Table of Content

15 December 2005, Volume 43 Issue 04

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THE FIRST RECORD OF "EUPANTOTHERIAN" (THERIA,MAMMALIA) FROM THE LATE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF WESTERN LIAONING , CHINA

Ll ChuanKui, Takeshi SETOGUCHI, WANG YuanQing, HU YaoMing, CHANG ZhengLu

2005, 43(04):  245-255. 

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A mammalian lower jaw with the last two premolars and four molars was discovered from the late Early Cretaceous ( Aptian-Albian) Shahai Formation in Heishan County , Liaoning Province , China. It represents the first record of " eupantotherian" in China. It is characterized by submolarized last premolar , relatively large but unbasined talonid and lacking facet 5 on molars , enlarged m4 and elevated angular process. A new genus and species, Mozomus shihamai gen. et sp. nov. , is named based on the specimen. Morphologically , the new taxon is similar to the Mongolian KielanLherium of ? Aptian or ? Albian in general ( Dashzeveg and Kielan-Jaworowska, 1984) , but differs from the latter, probably primitively, in lacking facet 5 on molars. Kielantheriids were regarded as plesiomorphic in molar structure among mammals with tribosphenic pattern " and possess " a putative phylogenetic position as a stem boreosphenidan" (Luo et al. , 2002 : 11 ) . Reexamination of the specimen of Kielantherium gobiensis ( GI PST 10-16) brings into question of the shearing facet, and a comparison between Kielantherium and Mozomus is given in the present paper.

CARNIVORA FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF LANTIAN, CHINA OF LANTIAN,

Ki ANDERSSON, Lars WERDELIN

2005, 43(04):  256-271. 

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Sediments of the Bahe and Lantian formations, Lantian area, Shaanxi Province, China , have produced a large number of mammalian fossils. This Late Miocene sequence provides evidence for a period of major changes in the physical environment of the region. The carnivoran fossils are described and analyzed herein. The following species are present: Ictitherium vitærrinum , Hyaenictitherium cf . H. wongii and Adcrocuta eximia ( Hyaenidae) , cf. Metailurus major and cf. Metailurus parvulus (Felidae). Although a difference in the composition of the carnivoran fauna is noted towards the boundary between the Bahe Formation ( lower) and Lantian Formation (upper) , the cause of this is yet to be determined.

DORCADORYX TEILHARD ET TRASSAERT, 1938 (BOVIDAE, ARTIODACTYLA)FROM THE BAHE FORMATION OF LANTIAN, SHAANXI PROVINCE, CHINA

CHEN GuanFang

2005, 43(04):  272-282. 

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Summary can be seen in PDF.

NOTE ON FOUR SPECIES OF DIPODIDS (DIPODIDAE, RODENTIA) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE BAHE FORMATION, LANTIAN, SHAANXI

Ll Qiang, ZHENG ShaoHua

2005, 43(04):  283-296. 

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Although discussion on the phylogenetic classification of jumping mice, birch mice and jerboas is still ongoing, we follow the opinion that the two families Zapodidae and Dipodidae are included in the superfamily Dipodoidea and four subfamilies in the family Dipodidae (Qiu , 1996; Daxner-Höck, 1999) , i. e. Allactaginae Vinogradov, 1925 , Dipodinae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 , Cardiocraniinae Vinogradov, 1925 and Euchoreutinae Lyon, 1901. The oldest record of Dipodidae is the genus Protalactaga from the middle Miocene of Quantougou , Gansu and Tunggur, Nei Mongol, which might be derived from a Plesiosminthus-like Oligocene Zapodidae ancestor (Young, 1927; Qiu, 1996, 2000 ). At the present, Dipodidae are restricted in the Palearctic Region. They are adapted to an arid environment and distributed in semi-desert or desert regions of northern Africa, southern Europe, central and northern Asia. In China, there are 7 genera and 13 species mainly living in the arid northwestern regions ( Wang , 2003 ) . The dipodids described below were collected by the scientists of the Sino-Finish cooperative project in vertebrate paleontology and stratigraphy from Lantian, Shaanxi, during the field seasons of 1997 —2000.

