The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)
Kargopoulos, Nikolaos (Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Department of Geosciences)
Valenciano Vaquero, Alberto (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Abella, Juan (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Kampouridis, Panagiotis (Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Department of Geoscience)
Lechner, Thomas (Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Department of Geosciences)
Böheme, Madelaine (Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Department of Geosciences)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	The present study deals with new material of carnivorans (Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Ailuridae, Potamotheriinae and Viverridae) from the basal Tortonian (Late Miocene, late Astaracian) hominid-bearing locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany). The small carnivoran fauna includes 20 species belonging to nine different subfamilies (Guloninae, Lutrinae, Mellivorinae, Potamotheriinae, Leptarctinae, Mephitinae, Simocyoninae, Genettinae and Viverrinae). The identified forms include: "Martes" sansaniensis, "Martes" cf. munki, "Martes" sp. , Circamustela hartmanni n. sp. , Laphyctis mustelinus, Guloninae indet. , Eomellivora moralesi, Vishnuonyx neptuni, Paralutra jaegeri, Lartetictis cf. dubia, Trocharion albanense, Palaeomeles pachecoi, Proputorius sansaniensis, Proputorius pusillus, Alopecocyon goeriachensis, Simocyoninae indet. , Potamotherium sp. , Semigenetta sansaniensis, Semigenetta grandis and Viverrictis modica. The new species Circamustela hartmanni n. sp. is differentiated from the other members of the genus by its small size and the morphology of its dental cusps in the upper and lower carnassials. This is one of the highest reported taxonomic diversities for fossil small carnivorans in the Miocene of Europe, including also first and last occurrences for several genera and species. Additionally, the assemblage comprises some rare taxa such as Palaeomeles pachecoi and Eomellivora moralesi. An ecomorphological comparison of the discovered taxa reveals possible cases of competition and niche partitioning.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PGC2018-094122-B-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2020-116220GB-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación FJC2018-036669-I Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017/BP-00223
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	PloS one, Vol. 17 (July 2022) , art. e0268968, ISSN 1932-6203

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268968
PMID: 35830447

64 p, 7.5 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
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