Abstract:

The mastodont-grade proboscideans represent an important stage in the evolution of the group, establishing the basic pattern of the evolution of the crown groups of proboscideans. The research on mastodons has a history of more than 400 years. The classification and nomenclature have been revised and changed many times, and the problems in their evolution were fully reflected in the history of mastodon nomenclature. In this paper, we undertook a bibliographical research into the nomenclature and etymology of various mastodont groups, reviewing 175 translated Chinese names of mastodont-grade proboscideans, including 12 taxon names higher than the genus level, 46 genera, and 117 species, covering almost all the species of the mastodont radiation. On this basis, we review the principal phylogenetic hypotheses of mastodont interrelationships, and highlight problems in the classification and nomenclature of mastodonts. The evolution of the skull and mandible of mastodons is continuous in all clades, reflecting the same parallel evolution trend; while, although the morphological characteristics of cheek teeth across all lineages are not obvious, they are relatively stable in each lineage. Choerolophodontidae is the most robust monophyletic group within the mastodonts, of which Synconolophus may be a distinct, valid genus. Miomastodon and Pliomastodon of Mammutidae may both be valid, but they are not necessarily the direct ancestor of Mammut americanum . The phylogenetic relationship between Platybelodon danovi , P. grangeri and Aphanobelodon zhaoi within the Amebelodontidae is questionable, depending on whether the lower incisor section of P. danovi is the dentine rod structure or not, while Konobelodon britti in America may be a synonym of Torynobelodon loomisi . The species assigned to Konobelodon in Asia is possibly not amebelodontids, but probably attributable to Paratetralophodon , instead; Serridentinus of Gomphotheriidae may be a valid taxon, representing a trend towards somewhat zygodonty in Gomphotheriidae that terminated with the Cuvieroniinae. The Cuvieroniinae may only include Cuvieronius and Rhynchotherium , while other brevirostrine gomphotheres in America, such as Stegomastodon may have been evolved from a lineage of amebelodonts. Notiomastodon may be related to Sinomastodon , which itself may have originated from Pliomastodon (?) zhupengensis in southern China. The name Mastodon intermedius Teilhard de Chardin & Trassaert, 1937 (now Sinomastoodon intermedius ) has the senior primary homonym Mastodon intermedius Eichwald, 1831. We suggest that Sinomastodon intermedius should be replaced with its senior synonym-Sinomastodon sendaicus (Matsumoto, 1924).

Key words: mastodons, proboscidean, etymology, nomemclature, Chinese translation, taxonomy

摘要：

乳齿象类是长鼻类演化的重要阶段,该阶段奠定了长鼻类各冠群演化的基本格局。乳齿象类的研究有400多年的历史,分类和命名经过多次修订改动,乳齿象类的演化脉络完全体现在乳齿象命名历史之中。从词源学角度考证乳齿象类各类群的命名来源,整理了175条乳齿象类的中文译名(绝大多数为有效分类名), 包括12个属以上分类群,46个属,117个种,涵盖了乳齿象类几乎全部的种属。在此基础上梳理了乳齿象类的演化脉络,提出乳齿象类分类和命名中存在的一些问题。乳齿象类的头骨和下颌的演化在各支系中都是连续的,体现出了相近的平行演化趋势,而颊齿的形态特征虽然区别不明显,但在各支系中相对稳定。豕棱齿象科(Choerolophodontidae)是乳齿象类中最稳健的单系群,其中厚棱象(Synconolophus )可能是有效属名;玛姆象科中,中新乳齿象(Miomastodon )和上新乳齿象(Pliomastodon )可能都是有效的,但不一定是美洲乳齿象(Mammut americanum )的直接祖先;铲齿象科(Amebelodontidae)中达氏铲齿象(Platybelodon danovi )与格氏铲齿象(P. grangeri )、赵氏隐门齿象(Aphanobelodon zhaoi )的系统发育关系存在疑问,取决于P. danovi 的下门齿断面究竟是否为齿柱状结构,而美洲的布氏柱门齿象(Konobelodon britti )可能是卢氏匙门齿象(Torynobelodon loomisi )的同物异名,亚洲归入Konobelodon 的种不一定是铲齿象类,可能应归为副四棱齿象(Paratetralophodon ); 嵌齿象科(Gomphotheriidae)中锯齿象属(Serridentinus )可能有效,它代表了嵌齿象类中一个偏轭型化的类群,向居维叶象亚科方向演化;居维叶象亚科(Cuvieroniinae)可能仅包括居维叶象(Cuvieronius )和喙嘴象(Rhynchotherium )属,而美洲其他的短颌嵌齿象类中,脊乳齿象(Stegomastodon )有可能从铲齿象科中的一支演化而来,南方乳齿象(Notiomastodon )则可能与中华乳齿象(Sinomastodon )相关;Sinomastodon 可能起源于中国南方的竹棚上新乳齿象(Pliomastodon (?) zhupengensis ), 原来的属型种中间中华乳齿象(Sinomastodon intermedius )具有早出原同名,建议以它的早出异名仙台中华乳齿象(Sinomastodon sendaicus )取代S. intermedius 。

关键词: 乳齿象, 长鼻类, 词源学, 命名, 中文译名, 分类学