Simplomys julii (Daams, 1989)

García-Paredes, Israel, Peláez-Campomanes, Pablo & Álvarez-Sierra, M. Ángeles, 2009, Gliridae (Rodentia, Mammalia) with a simple dental pattern: a new genus and new species from the European Early and Middle Miocene, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157 (3), pp. 622-652 : 642

REMARKS ON SIMPLOMYS JULII

Simplomys julii is a rare species in the fossil record. It has not been studied since Daams (1989).Material from other than the type locality was not described until the revision of S. julii from the Aragonian type area by García-Paredes (2006). This study demonstrated a trend toward size increase of the cheek teeth ( Fig. 10 ) and gives for the first time detailed descriptions of the premolars and lower third molars of this species, showing its high degree of simplification and reduction ( Fig. 7 ).

Simplomys julii has been considered to have a short stratigraphical distribution restricted to the lower Aragonian (Lower Miocene) ( Daams & de Bruijn, 1995; Daams, 1999). García-Paredes (2006) extended the stratigraphical distribution of this species to the upper Ramblian (Lower Miocene) and part of the middle Aragonian (Middle Miocene) ( Table 5). Simplomys julii has been found only in Spain and France (see Supporting Information Appendix S1 for details on localities and references).

Figures

Figure 7. Simplomys julii (Daams, 1989) from Artesilla (Fig. 7A–H; J–L; N–O) and San Roque 3 (Fig. 7I, M) (collection MNCN). A, P4 ART-2444. B, M1 ART-3. C, M2 ART-28. D, M3 ART-21. E, P4 ART-2447. F, M1 ART-4 holotype. G, M2 ART-13. H, M3 ART-1176. I, p4 SR3-803. J, m1 ART-16. K, m2 ART-14. L, m3 ART-1036. M, p4 SR3-604. N, m1 ART-22. O, m2 ART-27. Right side specimens underlined. Holotype in italics.

Figure 10. Temporal distribution of average surface of the upper and lower cheek teeth in species of Simplomys gen. nov. from the Aragonian type area (Calatayud–Montalbán basin, Spain). Only localities with at least five measurable specimens of each element are included. Horizontal bars represent two times the standard deviation. Modified after García-Paredes, 2006.