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Discovery of Pleistocene fruit bat Rousettus and its coexisting non-volant micromammalian fossils from the Guilin Basin, South China Rana Mehroz FAZAL, HE Zhan-Wu, DU Bao-Pu, CHANG Mei-Jing, SHI Jing-Song, NI Xi-Jun, LI Qiang, ZHAO Ling-Xia Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (3): 173-188.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250430 Abstract （1528）   HTML （25）    PDF（pc） （1355KB）（1021）       Knowledge map    Save In 2015, the discovery of mammalian fossils, paleolithic artifacts, and burned bones in the Maoershan Cave of the Guilin Basin, northeastern Guangxi, indicated that it is a late Middle Pleistocene Paleolithic site. In 2021, stratigraphic sectioning and the systematic screening of small mammal sand samples were conducted. This paper presents a comprehensive account of the new material of the fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultii, accompanied by a concise overview of the non-volant micromammals that coexisted with it in the Quaternary sediments of the Maoershan Cave. This finding marks the second occurrence of fruit bat fossils in China, contributing to our understanding of the dental morphology and past geographical distribution of Rousettus. The micromammalian assemblage of the Maoershan Cave is composed of 3 orders, 9 families, 26 genera, and 30 species, and exhibits notable similarities with those of the late Middle Pleistocene Yumi Cave, Xinglong Cave, Yanhui Cave, Mawokou Cave, Zhongliangshan, and Chuan Cave faunas. The biochronology of the micromammalian assemblage from the Maoershan Cave has been determined to be consistent with the late Middle Pleistocene, providing a new assemblage in the Pleistocene mammalian faunal sequence in southern China. The presence of abundant oriental forested elements indicates that the Guilin Basin used to be a humid and warm subtropical forest paleoenvironment similar to the contemporary environment during the late Middle Pleistocene. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Eco-functional divergence of Crocuta and Pachycrocuta: a Huainan specimen reappraisal LIU Jin-Yi, Zhijie Jack TSENG, JIN Chang-Zhu, ZHENG Long-Ting, SUN Cheng-Kai, TONG Hao-Wen Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (4): 277-322.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250912 Abstract （1582）   HTML （24）    PDF（pc） （4061KB）（818）       Knowledge map    Save Crocuta and Pachycrocuta are widely regarded as the most prevalent and emblematic hyenas across Eurasia during Quaternary. They are easily distinguished by their distinctive carnassial teeth. However, the disparities in non-carnassial elements are less pronounced and have received minimal attention in previous studies. This has resulted in erroneous identifications when dealing with fragmented specimens, particularly in cases where carnassial teeth are poorly preserved or absent. Such misidentifications have the potential to give rise to erroneous inferences regarding the paleozoogeography and biochronology of the animals in question. The bone-cracking hyena specimens from Huainan, Anhui (Tseng et al., 2008) are re-examined and re-evaluated here through a series of morphological comparisons and data analyses (univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses etc.). The results provide unequivocal confirmation that the specimens from Xiliexi are not spotted hyenas, but belong to Pachycrocuta perrieri instead. Conversely, the specimen from Dadingshan is the only genuine representative of the spotted hyena, which is supposed to be a possible earliest fossil record for Crocuta ultima thus far in China. Furthermore, the disparities in dentognathic morphology between Crocuta and Pachycrocuta are systematically summarized and analyzed, with an explanation of their eco-functional significance. The present study hypothesizes that Pachycrocuta retains a certain degree of active predatory capability, attributable to the robustness of the canine and the symphysis of the jaw, among other factors. This finding indicates that Pachycrocuta exhibits a form of flexible foraging behavior, combining opportunistic scavenging and active hunting in a manner analogous to Crocuta. Finally, the dynamic evolutionary history of hyenas in East China since Pleistocene has also been broadly reconstructed. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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First discovery of Panthera spelaea cranium from Salawusu, northern China JIANGZUO Qi-Gao, LI Hong, YAMAGUCHI Nobuyuki, Joan MADURELL-MALAPEIRA, ZHANG Jian-Sheng, MA Hui-Min, GUO Ding-Ge, LI Shi-Jie, FU Jiao, ZHANG Xiao-Xiao, LI Chun-Xiao, XIE Kun, TONG Hao-Wen, LIU Jin-Yi, WANG Shi-Qi, DENG Tao Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (4): 323-334.