RECONSIDERATION OF THE GENERIC ASSIGNMENT OF " PLIOPENTAIÄGUS NIHEWANENSIS" FROM THE LATE PLIOCENE OF HEBEI, CHINA

Yukimitsu TOMIDA, JIN ChangZhu

2005, 43(04):  297-303. 

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"Pliopentalagus nihewanensis" was described by Cai (1989) , based on an isolated p3 and two isolated lower molariform teeth from the bottom of the " Nihewan beds" of Hebei Province, China. Detailed re-examination of the original specimens and comparisons with other species of the genus and Trischizolagus suggest: 1 ) the holotype (p3) alone can be interpreted as a species of the genus Pliopentalagus having p3 with least complicated enamel pattern. But, this hypothesis violates an evolutionary trend of the genus that the enamel pattern becomes more complicated through time. On the other hands, 2) the holotype can also be interpreted as a species of the genus Trischizolagus having p3 with most complicated enamel pattern. This hypothesis fits on an evolutionary trend of the genus that enamel pattern becomes more complicated through time ( Averianov and Tesakov , 1997 ) 3) the associated fauna which is indicative of a dry and cool environment also suggests that the holotype may not belong to the genus Pliopentalagus. Therefore, we conclude that generic assignment of this taxon should be Trischizolagus, and T. nihewanensis is characterized by p3 with most complicated enamel pattern within the genus.

A NEW SPECIES OF MACROTHYRASPIS (GALEASPIDA, AGNATHA) FROM WENSHAN, YUNNAN, CHINA

WANG JunQing,GAI ZhiKun, ZHU Min

2005, 43(04):  304-311. 

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A new species of galeaspid agnathan, Macrothyraspis longilanceus, is described from the Early Devonian Posongchong Formation ( Upper Pragian) at Zhichang village, Gumu Town, Wenshan District, southeastem Yunnan, China. As a typical non-marine deposit, the Posongchong Formation in southeastern Yunnan yields abundant remains of early vascular plants, antiarchs, sarcopterygians and galeaspids , the latter including Kwangnanaspis subtriangularis ( Cao, 1979) , Cantarostrataspis gengi, Cumuaspis rostrata ( Wang and Wang , 1992), Macrothyraspis longicornis (Pan, 1992) , Wenshanaspis zhichangensis and Sanqiaspis rostrata ( Zhao et al. , 2002) .

A NEW SPECIES OF HSISOSUCHUS FROM THE LATE JURASSIC OF ZIGONG, SICHUAN, CHINA

PENG Guangzhao， SHU Chunkang

2005, 43(04):  312-324. 

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A crocodyliform specimen collected from the Late Jurassic Shangshaximiao Formation, Zigong, Sichuan Basin, China comprises a nearly complete skull, mandibles, most vertebrae, partial pectoral and pelvic girdles, most forelimbs and osteoderms. It represents a new species of Hsisosuchus, H. chowi sp. nov. Diagnostic features of the new species include a shallow longitudinal depression between nasals; a ridge along orbital margm of frontal; a faint ridge along suture between frontals; a distinct ridge along medial margin of supratemporal fossa; an anteromedian process of parietal wedging between posterior processes of frontals; ventral margin of jugal distinctly waved in lateral view; postorbital having an angular anterolateral comer; posterolateral process of squamosal extraordinarily elongated and extending outwards, downwards and backwards, leading to lateral margin of squamosal distinctly arched medially; exoccipital not contacting its opposite on occipital condyle; a ventral median ridge of pterygoid originated from main body of pterygoid; and choana positioned anteriorly. The discovery of H. chowi increases not only the distribution but also the understanding of the specialized hsisosuchids.

NEW MATERIAL OF BAMALAMBDA FROM CHIJIANG BASIN IN JIANGXI, CHNA

LI Qian

2005, 43(04):  325-329. 

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Bemalambda was first found from Nanxiong Basin, Guangdong Province in 1962 (Chow et al. , 1973 ; Zheng et al. , 1973) . The subsequent discoveries of bemalambdids from the Middle Paleocene of Qianshan of Anhui, Lingcha of Hunan, Shimen of Shaanxi, Chijiang of Jiangxi indicate that Bemalambda had a wide distribution in the Middle Paleocene of southern China. The specimen described in this paper was found from Chijiang, Jiangxi in 2003 and is distinctly different from those of other species in the genus. It represents a new species, Bernalambda dingae sp. nov.