Myocricetodon, LIUI QIU, ZHENG & ZHANG, 2004, Lavocat, 1952

Antoñanzas, Raquel López, 2009, First Potwarmus from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia and the early phylogeny of murines (Rodentia: Muroidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156, pp. 664-679 : 672

‘ MYOCRICETODON ’ LIUI QIU, ZHENG & ZHANG, 2004

This species was erected on the basis of five isolated teeth from locality 12, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province, China. This locality documents the earliest fauna of the Bahe Formation ( Zhaoqun, Flynn & Qiu, 2005), which corresponds with an age of about 11 Mya ( Kaakinen et al., 2005). The holotype ( V14036 ) is a right M1 ( Qiu et al., 2004: fig. 4). This species groups close to Antemus (see below), the most primitive definite murine, and has, therefore, no close relationship with Myocricetodon cherifiensis . It should definitely receive a new generic designation.

The M1 of ‘ Myocricetodon ’ liui has a more anteriorly located and stronger enterostyle than AJ7. On the M2 of ‘ M. ’ liui , the lingual anterior cingulum is weaker than on AJ11 and AJ12, and the metacone is connected to the anterior side of the hypocone by a metaloph. On the Arabian specimens the metaloph is absent. The morphology of the m1 of ‘ M. ’ liui is very different from that of AJ 13 in having a well-developed anteroconid and a complete longitudinal crest.