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250704 Abstract （1710）   HTML （26）    PDF（pc） （6285KB）（782）       Knowledge map    Save Cave lion (Panthera spelaea) remains have been described in all the Holarctic domain, however, its records in China are very rare. Here we describe an almost complete cranium from Salawusu, Northern China. Even though the dentition is largely broken or missing, the cranium shows key characters with clear cave lion affinity, particularly from the basicranium region. These features include wide and short nasals, wide rostrum without post-canine constriction, enlarged ectotympanic, flatted entotympanic, separated stylomastoid foramen and hyoid fossa and medially located hypoglossal foramen. The cranium is larger than the known cranial size range of Beringia cave lion P. spelaea vereshchagini, suggesting that the geographical delimitation of cave lion subspecies may be more complex than previously understood. The coexistence of cave lion with Palaeoloxodon in Salawusu indicates a high plasticity in diet and environmental adaptation for this species. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Late Miocene immigrant carnivorans in California, USA highlight a coastal corridor for intercontinental dispersals Zhijie Jack TSENG, WANG Xiao-Ming Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (4): 266-276.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250813 Abstract （1206）   HTML （17）    PDF（pc） （1009KB）（583）       Knowledge map    Save The Neogene interval witnessed three major waves of intercontinental dispersals by carnivoran mammals, mainly migrating from Eurasia to North America but with rare occurrences going in the opposite direction (e.g., Sthenictis, Leptarctus). The timing and composition of dispersers are thought to be controlled by filter-bridge mechanisms, but it is unclear what types of regional conditions promoted occasional dispersals outside of the three major waves. We study and report on new occurrences of small-bodied carnivorans from late Clarendonian-aged Black Hawk Ranch and Cuyama Valley fossil mammal assemblages in California. The relatively late occurrences of the mustelids Sthenictis and Hoplictis and the ailurid Alopecocyon in coastal regions of western North America suggest that nearshore dispersal corridors both facilitate and preserve faunal elements later than they might otherwise occur further inland. The availability of both marine- and terrestrially-derived food resources may be an important factor in allowing coastally dispersing taxa to be accommodated in those ecological communities compared to less heterogenous environments further inland. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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From the coast of the Yellow Sea to the Tibetan Plateau: Prof. Qiu Zhanxiang’s academic elevation DENG Tao Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (4): 253-265.   Abstract （888）   HTML （23）    PDF（pc） （1272KB）（511）       Knowledge map    Save Prof. Qiu Zhanxiang’s academic life presents a cross regional scientific research landscape: born in Qingdao City on the coast of the Yellow Sea, he devoted his life to exploring the mysteries of terrestrial mammalian evolution. In his early years, he received systematic training at the Geological Department of Moscow University and graduated in 1960, which laid a solid disciplinary foundation for him. After returning to China, he took root in the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, starting a scientific research journey that lasted for more than half a century. As a paleontologist, his career has distinct international characteristics: from 1982 to 1984, he was awarded the Humboldt Scholarship from the Federal Republic of Germany and completed his doctoral thesis at the Gutenberg University of Mainz, and from 1982 to 1999, he conducted a series of international cooperation projects. His academic leadership was particularly prominent in his career, as he led multiple strategic scientific research projects during his tenure at the institute from 1991 to 1995. His scientific research footprint spans from the Nei Mongol Gobi to the Tibetan Plateau, and from the Yushe Basin in Shanxi Province to the Linxia Basin in Gansu Province. The National Climbing Plan of “Research on the origin of early human beings and environmental background” presided over by him has created a new paradigm of interdisciplinary research. In terms of disciplinary achievements, Prof. Qiu has achieved three landmark accomplishments: deciphering the evolutionary code of the Paleocene red bed mammalian fauna of South China, clarifying the lineage of giant rhino fossils, and establishing a biochronological scale for the Neogene terrestrial strata in China and conducting in-depth research on the carnivore and perissodactyl fossils contained therein. These achievements have provided a key evidence chain for analyzing the evolutionary mechanism of mammals’ adaptation to environmental changes over 66 million years, which not only won him the title of CAS Academician in 2005, but also left China’s mark in the field of international Cenozoic paleontology and stratigraphy. