Can Pallars i Llobateres: A new hominoid-bearing locality from the late Miocene of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula)

In the Iberian Peninsula, Miocene apes (Hominoidea) are generally rare and mostly restricted to the Vallès-Penedès Basin. Here we report a new hominoid maxillary fragment with M2 from this basin. It was surface-collected in March 2017 from the site of Can Pallars i Llobateres (CPL, Sant Quirze del Vallès), where fossil apes had not been previously recorded. The locality of provenance (CPL-M), which has delivered no further fossil remains, is located very close (ca. 50 m) to previously known CPL outcrops, and not very far (ca. 500 m in NW direction) from the classical hominoid-bearing locality of Can Poncic 1. Here we describe the new fossil and, based on the size and proportions of the M2, justify its taxonomic attribution to Hispanopithecus cf. laietanus, a species previously recorded from several Vallesian sites of the Vallès-Penedès Basin. Based on the associated mammalian fauna from CPL, we also provide a biochronological dating and a paleoenvironmental reconstruction for the site. The associated fauna enables an unambiguous correlation to the Cricetulodon hartenbergeri – Progonomys hispanicus interval local subzone, with an estimated age of 9.98–9.73 Ma (late Vallesian, MN10). Therefore, CPL-M is roughly coeval with the Hispanopithecus laietanus-bearing localities of Can Llobateres 1 and Can Feu 1, and minimally older than those of La Tarumba 1 and Can Llobateres 2. In contrast, CPL-M is younger than the early Vallesian (MN9) localities of Can Poncic 1 (the type locality of Hispanopithecus crusafonti) as well as Polinyà 2 (Gabarró) and Estació Depuradora d’Aigües Residuals–Riu Ripoll 13, where Hispanopithecus sp. is recorded. The associated fauna from CPL indicates a densely forested and humid paleoenvironment with nearby freshwater. This supports the view that Hispanopithecus might have been restricted to dense wetland forests soon before its extinction during the late Vallesian, due to progressive climatic deterioration. Coupled with the existence of other fossiliferous outcrops in the area, this find is most promising for the prospect of discovering additional fossil hominoid remains in the future

The IRON-PATH II Echo-Substudy

Funding Information: The IRON-PATH II study was sponsored by CSL Vifor with coordination by Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL). The sponsor did not participate in the design of this study nor data analysis. An independent data and safety monitoring committee reviewed the data every 6 months. This study was approved by the local ethics committees for clinical research at each participating center and was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All the patients gave written informed consent before entering this study. Funding Information: The authors kindly acknowledge all participants in the IRON-PATH II study. We thank CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya for their institutional support. We thank the Departament de Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya through \u201CPla Estrat\u00E8gic de Recerca i Innovaci\u00F3 en Salut (PERIS 2023)\u201D grant number SLT028/23/000018 for financial support. Furthermore, we are grateful to the Centro de Investigaci\u00F3n Biom\u00E9dica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) for their institutional and financial support. Funding Information: This research received an unrestricted grant from CSL Vifor (Sponsor Reference IS-HUB-004/21 (IRON PATH II). Publisher Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is a commonly seen comorbidity in heart failure (HF) patients. It is often associated with a poor prognosis and impaired physical capacity. The functional limitations linked to ID may lead to cardiac function abnormalities. The functional limitations linked to ID may lead to cardiac function abnormalities, that can be reversible after iron repletion. Some echocardiographic parameters, such as global longitudinal strain (GLS), myocardial work (MW) and its derivatives constructive work (CW), wasted work (WW) and work efficiency (WE), may be of added value in advanced cardiac performance assessment. Methods: IRON-PATH II was a multicenter, prospective and observational study designed to describe the pathophysiological pathways associated with ID. The echo-substudy included 100 HF patients that had undergone a specific pilot echocardiographic evaluation. Patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤50%, were in stable clinical condition and on standard HF medication with hemoglobin ≥11 g/dL. The final cohort included 98 patients. Results: The ID group showed worse cardiac function, with lower GLS (−8.5 ± 9% vs. −10 ± 10%), WE (74 ± 10% vs. 80 ± 10%) and MW (665 [453–1013] vs. 947 [542–1199] mmHg%), as well as higher WW (290 [228–384] vs. 212 [138–305] mmHg%) and lower RV free wall strain (−13 [−20–(−11)]% vs. −17 [−23–(−14)]%). Following iron repletion, ID patients demonstrated improved LV (GLS, MW, WE and WW) and RV performance (RV free wall strain), aligning with non-ID patients (all p-values >0.05 compared to the non-ID group). Conclusions: Among HF patients with reduced LVEF, ID was associated with worse myocardial performance in both the LV and RV. All the alterations seen were reversible after intravenous iron repletion.publishersversionpublishe

