A giant bamboo rat from the latest Miocene of Yunnan

doi:10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.230710

Vertebrata Palasiatica ›› 2023, Vol. 61 ›› Issue (4): 277-283.DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.230710

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A giant bamboo rat from the latest Miocene of Yunnan

Lawrence J. FLYNN¹, LI Qiang², Jay KELLEY¹^,³, Nina G. JABLONSKI⁴, JI Xue-Ping⁵, Denise F. SU³, WANG Xiao-Ming²^,⁶

1 Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Cambridge MA 02138, USA
2 Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100044, China
3 Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
4 Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802, USA
5 Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming 650201, China
6 Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA

Received:2023-05-18 Online:2023-10-20 Published:2023-10-25

云南晚中新世一巨型竹鼠

劳伦斯J.弗林¹, 李强², 吉学平⁵, 王晓鸣²^,⁶

1 哈佛大学人类演化生物学系马萨诸塞州剑桥 02138
2 中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所，中国科学院脊椎动物演化与人类起源重点实验室北京 100044
3 亚利桑那州立大学人类起源研究所及人类演化与社会变化学院坦佩 85287
4 宾夕法尼亚州立大学人类学系帕克分校 16802
5 中国科学院昆明动物研究所昆明动物博物馆昆明 650201
6 洛杉矶自然历史博物馆古脊椎动物学系洛杉矶 90007

基金资助:
第二次青藏高原综合科学考察专项(2019QZKK0705);中国科学院战略性先导科技专项(B类)(XDB26000000);国家自然科学基金(41430102);美国国家科学基金(1227927)

Abstract

Abstract:

The Shuitangba subbasin lignite deposits of the Zhaotong Basin in northern Yunnan Province have produced vertebrate fossils of terminal Miocene age. We conducted test wet screening of fossiliferous sediment in 2014 to increase representation of small mammals. This effort produced four teeth of a very large bamboo rat, much larger than the previously known bamboo rat present at Shuitangba, and representing a new species. This new species is characterized by its molars being remarkably larger than those of other known species of Miorhizomys , and being hypsodont with cementum, and less anterorposteriorly compressed. The age of this new species from Shuitangba is in the range of 6.2 to 6.7 Ma. It appears that diverse bamboo rats of the extinct genus Miorhizomys were present in the Late Miocene of Yunnan, somewhat before the 6 Ma appearance of extant Rhizomys to the north in the vicinity of Shanxi Province.

Key words: Shuitangba, Yunnan, Late Miocene, small mammals, bamboo rat

摘要：

云南昭通盆地水塘坝地点的褐煤沉积出产中新世末期脊椎动物化石。为增加小哺乳动物的样品，我们在2014年对出产化石的沉积物开展尝试性筛洗。通过筛洗，获得了4颗竹鼠的牙齿。这种竹鼠个体极大，远大于水塘坝已知的竹鼠，代表了一个新种。新种的臼齿尺寸明显大于所有已知的Miorhizomys 种类，臼齿高冠，齿沟内充填白垩质，不甚前后向压缩。新种在水塘坝的出现年代为6.2-6.7 Ma。这一发现显示，在约6 Ma现生属Rhizomys 在山西北部地区出现之前，已绝灭的Miorhizomys 就展现出了较高的多样性。

关键词: 云南，水塘坝，晚中新世，小哺乳动物，竹鼠

CLC Number:

Q915.873

Lawrence J. FLYNN, LI Qiang, Jay KELLEY, Nina G. JABLONSKI, JI Xue-Ping, Denise F. SU, WANG Xiao-Ming. A giant bamboo rat from the latest Miocene of Yunnan. Vertebrata Palasiatica, 2023, 61(4): 277-283.

劳伦斯J.弗林, 李强, 吉学平, 王晓鸣. 2023, 61(4): 277-283, 云南晚中新世一巨型竹鼠. 古脊椎动物学报.

Figures/Tables 4

Fig. 1 Isolated molars of the large bamboo rat Miorhizomys gigas sp. nov., in occlusal view A. holotype ZT 2014-0266, right M1; B. ZT 2014-0170, left m3, reversed image so that it appears as right; C. ZT 2014-0392, reversed left m2; D. ZT 2014-0470, right m1. Scale bar = 1 cm

Table 1 Dimensions (maxima) of isolated molars of Miorhizomys gigas sp. nov. in occlusal view (mm)

Specimen	Length	Width
M1, ZT 2014-0266, holotype	6.8	7.1
m1, broken, ZT 2014-0470	-	4.75
m2, ZT 2014-0392	7.1	7.0
m3, ZT 2014-0170	7.8	7.6

Fig. 2 Line drawing of molars of Miorhizomys gigas sp. nov. and Rhizomys sinensis A. lingual view of holotype ZT 2014-0266, right M1 of Miorhizomys gigas sp. nov., cementum fills the hypostria; B. comparison of M. gigas m2 ZT 2014-0392 with right mandibular tooth row of extant Rhizomys sinensis (AMNH 115527). Scale bar = 1 cm

Table 2 Size comparisons for select lower second molars of fossil bamboo rats, Tribe Rhizomyini (mm)

Species	Specimen	Length	Width
Miorhizomys gigas sp. nov.	ZT 2014-0392	7.1	7.0
Cf. M. tetracharax	ZT 2007-206	4.4	4.5
Cf. M. tetracharax	Lufeng	4.1	4.6
Cf. M. pilgrimi	Lufeng	4.7	5.0
Miorhizomys tetracharax	Siwalik average*	4.2	4.3
Cf. M. pilgrimi	Siwalik YGSP 8366*	5.3	4.6
Miorhizomys choristos	Siwalik YGSP 4053*	5.6	4.4
Anepsirhizomys opdykei	Siwalik DP 678*	6.7	5.3

References 11

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A giant bamboo rat from the latest Miocene of Yunnan

云南晚中新世一巨型竹鼠

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