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The first discovery of non-avian dinosaur egg and bone fossils in the Hefei Basin WANG Qiang, DONG Zhe, MAO Lei, ZHU Xu-Feng, CHEN Yan-Bin, HUANG Jian-Dong, DING Hai-Dong Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (3): 248-252.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250618 Abstract （1533）   HTML （21）    PDF（pc） （1701KB）（418）       Knowledge map    Save This report is about the first record of non-avian dinosaur eggs in the Hefei Basin, Anhui Province, China. Based on the combination of elongated egg body, linear ridges on the outer surface and two structure layer, the eggs can be referred to Elongatoolithidae. The gradual boundary between the cone and the column layers as well as the relative thin eggshell (less than 1 mm) indicates its affinity within Elongatoolithus. The eggs are identified as Elongatoolithus oosp., as they were severely compressed and experienced erosion on both inner and outer surfaces. The discovery of egg fossil in the Hefei Basin offers evidence for stratum comparison in this region and supplements the diversity of egg fossils in Anhui. Meanwhile, this discovery also enriches the paleogeographic distribution of elongatoolithids. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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First discovery of the spiral-horned antelope Antilospira (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) from the Linxia Basin, Gansu, China XU Xing-Dong, SHI Qin-Qin Vertebrata Palasiatica    2026, 64 (1): 47-58.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.251030 Abstract （897）   HTML （5）    PDF（pc） （1372KB）（363）       Knowledge map    Save Antilospira is a small to medium-sized antelope with heteronymously spiraled horn cores. It was widely distributed in northern China from the Late Pliocene to the Early Pleistocene. It is a typical fossil bovid with important implications for biostratigraphy and antilopin evolution in China. Antilospira robusta is a species with highly fragmentary materials and has previously only been briefly discussed. Here we report on a new frontal with horn cores from the Early Pleistocene Wucheng Loess in Nalesi Township, Dongxiang Autonomous County, Linxia Basin, Gansu Province. This new material features heteronymously spiraled horn cores, deep longitudinal grooves, a sharp anterior carena on the horn core, and a large body size, which are characteristics similar to those of A. robusta. However, the horn base of the new material is more compressed than all the previously discovered spiral-horned antelopes, so we attributed it to Antilospira cf. A. robusta. This is the first time Antilospira has been found in northwestern China, and this discovery provides more morphological data for the classification of this group. CT scans of the horn core reveal the well-remodeled horn core trabeculae in Antilospira, which is different from what is observed in Spirocerus. The frontal sinuses are moderately developed in the Linxia specimen, extending backwards to the orbit but not to the horn base. The virtual reconstruction of the endocranial cast indicated that Antilospira has bending and narrow frontal lobes, wide temporal lobes, and relatively complex sulci on the cerebral hemisphere, which differ from extant Antilopini bovids in China. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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New materials of Exallerix pustulatus (Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla) from Nei Mongol and other Brachyericinae of China LI Lu, LI Qiang, WANG Xiao-Ming Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (4): 335-349.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250910 Abstract （1027）   HTML （21）    PDF（pc） （2341KB）（253）       Knowledge map    Save This article describes new fossil material of Exallerix pustulatus from the early Late Oligocene of Nei Mongol, China. The specimens supplement and clarify certain mandibular and lower dental morphological features of this species, allowing for further comparisons with other short-faced hedgehogs. Previously, E. pustulatus had only been recorded from the Hsanda Gol Formation at Taatsiin Gol, in the Valley of Lakes, Mongolia. This discovery of new material from Sonid Left Banner marks the first occurrence of the genus Exallerix in China. In addition, discussions of other short-faced hedgehog fossils from Chinese localities confirm the validity of Metexallerix gaolanshanensis, which lived during the late Late Oligocene, approximately 25 Ma. Furthermore, the short-faced hedgehog specimens from locality Damiao 16 in Nei Mongol are tentatively referred to Synexallerix junggarensis, rather than M. gaolanshanensis. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Cricetids (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene Yihachi locality of Gansu, China QIU Zhu-Ding, Lawrence J. FLYNN, WANG Ban-Yue, LI Lu Vertebrata Palasiatica    2026, 64 (1): 1-25.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.251117 Abstract （895）   HTML （13）    PDF（pc） （2568KB）（243）       Knowledge map    Save Our purpose in this paper is to describe the hamster-like rodents (Cricetidae) from a Late Miocene age site in Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, and discuss their significance for the changing ecology of central Asia. The micromammal site known as Yihachi was introduced previously (Qiu et al., 2023; Qiu and Li, 2023), when its squirrels were discussed in some detail. We take this opportunity to describe the more abundant cricetids. There are four genera, common Nannocricetus and Sinocricetus plus the less abundant living Mesocricetus. A few specimens represent the high-crowned and lophodont Rhinocerodon. The cricetids and other faunal elements indicate an early Late Miocene age, and the pattern of occurrence of the hamster species is consistent with a picture of a changing paleoenvironment due to increasing effects of the East Asia monsoon system. After the disappearance of older and archaic genera, Yihachi represents growing endemism in the Late Miocene of northern China due to increasing seasonal rain and the declining average temperature. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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New fossil materials of Sus lydekkeri from the Early Pleistocene Shanshenmiaozui site in Nihewan Basin of North China TONG Hao-Wen, CHEN Xi, ZHANG Bei, SUN Ji-Jia Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (3): 210-241.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250711 Abstract （1179）   HTML （29）    PDF（pc） （7111KB）（223）       Knowledge map    Save Suid is one of the most common taxa among the Pleistocene mammalian fauna in China. However, its phylogenetic taxonomy and evolution are far from clear. The newly recovered suid fossil materials from the Early Pleistocene Shanshenmiaozui site in Nihewan Basin in North China provide new insight into the evolution of its kind in North China. The new materials include partial skulls and mandibles of males, and most of their teeth were preserved in situ. The specimens can be referred to the species Sus lydekkeri, which is the only species of Sus found in North China from the Early Pleistocene. The fossils of the once reported Pleistocene species “Potamochoerus chinhsienensis” should also be provisionally included in the species S. lydekkeri according to its form and size, which at least now excludes it from Potamochoerus. The species S. lydekkeri is very close to the extant species S. scrofa, and even was combined into the latter as a chronological subspecies by some authors, while its larger size, prominent preorbital fossa, backwardly positioned infraorbital foramen, frequently appearing verrucosic type (at least the intermediate type of the male lower canine), and simple crown structures support its validness as an independent species. The Early Pleistocene forms are characterized by a larger size, lower L/W ratio of cheekteeth, both upper and lower M3s having no more than three lobes, and the male lower canine is exclusively of a verrucosic type. Suid fossils are a very good indicator of paleoenvironments and paleoclimate. Both the northern and the southern faunas in China contain suid fossils throughout the Pleistocene Epoch, while the southern fauna has prominently more diversified taxa and more abundant fossil collections; whether that is caused by different origins or by environmental modifications is still not clear. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The first discovery of Holocene Ailuropoda melanoleuca subfossils from Xiangxi, Hunan, China TONG Guang-Hui, LIU Li, LI Yong-Xiang, WANG Wen-Zhe, CAI Xing-Lin Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (3): 242-247.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250511 Abstract （1215）   HTML （10）    PDF（pc） （1399KB）（213）       Knowledge map    Save A new cranium and two mandibles of Ailuropoda melanoleuca from Xiangxi, Hunan Province are described here. The materials were discovered in a karst cave on the Bamian Mountain at an altitude of 1200 m, with AMC carbon-fourteen isotope dating indicating an age of 2800±30 BP. Historically, the giant panda was widely distributed in southern China and parts of Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene epoch, but it is now confined and isolated to six mountain ranges in southwest China's Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. The subfossil materials reported here represent the first discovery of the living species of giant panda in Xiangxi, Hunan. This extends their geographical distribution in southern China during the Holocene epoch eastward to the eastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and their recent altitude range down to 1200 m. