Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The autopodial skeleton of Paracamelus aguirrei (Morales 1984) (Tylopoda, Mammalia) from the late Miocene site of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain)

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Iberian Geology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Venta del Moro is a classical locality from the late Miocene (Ventian, MN13) of the Cabriel basin from Valencia (Spain). This site is the type locality of nine mammal species. Among them, is the camelid Paracamelus aguirrei, which was defined by its upper dentition, a lower third premolar (p3), and some postcranial remains. This genus, which is the only Neogene camelid present in Europe, rapidly expanded throughout Eurasia from North America. In this work, the autopodial elements of P. aguirrei recovered from Venta del Moro are described, among them some that were previously unknown. This study shows that P. aguirrei was considerably large, comparable in size to the giant camels of North America like Megacamelus merriami and the giant camels of Eurasia like Paracamelus gigas and Camelus knoblochi.

Resumen

Venta del Moro es una localidad clásica del Mioceno final (Ventiense, MN13) de la cuenca del Cabriel de Valencia (España). Este yacimiento es la localidad tipo de nueve especies de mamíferos. Entre ellas se encuentra el camélido Paracamelus aguirrei, que fue descrito a partir de su dentición superior, un tercer premolar inferior (p3) y algunos elementos del esqueleto postcraneal. Este género, que es el único camélido presente en Europa durante el Neógeno, se expandió rápidamente a lo largo de toda Eurasia desde América del Norte. En este trabajo se describen los elementos autopodiales de P. aguirrei recuperados de Venta del Moro, algunos de ellos descritos por primera vez. Este estudio muestra que P. aguirrei fue un camélido de tamaño grande, similar en talla a las formas gigantes norteamericanas como Megacamelus merriami y a las formas gigantes euroasiáticas como Paracamelus gigas y Camelus knoblochi.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

(Modified from Mansino et al. 2014)

Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aguirre, E., Robles, F., Thaler, L., López Martínez, N., Alberdi, M. T., & Fuentes, C. (1973). Venta del Moro, nueva fauna finimiocena de Moluscos y Vertebrados. Estudios Geológicos, 29, 569–578.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agustí, J., Garcés, M., & Krijgsman, W. (2006). Evidence for African-Iberian exchanges during the Messinian in the Spanish mammalian record. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 238(5), 5–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alba, D. M., Montoya, P., Pina, M., Rook, L., Abella, J., Morales, J., & Delson, E. (2015). First record of Mesopithecus (Cercopithecidae, Colobinae) from the Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Human Evolution, 88, 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberdi, M., Morales, J., Moyà, S., & Sanchiz, B. (1981). Macrovertebrados (Reptilia y Mammalia) del yacimiento finimioceno de Librilla (Murcia). Estudios Geológicos, 37, 307–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbour, E. H., & Schultz, C. B. (1939). A new giant camel Gigantocamelus fricki, gen. et sp. nov. Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum, 2(2), 17–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casas-Gallego, M., Lassaletta, L., Barrón, E., Bruch, A. A., & Montoya, P. (2015). Vegetation and climate in the eastern Iberian Peninsula during the pre-evaporitic Messinian (late Miocene). Palynological data from the Upper Turolian of Venta del Moro (Spain). Review of Paleobotany and Palynology, 215, 85–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colombero, S., Bonelli, E., Pavia, M., Repetto, G., & Carnevale, G. (2017). Paracamelus (Mammalia, Camelidae) remains from the late Messinian of Italy: insights into the last camels of western Europe. Historical Biology, 29(4), 509–518.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crespo, V. D., Sevilla, P., Mansino, S., Montoya, P., & Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J. (2018). Bats from the classical site of Venta del Moro (late Miocene, Eastern Spain). Historical Biology, 30(3), 317–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Alix, A., Minwer-Barakat, R., Martín Suárez, E., Freudenthal, M., Aguire, J., & Kaya, F. (2016). Updating the Europe–Africa small mammal exchange during the late Messinian. Journal of Biogeography, 43, 1336–1348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibert, L., Scott, G. R., Montoya, P., Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J., Morales, J., Luque, L., et al. (2013). Evidence for an African–Iberian mammal dispersal during the pre-evaporitic Messinian. Geology, 41(6), 691–694.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrington, C. R. (2011). Pleistocene vertebrates of the Yukon Territory. Quaternary Science Reviews, 30(17–18), 2341–2354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, J. A. (1979). Revision of the Camelinae (Artiodactyla, Tylopoda) and description of the new genus Alforjas. The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions, 95, 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, J. A. (1985). Giant Camels from the Cenozoic of North America. Smithsonian contributions to paleobiology, 57, 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Havesson, J. I. (1954). Tertiary camels of the Eastern Hemisphere (genus Paracamelus). Proceedings of Paleontological Institute, 67, 100–161.

  • Honey, J. G., Harrison, J. A., Prothero, D. R., & Stevens, M. S. (1998). Camelidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott & L. L. Jacobs (Eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume I: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates and Ungulatelike Mammals (pp. 439–462). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ji, R., Cui, P., Ding, F., Geng, J., Gao, H., Zhang, H., Yu, J., Hu, S., & Meng, H. (2009). Monophyletic origin of domestic bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) and its evolutionary relationship with the extant wild camel (Camelus bactrianus ferus). Animal Genetics, 40 (4), 377–382.

