Palaeosciurus, POMEL, 1853

With Palaeosciurus

The rise of ground squirrels in Eurasia is associated with the genus Palaeosciurus POMEL, 1853 known from the early Oligocene – Middle Miocene of Europe and Eastern Asia ( Vianey-Liaud 1974, De Bruijn 1999, Qiu and Li 2016, Bosma et al. 2019). The morphology of the mandible and lower dentition of the genus is illustrated by P. goti VIANEY-LIAUD, 1974 – the earliest representative of the genus from the early Oligocene (early Suevian ELMA) localities of Quercy, France ( Vianey-Liaud 1974); and, more importantly, the exclusively well-preserved and abundant specimens of the type species P. feignouxi POMEL, 1853 from the Early Miocene (Agenian ELMA) of Allier fossil sites in central France ( Filhol 1879, Dechaseaux 1946). Despite the obvious similarities between SARA V 2024.11.1 and Palaeosciurus , there are a number of striking differences ( Text-fig. 3a, f). For example, compared to Palaeosciurus the mandible of SARA V 2024.11.1 has: a smaller size, a shallower mandibular body with a longer diastemal portion, and a shallower diastemal depression; a more prominent (anteroposteriorly longer) attachment area for the anterior fibers of the anterior deep masseter muscle; a more robust lower masseteric ridge; and a more inflated area of the mental foramen. The dental differences are: a prominent anteroconulid on p4, weaker mesostylid in m2, and, striated incisor enamel in SARA V 2024.11.1.