Table of Content

15 December 1996, Volume 34 Issue 04

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A NEW MACROPETALICHTHYID FROM CHINA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HISTORICAL ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE MACROPETALICHTHYIDAE (PLACODERMI)

ZHU Min, WANG Junqing

1996, 34(04):  253-268. 

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It has been recognized that South China is one of important distribution areas of the Macropetalichthyidae. Since close relatives of the Macropetalichthyidae were exclusively discovered in the Middle Paleozoic strata of South China and Ningxia, the study of early macropetalichthyids from China is key to the research on the origin and evolution of the Macropetalichthyidae. In the present paper, a new genus and species of the Macropetalichthyidae, Holopetalichthys longhuaensis, is described from the Early Devonian of Longhua Hill, Qujing, Yunnan. The fish— bearing bed lies in the top of the Xujiadlong Formation, overlain by the Chuandong Formation. Zhu et al. (1994) suggested that the age of the Xujiachong Formation was Late Pragian to Early Emsian.

LATE JURASSIC PROTOSUCHIAN SICHUANOSUCHUS HUIDONGENSIS (ARCHOSAURIA: CROCODYLIFORMES) FROM ZIGONG, SICHUAN, CHINA

PENG Guangzhao

1996, 34(04):  269-278. 

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Peng (1995) briefly reported a specimen (ZDM3403) of Schuanosuchus huidongensis Peng, 1995, a protosuchian from the purplish-red mudstone of the Late Jurassic Shangshaximiao Forrnation at Daquekou, the suburb of Zigong City. This material is the first occurrence of the protosuchian from the Late Jurassic in Sichuan Basin and the most well—preserved protosuchian fossil ever found in China. The present paper is a detailed description of it.

HISTORY OF NEOGENE MICROMAMMAL FAUNAL REGIONS OF CHINA

QIU Zhuding

1996, 34(04):  279-296. 

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Distribution of extant land vertebrates indicates that two distinct zoogeographic provinces exist in China: the Oriental Region in the south and the Palaearctic Region in the north. For a long time, China was considered part of a widespread "Hipparion province" of late Miocene and Pliocene age, and distinct differentiation of faunal regions was considered to have commenced at the beginning of Pleistocene time (Pei, 1957; Zhou, 1964; Zhang, 1979). Existence of certain higher endemic taxa in an ecogeographic category is the sole criterion for differentiating a faunal region. The palaearctic Region, for example, possesses a series of peculiar families, such as Dipodidae, Seleviniidae and Siphneidae. Hipparion, however, was a wide—ranging (eurytopic) genus and its wide occurrence in the late Neogene deposits of the country does not indicate a single zoogeographic unit in China. Small mammals seem to more reliably define faunal regions than larger mammals; their stricter correspondence to environment results mainly from their limited abilities of migration and adaptation. To date, more than 30 Neogene micromammalian localities, ranging from early Miocene to late Pliocene age, have been known from China (fig. l). Collections from these localities are not large enough to define the limits of Chinese Neogene faunal regions, but allow for understanding in general the geographic distribution of small mammals at that time. The purpose of -this paper is to deal with the nature of the Neogene zoogeographic provinces of China, through the distribution of recovered small mammal fossils.

A NEW MIDDLE TERTIARY MAMMALIAN LOCALITY FROM SUNITEZUOQI, NEI MONGOL

MENG Jin, WANG Banyue, BAI Zhiqiang

1996, 34(04):  297-304. 

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A new middle Tertiary locality from the Bai —yin—bau —li —dau commune, Su—ni —te—zuo—qi (County) of Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), was discovered during the course of l: 50000 geological mapping in the field seasons of 1992— 1993 by a team from the Department of Geology, Beijing University.

THE MAMMALIAN FAUNAS IN NORTH CHINESE LOESS AND THE POSITION IN MAGNETOSTRATIGRAPHY

YUE Leping, XUE Xiangxu

1996, 34(04):  305-311. 

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The paper studied the mammalian fossils found in loess layers of north China, and conducted the comparison between biostratigraphy and magnetosfratigraphy. The mammalian faunas in Chinese loess were divided as following: Early Pleistocene (2.50 —0.73 Ma): Wucheng nummalian fauna (2.50 — 1.20 Ma), Gongwangling mammalian fauna (1.20 — 1.10 Ma), Yangguo mammalian fauna (1.10 —0.90 Ma); Middle Pleistocene (0.73 —0.13 Ma): Chenjiawo mammalian fauna (0.73 —0.40 Ma); Late Pleistocene (0.13 —0.01 Ma): Rouyuan—Jingyuan mammalian fauna (0.13 —0.01 Ma); Recent (0.01 Ma — Rec): Banpo mammalian fauna. The result shows: In Early Pleistocene there were many fossils of forest animals in the loess layers, which reflect that the climate in the Early Pleistocene was cooler than that in the Pliocene, but warmer than that of the later stages. Because the climate in the Middle Pleistocene was cooler and drier than that in the late stage, the forest was narrowed down or disappeared gradually. Correspondingly, grassland and drier steppe were getting expanded. Most of the mammals appeared in the strata were the dwellers of grassland and drier steppe. In the late Pleistocene, the climate was far cooler and drier, which made even parts of the areas become sandreld. The fossil of Meriones sp. and Struthilithus sp. were found in the loess layers of this period.

A NEW LOPHIALETID PERISSODACTYL (MAMMALIA) FROM THE EARLY EOCENE OF WUTU BASIN, SHANDONG PROVINCE

WANG Jingwen, TONG Yongsheng

1996, 34(04):  312-321. 

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Lophialetes like perissodactyls are endemic to central Asia, flourishing and diversifying in the Middle Eocene. Known taxa of all these tapiroids are represented in the Arshantan, Irdinmanhan, and Sharamurunian. In 1993, a specimen representing a new species was found in the Early Eocene deposits of the Wutu Basin, Shandong Province, China. This fossil. may be the earliest type of the Lophialetidae. Associated- with it were Mesodmops (Multituberculata), Changlelestes (Soricomorpha), Alagomys, Acritoparamys (Rodentia), carpolestid primates, and Homogalax—like tapiroid etc.

QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHY AND MAMMAL FOSSILS OF YIHE AND SHIJHE RIVER DRAINAGES

YOU Yuzhu,XU Shubin

1996, 34(04):  322-331. 

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Summary can be seen in PDF.