分类： 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间： 2023-03-14 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要： The zygodont proboscideans from the Miocene strata of China are widely distributed. However, the materials are scarce, and their classification has experienced a longtime controversy, from the chaotic state of multiple Zygolophodon species to the only one species, Zygolophodon gobiensis. The combined species Z. gobiensis comprises both the gracile type with a high degree of zygodonty and the robust type that is between the typical bunodont and zygodont morphology. Recently, as the robust type has been re-allocated to another genus Miomastodon and new fossil remains were discovered, it is necessary to further evaluate and classify the zygodont proboscideans from the Miocene of China. In the present paper, we restudied the previously published zygodont specimens of the gracile type, as well as several unpublished Mammutidae specimens. The former including Z. nemonguensis, Z. gromovae, Z. jiningensis, Z. chinjiensis and two specimens of Gomphotherium xiaolongtanensis, represents Zygolophodon in the original sense in China. In these specimens, the tip of the loph(ids) are sharp. The anterior and posterior pretrite central conules are absent or very weak, and the anterior and posterior crescentoids are sharp and slender. The posttrite mesoconelets are well subdivided and the zygodont crests are developed. In buccal view, the loph(id)s are Ʌ-shaped and the interloph(id) s are V-shaped. Their molar morphology resembles that of Z. turicensis, and hereby, they were identified as Zygolophodon cf. Z. turicensis. Several unpublished specimens from Hezheng, Gansu, Tunggur, Nei Mongol, Tongxin, Ningxia and Junggar, Xinjiang exhibit a lower degree of zygodonty, corresponding to the robust type of Zygolophodon in which the molar morphology is between the typical bunodonts and zygodonts. The pretrite crescentoids are thicker than Zygolophodon cf. Z. turicensis, and the pretrite central conules usually present on the first and second interloph(id)s. According to the stratigraphic age and characteristics, two species, Miomastodon gobiensis and Mio. tongxinensis were identified. The anterior and posterior pretrite crescentoids of Mio. tongxinensis are weaker and the pretrite central conules are larger than Mio.gobiensis. Geographical distribution indicates that Miomastodon is the predominant member of zygolophodonts in the Early and Middle Miocene in northern China. The discovery of new materials and the reclassification of zygolophodonts provide further evidence for dispersal of Mammutidae from Eurasia to North America and the evolutionary relationships among the species of the family Mammutidae in China.
分类： 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间： 2021-08-11 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要： A cuboid specimen collected from the Late Miocene stratum at Qingyang, Gansu, China is described here. The size of the Qingyang specimen is comparatively huge, even larger than the average size of Elasmotherium caucasicum collected from Nihewan, Hebei, China. The morphology of the Qingyang specimen is identical to that of other specimens of Elasmotheriini; thus, the Qingyang specimen belongs to a huge elasmothere, most probably Sinotherium. By comparison with extant rhino species, the complex of the main body and the apophysis exhibit functional significance. The angle between the frontal plate of the cuboid and the main axis of the apophysis can suggest the ecological conditions occupied by an elasmothere. From analysis of the morphology of the cuboid, Sinotherium and the more derived elasmotheres probably lived in forested or wooded environments, differing from the previous hypothesis of their paleoenvironment.