  • Kostopoulos, D. S., & Sen, S. (1999). Late Pliocene (Villafranchian) mammals from Sarikol Tepe, Ankara, Turkey. Mitteilungen der Bayerische Staatsammlung für Paläontologie und historische Geologie, 39, 165–202.

  • Labarca, R., Pino, M., & Recabarren, O. (2013). Los Lamini (Cetartiodactyla: Camelidae) extintos del yacimiento de Pilauco (Norpatagonia chilena): aspectos taxonómicos y tafonómicos preliminares. Estudios Geológicos, 69(2), 255–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Likius, A., Brunet, M., Geraads, D., & Vignaud, P. (2003). Le plus vieux Camelidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) d’Afrique: limite Mio-Pliocène, Tchad. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France, 174(2), 187–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Logvinenko, V. N. (2000). Camels (Camelidae, Tylopoda) of the Pliocene and Eopleistocene of Ukraine. Vestnik zoologii, Kiev, suppl, 14, 120–127.

  • Logvynenko, V. M. (2001). Paracamelus minor (Camelidae, Tylopoda): A new camelid species from the Middle Pliocene of Ukraine. Vestaik zoologii, 35(1), 39–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Made, J., & Morales, J. (1999). Family Camelidae. In G. E. Rössner & K. Heissig (Eds.), The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe (pp. 221–224). München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Made, J., Morales, J., & Montoya, P. (2006). Late Miocene turnover in the Spanish mammal record in relation to palaeoclimate and the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 238, 228–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Made, J., Morales, J., Sen, S., & Aslan, F. (2002). The first camel from the Upper Miocene of Turkey and the dispersal of the camels into the Old World. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 1, 117–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansino, S., Crespo, V. D., Montoya, P., & Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J. (2017). Muridae from the late Miocene site of Venta del Moro (Eastern Spain). Historical Biology, 29(5), 677–691.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansino, S., García-Alix, A., Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J., & Montoya, P. (2015). A new Eliomys from the Late Miocene of Spain, and its implications for the phylogeny of the genus. Acta Paleontologica Polonia, 60(3), 577–588.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansino, S., Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J., & Montoya, P. (2018). Sciuridae (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Venta del Moro (Cabriel Basin, Spain): biostratigraphical, phylogenetic and palaeoecological inferences. Historical Biology, 30(3), 297–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansino, S., Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J., Freudenthal, M., & Montoya, P. (2014). A new approach to the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene forms of the genus Apocricetus. Apocricetus alberti (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Venta del Moro (Cabril Basin, Spain). Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 125, 392–405.

  • Martini, P., & Geraads, D. (2018). Camelus thomasi Pomel, 1893 from the Pleistocene type-locality Tighennif (Algeria). Comparisons with modern Camelus. Geodiversitas, 40(5), 115–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martini, P., Schmid, P., & Costeur, L. (2018). Comparative morphometry of bactrian camel and dromedary. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 25, 407–425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mein, P. (1975). Proposition de Biozonation du Néogène Méditerranéen à partir des Mammifères. Trabajos sobre Neógeno-Cuaternario, 4, 112–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montoya, P., Morales, J., & Abella, J. (2009). Eucyon debonisi n. sp., a new Canidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) from the latest Miocene of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). Geodiversitas, 31(4), 709–722.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montoya, P., Morales, J., & Abella, J. (2011). Musteloidea (Carnivora, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). Estudios Geológicos, 67(2), 193–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montoya, P., Morales, J., Robles, F., Abella, J., Benavent, J. V., Marín, M. D., & Ruiz-Sánchez, F. J. (2006). Las nuevas excavaciones (1995–2006) en el yacimiento del Mioceno final de Venta del Moro. Valencia. Estudios Geológicos, 62(1), 313–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales, J. (1984). Venta del Moro: su macrofauna de mamíferos y bioestratigrafía continental de Mioceno terminal mediterráneo. PhD. Thesis. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 340 p.

  • Morales, J., & Aguirre, E. (1976). Carnívoros de Venta del Moro. Trabajos sobre Neógeno-Cuaternario, 5, 31–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales, J., Montoya, P., & Abella, J. (2011). Venta del Moro: un yacimiento clave para conocer la historia del límite Mio-Plioceno en el área mediterránea. Isurus, 4, 60–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales, J., Peláez-Campomanes, P., Abella, J., Montoya, P., Ruiz, F. J., Gibert, L., Scott, G., Cantalapiedra, J. L., & Sanisidro, O. (2013). The Ventian mammal age (Latest Miocene): present state. [La edad de mamíferos ventienses (Mioceno terminal): estado actual]. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 28(2), 149–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales, J., Soria, D., & Aguirre, E. (1980). Camélido Finimioceno en Venta del Moro. Primera cita para Europa occidental. Estudios Geológicos, 36, 139–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukasa-Mugerwa, E. (1981). The camel (Camelus dromedarius): a bibliographical review. Addis Ababa: International livestock Centre for Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlov, Y. A. (1929). Ueber die Reste der fossilen Cameliden aus dem Gouv, Akmolinsk (Westsiberien). Annuaire du Musee Zoologique de l’Académie Des Sciences de l’USSR, 30, 549–587.

