Micromeryx azanzae sp. nov. (Ruminantia: Moschidae) from the middle-upper Miocene of Spain, and the first description of the cranium of Micromeryx

Abstract

ABSTRACT A new species of moschid, Micromeryx azanzae sp. nov., is described on the basis of new fossil material from Toril-3 localities (upper Aragonian; local zone G3, MN 7/8, Zaragoza province, Spain). The fossil localities of Toril-3A and 3B have yielded exceptional material of this taxon, including the first ever described Micromeryx skull remains, dramatically improving the knowledge of Micromeryx morphology; previously unknown regions of the skeleton described here include the tympanohyal complex and most of the postcranial skeleton, both of which will be of great importance in reconstructing the sequence of character state changes within the Moschidae. Evidence for metric sexual dimorphism in M. azanzae is also discussed. Micromeryx azanzae is the best-represented species of the Moschidae in the Spanish fossil record, not only because of the quality and quantity of the fossil material but also because the species appears at nine fossil sites and three sedimentary basins that span three million years (local zones F–H, MN 6 to early MN 9).