A new early Late Oligocene (MP 26) continental vertebrate fauna from Saint-Privat-des-Vieux (Alès Basin, Gard, Southern France) Author Vianey-Liaud, Monique Author Comte, Bernard Author Marandat, Bernard Author Peigné, Stéphane Author Rage, Jean-Claude Author Sudre, Jean text Geodiversitas 2014 2014-12-26 36 4 565 622 http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/g2014n4a4 journal article 6390 10.5252/g2014n4a4 8bc26961-9853-4113-a63d-4cf691aa7100 1638-9395 4538625 Heterocricetodon gaimersheimensis Freudenberg, 1941 ( Fig. 12 ) HOLOTYPE . — Fragment of right lower jaw, bearing m1-3, BSP 1939 XI 4 , BSPG , Munich. TYPE LOCALITY . — Gaimersheim (South Germany ), MP 27-28. ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS. — See Freudenberg (1941: 105) . Description and variability of teeth of the type-population: Kristkoiz (1992: 63-72) . MEASUREMENTS (in mm). — Eight isolated teeth: 1 M1 (2.54 × 1.66), 3 M2 (2.12 × 1.94, 2.17 × 1.86, 1.94 × 1.79), 1 M3 (1.72 × 1.54), 1 m 1 (2.65 × 1.60), 1 m 2 (2.54 × 1.47), 1 m 3 (2.37 × 1.78). DESCRIPTION M1. Ŋe anterior arm of the protocone and the mesoloph join the labial edge of the tooth, like on several specimens from Gaimersheim. M2-M3. Ŋere is a double connecting of the anterior cusps (complete metalophule I and II) and the mesoloph reaches the labial edge of the teeth, as it happens on some specimens from Gaimersheim. m1. Ŋe two mesolophids are short, like it is often the case in the type population. m2. Ŋe posterior arm of the protoconid is short but exceeds the mesolophid length, extending towards the metaconid, as for some specimens from Gaimersheim. m3. Ŋe posterior arm of the protoconid is long and joins the labial edge of the tooth, at the base of the metaconid ridge. DISCUSSION Four species of relatively large size have been referred to this genus. Among them, H. stehlini Schaub, 1925 , H. schlosseri ( Schaub, 1925 ) and H. helbingi Stehlin & Schaub, 1951 , remain poorly defined. Hugueney (1980) , in her discussion about the species of Heterocricetodon from Saint-Menoux, has suggested that the variations between the three species stehlini , schlosseri and helbingi could enter a unique species, when more material would be known. Concerning H. gaimersheimensis Freudenberg, 1941 , Engesser (1987) supposed that “the material from Gaimersheim described by Freudenberg includes two species, H. stehlini and H. helbingi ”. Later, an extensive study has been achieved by Kristkoiz (1992) . He established the presence of only one species although with a great variability in the abundant material from Gaimersheim. Ŋerefore, H. stehlini and H. helbingi could be two morphotypes within H. gaimersheimensis and H. gaimersheimensis Freudenberg, 1941 would be a junior synonyme of H. stehlini Shaub, 1925 . However, the species H. stehlini is based on an isolated lower jaw from an undetermined locality from Quercy (“Bach”, Old collections). FIG. 11. Other cricetids from Saint-Privat-des-Vieux (Gard; Lower Chattian, MP 26): A , Eucricetodon huerzeleri Vianey-liaud, 1972 , left M1-M2 (reversed), SPV165: A1 , occlusal view, A2 , lingual view; B , Cricetidae indet., fragment of left maxillary with M1, SPV20, occlusal view; C , bivariate (Length and Width) diagram of M1 of Pseudocricetodon incertus (Schlosser, 1884) from Saint-Privat-des- Vieux. The open circle represents the M1 SPV20. The plots for the M1 of P. incertus are surrounded by their calculated equiprobable ellipse. Scale bar: 1 mm. FIG. 12. Heterocricetodon gaimersheimensis Freudenberg,1941 , from Saint-Privat-des-Vieux (Gard;Lower Chattian,MP 26): A , right M1 (reversed), SPV170: A1 , occlusal view, A2 , lingual view; B , left M2, SPV171: B1 , occlusal view, B2 , lingual view; C , right M3 (re- versed), SPV174: C1 , occlusal view, C2 , lingual view; D , right m1 (reversed), SPV175: D1 , occlusal view, D2 , lingual view; E , left m2, SPV178, occlusal view; F , left m3, SPV179: F1 , occlusal view, F2 , lingual view. Scale bar: 1 mm. Morphological and dimensional variations of the material of Saint Privat-des-Vieux fall within those of H. gaimersheimensis , and are not completely similar with the type of H. stehlini . Ŋe teeth from Saint- Privat-des-Vieux are thus reported to H. gaimersheimensis ; because it is the only one species whose variability is known until now. It is the same for a few teeth from Sarèle (Vianey-Liaud 1972) and BoujacA.