A cuboid bone of a large Late Miocene elasmothere from Qingyang, Gansu, and its morphological significance

doi:10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.210809

Abstract

Abstract:

A cuboid specimen collected from the Late Miocene stratum at Qingyang, Gansu, China is described here. The size of the Qingyang specimen is comparatively huge, even larger than the average size of Elasmotherium caucasicum collected from Nihewan, Hebei, China. The morphology of the Qingyang specimen is identical to that of other specimens of Elasmotheriini; thus, the Qingyang specimen belongs to a huge elasmothere, most probably Sinotherium. By comparison with extant rhino species, the complex of the main body and the apophysis exhibit functional significance. The angle between the frontal plate of the cuboid and the main axis of the apophysis can suggest the ecological conditions occupied by an elasmothere. From analysis of the morphology of the cuboid, Sinotherium and the more derived elasmotheres probably lived in forested or wooded environments, differing from the previous hypothesis of their paleoenvironment.

Key words: Qingyang, Gansu, Late Miocene, elasmotheres, cuboid bone, paleoceology

摘要：

描述了一件来自甘肃庆阳晚中新世地层的犀牛的骰骨标本,尺寸巨大,超过泥河湾高加索板齿犀(Elasmotherium caucasicum)的平均值。庆阳标本的形态与板齿犀族其他标本相同,很可能属于大型板齿犀类的中华板齿犀。与现生犀牛相比,其骨体与结节的组合形式具有功能上的意义,骨体平面和结节主轴之间的夹角暗示着板齿犀类所占据的生态类型。通过骰骨的形态分析推测,中华板齿犀和更进步的板齿犀类生活在以森林为主的环境,这与之前关于板齿犀类生活环境的推断不同。

关键词: 甘肃庆阳, 晚中新世, 板齿犀类, 骰骨, 古生态

CLC Number:

Q915.877

ZHANG Xiao-Xiao, SUN Dan-Hui. A cuboid bone of a large Late Miocene elasmothere from Qingyang, Gansu, and its morphological significance. Vertebrata Palasiatica, 2022, 60(1): 29-41.

张晓晓, 孙丹辉. 2022, 60(1): 29-41, 甘肃庆阳晚中新世板齿犀类的骰骨材料及其形态学意义. 古脊椎动物学报.

