Table of Content

15 September 2002, Volume 40 Issue 03

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LAND MAMMAL FAUNAL SEQUENCE OF THE LATE MIOCENE OF CHINA: NEW EVIDENCE FROM LANTIAN, SHAANXI PROVINCE

ZHANG Zhao-Qun, GENTRY Alan W., KAAKINEN Anu, LIU Li-Ping, LUNKKA Juha Pekka, QIU Zhu-Ding, SEN Sevket, SCOTT Robert S, WERDELIN Lars, ZHENG Shao-Hua, FORTELIUS Mikael

2002, 40(03):  165-176. 

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Newly discovered fossil taxa and preliminary revision of the old collection from the Bahe and Lantian formations allow a re-interpretation of the mammalian faunal sequence of the Chinese Late Miocene. The distribution of fossil taxa in the strata shows a major turnover event within the late Miocene, at a time slightly preceding the sedimentological change represented by the boundary between the Bahe and Lantian Formations (ca. 7Ma). The mammal fauna postdating the change shows a strong resemblance to the classic Baodean mammal faunas of North China. Based on this turnover event a resurrection of the Bahean Land Mammal Age, predating the Baodean LMA within the late Miocene, would be possible. The Bahean/Baodean turnover event was ecological as well as taxonomic and suggests significant climatic change at this time, possibly driven by onset or intensification of the East Asian summer monsoon circulation system.

Lopadaspis, new name for Discaspis Wang et al. , 2001

2002, 40(03):  176-176. 

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We have recently been informed by Prof. C. F. Kammerer that the generic name Discaspis (Wang et al. , 2001) was preoccupied by a wasp from Taiwan , China (Lin , 1988) . We therefore propose the generic name Lopadaspis to replace Discaspis Wang et al., 2001. Lopad ( Gr. ) means flat tray.

SCIURIDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE L UFENG HOMINOID LOCALITY, YUNNAN

QIU Zhu-Ding

2002, 40(03):  177-193. 

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The Sciuridae from Shihuiba, a late Miocene hominoid locality at Lufeng, Yunnan Province are described. The fauna contains seven species of Sciuridae, including one new genus and four new species. One of the sciurids is a ground squirrel: Sciurotamias wangi sp. nov.; three are tree squirrels: Tamiops sp., Callosciurus sp. and Dremomys primitivus sp. nov.; and three are flying squirrels: Miopetaurista asiatica sp. nov., Hylopetodon dianense gen. et sp. nov. and Pteromyinae gen. et sp. indet. The sciurid fauna is characterized by its dominance of tree and flying squirrels, and reflects a rather humid and forsted environment. Biogeographically, the fauna is endemic to southeastern Asia, and is obviously Oriental in character.

A NEW SPECIES OF ENTELODONTIDAE (ARTIODACTYLA, MAMMALIA) FROM LATE EOCENE OF NEI MONGOL, CHINA

WANG Ban-Yue, QIU Zhan-Xiang

2002, 40(03):  194-202. 

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While visiting the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in May and June, 2001, invited by Dr. R. H. Tedford, the authors were able to make a survey of the fossils collected by the 3rd Central Asiatic Expedition during the 1920s. Among them some undescribed specimens of Entelodontidae were recovered. They were labelled as found from late Eocene deposits of Nei Mengol in 1928. Eocene entelodontids were poorly known in Asia. These specimens are important not only because they represent a new taxon, but also they cast new light on the affinity between Asian and North American entelodonts.

THE DISCOVERY OF LATE EOCENE MAMMAL FOSSILS FROM BURQIN OF XINJIANG

YE Jie, MENG Jin, WU Wen-Yu, WU Shao-Yuan

2002, 40(03):  203-210. 

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The previously alleged “Ulunguhe Formation” in the Burqin region of Northern Xinjiang is lithologically different from the Ulunguhe Formation in its type-region, the Ulungur River area. The two regions are separated by a mountain of Paleozoic rocks. Therefore the sediments in two areas belong to different geological body respectively. The name “Ulunguhe Formation” should not be applied to the deposits in the Burqin region, for which, however, it is premature to name a new rock unit. A perissodactyl assemblage was collected from the sediments of Burqin. It consists of exclusively perissodactyls, including Cadurcodon cf. C. ardynensis, Gigantamynodon giganteus, Amynodontidae gen. et sp. indet., Indricotheriinae gen. et sp. indet., Rhinocerotidae gen. et sp. indet. , and Brontotheriidae gen. et sp. indet., and is comparable with the late Eocene mammal faunas of Asia ,such as Caijiachong fauna of Yunnan ,Ulangochu fauna and Urtyn Obo fauna from Nei Mongol of China, Guateg and Khoer-Dzan fauna from Mongolia ,and the Kusto fauna from Kazakhstan. The discovery of the late Eocene mammals in North Xinjiang indicates that the terrestrial biogeographic division into south and north provinces in the Asian continent had not been achieved by the late Eocene.

NOTES ON HYRACHYUS (MAMMALIA, PERISSODACTYLA, TAPIROIDEA) FROM THE MIDDLE EOCENE OF YUANQU BASIN, SHANXI PROVINCE

Huang Xue-Shi WANG Jing-Wen

2002, 40(03):  211-218. 

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THE NEW DISCOVERY OF THE PLESIADAPIFORMES FROM THE EARLY EOCENE OF WUTU BASIN, SHANDONG PROVINCE

FU Jing-Fang, WANG Jing-Wen, TONG Yong-Sheng

2002, 40(03):  219-227. 

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Since 1990, several plesiadapiforms have been found from the coal beds of the Wutu Coal Mine of Changle County, Shandong Province. Chronolestes simul and Carpocristes oriens, allocated to the family Carpolestidae were described by Beard and Wang (1995). In this paper, a new plesiadapiform, Asioplesiadapis youngi, is reported, and is referred to the family Plesiadapidae, based on its long, robust procumbent lower incisor, with margoconid and margocristid, and on dental morphology.

A NEW THERIZINOSAUROID (DINOSAURIA, THEROPODA) FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS IREN DABASU FORMATION OF NEI MONGOL

XU Xing, ZHANG Xiao-Hong, Paul SERENO, ZHAO Xi-Jin, KUANG Xue-Wen, HAN Jun, TAN Lin

2002, 40(03):  228-240. 

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A partial skeleton is described from the Upper Cretaceous Iren Dabasu Formation of Nei Mongol that represents a new therizinosauroid theropod, Erliansaurus bellamanus gen. et sp. nov. Distinctive characteristics of the new species include enlarged nutritional foramen on anterior caudals, prominent crest-like posterior trochanter on the humerus bordered medially by an oval depression, rugose swelling located dorsal to the ischiadic peduncle on the lateral surface of the ilium, posterior margin significantly higher than anterior margin on the fibular proximal end, and distally located hypertrophied anterior trochanter on the fibula. Preliminary analysis suggests that E. bellamanus represents an intermediate taxon between the primitive therizinosauroids and the advanced Therizinosauroidae. The discovery of E. bellamanus provides important information regarding the diversity within Therizinosauroidea.

THE HORIZON AND AGE OF THE MARINE REPTILES FROM HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA

LI Jin-Ling, LIU Jun, LI Chun, HUANG Zao-Xian

2002, 40(03):  241-244. 

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Summary can be seen in PDF.