In this paper, we describe a previously unknown species of the glirid Eliomys from the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene Cabriel, Alcoy and Granada basins of southeastern Spain. Eliomys yevesi sp. nov. is characterized by its relative small size, narrow lingual wall and common presence of two centrolophs in the upper molars, and well-developed centrolophids in the lower molars. The new species is the probable ancestor of E. intermedius, which in turn represents the ancestor of the extant E. quercinus. According to its morphologic and biometric features, the origin of E. yevesi sp. nov. is likely to be found in some population of E. truci from the Late Miocene. Based on these affinities, we propose the lineage E. truci–E. yevesi sp. nov.–E. intermedius–E. quercinus, in which there is a trend towards the development of centrolophs, as well as the reduction of accessory crests.

Key words: Mammalia, Rodentia, Gliridae, Eliomys, Late Miocene, Spain.

Samuel Mansino [samuel.mansino@uv.es] and Plinio Montoya [plinio.montoya@uv.es], Departament de Geologia, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjassot, Spain; Antonio García-Alix [agalix@ugr.es], Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACTCSIC-UGR), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras nº 4 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain; Francisco J. Ruiz-Sánchez [francisco.ruiz@uv.es], Departament de Geologia, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjassot, Spain; and Museu Valencià d’Història Natural, L’Hort de Feliu, P.O. Box 8460, Alginet, Valencia, 46018, Spain.