Croissance et mortalité chez Pecten (Gigantopecten) ligerianus (D. & D.) (Pectinidae,Bivalvia) du Miocène moyen du Bassin de la Loire (France): Interprétation paléobiologique

Data provided by living big Pectinids biology allow an interpretation of height frequency distribution for a sample of Pecten (Gigantopecten) ligerianus (D. & D., 1906) from the Miocene “faluns de la Loire.Polymodality is thought originated by interactionof spat recruitment, growth-rate and death-rate.Comparison with a sample of another pectinid from the same formation, Chlamys (Aequipecten) radians (Nyst), catches the eye on mistakes in interpreting size-frequency distributions without taking in account paleoecological and paleobiological conditions proper to both species.     

Fossil representatives of the family Greenideidae (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) from the Miocene of Europe

Four new aphid species (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea, Greenideidae) are described on the basis of imprints in oil-shales from the Miocene of Europe (Rubielos de Mora, Spain; Vishnevaya Balka ?Stavropol?, Russia): Eutrichosiphum europaeum nov. sp., Greenidea hispanica nov. sp., Greenideoida (Pentatrichosiphum) turolensis nov. sp. and Mollitrichosiphum rubusensis nov. sp. All the taxa are placed within recent genera of the subfamily Greenideinae. Miocene representatives of this subfamily have been found in the south of Europe. Later changes of climatic conditions limited its geographic range to south-eastern Asia, where it is now represented by over 130 species of seven genera.     

A Transitional Gundi (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae) from the Miocene of Israel

We describe a new species of gundi (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae: Ctenodactylinae), Sayimys negevensis, on the basis of cheek teeth from the Early Miocene of the Rotem Basin, southern Israel. The Rotem ctenodactylid differs from all known ctenodactylid species, including Sayimys intermedius, which was first described from the Middle Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Instead, it most resembles Sayimys baskini from the Early Miocene of Pakistan in characters of the m1-2 (e.g., the mesoflexid shorter than the metaflexid, the obliquely orientated hypolophid, and the presence of a strong posterolabial ledge) and the upper molars (e.g., the paraflexus that is longer than the metaflexus). However, morphological (e.g., presence of a well-developed paraflexus on unworn upper molars) and dimensional (regarding, in particular, the DP4 and M1 or M2) differences between the Rotem gundi and Sayimys baskini distinguish them and testify to the novelty and endemicity of the former. In its dental morphology, Sayimys negevensis sp. nov. shows a combination of both the ultimate apparition of key-characters and incipient features that would be maintained and strengthened in latter ctenodactylines. Thus, it is a pivotal species that bridges the gap between an array of primitive ctenodactylines and the most derived, Early Miocene and later, gundis.     

On the find of adult Micromalthus (Coleoptera, Micromalthidae) in Dominican amber

An adult of Micromalthus is discovered in amber for the first time. The species, from the Miocene Dominican amber, is described as M. anansi sp. nov., and is generally similar to Recent M. debilis, but differs in the longer legs and antennae. The Miocene species appears to be less fetalized than its modern counterpart.     

Sexual and individual morphometric variation in Libycosaurus (Mammalia, Anthracotheriidae) from the Maghreb and Libya