Myocardial Performance Improvement After Iron Replacement in Heart Failure Patients: The IRON-PATH II Echo-Substudy

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is a commonly seen comorbidity in heart failure (HF) patients. It is often associated with a poor prognosis and impaired physical capacity. The functional limitations linked to ID may lead to cardiac function abnormalities. The functional limitations linked to ID may lead to cardiac function abnormalities, that can be reversible after iron repletion. Some echocardiographic parameters, such as global longitudinal strain (GLS), myocardial work (MW) and its derivatives constructive work (CW), wasted work (WW) and work efficiency (WE), may be of added value in advanced cardiac performance assessment. Methods: IRON-PATH II was a multicenter, prospective and observational study designed to describe the pathophysiological pathways associated with ID. The echo-substudy included 100 HF patients that had undergone a specific pilot echocardiographic evaluation. Patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) = 11 g/dL. The final cohort included 98 patients. Results: The ID group showed worse cardiac function, with lower GLS (-8.5 +/- 9% vs. -10 +/- 10%), WE (74 +/- 10% vs. 80 +/- 10%) and MW (665 [453-1013] vs. 947 [542-1199] mmHg%), as well as higher WW (290 [228-384] vs. 212 [138-305] mmHg%) and lower RV free wall strain (-13 [-20-(-11)]% vs. -17 [-23-(-14)]%). Following iron repletion, ID patients demonstrated improved LV (GLS, MW, WE and WW) and RV performance (RV free wall strain), aligning with non-ID patients (all p-values >0.05 compared to the non-ID group). Conclusions: Among HF patients with reduced LVEF, ID was associated with worse myocardial performance in both the LV and RV. All the alterations seen were reversible after intravenous iron repletion

El Miocè inferior de la conca del Vallès-Penedès : un registre excepcional dels canvis climàtics i faunístics

Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. Les tasques de camp es van poder dur a terme gràcies al suport del Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya (projecte 2014/100584) i la National Geographic Society (beca d'exploració ref. 9640-15).Les intervencions paleontològiques recents han mostrat que el registre de vertebrats continentals del Miocè inferior de la conca del Vallès-Penedès és molt més ric i continu del que es pensava. Avui dia es coneixen una vintena de jaciments que han lliurat tant microvertebrats com macrovertebrats. Els nostres estudis biostratigràfics han permès una datació precisa dels diferents jaciments i també dels principals esdeveniments faunístics i climàtics

Evaluation of mobile health technology combining telemonitoring and teleintervention versus usual care in vulnerable-phase heart failure management (HERMeS): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial

Background The potential of mobile health (mHealth) technology combining telemonitoring and teleintervention as a non-invasive intervention to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure during the early post-discharge period (ie, the vulnerable phase) has not been evaluated to our knowledge. We investigated the efficacy of incorporating mHealth into routine heart failure management in vulnerable-phase patients. Methods The Heart Failure Events Reduction with Remote Monitoring and eHealth Support (HERMeS) trial was a 24-week, randomised, controlled, open-label with masked endpoint adjudication, phase 3 trial conducted in ten centres (hospitals [n=9] and a primary care service [n=1]) experienced in heart failure management in Spain. We enrolled adults (aged >= 18 years) with heart failure diagnosed according to the 2016 European Society of Cardiology criteria (then-current clinical practice guidelines at the initiation of the trial) who had recently been discharged (within the preceding 30 days of enrolment) from a hospital admission that was due to heart failure decompensation, or who were in the process of discharge planning. After discharge, participants were centrally randomly assigned (1:1) via a web-based system to mHealth, comprising telemonitoring and preplanned structured health-care follow-up via videoconference, or usual care according to each centre's heart failure care framework including a nurse-led educational programme. The primary outcome was a composite of the occurrence of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure events during the 6-month follow-up period, assessed by time-to-first-event analysis in the full analysis set by the intention-to-treat principle. No prospective systematic collection of harms information was planned. The HERMeS trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03663907, and is completed. Findings From May 15, 2018, to April 4, 2022, 506 participants (207 [41%] women and 299 [59%] men) were randomly assigned: 255 to mHealth and 251 to usual care. The mean age of participants was 73 years (SD 13). Follow-up ended prematurely in 51 (20%) of 255 participants in the mHealth group and 36 (14%) of 251 in the usual care group. During follow-up in the mHealth group, cardiovascular death or a worsening heart failure event occurred in 43 (17%) of 255 participants, compared with 102 (41%) of 251 in the usual care group (hazard ratio for time to first event 035 [95% CI 024-050]; p<00001; relative risk reduction 65% [95% CI 50-76]). No spontaneously reported harms were reported in either group during follow-up. Interpretation mHealth-based heart failure care combining teleintervention and telemonitoring reduced the risk of new fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events compared with usual care in people with a recent hospital admission due to heart failure decompensation. The current findings could help to improve the care of patients with heart failure in the transitional post-discharge period by encouraging integration of mHealth into clinical practice guidelines. Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Early Miocene cricetids from the Vallès- Penedès Basin (Catalonia): taxonomy, biostratigraphy and paleoecological implications

