title: Systematics and taxonomy of the Spanish Anchitheriinae, and their relationship with regional climate changes: a comment on Eronen et al.
abstract: In a recent paper, Eronen et al. (2010; hereafter EEFJ) observe differences in occlusal morphology, tooth crown height, and mesowear pattern between populations of the Miocene tridactyl equid Anchitherium from Spain and Germany, proposing that Spanish Anchitherium underwent adaptive evolution to local or regional arid conditions. However, these authors do not take into account the actual diversity of Iberian representatives of Anchitherium, or the fact that the Spanish fossils cover a wider temporal and geographical range than those from Germany. For these reasons, we suggest that their subsequent statistical work should be reconsidered.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. msalesa@mncn.csic.es
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Salesa
authors.forename: Israel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Azanza
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DeMiguel
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morales
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002980:Climate; D018397:Equidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D005580:Fossils; D013030:Spain; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology