Table of Content

15 December 2011, Volume 49 Issue 4

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A NEW SPECIES OF EUPROX (CERVIDAE, MAMMALIA) FROM THE MIDDLE MIOCENE OF DAMIAO, NEI MONGOL, CHINA 

WANG Li-Hua, ZHANG Zhao-Qun

2011, 49(4):  365-376. 

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A new species of cervid, Euprox altus, from the Middle Miocene fossil locality of Damiao, Siziwangqi, Nei Mongol, is described and studied in detail. It is assigned to Euprox Stehlin, 1928 based on its true burrs, bifurcation above the burr, long pedicles, brachyodont cheek teeth, developed parastyle and mesostyle, neocrista and cingulum on each upper molar, developed metaconid and hypoflexid on p4 and Palaeomeryx folds on lower molars. The diagnostic character of E. altus is that the bifurcation begins at a higher positionthan in other species. The beginning of the bifurcation is indicated by an abrupt widening of the antler base. This position can be used as a new distinguishing feature, distinct from the overall position of bifurcation. The uneven longitudinal grooves, more brachyodont teeth, fold on the P4 postprotocrista, almost invisible paraflexid and small trigonid basin on p4, and weak Palaeomeryx fold on the lower molars further differentiate the new species from other Euprox species. The presence of E. altus may indicate a warm and humid environment during the latest Middle Miocene in the Damiao area, in sharp contrast to the current dry and harsh environment. 

REMARKS ON THE STEGODON FALCONER, 1857(STEGODONTIDAE, PROBOSCIDEA) FROM THE LATE CENOZOIC OF CHINA

CHEN Guan-Fang

2011, 49(4):  377-392. 

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对我国新生代晚期的剑齿象(Stegodon)进行再研究，提出了下列几点看法：1)依据Stegodon 的特征，可将已命名的中国剑齿象种分为3类。一类为有效的剑齿象种，包括晚中新世的S. licenti Teilhard & Trasseart, 1937; 上新世的S. zdanskyi Hopwood, 1935和S. officinalis Hopwood, 1935; 上新世晚期至更新世早期的S. zhaotongensis Chow & Zhai, 1962; 更新世的S. chiai Chow & Zhai, 1962, S. orientalis Owen, 1870, S. sinensis Owen, 1870和S. huananensis sp. n.等种。另一类是从剑齿象属中分出，归入到其他属或科的种。属于这一类的有可能置入真象类(Elephantoidae)的Stegodon parahypsilophus He, 1984, S. guizhouensis Li & Wen, 1986, Stegodon cf. S. hypsilophus和S. primitium Liu et al., 1973以及归入Stegolophodon的Stegodon baoshanensis Yun, 1975。第三类为属种分类位置未定的种，以S. wushanensis Huang et al., 1991为代表。2) 南亚更新世的S. elephantoides (Clift), 1828可能在我国不存在。3) 我国的剑齿象化石相当丰富，发现于东经99°以东、北纬38°以南的广大地区(包括山西、陕西和甘肃以及华中、华南、西南和部分华东等地区), 生存时代为晚中新世晚期至更新世。4) 在新生代晚期我国的剑齿象可能经历了3次大的由北向南的扩散和迁移事件。第一次发生在晚中新世，第二次在晚中新世晚期至早上新世早期，第三次在更新世早期。5) 剑齿象可能起源于亚洲。S. licenti是我国出现时代最早的剑齿象，也可能是剑齿象最原始的一种。

EARLIEST OCCURRENCE OF DEMOCRICETODON IN CHINA, IN THE EARLY MIOCENE OF THE JUNGGAR BASIN (XINJIANG), AND COMPARISON WITH THE GENUS SPANOCRICETODON

Olivier MARIDET, WU Wen-Yu, YE Jie, BI Shun-Dong, NI Xi-Jun, MENG Jin

2011, 49(4):  393-405. 

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New Democricetodon fossils from the Early Miocene of the Junggar Basin (northernXinjiang, China) are described. The specimens come from two localities within the Suosuoquan Formation, which have been dated by magnetostratigraphy to between 21.9 and 21.16 Ma (Aquitanian). This record of Democricetodon is the oldest so far known in Central and Eastern Asia. Two species are recognized: Democricetodon sui sp. nov. and Democricetodon? sp. The second species is based on few specimens, insufficient for secure taxonomic identification. Comparisons with other Early Miocene cricetids and re-examination of the type species ofSpanocricetodon confirm that D. sui is characteristic of the Xiejian age in Central Asia. Our comparisons also confirm that the genus Spanocricetodon sensu lato Li (1977) is valid and clearly differs from Democricetodon and Primus, and show that some species that have previously been assigned to Spanocricetodon actually belong to other genera. The clear differences between D. suiand Eucricetodon aff. E. caducus from the Late Oligocene of the same region indicate that D. sui is unlikely to have originated from the Paleogene cricetids in the region, but probably represents a species that immigrated to Central Asia.