El registre de rosegadors del Miocè inferior i principis del Miocè mitjà (des de finals del Ramblià fins a l’Aragonià mitjà; ca. 19-15 Ma) del Vallès-Penedès (Catalunya, Nord-Est d’Espanya) és molt més ric i continu del que es pensava. Aquesta tesi està centrada en la descripció de la fauna de cricètids durant aquesta època i en les seves implicacions biostratigràfiques, paleobiogeografiques i paleoambientals. El cos principal d’aquesta tesi es centra en l’estudi sistemàtic dels cricètids de totes les localitats de la conca del Vallès-Penedès durant el Miocè inferior i principis del Miocè mitjà. El material estudiat consta de prop d’unes 1000 dents aïllades, així com fragments de mandíbules i maxil·les i també un crani parcial. Al registre de rosegadors de la conca del Vallès-Penedès hi trobem quatre gèneres diferents durant el Miocè inferior i principis del Miocè mitjà (final del Ramblià – Aragonià mitjà, MN3-MN5). El cricètid arcaic Melissiodon dominans és comú durant la zona A del Ramblià (ca. 19.3-17.2 Ma), abans de la dispersió dels anomenats &#8216;cricètids moderns’dels gèneres Democricetodon i Megacricetodon. Aquests cricètids moderns són components dominants de l’Aragonià (ca. 16,5-15 Ma) i inclouen quatre espècies del gènere Democricetodon (D. hispanicus, D. cf. decipiens, D. gracilis, D. sp. 4) i un del gènere Megacricetodon (M. primitivus). El paracricetodontí Eumyarion weinfurteri i els últims Melissiodon dominans completen l’associació de cricètids, però ambdues espècies són generalment rares. En general, la successió de cricetids del Miocè inferior mostra diverses afinitats amb la de la zona de tipus de l’Aragonià, la conca de Calatayud-Montalbán (Aragó, centre-est d’Espanya), permetent l’ús de la mateixa biostratigrafia local d’alta resolució, amb només petites diferències. A més, les faunes del Vallès-Penedès també presenten algunes semblances amb les d’Europa central. Els resultats biostratigràfics es combinen amb noves dades magnetostratigràfiques que permeten precisar l’edat de alguns esdeveniments biòtics importants que caracteritzen el Miocè inferior, incloent esdeveniments de dispersió d’altres continents vers a Europa occidental. Finalment, es reconstrueixen les condicions paleoclimàtiques regionals entre ca. 19 i 15 Ma en base a la fauna de petits mamífers i es comparen amb altres registres d’Europa occidental. Els patrons de paleoprecipitació inferits a partir de l’estructura de la comunitat de petits mamífers indiquen una aridificació regional coincidint amb l’Òptim Climàtic del Miocè mitjà entre fa 16,5 i 15 Ma. A més, el Vallès-Penedès és reconegut a més com a àrea de transició entre la bioprovincia de centreeuropa més boscosa i humida, i la bioprovincia centreibèrica més àrida i amb estacionalitat en el règim de precipitacions. Aquesta situació, que ja havia estat reconeguda anteriorment per al Miocè mitjà i inicis del Miocè tardà, ja existia al començament d’aquesta època.El registro de roedores del Mioceno inferior y principios del Mioceno medio (finales del Rambliense hasta el Aragoniense medio; ca. 19-15 Ma) del Vallès-Penedès (Cataluña, Nordeste de España) es mucho más rico y continuo de lo que se pensaba. Esta tesis esta centrad en la descripción de la fauna de cricétidos durante esta época y en sus implicaciones bioestratigráficas, paleobiogeográficas y paleoambientales. El cuerpo principal de esta tesis se centra en el estudio sistemático de los cricétidos de todas las localidades de la cuenca del Vallès-Penedès durante el Mioceno inferior y principios del Mioceno medio. El material estudiado consta de casi unos 1000 dientes aislados así como de fragmentos maxilares y mandibulares y también de un cráneo parcial. En el registro de roedores de la cuenca del Vallès-Penedes encontramos cuatro géneros diferentes durante este tiempo (final del Rambliense – Aragoniense medio, MN3-MN5). El cricétido arcaico Melissiodon dominans es común en la zona A dl Rambliense (ca. 19.3-17.2 Ma), antes de la dispersión de los llamados “cricétidos modernos” de los géneros Democricetodon y Megacricetodon. Estos cricétidos modernos son componentes dominantes de las faunas Aragonienses (ca. 1.5-15 Ma) e incluyen cuatro especies del genero Democricetodon (D. hispanicus, D. cf. decipiens, D. gracilis, D. sp. 4) y una del género Megacricetodon (M. primitivus). El paracricetodontino Eumyarion weinfurteri y los