Figures/Tables 8

References 45

[1]	Antoine P O, 2002. Phylogénie et évolution des Elasmotheriina (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae). Mem Mus Natl Hist Nat, 188:1-359
[2]	Antoine P O, 2003. Middle Miocene elasmotheriine Rhinocerotidae from China and Mongolia: taxonomic revision and phylogenetic relationships. Zool Scrip, 32(2):95-118
[3]	Bayshashov B U, 1986. A new species of Sinotherium from the Pliocene of Kazakhstan. Paleont J, 20:83-88
[4]	Bayshashov B U, 1993. Neogene Rhinoceroses of Kazakhstan. Almaty: Gleimei. 1-147
[5]	Beliajeva E I, 1954. New materials of Tertiary rhinocerotoids of Kazakhstan. Trav Inst Paleont Acad Sci SSSR, 47:24-54
[6]	Beliajeva E I, 1971. On some rhinoderoses of the family Rhinicerotidae from the Neogene of West Mongolia. Sovm Sovet-Mongol Nauch- Issled Geol Eksped Tr, 3:78-97
[7]	Böhme M, 2003. Miocene climatic optimum: evidence from lower vertebrates of Central Europe. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 195:389-401
[8]	Cerdeño E, 1996. Rhinocerotidae from the Middle Miocene of the Tunggur Formation, Inner Mongolia (China). Am Mus Novit, 3184:1-43
[9]	Deng T, 2000. A new species of Acerorhinus (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene in Fugu, Shaanxi, China. Vert PalAsiat, 38:203-217
[10]	Deng T, 2001. New materials of Chilotherium wimani (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene of Fugu, Shaanxi. Vert PalAsiat, 39:129-138
[11]	Deng T, 2003. New material of Hispanotherium materitense (Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla) from Laogou of Hezheng County (Gansu, China), with special reference to the Chinese Middle Miocene elasmotheres. Geobios, 36:141-150
[12]	Deng T, 2005. New discovery of Iranotherium morgani (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China, and its sexual dimorphism. J Vert Paleont, 25:442-450
[13]	Deng T, 2006. Chinese Neogene mammal biochronology. Vert PalAsiat, 44:143-163
[14]	Deng T, 2007. Skull of Parelasmotherium (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Upper Miocene in the Linxia Basin (Gansu, China). J Vert Paleont, 27:467-475
[15]	Deng T, 2008. A new elasmothere (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China. Geobios, 41:719-728
[16]	Deng T, 2016. Record and characteristics of the mammalian faunas of Northern China in the Middle Miocene climatic optimum. Quat Sci, 36:810-819
[17]	Deng T, Chen Y, 2015. Chinese Neogene Rhinoceroses. Shanghai: Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers. 1-154
[18]	Deng T, Zheng M, 2005. Limb bones of Elasmotherium (Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla) from Nihewan (Hebei, China). Vert PalAsiat, 43:110-121
[19]	Deng T, Wang X M, Fortelius M et al., 2011. Out of Tibet: Pliocene woolly rhino suggests high-plateau origin of Ice Age megaherbivores. Science, 333:1285-1288
[20]	Deng T, Li Q, Tseng Z J et al., 2012. Locomotive implication of a Pliocene three-toed horse skeleton from Tibet and its paleo-altimetry significance. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109:7374-7378
[21]	Deng T, Wang S Q, Hou S K, 2013a. A bizarre tandem-horned elasmothere rhino from the Late Miocene of northwestern China and origin of the true elasmothere. Chinese Sci Bull, 58:1811-1817
[22]	Deng T, Hanta R, Jintasakul P, 2013b. A new species of Aceratherium (Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla) from the Late Miocene of Nakhon Ratchasima, Northeastern Thailand. J Vert Paleont, 33:977-985
[23]	Guérin C, 1980. Les rhinocéros (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) du Miocène terminal au Pléistocène supérieur en Europe occidentale: comparaison avec les espèces actuelles. Doc Lab Géol Lyon, 79:1-1182
[24]	Hünermann K A, 1989. Die Nashornskelette (Aceratherium incisivum Kaup, 1832) aus dem Jungtertiär vom Höwenegg im Hegau (Südwestdeutschland). Andrias, 6:5-116
[25]	Kondrashev P E, 2000. Sinotherium (Mammalia, Rhinoceratidae) from the Early Pliocene of Mongolia. Paleont J, 34:655-661
[26]	Li Y K, Shi Q Q, Chen S K et al., 2018. “Gazella” (Mammalia: Bovidae) from the Late Miocene Qingyang area, Gansu, China. Palaeontol Electron, 21:1-27
[27]	Licent E, 1936. Vingt deux années d’exploration dans le Nord de la Chine, en Mandchourie, en Mongolie et au Bas-Tibet (1914-1935). Pub Mus Hoang Ho Pai Ho, 39:1-41
[28]	Lu X K, 2014. A survey of Acerorhinus yuanmouensis (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene of the Yuanmou Basin (Yunnan, China) and the phylogeny of Aceratheriinae. Ph. D thesis. Beijing: The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1-377
[29]	Mudelsee M, Schulz M, 1997. The Mid-Pleistocene climate transition: onset of 100 ka cycle lags ice volume build-up by 280 ka. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 151:117-123
[30]	Prothero D R, 2005. The Evolution of North American Rhinoceroses. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1-218
[31]	Prothero D R, Guérin C, Manning E, 1989. The history of Rhinocerotoidea. In: Prothero D R, Schoch R M eds. The Evolution of Perissodactyls. New York: Oxford University Press. 322-340
[32]	Qiu Z X, Wang B Y, 2007. Paracerathere fossils of China. Palaeont Sin, Ser C, 29:1-396
[33]	Qiu Z X, Xie J Y, 1998. Notes on Parelasmotherium and Hipparion fossils from Wangji, Dongxiang, Gansu. Vert PalAsiat, 36:3-23
[34]	Qiu Z X, Huang W L, Guo Z H, 1979. Hyaenidae of the Qingyang Hipparion fauna. Vert PalAsiat, 17:200-221
[35]	Qiu Z X, Huang W L, Guo Z H, 1987. The Chinese hipparionine fossils. Palaeont Sin, Ser C, 25:1-250
[36]	Raymo M E, Oppo D W, Curry W, 1997. The Mid-Pleistocene climate transition: a deep sea carbon isotopic perspective. Paleoceanography, 12:546-559
[37]	Ringström T, 1924. Nashorner der Hipparion Fauna Nord Chinas. Palaeont Sin, Ser C, 1:1-159
[38]	Schmieder F, von Dobeneck T, Bleil U, 2000. The Mid-Pleistocene climate transition as documented in the deep South Atlantic Ocean: initiation, interim state and terminal event. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 179:539-549
[39]	Shvyreva A K, 2015. On the importance of the representatives of the genus Elasmotherium (Rhinocerotidae, Mammalia) in the biochronology of the Pleistocene of Eastern Europe. Quat Int, 379:128-134
[40]	Sun B Y, Zhang X X, Liu Y et al., 2018. Sivalhippus ptychodus and Sivalhippus platyodus (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of China. Riv Ital Paleontol Stratigr, 124:1-22
[41]	Sun D H, Li Y, Deng T, 2018. A new species of Chilotherium (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene of Qingyang, Gansu, China. Vert PalAsiat, 56:216-228
[42]	Wilson D E, Mittermeier R A, 2011. Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. 1-885
[43]	Xue X X, Zhang Y X, Yue L P, 1995. The discovery of Laogaochuan Hipparion fauna, Fugu County, Shaanxi, and its subdivision. Chinese Sci Bull, 40:447-449
[44]	Zachos J, Pagani M, Sloan L, 2001. Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present. Science, 292:686-693
[45]	Zhang D Y, Ma Y N, Zhang J X, 2012. Research on the first Paleolithic site discovered in China. Acta Anthropol Sin, 31:51-59

	?Sinotherium	Elasmotherium caucasicum				Hispanotherium tungurense
	THP 04553	THP 20304	THP 20306	THP 20307	THP 20309	AMNH 129963	AMNH 129964
1	~88	96.7	93.2	88.2	89.3	70.4	60.2
2	68.7	59.6	57.7	52.7	59.4	42.8	35.2
3	~80	74.1	68.7	65.1	69.9	61.9	48
4	73.8	68.7	69.6	64.2	64.2	55.1	45.1
5	69.9	62.9	57.5	52.2	51.8	42.1	34.1
6	59.1	63.3	57.5	57.5	56.5	56.6	53.8

	?Sinotherium	Elasmotherium caucasicum				Hispanotherium tungurense
	THP 04553	THP 20304	THP 20306	THP 20307	THP 20309	AMNH 129963	AMNH 129964
1	~88	96.7	93.2	88.2	89.3	70.4	60.2
2	68.7	59.6	57.7	52.7	59.4	42.8	35.2
3	~80	74.1	68.7	65.1	69.9	61.9	48
4	73.8	68.7	69.6	64.2	64.2	55.1	45.1
5	69.9	62.9	57.5	52.2	51.8	42.1	34.1
6	59.1	63.3	57.5	57.5	56.5	56.6	53.8