species were evaluated by the mean of cladistic analyses and were used to express palaeophylogeographical hypotheses. This study provides us with an excellent example of the considerable impact of plate tectonics on the history of an animal group. The formation of a land bridge between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia allowed a vast expansion of these rodents and the appearance of speciation events. During the Miocene, taxa of Asian (Sayimys, Arabosminthus) and African (Paraphiomys) origins coexisted on the Arabic platePARIS-Museum Hist.Naturelle (751052304) / SudocSudocFranceF

Tithonian vertebrates from the Pays de Bray (northern France).

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New species of Hispanomys (Rodentia, Cricetodontinae) from the Upper Miocene of Batallones (Madrid, Spain)

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.Peer reviewe

New species of Hispanomys (Rodentia, Cricetodontinae) from the upper miocene of batallones (Madrid, Spain)

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.Peer reviewe

First record of Sivameryx (Cetartiodactyla,Anthracotheriidae) from the lower Miocene ofIsrael highlights the importance of the LevantineCorridor as a dispersal route between Eurasia andAfrica

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