Anthracotheres of late Middle Miocene and Late Miocene age have been described from several localities in northern Africa, all of them currently assigned to the genus Libycosaurus Bonarelli, although in several previous works they were assigned to Merycopotamus Falconer and Cautley, a considerably younger and specialised form from the Indian subcontinent which has quite different dental and cranial morphology. Three species of Libycosaurus have been named, but there has been some doubt about the morphometric variation within the various species, with some authors such as Gaziry (1987) placing the fossils from Sahabi (Latest Miocene, Libya) and Beglia (end Middle Miocene to basal Late Miocene, Tunisia) into the same species despite marked size differences, and others (Ducrocq et al., 2001) creating a species for a restricted sample of small specimens from Nementcha (Late Middle Miocene, Algeria), but which overlaps with the range of size variation of Beglia fossils. The aim of this paper is to examine the available samples in greater depth in order to understand the morphometric variation in these anthracotheres. It is confirmed that the Beglia sample is quite variable (Black, 1972), both morphologically and metrically, but it is concluded that it nevertheless belongs to a single species, because specimens from some of the localities within the Beglia Formation (e.g. Loc. 17 in the lower levels at Beglia) span the entire range of variation (Pickford, 1994). The sample from Nementcha cannot be distinguished from the Beglia sample on any consistent metric or morphological basis, but in general the specimens fall at the low end of the range of variation of the Beglia sample. It is thus likely that L. algeriensis is a synonym of L. anisae. The Sahabi and Chad samples (L. petrocchii), in contrast, fall above the known range of variation of the Beglia material in almost all metric features, but are close to it morphologically, and they are considered to represent a species distinct from the Beglia sample.     

Des serpents (Reptilia,Squamata) de type nord-américain dans le Miocène Français. Évolution parallèle ou dispersion?

The French Miocene (Orleanian and Astaracian) yielded five new species of snakes referable to four genera from the Neogene or Recent of North America: Texasophis meini nov. sp., Paleoheterodon arcuatus nov. sp., Neonatrix europaea nov. sp., Neonatrix crassa nov. sp. (Colibridae) and Micrurus gallicus nov. sp. («Elapidae). It is suggested that Micrurus and the previously described boid snake Albaneryx from the French Miocene probably represent lineages that originated in North America and reached Europe by way of Asia. Paleoheterodon and Neonatrix could have originated in Asia and subsequently reached Europe on one hand and North America on the other. Texasophis may have originated in North America and followed the same route as Micrurus and Albaneryx, but an alternative hypothesis is that it originated in Asia and spread toward Europe and North America in the same manner as Paleoheterodon and Neonatrix.     

A new elasmotheriine (Mammalia,Rhinocerotidae) from the Early Miocene of Spain

A new species of Hispanotherium from the Early Miocene of Spain is named. Its phylogenetic relationships within Elasmotheriina are discussed owing to a cladistic analysis. H. grimmi Heissig, 1974 and H. beonense Antoine, 1997 are consequently integrated in the genus Hispanotherium, together with the type species H. matritense and the new species, which differs from other ones by several dental and postcranial features. The westward dispersal of the Elasmotheriina from Asia toward Western Europe during the Early Miocene is hypothesized. To cite this article: P.-O. Antoine et al., C. R. Palevol 1 (2002) 19–26.     

Megapedetes aegaeus N. SP. (Pedetidae) et a propos d'autres “rongeurs africains” dans le Miocene d'Anatolie

Three species of so-called “African rodents” (Megapedetes aegaeus n. sp., Phiomyidae indet. and Dakkamys sp.) have been recently discovered in Western Anatolia in the Middle Miocene localities of Bayraktepe, Chios and Yeni Eskihisar. The first species alone is described and discussed in this paper. The occurence of such rodents in Anatolia leeds to an evaluation of the special paleogeographic position of Africa to Asia at this time.     

The parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) from the Middle Miocene of Sansan (Gers,Southern France)

The occurrence of Archaeopsittacus sp. (Psittaciformes) in the fossil deposits of Sansan (France) is reported, testifying to a survival of this genus in the Middle Miocene, as Archaeopsittacus verreauxi was described from the Early Miocene of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (France) and was recorded only from its type locality. The data discussed here indicate the presence of two parrot species from Sansan, as it is the type locality of another parrot species, Pararallus dispar, only known from this locality. The differences between the humeri of these two taxa are described in detail, together with the differences from the other European fossil parrot species. The presence of more than one species of parrot in the same locality is not rare, but in Europe it is recorded in Sansan for the second time. Evidence for parrots also confirms the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Sansan, as parrots are primarily arboreal species. Archaeopsittacus also represents one of the few common elements between the Early and Middle Miocene European bird assemblages.     

