A new species of Agriarctos (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae, Carnivora) in the locality of Nombrevilla 2 (Zaragoza, Spain)

Abstract

The present study documents a new primitive ursid species, Agriarctos beatrix from the Spanish locality of Nombrevilla 2 (Calatayud-Daroca basin, province of Zaragoza). The new fossils of Nombrevilla 2 are closely related to those of A. depereti of Soblay (France, Late vallesian), but in the Spanish form the shared derived characters are more primitive. Agriarctos beatrix is the oldest occurrence of a member of the subfamily Ailuropodinae in the fossil record.