Title: THE DISCOVERY OF PLIOPITHECUS FROM NORTHERN JUNGGAR BASIN,XINJIANG
Abstract: A new species of Pliopithecus-P. bii sp. nov.,is erected on dental morphology of m2~m3 and a central lower incisor,which were collected from the early Middle Miocene Halamagai Formation of Tieersihabahe in the northern Junggar Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China.The new species is especially characterized by a deep buccal funnel,which is enclosed by the cristid obliqua,the crest descending along the buccal slope of protoconid,and the buccal branch of prehypocristid. One P4 collected from near the same locality is assigned to Pliopithecus sp. because of its smaller size in relation to the m2 and m3.The associated mammal fauna of P.bii is approximately comparable to Tongxin fauna.Consequently P.bii is of early Middle Miocene in age,equivalent to the European Neogene land mammal age MN6.The high similarity between Dionysopithecus shuangouensis and Pliopithecus especially P.bii supports the inference made by Harrison and Gu(1999)that pliopithecini ( Pliopithecus ) was derived from an Asian rather than an African source.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 14
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