Glis vallesiensis n. sp., nouveau gliride (Rodentia,Mammalia) du Neogene de Seu d'Urgell (Catalogne,Espagne)

It is described Glis vallensiensis n. sp., which is characterized by its great size, similar to that of the present species Glis glis. It differs of the G. minor-G. sackdillingensis lineage in size and minor features. Glis vallesiensis belongs to the same lineage that Glis sp., from the Upper Miocene beds of Opole (1).     

Kretzoiarctos gen. nov., the Oldest Member of the Giant Panda Clade

The phylogenetic position of the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Carnivora: Ursidae: Ailuropodinae), has been one of the most hotly debated topics by mammalian biologists and paleontologists during the last century. Based on molecular data, it is currently recognized as a true ursid, sister-taxon of the remaining extant bears, from which it would have diverged by the Early Miocene. However, from a paleobiogeographic and chronological perspective, the origin of the giant panda lineage has remained elusive due to the scarcity of the available Miocene fossil record. Until recently, the genus Ailurarctos from the Late Miocene of China (ca. 8–7 mya) was recognized as the oldest undoubted member of the Ailuropodinae, suggesting that the panda lineage might have originated from an Ursavus ancestor. The role of the purported ailuropodine Agriarctos, from the Miocene of Europe, in the origins of this clade has been generally dismissed due to the paucity of the available material. Here, we describe a new ailuropodine genus, Kretzoiarctos gen. nov., based on remains from two Middle Miocene (ca. 12–11 Ma) Spanish localities. A cladistic analysis of fossil and extant members of the Ursoidea confirms the inclusion of the new genus into the Ailuropodinae. Moreover, Kretzoiarctos precedes in time the previously-known, Late Miocene members of the giant panda clade from Eurasia (Agriarctos and Ailurarctos). The former can be therefore considered the oldest recorded member of the giant panda lineage, which has significant implications for understanding the origins of this clade from a paleobiogeographic viewpoint.     

The genus Macroteleia Westwood in Middle Miocene amber from Peru (Hymenoptera,Platygastridae s.l., Scelioninae)

A new species of the scelionine genus Macroteleia Westwood (Platygastridae s.l., Scelioninae) is described and figured from a female beautifully preserved in Middle Miocene amber from Peru. Macroteleia yaguarum Perrichot & Engel, sp. n., shows a unique combination of characters otherwise seen independently within its congeners. It is most similar to the modern M. surfacei Brues, but differs from it by the non-foveolate notauli, the contiguous punctures of the vertex, and the continuous propodeum. The new species is the first New World fossil of the genus, suggesting a Cretaceous origin for the group and a relatively old age of the South American, tropical African, and Australian faunas, and a younger age of the modern Holarctic faunas.     

The chronostratigraphic position of the Camping Francas section(Neogene of Tarragona,Spain)

The presence of Cirsotrema (s.s.) pumiceum (BROCCHI) and Chlamys (Manupecten) pesfelis (LINNE) in the section of Camping Francás (Province of Tarragona, Spain) suggests that the age of the deposits be changed from the upper Miocene (Tortonian) to the Pliocene. The change is of particular significance as the site is one of the classic localities of Pectinidae of the Neogene in North East Spain, and is type locality of Pecten (Flabellipecten) constisulcatus ALMERA & BOFILL.     

Discovery of an Upper Miocene Vertebrate fauna near Tizi N’Tadderht,Skoura, Ouarzazate Basin (Central High Atlas,Morocco)

The discovery of Upper Miocene vertebrates at Tizi N’Tadderht in the Ouarzazate basin (Morocco) helps to fill a gap in our knowledge of Neogene faunas in North Africa. The new fauna includes an ostrich cf. Struthio sp, a turtle cf. Centrochelys sp., Crocodylus cf. niloticus, and a relatively diverse fauna of large mammals. The mammal assemblage probably includes three hipparion species, including a very small form not previously reported from Africa, aff. Cremohipparion periafricanum, two species of rhinoceros cf. Ceratotherium sp. and aff. Chilotherium sp., a Proboscidean cf. Tetralophodon sp., a large member of the Giraffidae similar to “Palaeotragus” germaini and two bovids of which one is likely related to Prostrepsiceros, while the other is a new medium-sized antelope with spiral horns, certainly a representative of the Caprinae, a group that is rare in Africa. A late Miocene age, corresponding to the European Turolian Mammal age, is most likely for this fauna.     

