New data on Mio-Pliocene Sciuridae (Rodentia,Mammalia) from southern Spain

Sciurids are very scarce in the fossil record, especially in the basins of southern Spain. The aim of this paper is to review the Sciuridae record in these basins. The Granada and Guadix basins have yielded specimens of Xerini and Pteromyinae, which represent the largest collection of fossil Sciuridae in southern Spain from the Middle Turolian to the Upper Ruscinian. The new discoveries change the currently known geographical and temporal range of some taxons, since we find the oldest evidence of Pliopetaurista pliocaenica in localities from the Late Turolian and of Heteroxerus mariatheresae in a locality of the Middle Turolian. Furthermore, we record the first evidence of Atlantoxerus margaritae in southern Spain.