últimos Melissiodon dominans completan la asociación de cricétidos aunque las dos son especies generalmente raras. En general, la sucesión de cricétidos del Mioceno inferior muestra varias afinidades con la zona tipo del Aragoniense, la cuenca de Calatayud-Montalbán (Aragón, España), permitiendo así el uso de la misma bioestratigrafía local de alta definición, incluyendo solo unas pocas modificaciones. A demás, las faunas del Vallès-Penedès presentan algunas similitudes con las faunas de Europa central. Los resultados bioestratigraficos combinados con los magnetoestratigráficos permiten la precisar la edad de algunos eventos bióticos importantes que caracterizan el Mioceno inferior, incluyendo eventos de dispersión de especies de otros continentes a Europa occidental. Finalmente, se reconstruyen les condiciones paleoclimáticas regionales entre ca. 19 y 15 Ma en base a la fauna de pequeños mamíferos y se compara con otros registros de Europa occidental. Los patrones de paleoprecipitación inferidos a partir de la estructura de la comunidad de pequeños mamíferos indica una aridificación regional coincidiendo con el Óptimo Climático del Mioceno medio de entre hace 16.5 y 15 Ma. A demás el Vallès-Penedès es conocidos como una área de transición entre la bioprovíncia de centro Europa, más boscosa e húmeda, y la bioprovíncia centro Ibérica, más árida y con estacionalidad mascada en el régimen de precipitaciones. Esta situación que ya era conocida anteriormente en el Mioceno medio e inicios del Mioceno superior ya existía al principio de esta época.The early and early middle Miocene (late Ramblian to middle Aragonian; ca. 19-15 Ma) rodent record of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia, north-eastern Spain) is far richer and more continuous than previously thought. This thesis is centered in the description of the cricetid fauna from this time interval and its biostratigrahical, paleobiogeographical and paleoenvironmental implications. The systematic study of the cricetid fauna of all known early and early middle Miocene sites from the Vallès-Penedès Basin defines the main body of this work. The studied material comprises nearly 1,000 isolated molars as well as some mandibular fragments and even a partial skull. Four cricetid genera occur in the early to early middle Miocene (late Ramblian-middle Aragonian, MN3-MN5) record of the Vallès-Penedès Basin. The archaic cricetid Melissiodon dominans is common during Ramblian zone A (ca. 19.3-17.2 Ma) a before the dispersal of the so-called ‘modern cricetids’ of the genera Democricetodon and Megacricetodon. Modern cricetids are dominant components ofAragonian zone C and early zone D faunas (ca. 16.5-15 Ma) and include four species of the genus Democricetodon (D. hispanicus, D. cf. decipiens, D. gracilis, D. sp. 4) and one of the genus Megacricetodon (M. primitivus). The paracricetodontine Eumyarion weinfurteri and the last Melissiodon dominans complete the cricetid assemblage, but both species are generally rare. Overall the early Miocene cricetid succession shows several affinities with that from the Aragonian type area, the Calatayud-Montalbán Basin (Aragon, east-central Spain) allowing the use of the same high-resolution local biostratigraphy, with only minor differences. Moreover, Vallès-Penedès faunas also show a few similarities with the central European ones. Biostratigraphical results are combined with novel magnetostratigraphic data allow constraining the age of several major regional to continental bioevents that characterize the early Miocene, including dispersal events from other continents into Western Europe. Finally, small mammal faunas are used to reconstruct regional paleoclimate between ca. 19 and 15 Ma and to compare it with other Western Europe records. Rainfall patterns are inferred from small-mammal community structure and indicate regional aridification coinciding with the height of the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum between 16.5 and 15 Ma. The Vallès-Penedès is further recognized as a transitional area between the forested and humid central European bioprovince and the more arid and rainfall seasonal inner Iberian bioprovince. Such situation, which had previously been recognized for the middle and early late Miocene already existed at the beginning of this epoch.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Biodiversita

