Eucyon monticinensis ( Rook, 1992 )

Rook, Lorenzo, 2009, The wide ranging genus Eucyon Tedford & Qiu, 1996 (Mammalia, Carnivora, Canidae, Canini) in the Mio-Pliocene of the Old World, Geodiversitas 31 (4), pp. 723-741 : 730

Eucyon monticinensis ( Rook, 1992)

TYPE LOCALITY. — Monticino gypsum quarry (Brisighella; Italy) .

AGE. — Latest Miocene (Turolian; MN 13).

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE. — Latest Miocene of Italy and Spain.

Described from late Messinian (MN 13) of Italy, E. monticinensis is, together with E. davisi and E. intrepidus Morales, Pikford & Soria, 2005 , one of the earliest representatives of the genus ( Rook 1992). The small dog from the Monticino gypsum quarry was first described as “ Canis ” sp. by Rook et al. (1991) and later referred to the new species by Rook (1992). The species has been recently identified at Verduno, a new Messinian (MN 13) vertebrate bearing site in north western Italy ( Sardella 2008).

In the original description of the species, Rook (1992) referred to E. cf. monticinensis also the material from the late Miocene Spanish site of Venta del Moro, previously described as Nyctereutes Temminck, 1839 , Canis , and Vulpes ( Morales & Aguirre 1976; Morales 1984). Noteworthy is that in recent years the site of Venta del Moro yielded a number of new Eucyon specimens. A revision of the old and new material allowed Montoya et al. (2009, this volume) to erect a new specific name for the Spanish latest Miocene Canini , E. debonisi Montoya, Morales & Abella, 2009 .