New Pliocene Rhinocerotidae findings from the Iberian Peninsula and the revision of the Spanish Pliocene records

Abstract

A fragmentary mandible from the early Pliocene of the Vera Basin is here investigated to clarify its taxonomic position. The studied specimen is here assigned to Pliorhinus megarhinus, documented in Europe from the latest Miocene to the mid-Pliocene. The morphometrical comparison reveals that this taxon is larger than Stephanorhinus etruscus and S. jeanvireti but overlaps with Dihoplus schleiermacheri. P. megarhinus and D. schleiermacheri differ in some characters of the lower molars, such as the length of the metalophid and the shape of the trigonid in occlusal view, thus allowing new considerations on the Pliocene Spanish rhinocerotine record. According to the results here obtained, three species are at least documented in Span during the Pliocene: P. megarhinus, P. miguelcrusafonti, and S. etruscus. The presence of S. jeanvireti has to be verified and confirmed by further evidence. The presence of Dihoplus schleiermacheri as a relict taxon in the Pliocene of Spain is here discarded.