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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New material of Eospalax simplicidens (Spalacidae, Rodentia) from Jianyucha, Zichang, northern Shaanxi CHANG Mei-Jing, SHI Qin-Qin, NI Xi-Jun, LI Qiang Vertebrata Palasiatica    2026, 64 (1): 26-46.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.251201 Abstract （871）   HTML （9）    PDF（pc） （2565KB）（206）       Knowledge map    Save Eospalax, one of the only two extant genera within the Myospalacinae, has a high species richness. Each species is distinguished by unique cranial and dental morphologies, as well as variations in temporal and spatial distribution. Consequently, Eospalax serves as a reliable indicator for the biochronologic and paleoenvironmental studies of the Quaternary of East Asia. A recent discovery of a complete fossil skull in a conglomerate deposit, a part of the Lower Pleistocene Sanmen Formation, near Jianyucha Town, Zichang County, northern Shaanxi Province, has been subjected to a detailed analysis. The specimens were identified as Eospalax simplicidens, an extinct species of Eospalax, based on dental morphology. The recent discovery of E. simplicidens in Jianyucha offers significant insights into the species’ cranial morphology and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of its geographical distribution. The distinctive feature of the posterodorsal location of the external acoustic meatus indicates either a plesiomorphy or an evolutionary convergence among E. simplicidens, African root rats (Tachyoryctes), and bamboo rats (Rhizomyini). A skull (IVPP V5398.1) and four upper jaws (V5398.2) from Gongwangling in Lantian, Shaanxi, previously identified as Myospalax fontanieri, is transferred to the species E. lingtaiensis. A skull (IVPP RV35055) from Jingou, Xin’an, Henan, previously identified as E. simplicidens, is transferred to the species E. youngianus. In this study, body mass estimates are made for extinct Eospalax. Both E. lingtaiensis and E. simplicidens are small-sized zokors, with an estimated body mass of less than or approximately 300 g, respectively. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A new cranium of Metacervocerus longdanensis (Cervidae, Mammalia) and the genus Metacervocerus in China WANG Shi-Qi, MA Jiao, FU Jiao, BAI Wei-Peng Vertebrata Palasiatica    2026, 64 (1): 59-73.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.251118 Abstract （794）   HTML （6）    PDF（pc） （2486KB）（190）       Knowledge map    Save This study documents a skull of the large cervid Nipponicervus longdanensis from the Early Pleistocene (~2.6-2.1 Ma) of Longdan, Gansu, China. Morphological comparisons indicate that N. longdanensis exhibits the type of “adaptive” distal fork (anterior tine smaller and oriented along the beam) that differs from the type species Nipponicervus praenipponicus, while it is aligned with Metacervocerus Dietrich, 1938, necessitating reclassification as Metacervocerus longdanensis. The cranium exhibits posteriorly inclined pedicles demonstrating phylogenetic affinity with M. elegans (Nihewan Basin) and M. rhenanus (Europe), while derived features including a shortened neurocranium, rostrally tapered basioccipital, and duplicated P4 protocone distinguish it as an advanced lineage within the genus. Character assessments reveal that Metacervocerus is potentially paraphyletic because Metacervocerus? shansius and Metacervocerus? punjabiensis retain plesiomorphic conditions (elongated braincase, simple P4 morphology), while they exhibit pronouncedly erected pedicles and lyrated antler beams, suggesting a divergent lineage from Metacervocerus longdanensis. Previously published isotopic data (δ13C = −10.9‰ ± 0.9‰, δ18O = −7.5‰ ± 0.9‰, n = 4) indicate a semi-open habitat and a browsing-to-mixed feeding ecology of M. longdanensis. This revision resolves persistent taxonomic uncertainties in Eurasian Cervinae while elucidating East Asia’s biogeographic significance in driving cervid morphological radiation during the Plio-Pleistocene transition. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Depositional history, contact relationships, and characterization of Upper Miocene Baogeda Ula Formation in central Nei Mongol with a description of fossil skunks WANG Xiao-Ming, SUN Lu, LI Lu, LI Qiang, QIU Zhu-Ding, Zhijie Jack TSENG Vertebrata Palasiatica    2026, 64 (1): 100-124.