The primate fossil record in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

(J.M.), ivette.susanna@icp.cat (I.S.), raef.minwer@icp.cat (R.M.-B.), joan.madurell@icp.cat (J.M.-M.), salvador.moya@icp.cat (S.M.-S.), isaac.casanovas@icp.cat (I.C.-V.), josep.robles@fossilia.com (J.M.R.) Received: 26 July 2013 / Accepted: 5 December 2013 / Available online: 25 February 2014 Abstract During the last decade, new discoveries in several Iberian basins, together with the description of previously unpublished finds, have significantly increased the recorded paleodiversity of fossil Primates (Mammalia: Euarchonta) in the Iberian Peninsula. Here we provide an updated compendium of the primate fossil record in Iberia during the Cenozoic and further summarize the changes in primate paleodiversity through time, which are then analyzed in the light of changing climatic conditions. Thanks to favorable climatic conditions, the highest diversity of Iberian primates was reached during the Eocene, thus reflecting the radiation of both adapoids and omomyoids; only a single plesiadapiform genus is in contrast recorded in the Iberian Peninsula. Near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, paleoclimatic changes led to a primate diversity crisis and other faunal changes, although two Iberian omomyoids survived the Grande Coupure. From the Middle Miocene onwards, catarrhine primates are recorded in the Iberian Peninsula. During the Middle and Late Miocene, they are represented by pliopithecoids and hominoids, restricted to NE Iberia. The Miocene hominoids from Iberia are of utmost significance for understanding the Eurasian hominoid radiation and its role in the origins of the great-ape-and-human clade. Following the local extinction of these taxa during the early Late Miocene, due to progressively increased seasonality and concomitant changes in plant communities, cercopithecoids are also recorded in the Iberian Peninsula from the latest Miocene through the Plio-Pleistocene, although they finally became locally extinct, whereas hominoids are again represented by fossil humans during the Pleistocene.Keywords: Primates, Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary, Taxonomy, Spain Resumen Durante la última década, nuevos descubrimientos en varias cuencas ibéricas, junto con la descripción de hallazgos previos inéditos, han incrementado significativamente la paleodiversidad de Primates fósiles (Mammalia: Euarchonta) registrada en la Península Ibérica. Proporcionamos aquí un compendio actualizado del registro fósil de los primates en Iberia durante el Cenozoico, y resumimos además los cambios en paleodiversidad de los primates a lo largo del tiempo a la luz de las condiciones climáticas cambiantes. Gracias a condiciones climáticas favorables, la diversidad más alta de primates ibéricos se produjo durante el Eoceno, reflejando así la radiación tanto de los adapoideos como de los omomioideos; en cambio, sólo un único género de plesiadapiformes se registra en la Península Ibérica. Hacia el límite Eoceno-Oligoceno, los cambios paleoclimáticos condujeron a una crisis de diversidad de los primates y otros cambios faunísticos, aunque dos omomi...

New material of Pseudoloris parvulus (Microchoerinae, Omomyidae, Primates) from the Late Eocene of Sossís (northeastern Spain) and its implications for the evolution of Pseudoloris

“…The first studies of Eocene primates from the Iberian Peninsula occurred in the Institut de Paleontologia de Sabadell (now called Institut Catal a de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, ICP) during the 1960s by M. Crusafont-Pair o, who discovered several fossil sites containing prosimian remains, such as Sant Cugat de Gavadons, Les Saleres and Sossís (Crusafont-Pair o, 1967). Recent studies carried out by the research team of the ICP have involved the discovery of new fossil sites, as well as the detailed analysis of the material from the classical collections housed at the ICP (Marig o et al, , 2011(Marig o et al, , 2013(Marig o et al, , 2014. Specifically, several works have been focused on the study of omomyids from some Spanish localities such as Sant Jaume de Frontany a, Mazater on, Sant Cugat de Gavadons and Zambrana , 2012, 2013a, 2013b.…”

First record of macaques from the Early Pleistocene of Incarcal (NE Iberian Peninsula)

“…Macaca sp., while the macaque fossil remains from Sardinia are recognized as an extinct, endemic insular species, Macaca majori Azzaroli, 1946(Zanaga, 1998Rook and O'Higgins, 2005). The remaining fossil macaque remains from Europe, following Szalay and Delson (1979) and Delson (1980), are customarily attributed to various extinct subspecies of M. sylvanus (e.g., Alba et al, 2008Alba et al, , 2011Marig o et al, 2014). Due to the lack of complete cranial remains, these extinct subspecies are not particularly well characterized, being largely delimited on biochronological grounds (Delson, 1980;Alba et al, 2008Alba et al, , 2011Marig o et al, 2014) (Meloro and Elton, 2012;Elton and O'Regan, 2014).…”

“…Moreover, the latter generally display a more oval occlusal contour with a convex distal margin, and identification as an M 3 is in any case ruled out by the presence of a distal contact facet. A taxonomic assignment to Paradolichopithecus, the other papionin recorded in the Early Pleistocene of Iberia Marig o et al, 2014), can be also confidently discounted based on the larger size of Paradolichopithecus (Fig. 4).…”

Preface. Palaeodiversity and Palaeoecology of Iberian Ecosystems. New insights into the Phanaerozoic biotas from Spain and Portugal

“…A privileged order within them, the primates, experienced several evolutionary innovations, which eventually resulted in a species -among otherswith the most sophisticated brain structure, language, behavior and technology ever found in the Earth: Homo sapiens (usually known as 'mankind'). A notorious sample of the major evolutionary steps of this complicated process is also found in the Cenozoic Iberian continental record (Marigó et al, 2014). The evolution and diversity of the ursoid mammals is likewise well documented throughout the Spanish Neogene record, sometimes depicting relationship with environmental fluctuations (Abella et al, 2014).…”