Two new species of Prolagus (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Hungary: taxonomy, biochronology, and palaeobiogeography

Abstract

The present study describes two new species, Prolagus pannonicus sp. nov. and P. latiuncinatus sp. nov., from the Late Miocene Hungarian localities Sumeg (MN10/11) and Polgardi 2 (MN13). These species are closely related, probably by a direct ancestor–descendant relationship. They share characters common to Late Miocene–Pliocene eastern European species (e.g., the retention of the entoconid enamel in p3 contrarily to coeval western European ones), attesting to an eastern European group of Prolagus that evolved independently from western European species at least since MN10/11. Nevertheless, the two Hungarian species of Prolagus here described follow particular evolutionary trends: contrarily to other European Late Miocene species, their p3 does not undergo a substantial size increase after MN12, whereas the crochet size enlarges noticeably. Special emphasis is given to the comparison of P. pannonicus sp. nov. and P. latiuncinatus sp. nov. with the Gargano insular endemic Prolagus species. Their common morphological traits are related to convergence due to endemism. Prolagus pannonicus sp. nov. and P. latiuncinatus sp. nov. probably were continental isolated species.