New fossil teeth of Theropithecus oswaldi (Cercopithecoidea) from the Early Pleistocene at Cueva Victoria (SE Spain)

The presence of Theropithecus oswaldi in Europe was first reported in 1995 from the Early Pleistocene site of Cueva Victoria (SE Spain), showing the dispersal of this genus above 30 north latitude and into Europe. Later claims of the presence in Italy of Theropithecus in the Early Pleistocene, based on vertebral remains, are controversial. Here we report four additional teeth of T. oswaldi from Cueva Victoria. These and the previously described tooth correspond to a minimum of two individuals. The presence of T oswaldi in North Africa and SE Iberia during the Early Pleistocene suggests a possible faunal dispersal from Africa into Europe through the Straits of Gibraltar, which would have acted as a filter bridge. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.