分类： 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间： 2021-07-30 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要： 乳齿象类是长鼻类演化的重要阶段，该阶段奠定了长鼻类各冠群演化的基本格局。乳齿象类的研究有400多年的历史，分类和命名经过多次修订改动，乳齿象类的演化脉络完全体现在乳齿象命名历史之中。从词源学角度考证乳齿象类各类群的命名来源，整理了175条乳齿象类的中文译名(绝大多数为有效分类名), 包括12个属以上分类群，46个属，117个种，涵盖了乳齿象类几乎全部的种属。在此基础上梳理了乳齿象类的演化脉络，提出乳齿象类分类和命名中存在的一些问题。乳齿象类的头骨和下颌的演化在各支系中都是连续的，体现出了相近的平行演化趋势，而颊齿的形态特征虽然区别不明显，但在各支系中相对稳定。豕棱齿象科(Choerolophodontidae)是乳齿象类中最稳健的单系群，其中厚棱象(Synconolophus)可能是有效属名；玛姆象科中，中新乳齿象(Miomastodon)和上新乳齿象(Pliomastodon)可能都是有效的，但不一定是美洲乳齿象(Mammut americanum)的直接祖先；铲齿象科(Amebelodontidae)中达氏铲齿象(Platybelodon danovi)与格氏铲齿象(P. grangeri)、赵氏隐门齿象(Aphanobelodon zhaoi)的系统发育关系存在疑问，取决于P.danovi的下门齿断面究竟是否为齿柱状结构，而美洲的布氏柱门齿象(Konobelodon britti) 可能是卢氏匙门齿象(Torynobelodon loomisi)的同物异名，亚洲归入Konobelodon的种不一定是铲齿象类，可能应归为副四棱齿象(Paratetralophodon); 嵌齿象科(Gomphotheriidae)中锯齿象属(Serridentinus)可能有效，它代表了嵌齿象类中一个偏轭型化的类群，向居维叶象亚科方向演化；居维叶象亚科(Cuvieroniinae)可能仅包括居维叶象(Cuvieronius)和喙嘴象(Rhynchotherium)属，而美洲其他的短颌嵌齿象类中，脊乳齿象(Stegomastodon)有可能从铲 齿象科中的一支演化而来，南方乳齿象(Notiomastodon)则可能与中华乳齿象(Sinomastodon)相关；Sinomastodon可能起源于中国南方的竹棚上新乳齿象(Pliomastodon (?) zhupengensis),原来的属型种中间中华乳齿象(Sinomastodon intermedius)具有早出原同名，建议以它的早出异名仙台中华乳齿象(Sinomastodon sendaicus)取代S. intermedius。
分类： 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间： 2020-03-31 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要： The elephantimorph proboscideans, Serridentinus gobiensis Osborn & Granger, 1932, and Miomastodon tongxinensis Chen, 1978, from the Middle Miocene of northern China, were revised as Zygolophodon gobiensis (Osborn & Granger, 1932). However, their phylogenetic positions are still being debated because of their intermediate morphology between the typical bunodont (Gomphotheriidae) and zygodont (Mammutidae) elephantimorphs. In the present paper, we compare their dental and mandibular morphology with that of the Eurasian Z. turicensis, Gomphotherium subtapiroideum, and G. tassyi, as well as the North American Mio. merriami and G. productum. It appears that S. gobiensis and Mio. tongxinensis share with Mio. merriami the slightly more bunodont molar morphology than that of Z. turicensis, e.g., the thicker enamel, thicker pretrite crescentoids, higher interlophid enamel pillars in buccal view, and the narrower contour majorly caused by the narrower posttrite half loph(id)s. S. gobiensis and Mio. merriami also possess an “erected oval cross-sectioned mandibular tusk”, in which the cross-section is mediolaterally compressed (dorsoventral diameter being larger than the mediolateral one). Whereas, in Z. turicensis and G. productum, the mandibular tusk is “laid oval cross-sectioned”, in which the cross-section is dorsoventrally compressed (dorsoventral diameter is smaller than the mediolateral one). Therefore, it is reasonable to revive the genus Miomastodon Osborn, 1922, which contains the species that were previously attributed to Zygolophodon, but they have relatively bunodont molar morphology (i.e., the robust type of the Z. turicensis group). The mandibular tusk with erected oval cross-section seems to be a synapomorphy of Miomastodon species. Furthermore, the molar morphology of G. subtapiroideum and G. tassyi also exhibits intermediate status between the typical bunodonts and zygodonts. However, the mandibular symphysis of G. subtapiroideum and G. tassyi is stronger than that of Miomastodon, and the mandibular tusk is pyriform cross-sectioned. The validity of Miomastodon and G. subtapiroideum/tassyi obscures the boundary between the Gomphotheriidae and Mammutidae, and suggests that the evolutions of the Gomphotheriidae and Mammutidae are deeply involved in with each other, rather than straightforwardly detached. This phenomenon has been revealed by a collagen sequence analysis among Notiomastodon, Mammut, and extant elephants, which should be further studied.
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