Alilepus meini nov. sp. (Leporidae,Lagomorpha) from the Early Messinian of Tuscany (central-western Italy)

Alilepus meini nov. sp., a new leporid known only from the Early Messinian of central-western Italy (Baccinello-Cinigiano basin, V3 faunal assemblage; Tuscany), is described here. A. meini nov. sp. is an endemic taxon – not inherited from the older Tusco-Sardinian assemblages – of the continental and balanced BCB V3 fauna. The peculiarities of A. meini nov. sp. mainly reside in the occlusal surface of p3 (very large anteroconid, extremely short talonid, deep and crenulated posterior flexids, extremely thin protoisthmus) and P3 (wide hypoflexus). A. meini nov. sp. seems closely related to Alilepus turolensis, as testified by shared morphological characters (globous anteroconid and deep protoflexid, very thin protoisthmus). Palaeobiogeographical evidences support morphological data as A. meini nov. sp. and A. turolensis are the only two species of the genus present in western Europe.