The first description of Rhinocerotidae (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from Xinyaozi Ravine in Shanxi, North China
DONG Wei, BAI Wei-Peng, ZHANG Li-Min
Vertebrata Palasiatica
2021, 59 ( 4):
273-294.
DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.210715
Abundant mammalian fossils were uncovered during the field exploration for Nihewan beds at the beginning of the 1980s along Xinyaozi Ravine at Nangaoya Township of Tianzhen County, Shanxi Province in North China and the studied taxa indicate an age of the early Early Pleistocene. Recent studies on the rhino material not yet described show that there are at least two species of rhinocerotids: Elasmotherium peii and Coelodonta nihowanensis . There might be a third taxon provisionally named as Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis due to incompleteness of the specimens. Since its morphometric characters are between S. kirchbergensis and C. nihowanensis , it might be a variety of one of the two species although it is more similar to the former than the latter. In the same way, The rhino specimens from Xiashagou named as Rhinoceros sinensis (?) by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau (1930) might be a variety of S. kirchbergensis or C. nihowanensis . The rhinocerotids uncovered so far from the Early Pleistocene deposits in the generalized Nihewan Basin including two certain species and two uncertain ones. The localities yielding E. peii include Xiashagou, Shanshenmiaozhui, Daheigou and Xinyaozi; those yielding C. nihowanensis include Xiashagou, Danangou, Donggutuo, Shanshenmiaozhui and Xinyaozi. R. sinensis (?) appeared only at Xiashagou and Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis only at Xinyaozi.
Fig. 6
Length range comparison of lower cheek teeth from selected localities
Abbreviations and data sources: ZKD Loc9, Coelodonta antiquitatis from Locality 9 at Zhoukoudian (Teilhard de Chardin, 1936); Co W Eu, C. antiquitatis from West Europe (Guérin, 1980); LD, C. nihowanensis from Longdan (Qiu et al., 2004); St W Eu, Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis from West Europe (Guérin, 1980); ZKD Loc1, S. k. from Locality 1 of Zhoukoudian (Chow, 1979); RhinoCave, S. k. from Shennongjia (Tong and Wu, 2010); DHG-SG, S. k. from Daheigou and Shigou in Nihewan Basin (Tong et al., 2014); XYZ, Xinyaozi Ravine
Extracts from the Article
Compared with S. kirchbergensis from other localities, the morphology of V 27429.2 (Fig. 5) is similar to that of VM.670 from Loc. 1 of Zhoukoudian (Chow, 1979), TNP00315 from Daheigou and SGT2:1 from Shigou in Nihewan Basin (Tong et al., 2014), as well as that of two mandible specimens from Rhino Cave in Shennongjia (Tong and Wu, 2010). On the other hand, the dental dimensions of V 27429.2 are generally smaller than those from other localities, i.e. Anping (Zhang et al., 1980; Xu, 1986) and West Europe (Guérin, 1980) (Table 4). Fig. 6 illustrates that Xinyaozi specimen is closer to Coelodonta than to S. kirchbergensis , but the smooth surface of enamel in both upper and lower dentitions, the absence of paraconid rib in lower cheek teeth distinguish Xinyaozi specimens from those of Coelodonta .
Other Images/Table from this Article
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Fig. 1
A mandibular fragment (IVPP V 27428) of Elasmotherium peii from Xinyaozi Ravine in lingual (A), occlusal (B) and buccal (C) views
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Table 1
Measurements of lower cheek teeth of Elasmotherium peii from Xinyaozi and comparison (mm)
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Fig. 2
A right juvenile maxillary fragment (IVPP V 27429.1) of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Xinyaozi Ravine in lingual (A), occlusal (B) and buccal (C) views
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Table 2
Measurements of upper deciduous cheek teeth of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Xinyaozi and comparison (mm)
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Fig. 3
A broken mandible (IVPP V 27429.3) of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Xinyaozi Ravine in buccal (A), occlusal (B) and lingual (C) views
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Fig. 4
Mandibular fragments (IVPP V 27429.4-5) of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Xinyaozi Ravine A-C. V 27429.4; D-F. V 27429.5; A, D. lingual view; B, E. occlusal view; C. buccal view; F. sagittal slice of CT image
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Table 3
Measurements of lower deciduous cheek teeth of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Xinyaozi and comparison (mm)
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Fig. 5
Broken mandible (IVPP V 27429.2) of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Taijiaping in Xinyaozi Ravine in lingual (A), occlusal (B) and buccal (C) views
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Table 4
Measurements of lower cheek teeth of Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis from Xinyaozi and comparison (mm)
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Fig. 7
Maxillary fragment (IVPP V 27430.1) of Coelodonta nihowanensis from Xinyaozi Ravine in left buccal (A) and occlusal (B) views
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Table 5
Measurements of upper deciduous cheek teeth of Coelodonta nihowanensis from Xinyaozi and comparison (mm)
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Table 6
Measurements of lower deciduous cheek teeth of Coelodonta nihowanensis from Xinyaozi and comparison (mm)
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Fig. 8
Deciduous cheek teeth of Coelodonta nihowanensis from Xinyaozi Ravine A-C. right dp3 (IVPP V 27430.2); D-F. right dp4 (V 27430.3) A, D. buccal view; B, E. occlusal view; C, F. lingual view
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Fig. 9
Ratio diagram of dimensions of upper deciduous cheek teeth from related localities, plotted against those of IVPP V 27430.1 (reference 0) Note: Data source as in Tables 2, 5. L. length; W. width; ZKD. Zhoukoudian; solid line, Coelodonta nihowanensis ; dash line, C. antiquitatis ; dotted line, Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis
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