The aberrant hamster Melissiodon (Cricetidae, Rodentia) from the early Miocene of Echzell and other German and French localities

Melissiodon is a rare cricetid with a long stratigraphic range, present from the Oligocene until the Miocene, only found in western and central Europe except some specimens recovered in Anatolia. What makes Melissiodon special is its unique dental and mandible morphology that has led to many questions regarding its relationship to other cricetid genera and its type of diet. In this work, we have studied new material attributed to Melissiodon from the German localities Echzell (MN4) and Petersbuch (MN3 and MN4), and from the French locality Beaulieu (MN3). Moreover, we compared these specimens with the already published material from other localities across western and central Europe during the early Miocene (MN3 and MN4). In conclusion, the studied specimens and the comparison with other material from different European localities allow us to ascribe this new material as Melissiodon dominans, a widely dispersed species across Europe during the early Miocen

Dispersal and early evolution of the first modern cricetid rodents in Western Europe: new data from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia)

Modern cricetids originated in Asia and dispersed into Western Europe by the end of the early Miocene, where they quickly became major components of the rodent faunas. Here we review the early Miocene rodent record of the genera Democricetodon Fahlbusch, 1964 and Megacricetodon Fahlbusch, 1964 in the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia, Spain). Democricetodon is represented by four species in the studied sites (D. hispanicus Freudenthal, 1967, D. cf. decipiens (Freudenthal &amp; Daams, 1988), D. gracilis Fahlbusch, 1964 and a large-sized undetermined species) and Megacricetodon by one (M. primitivus (Freudenthal, 1963)). The cricetid succession bears several similarities with that of the nearby Calatayud-Montalbán Basin (East-Central Spain) to the point that the same detailed local biostratigraphy could be extended to the Catalan basin. The rare presence of certain Democricetodon species (D. gracilis) and other small mammal taxa also reveal affinities with regions beyond the Iberian Peninsula and indicate that the Vallès-Penedès Basin was more humid and forested than inland Iberian basins during the early Miocene.</jats:p

Dispersal and early evolution of the first modern cricetid rodents in Western Europe : new data from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia)

Modern cricetids originated in Asia and dispersed into Western Europe by the end of the early Miocene, where they quickly became major components of the rodent faunas. Here we review the early Miocene rodent record of the genera Democricetodon Fahlbusch, 1964 and Megacricetodon Fahlbusch, 1964 in the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia, Spain). Democricetodon is represented by four species in the studied sites (D. hispanicus Freudenthal, 1967, D. cf. decipiens (Freudenthal & Daams, 1988), D. gracilis Fahlbusch, 1964 and a large-sized undetermined species) and Megacricetodon by one (M. primitivus (Freudenthal, 1963)). The cricetid succession bears several similarities with that of the nearby Calatayud-Montalbán Basin (East-Central Spain) to the point that the same detailed local biostratigraphy could be extended to the Catalan basin. The rare presence of certain Democricetodon species (D. gracilis) and other small mammal taxa also reveal affinities with regions beyond the Iberian Peninsula and indicate that the Vallès-Penedès Basin was more humid and forested than inland Iberian basins during the early Miocene.Les cricétidés modernes sont originaires d'Asie et se sont dispersés en Europe occidentale à la fin du Miocène inférieur. Nous passons ici en revue les signalements du Miocène inférieur des genres Democricetodon Fahlbusch, 1964 et Megacricetodon Fahlbusch, 1964 du bassin du Vallès-Penedès (Catalogne, Espagne). Democricetodon est représenté par quatre espèces (D. hispanicus Freudenthal, 1967, D. cf. decipiens (Freudenthal & Daams, 1988), D. gracilis Fahlbusch, 1964 et une espèce indéterminée de grande taille) et Megacricetodon par une (M. primitivus (Freudenthal, 1963)). La succession de cricétidés présente plusieurs similarités avec celle du bassin voisin de Calatayud-Montalbán (Centre-Est de l'Espagne), à tel point que la même biostratigraphie locale détaillée pourrait être étendue au bassin catalan. La rare présence de certaines espèces de Democricetodon (D. gracilis) ainsi que celle d'autres taxons de petits mammifères révèle également des affinités avec des régions au-delà de la Péninsule Ibérique et indique que le bassin du Vallès-Penedès était plus humide et boisé que les bassins ibériques intérieurs durant le Miocène inférieur

Cricetid, eomyid and murid fauna from the Middle Miocene site (MN6) of Devínska Nová Ves - Bonanza (Slovakia)

Rodents play an important role in all current and extinct ecosystems. In this study we present the fossil record of cricetids, eomyids and murids from Devínská Nová Ves-Bonanza (Vienna Basin, Slovakia). A detailed morphometric analysis revealed the presence of Eumyarion cf. latior, Democricetodon vindobonensis, Karydomys sp., Anomalomys sp., Neocometes brunonis, Keramidomys carpathicus, and Eomyops sp. This species association with other taxa available from the locality indicates an early MN6 age, probably slightly younger than the neighbouring locality Devínská Nová Ves-Štokeravská vápenka = Neudorf an dem March - die Spaltenfüllung or Zapfe's Fissures. Paleoenvironmental specificities of the locality dated after the peak of the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum are discussed. This faunal assemblage, together with geological setting, suggests a mixed insular or peninsular area with subtropical forests close to freshwater bodies in the vicinity of a saltwater sea