Research paper

New data about the oldest european lagomorpha: Description of the new genus Ephemerolagus nievae gen. nov. et sp. nov.

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MONIQUE VIANEY-LIAUD
Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier II cc 064, place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France. monique.vianey-liaud@univ-montp2.fr
Corresponding author

RENAUD LEBRUN
Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier II cc 064, place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France. monique.vianey-liaud@univ-montp2.fr

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ABSTRACT

Early Oligocene lagomorphs from south-western France were previously known only from one isolated molar (Desmatolagus sp.) from Ravet (Quercy), an early Oligocene fissure-filling (MP21 level, 33 Ma). New material, a left lower jaw bearing P/3 to M/1, allows for the description of a new genus and a new species: Ephemerolagus nievae, on the bases of morphological analysis and micro-computed tomography (μCT) scan sections. It has been compared to the German contemporaneous specimens (“Shamolagus” franconicus from Möhren 19 and Möhren 20, MP21), and to the Asian and North American Palaeogene genera. This species displays peculiar derived characters, like the very short incisor (ending below P/3), not found in Asian or North American early lagomorphs, or in late Palaeogene European genera, or the lack of M/3 and the highly molarized P/4.

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Keywords: Lagomorphs, Paleogene, Oligocene, Europe, tooth morphology.

How to cite:  Vianed-Liaud, M. & Lebrun, R. 2013. New data about the oldest European lagomorpha: Description of the new genus Ephemerolagus nievae gen. nov. et sp. nov. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 28 (1), 3-16.

Received 27 April 2012, Accepted 21 September 2012, Published 30 June 2013

https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.28.1.17812

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