New Sciuridae (Mammalia: Rodentia) from the early Miocene Thomas Farm Local Fauna, Florida

ABSTRACT Three taxa of Sciuridae are recognized from the early Hemingfordian (early Miocene) Thomas Farm locality, Gilchrist County, Florida. Petauristodon pattersoni, sp. nov. is a large “flying squirrel” that is distinguished from the Barstovian species P. mathewsi and P. jamesi by the presence of complete metalophs on the upper cheekteeth and anteroconids on the lower cheekteeth. Petauristodon has been tentatively assigned to the subfamily Petauristinae but its relationships to Old World flying squirrels are not clear. Nototamias hulberti, gen. et sp. nov. is a small chipmunk-like sciurid, distinguished from its Recent sister taxa by posteriorly placed mental foramen and masseteric fossa and fused roots on the lower molars. N. hulberti differs from the Barstovian and Clarendonian N. ateles by smaller size and absence of metaconules on the upper cheekteeth. An isolated M3 is provisionally referred to cf. Miospermophilus sp.

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