The Epivillafranchian carnivore Pannonictis (Mammalia, Mustelidae)udfrom Sima del Elefante (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) and a revisionudof the Eurasian occurrences from a taxonomic perspective

摘要

Since the Early Villafranchian, the genus Pannonictis has been distributed in Eurasia from eastern China to the Iberian Peninsula.udHowever, most of the finds of this large-sized mustelid are scant and fragmentary, resulting in a proliferation of names and unclearudtaxonomic history. Pannonictis pliocaenica and ‘‘Pannonictis pilgrimi’’ from Villa´ ny-Kalkberg are here considered as the same species, theudlatter being a synonym. The Asian representatives are among the most robust and present some anatomical differences. The recovery ofudnew specimens from sites with well-known chronology and accurate stratigraphy is essential to clarify the taxonomic relationships amongudthe several Plio-Pleistocene Pannonictis species described. The Sima del Elefante (Atapuerca, Spain) finds play a relevant role. Pannonictisudnestii is a likely candidate as a last survivor of the genus, extending to the Late-Early Pleistocene. A review of the Eurasian occurrences ofudPannonictis is presented, together with an attempt to establish a geographic and chronological picture of this genus that undoubtedlyudsurvived up to the Latest-Early Pleistocene. The Sardinian skull attributed to Enhydrictis ‘‘galictoides’’, is here placed as the only representative of this genus, and was likely confined to the Middle-Late Pleistocene in the Tusco-Sardinian paleobioprovince.