Dormice (Rodentia, Gliridae) from the Middle Miocene of Hambach 6C, Northwest Germany

Glirid dental material is described from the Middle Miocene channel fill of the Hambach open-cast lignite mine in northwestern Germany. The fauna Hambach 6C shows a high diversity with seven species in six genera: Glirudinus undosus, Muscardinus thaleri, Muscardinus sansaniensis, Miodyromys aegercii, Paraglirulus werenfelsi, Microdyromys koenigswaldi, and Paraglis astaracensis, which are characteristic taxa in Middle Miocene European localities. Regarding the faunal composition and high diversity, the Hambach 6C assemblage is closest to that of the MN 5 locality Schonenberg in southern Germany, but also shares many taxa with late Middle Miocene faunas. The species richness of glirids, combined with other vertebrate remains in Hambach 6C indicates a warm, humid forested environment during the Mid-Miocene Climate Optimum (MCO).& COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).