Stuck in the middle. A geographical appraisal of the oldest insectivores - and a marsupial - from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (early Miocene, Catalonia, Spain) Author Van Den Hoek Ostende, Lars W. Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden (The Netherlands) lars.vandenhoekostende@naturalis.nl Author Casanovas-Vilar, Isaac Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Edifici Z, c / de les Columnes, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona (Spain) isaac.casanovas@icp.cat Author Furió, Marc Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Edifici Z, c / de les Columnes, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona (Spain) and Departament de Geologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (08193), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona (Spain) marc.furio@uab.cat text Comptes Rendus Palevol 2020 2020-07-22 19 1 1 25 http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/cr-palevol2020v19a1 journal article 10.5852/cr-palevol2020v19a1 1777-571X 14203901 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9B7BA215-F7E3-4AF0-B764-43F0DD3EADB3 Galerix remmerti Van den Hoek Ostende, 2003 ( Fig. 3 H-J) MATERIAL AND MEASUREMENTS (in cm). — Spain . Turó de les Forques , 1 M2 dext. damaged, IPS 85480 , – × 3.06; 1 M3 sin., IPS 85486 , 1.36 × 2.24; 1 m 2 dext., IPS 85482 , 2.98 × 2.06 ; Sant Andreu de la Barca 3, 1 P 4 sin. damaged, IPS86202 ; Sant Andreu de la Barca 1, 1 p1, IPS86194 , 1.45 × 0.69 . DESCRIPTION P4 The specimen from Sant Andreu de la Barca 3 is heavily damaged, lacking the posterolabial part of the premolar, having the protocone restored and being abraded around the parastyle. The overall appearance of the tooth is quite sturdy. The conical protocone is about twice the height and size of the hypocone. The two lingual cusps stand well isolated from each other. M2 The specimen of Turó de les Forques shows a very strong protocone-metaconule connection. From this, a faint ridge runs in the direction of the hypocone, which stands more or less isolated. The metaconule is atypical in not having a true crescent shape, but short and blunt anterior and posterior arms. The posterior cingulum is continuous. M3 The three main cusps are connected by sharp ridges, the most prominent one being the ridge that connects protocone and paracone. In front of the paracone lies a well-developed parastyle, which connects to the base of the paracone by a short ridge. p1 The premolar is much longer than wide; the occlusal outline is sub-oval. The tip of the main cusp lies in front of the middle of the tooth. There is a tiny anterior flattening and a much larger posterior one. The tooth has one root that is directed obliquely backwards. m2 The cusps have a sturdy appearance, with relatively straight flanks. The talonid is of the same length and width as the trigonid. The blade-like paralophid is slightly hooked. There is a very small metacristid. The posterior cingulid slopes up to just below the centre of the hypolophid. The anterior cingulid seems rather narrow and tapers out against the paraconid.