The middle Pleistocene Muridae (Mammalia, Rodentia) from l’Igue des Rameaux (Tarn-et-Garonne, France)

The discovery of the karstic system of “l’Igue des Rameaux” at Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (Tarn-et-Garonne, France) by the Speleologic Group of Caussade, allowed to bring out an interesting and important faunasboth of large and small mammals (Rouzaudet al. 1990). Unusually four species of Apodemus have been recognized and this paper has for purposeto define their biometrical and morphological particularities. This opportunity incites us to gather some small size members of this genus, from different sites of Middle Pleistocene and propose a tentatively phyletic classification in the genealogical tree of the prolific murids family, despite the weakness of the datamaking the operation statistically random.