The Epivillafranchian carnivore Pannonictis (Mammalia, Mustelidae) from Sima del Elefante (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) and a revision of the Eurasian occurrences from a taxonomic perspective
Since the Early Villafranchian, the genus Pannonictis has been distributed in Eurasia from eastern China to the Iberian Peninsula. However, most of the finds of this large-sized mustelid are scant and fragmentary, resulting in a proliferation of names and unclear taxonomic history. Pannonictis plioc...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Data de publicação: | 2008 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) |
| Repositório: | Docta Complutense |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/49564 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/49564 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | 56:551.7(460.182) Sierra de Atapuerca Pannonictis Mammalia Mustelidae Sima del Elefante Paleontología 2416 Paleontología |
| Resumo: | Since the Early Villafranchian, the genus Pannonictis has been distributed in Eurasia from eastern China to the Iberian Peninsula. However, most of the finds of this large-sized mustelid are scant and fragmentary, resulting in a proliferation of names and unclear taxonomic history. Pannonictis pliocaenica and ‘‘Pannonictis pilgrimi’’ from Villa´ ny-Kalkberg are here considered as the same species, the latter being a synonym. The Asian representatives are among the most robust and present some anatomical differences. The recovery of new specimens from sites with well-known chronology and accurate stratigraphy is essential to clarify the taxonomic relationships among the several Plio-Pleistocene Pannonictis species described. The Sima del Elefante (Atapuerca, Spain) finds play a relevant role. Pannonictis nestii is a likely candidate as a last survivor of the genus, extending to the Late-Early Pleistocene. A review of the Eurasian occurrences of Pannonictis is presented, together with an attempt to establish a geographic and chronological picture of this genus that undoubtedly survived up to the Latest-Early Pleistocene. The Sardinian skull attributed to Enhydrictis ‘‘galictoides’’, is here placed as the only representative of this genus, and was likely confined to the Middle-Late Pleistocene in the Tusco-Sardinian paleobioprovince. |
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