ODONTOLOGICAL AND CRANIOLOGICAL COMPARISONS OF THE RECENT HEDGEHOG NEOTETRACUS WITH HYLOMYS ANDNEOHYLOMYS (ERINACEIDAE, INSECTIVORA, MAMMALIA)

Burkart ENGESSER, JIANG Xue-Long

2011, 49(4):  406-422. 

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The dentition and some cranial characters of Neotetracus, a small, little known member of the subfamily Hylomyinae are described and compared with corresponding parts of Hylomys, another closely related hylomyine erinaceid. The milk-dentition is included in these descriptions. Since the single species of the genus Neotetracus, N. sinensis, was placed by some authors in the genus Hylomys, the comparisons aim at finding out, whether the fusing of the two genera is justified or not. Neohylomys hainanensis, another hylomyine having been placed by some authors in the genus Hylomys, is, despite the scarce material at disposal, included in these comparisons as well. The comparisons yield distinct differences between these three hylomyines in almost each tooth and in some skull features, fully justifying the maintenance of the genera Neotetracus,Neohylomys and Hylomys. The differences found are also used to assess the evolutionary level of the three forms with respect to each other. The Hylomyinae are living today in a relatively small area in Southeast Asia and are represented by five genera with a total of six species. In the past, especially during the Middle and Late Miocene, this subfamily was spread over almost the whole northern hemisphere: from Asia to Europe and North Africa, and to North America. The Hylomyinae were also much more diverse than today, so far 9 fossil genera with 47 species having been described. Therefore it is justified to speak of the Hylomyinae as relict forms. To emphasize the shrinking of the distribution area of the Hylomyinae, the reasons for which are not yet understood, an abridged history of the subfamily is given.

THERANGOSPODUS AND MEGALOSAURIPUS TRACK ASSEMBLAGEFROM THE UPPER JURASSIC-LOWER CRETACEOUS TUCHENGZI FORMATION OF CHICHENG COUNTY, HEBEI PROVINCE, CHINA AND THEIR PALEOECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

XING Lida, Jerald D. HARRIS, Gerard D. GIERLIŃSKI

2011, 49(4):  423-434. 

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One hundred sixty-three footprints that pertain to Therangospodus have been found in the Tuchengzi Formation at the Luofenggou track site in Chicheng County, Hebei Province,China. Five swim tracks were subsequently made by the same track makers after water submerged the region. In addition to the Therangospodus tracks, one exceptionally large theropod track and one possible trail trace are referred to Megalosauripus isp. Theropod tracks of the grallatorid morphotype predominate at this site and at six other known Tuchengzi Formation track sites; grallatorid tracks at each of these sites are dominated by individual specimens in particular size ranges. If the tracks were made by the same species of track maker, the variation in dominant track size among sites suggests that cohabiting groups were composed mainly of members of a single age class, ethologically similar to some extant lizards and Alligator. If the tracks were instead made by different species, their size distribution (favoring smaller species) suggests that species of different sizes may have preferred discrete territories or specifically avoided close contact with other (particularly larger) species, ethologically similar to modern carnivorous mammals.

NEW MATERIAL OF GANSUS AND A DISCUSSION ON ITS HABIT

LI Yan, ZHANG Yu-Guang, ZHOU Zhong-He, LI Zhi-Heng, LIU Di, WANG Xiao-Lin

2011, 49(4):  435-445. 

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Some newly discovered postcranial material of Gansus yumenensis are described, adding to our understanding of the skeletal anatomy of this basal ornithurine. Such anatomical features include a laterally exposed sternum with a sickle-shaped keel, the ulnare with small metacarpal incision, complete loss of ungual of the minor digit, and manual phalangeal formula of “2−3−1”, as well as some more detailed features of the leg bones. The new material not only provided additional evidence of interdigital web but also preserved some scale-like skin impressions near the joint between the tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus. A statistic analysis of the measurements of the sternum and major elements of the leg of Gansus further supports the hypothesis that this bird was a volant and diving bird, similar to that of extant ducks.

NEW OOTYPES OF DINOSAUR EGGS FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS IN TIANTAI BASIN, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA

WANG Qiang, ZHAO Zi-Kui, WANG Xiao-Lin, JIANG Yan-Gen

2011, 49(4):  446-449. 

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In the past ten years,a number of dinosaur eggs were found from the Tiantai Basin in Zhejiang Province, and some oospecies were reported by Fang et al.(2000,2003), Jin et al. (2007) and Qian et al.(2008). In 2010, we described and revised 12 oogenera and 15 oospecies belonging to seven oofamilies in this basin(Wang,2010), and some new types were reported (Wang et al.,2010a,b; Zhang,2010). At the same time, we comprehensively surveyed localities and horizons of the dinosaur eggs and compared the dinosaur egg faunas in China(Wang etal., in press). Here we report a few more new ootypes of dinosaur eggs from the Tiantai Basin.