A new micromammal site at Alhaurin el Grande (Malaga, southern Spain) located above early Pliocene marine deposits allows an approach to the marine-continental correlation for this age. The early Pliocene marine filling throughout the Malaga Basin is developed in three transgressive-regressive sequences (PI-1, PI-2, and PI-3 units) bounded by discontinuities. At the top of the intermediate sequence PI-2, peaty sediments have yielded fossils of Rodentia, Lagomorpha, lnsectivora, and Crocodylia. The presence of Cricetus barrieri Mein & Michaux, 1970 in combination with murids, both of primitive morphology, such as Apodemus gudrunae Van de Weerd, 1976, and more advanced forms (i.e. Occitanomys brailloni Michaux, 1969 and Stephanomys donnezani cordii Ruiz Bustos, 1986), points to an early Ruscinian age (MN 14 biozone). Based on the planktonic foraminifers, the biostratigraphic data indicate that marine sediments just below the micromammal beds belong to the MPI-2 biozone of the early Zanclean. Available paleomagnetic data from the marine sediments show that the micromammal bed must be located between the normal geomagnetic subchron C3n3n (4.89-4.80 Ma) and the subchron C3n2n (4.63-4.49 Ma), limiting the age of this site to the late part of the early Zanclean.