Circamustela peignei Valenciano, Pérez-Ramos, Abella, and Morales 2020
- Dataset
- A new hypercarnivorous mustelid (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae) from Batallones, late Miocene (MN 10), Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Valenciano, Alberto, Pérez-Ramos, Alejandro, Abella, Juan, Morales, Jorge (2020): A new hypercarnivorous mustelid (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae) from Batallones, late Miocene (MN 10), Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain. Geodiversitas 42 (8): 103-121, DOI: 10.5252/geodiversitas2020v42a8
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- class
- Mammalia
- order
- Carnivora
- family
- Mustelidae
- genus
- Circamustela
- species
- Circamustela peignei
description
(Figs 2 - 6; 7 A-D) Mustelidae gen. et sp. indet. aff. Circamustela dechaseauxi – Valenciano 2017: 331.
description
AGE. — Late Miocene, Vallesian, MN 10.
description
DESCRIPTION Cranium and upper dentition Circamustela peignei n. sp., has a medium-sized cranium about as large as that of the American marten (Martes americana) and a long rostrum similar to that of the North American fisher (Pekania pennanti). Three fragmentary skulls have been found at Batallones- 3. Specimen BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 (Fig. 2 A-E) is the most complete, and with a basal cranial length of 80.7 mm. It is dorso-ventrally compressed and the left frontal bone is collapsed. The cranium is partially crystallized in its interior, affecting the internal cavities and roots, and some superficial bone, such as of the right maxilla and pre-maxilla is dissolved. The nuchal and ventral regions are also damaged. The right zygomatic arch, left bulla, and both right mastoid process and occipital condyle are missing. The nasal aperture is broken. The orbit is large. The rostral margin of the orbit ends at the level of the mesial margin of the P 4 parastyle. The postorbital processes are not preserved. The infraorbital foramen is located above the P 3 and P 4. It has a well-developed sagittal crest (Fig. 2 A), which suggests that it was a male individual (Larivière & Jennings 2009). In caudal view (Fig. 2 E), the nuchal area is triangular, rather flat, and no muscular attachments are preserved on the supraoccipital bone. The left zygomatic arch is similar to that of living martens, so it is not especially robust. The frontal process of the zygomatic arch is triangular and of moderate size. On the palate, the incisive foramina are not preserved. There is an oval concavity in the left maxilla from the canine at the P 3 level. The right bulla is preserved. It is swollen, oval and rostrocaudally larger. It has three small perforations on its surface due to erosion. The scan images show a highly septate tympanic bulla, with a more developed anterior septum that partially divide the bulla (Fig. 3 B-D), as it happens in the late Miocene African mustelid Howellictis valentini (de Bonis et al. 2009). No additional features or foramina from the basicranial area are preserved. urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 5 FE 42 B 44 - EAD 1 - 404 B- 9858 - F 3 E 546 C 99 B 03 Specimens BAT- 3 ’ 11.1041 (Fig. 2 F-L) and BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246 (Fig. 4) preserve the anterior part of the rostrum. Both show signals of dissolution by soil acids. BAT- 3 ’ 11.1041 is not distorted. It shows a higher than broad nasal aperture and a high and relatively robust muzzle (Fig. 2 F-G). The rostral part of the cranium BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246 has both hemimandibles attached, as seen in the virtual reconstruction (Fig. 4). The preserved upper dentition comprises the C, P 1 - 4 and M 1 (Figs 2 - 4; Table 1). Most teeth show signs of dissolution. The C is oval and long. Both BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 and BAT- 3 ’ 10. 1246 have a large wear facet on the tip. There are diastemata between all the upper premolars. The P 1 is robust and unicuspid. Both P 2 and P 3 are elongated, unicuspid and show a concave buccal wall. The P 3 is distally widened. The P 4 is relatively long. It possesses an eroded parastyle in BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 (Fig. 2 C). There is an inflection between the parastyle and the protocone. The protocone is very isolated and mesially located. Additional P 4 s associated with the crania BAT- 3 ’ 11.1041 (Fig. 2 H-L) and BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246 (Fig. 4 E) indicate that the parastyle is of moderate size. The protocone is conical and slender with moderate height. A lingual cingulum is present on the whole length of the lingual wall (Fig. 2 K-L). Two M 1 are preserved in the crania BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 and BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246. The M 1 BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 is buccolingually elongated and mesiodistally reduced (Fig. 2 C). It has a large parastylar area. The paracone is larger than the metacone. Both mesial and distal walls are very straight. The protocone is high and mesially located. The lingual platform is reduced in comparison with living gulonines (e. g., Martes martes, Martes foina, Pekania pennanti). The CT-scan allowed us to examine the M 1 BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246 (Fig. 4 E). It is broken at the paracone-metacone level and the metacone is dissolved. Its overall morphology is close to BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570, showing a short lingual platform and a high and distally placed protocone (Figs 2 C; 4 E). Mandibles and lower dentition Three incomplete mandibles