Oreochromis lorenzoi, a new species of tilapiine cichlid from the late Miocene of central Italy

ABSTRACT

A new species of tilapiine cichlid, Oreochromis lorenzoi, is described from the late Miocene (Messinian) of central Italy. This species is represented by four articulated specimens and a caudal region of a fifth individual. Oreochromis lorenzoi, sp. nov. is the earliest confirmed representative of the genus Oreochromis, and it is the first European fossil cichlid. Oreochromis lorenzoi and additional examples from other fossil fishes provide evidence of faunal exchanges between Africa and the northern coasts of the Mediterranean during the Miocene. Paleoenvironmental implications are also discussed.