New rodents from the continental Middle Miocene of Jebel Rhassoul (Middle Moulouya, Morocco)

The Jebel Rhassoul locality yielded a rodent fauna characterized by the abundance of Myocricetodontinae, Ctenodactylidae and Gliridae. The Myocricetodontinae are represented by three species, one of which is new: Mellalomys rhassoulensis nov. sp.. The Dipodidae belong to a new species Protalactaga sefriouii nov. sp., significantly different from Protalactaga moghrebiensis known in other Middle Miocene localities of North Africa. This locality is assigned to the Middle Miocene on the basis of its fauna which is intermediate between the Moroccan reference localities of Beni-Mellal and Pataniak 6. The Jebel Rhassoul fauna has developed under the semi-arid climatic conditions of the North African Middle Miocene, as attested by palaeontologic and sedimentologic data.