have been found in Batallones- 3 comprising i 1 - 3, c, p 2 - 4 and m 1 - 2 (Figs 4, 5; Table 2). Both BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A and B are poorly preserved and the mandibular corpus and teeth are dissolved and carbonated, having several small concretions on the surface (Fig. 5 G-K). The mandible of C. peignei n. sp. is slender with a low mandibular corpus. Laterally, there are two rounded mental foramina, one under the distal part of the p 2 and the other beneath the middle cuspid of the p 3. The mandibular symphysis is elongated and curved (Fig. 5 G-H). Its medial surface is rough, and the attachment of the fibrocartilage pad reaches the mesial part of the p 3. The coronoid process is high, sharp and vertically oriented. The masseteric fossa is shallow, although in BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A it is deeper. Its rostral margin lies at the level of the m 2. The tooth row is straight and is aligned with the articular process. The articular process is large and close to the angular process. The angular process is robust and caudally directed. It is more developed in BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A. BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246 preserves all the lower incisors on both sides (Fig. 4). The i 1 is very small and peg-like. The right i 1 only preserves part of the root. The i 2 and i 3 are bilobed, with i 3 mesiodistally wider. The root of the i 2 is imbricated between the i 1 and the 13. The canine is large and has a lingual cingulid (Fig. 4 F-I). BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A also shows an alveolus for p 1. The p 2 - 3 are elongated and unicuspid. The cuspid of p 2 is placed mesially, but in the p 3 it is located in the middle portion of the tooth. Both p 3 - 4 have high mesial and distal cingulids. The p 4 has a tiny distal accessory cuspid (Fig. 4 F-I, 4 A-F), which is more developed in BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A (Fig. 5 J-L). The m 1 is long; its trigonid forms more than two thirds of the total length of the tooth; the protoconid is higher than the paraconid. The metaconid is distinct, attached to the protoconid but not exceeding its posterior edge. It is lingually extended (Figs 4 F, H-I; 5 Q; 6), and is more developed in BAT- 3 ’ 13.1086 (Fig. 5 A-C), and in the specimen from Batallones- 5 (Fig. 6). The maximum width is located at the protoconid-metaconid level. The talonid is reduced in length. The hypoconid is low and lingually bevelled (Figs 4 F-I; 5 C, E). There is no entocristid; instead a posterior cristid of the metaconid extends along the lingual edge of the talonid, reaching the hypoconulid. Between the hypoconid and the aforementioned edge there is a shallow basin. The hypoconulid is more developed in BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A (Fig. 5 J-L) and BAT- 5 ’ 10. G 14.129 (Fig. 6). The m 2 is reduced and oval. Its protoconid and metaconid are of similar height (Fig. 5 A-C).
diagnosis
DIAGNOSIS. — Mustelid of a size comparable to Circamustela dechaseauxi. Relatively long muzzle; P 1 present; P 2 - 3 unicuspid and elongated; P 3 distally widened; P 4 long with conical and slender protocone mesially located, low parastyle and lingual cingulum; M 1 buccolingually elongated and mesiodistally reduced, with a large parastylar area, paracone larger than metacone, the latter being distinctive, high mesially located protocone; long and low mandibular corpus; high coronoid process and shallow masseteric fossa; p 2 - 4 elongated; p 2 - 3 unicuspid; p 4 with low distal accessory cuspid; m 1 metaconid lingually expanded; oval and short m 2 with small protoconid and metaconid. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. — Differs from Circamustela dechaseauxi in more developed M 1 metacone, lesser developed metastylar area, higher and mesially located protocone, lesser development of the cingulum on the lingual platform; more developed m 1 metaconid, and a more conical hypoconid; Differs from Martes melibulla in the shorter mandibular corpus, reduced m 1 talonid with a much shallower talonid basin, with reduced m 1 entocristid and reduced m 2; Differs from “ Martes ” sansaniensis, “ Martes ” filholi, Martes woodwardi, Martes ginsburgi, Pekania palaeosinensis, Pekania occulta, and Paramartes pococki, in smaller size, reduced lingual platform of the M 1 and more reduced m 1 talonid.
etymology
ETYMOLOGY. — In memory of Dr Stéphane Peigné, expert on Neogene carnivorans from Eurasia and Africa. HYPODIGM. — BAT- 3 ’ 11.1041 (Fig. 2 F-L): fragmentary cranium, comprising the muzzle, a left fragment of the maxillary with a fragmented P 3 and a complete P 4 and isolated right P 4; BAT- 3 ’ 10.1246: fragmentary cranium, comprising the muzzle and attached mandible, including C, P 1 - 4, M 1 and i 1 - 3, c, p 2 - 4, m 1 - 2 (Fig. 3); BAT- 3 ’ 13.1086: nearly complete right hemimandible with p 2 - m 2 (Fig. 5 A-C) (same individual as the paratype); BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 A (Fig. 5 J-L): fragmentary left hemimandible with p 4 and m 1 (same individual as the holotype); BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570 B (Fig. 5 G-I): fragmentary right hemimandible with a broken p 2 and complete p 3 - m 1 (same individual as the holotype); Bat 5 - ’ 10. G 14.129: right m 1 (Fig. 6).
materials_examined
HOLOTYPE. — BAT- 3 ’ 10.1570, complete cranium with C, P 1 - 4 and M 1 (Fig. 2 A-E). PARATYPE. — BAT- 3 ’ 13.1048, nearly complete left hemimandible with p 2 - m 2 (Fig. 5 D-F).
materials_examined
TYPE LOCALITY. — Batallones- 3 (late Miocene, Vallesian, MN 10). OTHER LOCALITY. — Batallones- 5 (late Miocene, Vallesian, MN 10).