  • Pérez-Lorente, F., Herrero, C., Herrero, E., Montoya, P., & Murcia. (2009). Paracamelichnum jumillensis n.ichnogen. n.ichonsp., Upper Miocene Camelidae Ichnites from the Hoya de la Sima site, Spain. Ichnos, 16, 208–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pesquero, M. D., Alberdi, M. T., & Montoya, P. (2007). Hipparion (Equidae, Mammalia) from Venta del Moro (Valencia Province, Spain). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abdhanlungen, 243, 273–297.

  • Pickford, M., Morales, J., & Soria, D. (1993). First fossil camels from Europe. Nature, 365(6448), 701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickford, M., Morales, J., & Soria, D. (1995). Fossil camels from the Upper Miocene of Europe: Implications for biogeography and faunal change. Geobios, 28(5), 641–650.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prothero, D. R., & Schoch, R. M. (2002). Horns, Tusks, and Flippers: The evolution of hoofed mammals. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rybczynski, N., Gosse, J. C., Harington, C. R., Wogelius, R. A., Hidy, A. J., & Buckley, M. (2013). Mid-Pliocene warm-period deposits in the High Arctic yield insight into camel evolution. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2516

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salesa, M. J., Antón, M., Turner, A., Alcalá, L., Montoya, P., & Morales, J. (2010). Systematic revision of the Late Miocene sabre-toothed felid Paramachaerodus in Spain. Palaeontology, 53(6), 1369–1391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlosser, M. (1903). Die fossilen Saugetiere Chinas nebst einer Odontographie der rezenten Antilopens. Abhandlungen der Königlichen bayertschen Akademte der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-naturwissen-schaftliche Klasse, 12, 1–221.

  • Teilhard, P., & Trassaert, M. (1937). The Pliocene Camelidae, Giraffidae and Cervidae of South Eastern Shauai. Paleontologia Sinica, 102, 1–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Titov, V. V. (2008). Habitat conditions for Camelus knoblochi and factors in its extinction. Quaternary International, 179, 120–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Titov, V. V., & Logvynenko, V. N. (2006). Early Paracamelus (Mammalia, Tylopoda) in Eastern Europe. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 49A(1–2), 163–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X., Flynn, L. J., & Fortelius, M. (2013). Mammals of Asia. Neogene Biostratigraphy and Chronology. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webb, S. D. (1965). The Osteology of Camelops. Bulletin of the Los Angeles County Museum, Science, 1, 1–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zazula, G. D., Macphee, R. D. E., Hall, E., & Hewitson, S. (2016). Osteological assessment of Pleistocene Camelops hesternus (Camelidae: Camelinae: Camelini) from Alaska and Yukon. American Museum Novitates, 3866, 1–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zdansky, O. (1926). Paracamelus gigas Schlosser. Paleontologia Sinica, 2(C;4), 1–44.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The fieldwork in Venta del Moro was supported, from 1995 to 2012, by the Conselleria de Cultura of the Valencian Government, and by the Conselleria d’Empresa, Universitat i Ciència (Generalitat Valenciana) [Project number GV06/304], with the permission of the Ministerio de Fomento and the Company ADIF, of the Spanish Government. Project supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PGC2018-094122-B-100 and CGL2016-76431-P (AEI/FEDER, UE), the Research Groups CSIC 64 1538, CAM-UCM 910607 and PVC-GIUV, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme, and Beatriu de Pinós contract 2017 BP 00223 from AGAUR to J.A.). One author (VDC) is the beneficiary of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Argentinian Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). We thank the reviewers for their useful comments and the editors of the Journal of Iberian Geology for their work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Botànica i Geologia, Universitat de València, Doctor Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain

    Óscar Caballero & Plini Montoya

  2. División de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Museo de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina

    Vicente D. Crespo

  3. Museu Valencià d’Història Natural, P.O. Box 8460, L’Hort de Feliu, Alginet, 46018, Valencia, Spain

    Vicente D. Crespo

  4. Museo Paleontológico de Alpuente, Alpuente, Spain

    Vicente D. Crespo

  5. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain

    Jorge Morales

  6. Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, Carrer de les Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain

    Juan Abella

  7. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Pje. Rumipamba N. 341 y Av. de los Shyris (Parque La Carolina), Quito, Ecuador

    Juan Abella

Authors
  1. Óscar Caballero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Plini Montoya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vicente D. Crespo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jorge Morales
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Juan Abella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Óscar Caballero.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 158 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Caballero, Ó., Montoya, P., Crespo, V.D. et al. The autopodial skeleton of Paracamelus aguirrei (Morales 1984) (Tylopoda, Mammalia) from the late Miocene site of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). J Iber Geol 47, 483–500 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-020-00144-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-020-00144-x

Keywords

Palabras clave

Search

Navigation