A Miocene leaf fossil record of Rosa (R. fortuita n. sp.) from its modern diversity center in SW China

Roses (Rosa, Rosaceae) are arguably the most admired ornamental plants in the world. Southwestern China is the center of diversity for many extant native species of Rosa and fossils found in this region are critical for understanding the evolution of this genus. Herein, we report a leaf fossil record with good preservation from the late Miocene of Yunnan Province. The opposite and odd-pinnate leaf is composed of seven elliptical leaflets, with close, crenulate, and regular marginal teeth. The stipules are lanceolate and adnate to the petiole. Additionally, the secondary veins are semicraspedodromous, showing the same venation pattern as most living Rosa species in southwestern China. On the basis of the extensive morphological comparisons, we propose a new species, R. fortuita T. Su et Z.K. Zhou n. sp. This is the first confirmed Rosa leaf fossil record in China, and the discovery of R. fortuita n. sp. indicates that Rosa existed in southwestern China by the late Miocene. It suggests that Rosa was distributed in subtropical or temperate forests and shared a similar ecological niche as Rosa in Europe during the Oligocene and Miocene. The modern diversification of Rosa in southwestern China is thought to have been closely associated with the continuous uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since the late Miocene, creating complex topography and a variety of climate conditions.     

New material of Chalicotheriidae (Perissodactyla,Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Axios Valley,Macedonia (Greece) with the description of a new species

Chalicotheriids are rare in the late Miocene mammal localities of Axios Valley, Macedonia (Greece). The new campaign of excavations, since 1972, has provided some specimens, which are studied in this article. They are coming from two different localities. The late early Vallesian locality of Pentalophos 1 (PNT) has provided a skull and a mandible of an Ancylotherium. The morphological characters of the PNT material as the small size, the long snout, the shallow mandibular corpus, the strong cingulum in the teeth, the short tooth rows and the short M3/m3 indicate that it differs from the known Turolian species A. pentelicum and allow the erection of a new species, named Ancylotherium hellenicum n. sp., which can be used as a biostratigraphic marker of the Vallesian. The middle Turolian locality Prochoma 1 (PXM) has provided only one M3, which is determined to the chalicotheriine Anisodon macedonicus. This species was earlier described from the middle Turolian locality Vathylakkos 3 (VAT) and the late Turolian one of Dytiko 3 (DKO) of Axios Valley. The biogeography and biostratigraphy of the late Miocene chalicotheres of the Greco-Iranian Palaeoprovince (GRIP), as well as their palaeoecology are also discussed. The common chalicothere of GRIP is A. pentelicum, expanded from the Balkans to Afganistan and ranging stratigraphically from the early to the late Turolian. Chalicotherium goldfussi is certainly present in GRIP and it also ranges from the early to the late Turolian; its possible Vallesian occurrence needs confirmation. The other two late Miocene chalicotheres of GRIP A. macedonicus and Kalimantsia bulgarica are restricted to the Turolian of the Balkan Peninsula.     

A new Oligocene-Miocene calcareous nannofossil species: Pontosphaera wallacei

A high-resolution study of sediments from DSDP Leg 72 Site 516 provided the opportunity to reconstruct a detailed biostratigraphy for the late Oligocene - early Miocene time interval. The detailed taxonomic investigation of calcareous nannofossils, performed by a quantitative analysis, highlighted the presence of a species of Pontosphaera that does not show the morphologic features of any recognized species of this genus. This species, which was previously classified as Pontosphaera sp., is here described as Pontosphaera wallacei nov. sp.