Europe’s last anthracothere (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Ribolla (MN 12) Italy

ABSTRACT

Anthracotheres are generally considered to have gone extinct in Europe at the end of the early Miocene (summit MN 4 to base MN 5, Burdigalian) whereas they persisted in Africa until the latest Miocene and in India into the Pleistocene. However, in 1910, Stehlin described an anthracothere upper molar in a fragment of the maxilla, reported to be from Monte Massi (Casteani) Italy (late Miocene -Turolian): Anthracotherium (?) meneghinii but its affinities have remained elusive ever since its description, partly due to the fact that the specimen is poorly preserved and the only tooth is deeply worn. The fossil has been described as being somewhat larger than Microbunodon. Herein, an additional fossil anthracothere fossil is described from the lignites of Ribolla, Italy. It comprises a left mandible fragment with well-preserved m/3 and the roots of m/2. It represents a hitherto unknown genus and species of anthracothere, probably related to Microbunodon, and proves the presence of this family of mammals in Europe at the end of the Miocene (Turolian, MN 12).

KEYWORDS:

• Anthracotheriidae
• biogeography
• biochronology
• palaeoecology
• University of Florence

Acknowledgments

The cast of the Ribolla anthracothere was provided by the late L. Ginsburg. The tragulid specimen in the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology was made available by B.N Tiwari and R. Sehgal. Thanks to L. Rook, E. Cioppi (Museo di Storia Naturale - Sistema Museale d’Ateneo, Università degli Studi di Firenze) and C. Sorbini (Paleontologia, Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa) for curatorial information about fossils in their care.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.