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.251029 Abstract （837）   HTML （6）    PDF（pc） （6705KB）（189）       Knowledge map    Save In addition to its well-known fossils, the Upper Miocene Baogeda Ula Formation is coupled with multiple basaltic lava flows, creating an ideal setting for studying its depositional history, geochronology, and associated vertebrate fossils. This paper, in honor of Prof. Qiu Zhanxiang for his widely admired emphasis on the geological contexts of vertebrate fossils, attempts to synthesize known contact relationships, existing K-Ar dates, and capping basalt elevations to reframe our concept of the lithostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and lateral distribution of the Baogeda Ula Formation. Within this new framework, the Baogeda Ula Formation is defined by unconformable contact with the underlying Tunggur Formation at the lower boundary and a capping basalt at the upper boundary. In many sections, two or three layers of basalts are interbedded within sedimentary strata, with the capping basalts typically belonging to the top two basalts. The newly defined Baogeda Ula Formation includes a lower member as exemplified by Halajin Hushu section and Ulan Hushuyin Nur section, and an upper member at Baogeda Ula section. This expanded concept of the Baogeda Ula Formation includes two major faunas, i.e., the Bahean Halajin Hushu Fauna and Baodean Baogeda Ula Fauna, both falling within the Upper Miocene. We also describe rare fossil skunks (Promephitis) found in recent years that support the age assessments presented herein. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Preliminary exterior skull osteology of Prionodon pardicolor WANG Yi-Duo, PAN Yue, ZHANG Ying-Qi Vertebrata Palasiatica    2026, 64 (1): 74-99.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.251027 Abstract （906）   HTML （8）    PDF（pc） （2008KB）（172）       Knowledge map    Save Linsangs (Prionodon Horsfield, 1822) are small, arboreal feliform carnivorans that live in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and southern China. Several lines of morphological evidence from the soft tissues, dentition, and basicranium support their placement in either Prionodontinae or Viverrinae of Viverridae. However, molecular evidence has not only excluded the linsangs from Viverridae but also established that they constitute a monogeneric family Prionodontidae sister to Felidae. For that reason, the examination of the skull osteology of linsangs and related taxa is necessary to better understand how morphological and molecular data - particularly morphology - have contributed to the reconstruction of the Feliformia phylogeny. During the summer field season in July of 2020, we stumbled across the carcass of a spotted linsang (P. pardicolor) in a karst cave on the outskirts of Chongzuo City. To contribute to the knowledge about the morphology of this enigmatic feliform carnivoran, we present a preliminary description of the exterior skull osteology of P. pardicolor. The craniodental morphology provides strong evidence for a closer phylogenetic relationship between P. pardicolor and Viverrinae. However, since both morphological and molecular approaches have inherent limitations, caution is urged when inferring feliform phylogeny based on either discipline alone. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Comprehensive research on Late Eocene Hulgana cf. H. ertnia (Rodentia: Ischyromyidae) LI Lan-Xin, LI Qian Vertebrata Palasiatica    2025, 63 (3): 189-209.   DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250620 Abstract （1132）   HTML （14）    PDF（pc） （5003KB）（170）       Knowledge map    Save A relatively well-preserved rodent fossil, including its incisors, cheek teeth, and postcranial skeleton, was collected from the Baiyin Obo in Siziwang Banner, Nei Mongol. A multifaceted research approach was undertaken in this study to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the newly discovered specimen. Based on a morphological comparison, the new specimen was identified as Hulgana cf. H. ertnia within the Ischyromyidae family. Incisive enamel microstructure analysis revealed the typical pauciserial enamel structure of Hulgana. Bone histological analysis indicates that the specimen represents a juvenile individual, which is consistent with the ontogenetic stage indicated by dental developmental stage and wear pattern. The application of geometric morphometrics to the calcaneus and bone histology of the femur and phalanx further substantiates the taxonomic classification of Hulgana as a terrestrial and cursorial rodent, exhibiting a degree of fossorial ability. This classification is analogous to that of certain extant cricetids and ground squirrels. Table and Figures | Reference | Supplementary Material | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）