Early Late Miocene insectivores (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from the Caٌada section (Province of Zaragoza, east Central Spain)

Vallesian (early Late Miocene) strata from the recently introduced Caٌada section (province of Zaragoza, east Central Spain) have yielded fairly large insectivore assemblages. These show that, after the generally dry Aragonian, the Vallesian gave rise to more humid conditions that were favourable to insectivores, both in number of taxa, and in overall number of specimens. The assemblage of Caٌada 8 (Biozone H) is dominated by shrews, whereas the assemblage of Caٌada 10 (uppermost Biozone H) contains the oldest record of Desmanella in the area. This seems to signify a bioevent in which after millions of years of absence, talpids return to the area. In addition to the Vallesian assemblages, a small Turolian insectivore fauna has been recovered. On the basis of the rodents, Caٌada 12 was assigned to Biozone L, and the insectivore assemblage is very similar to the assemblages from the Teruel basin of that zone. This implies that the discovery of Postpalerinaceus in Caٌada 12 is the youngest published record of this large spiny hedgehog.