A new species of <i>Urva</i> (Herpestidae, Carnivora) from late Upper Pleistocene deposits of East Fissure-Fillings, Fanchang, Anhui Province of Eastern China

Here we describe and erect a new species, <i>Urva fanchangensis</i>, from the middle or late Early Pleistocene of eastern Asia. <i>Urva fanchangensis</i> is the first known fossil species of the genus, and is a medium-sized member, characterized by moderately sized premolars, a robust P4 with a large parastyle and strong protocone, and transversely widened M1 and M2. It is closely related to the modern <i>U. urva</i> and <i>U. semitorquata</i>. Comparative studies suggest that <i>U. fanchangensis</i> is either the ancestor of <i>U. urva</i> or a common ancestor of <i>U. urva</i> and <i>U. semitorquata</i>. This species provides valuable information for estimating the divergence time of the genus as a node calibration, indicating that the divergence of <i>Urva</i> might occur more recently than previously thought.