The evolution of the giant deer, Megaloceros giganteus (Blumenbach)

The giant deer, Megaloceros giganteus , is best known from its fossil occurrences in Ireland around 11 000 years ago, but has a history across Europe and Western Asia spanning 300 000–400 000 years. This paper reports a biometric study of variation and evolution in the giant deer through its history. Most early populations were as large in body size as the Irish sample, but some were distincdy smaller and others had markedly shorter limbs. Thickened skull and mandibular bones, especially marked in males, are constant throughout die species' history. Some earlier populations had anders which were relatively smaller, more upright and differing in other details from the celebrated Irish specimens. Observed variation in body and antler form is discussed in terms of changing palaeoenvironments. Interpretation of the fighting or display roles of M. giganteus antlers needs to take account of their differing forms through time.     

Les Lagomerycidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) de FranceThe French Lagomerycidae (Cervoidea, Artiodactyla, Mammalia)

The Lagomerycidae, a small family of the Cervoidea, is known in France by the genera Lagomeryx, Ligeromeryx and Stephanocemas. Lagomeryx contains three species, the other two genera one species only. This family is known from MN3 to MN5.     

Caprinae (Bovidae,Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from the Neogene of Mongolia

Gobiocerus mongolicus Sokolov, 1952, Turcocerus kekemaidengensis Ye Jie et al., 1999; and Hypsodontus sp. were recorded in Miocene deposits of the Valley of Lakes (MN4-MN8) and Oioceros atropatenes (Rodler et Weithofer, 1890) occurred in the Mio-Pliocene (MN11-MN20) of northwestern Mongolia. Gobiocerus, Turcocerus, and Hypsodontus represent the same evolutionary lineage. Thus, Caprinae existed in Central Asia in the Early Miocene. They diverged from the Bovidae at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. The presence of early bovids in this region suggests that this group could have appeared in Central Asia.     

Hippotraginae (Bovidae,Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Tuva

Fossil remains of Late Miocene (Baode, NMU10-NMU11) horse antelopes from Tuva (Russia) are described, including Tragoreas sp., Protoryx tuvaensis sp. nov. from the Taralyk Cher locality and Quirliqnoria sp. from the Kholu locality. A new species, Protoryx tuvaensis Dmitrieva et Serdyuk, is described. These taxa compose a Late Miocene antelope assemblage of a new eastern geographical point (Russia, Tuva, Baode, NMU10-MN11).     

The role of hybridization in the karyotype evolution of deer (Cervidae; Artiodactyla; Mammalia)

Summary The karyotypes of 46 animals from a population ofCervus elaphus, Cervus nippon, and hybridsCervus elaphus xCervus nippon were studied using G- and C-banding techniques. It was found that four chromosome pairs known from the karyotype ofCervus elaphus are involved in two systems of Robertsonian translocations. Pedigree analysis supports the hypothesis of a simple Mendelian inheritance of each translocation system. With respect to these translocation systems, the population shows no significant deviation from the corresponding Hardy-Weinberg-structure. Thus, hybridization events can be accepted as a major factor in karyotype evolution of deer.     

A new suiform (Artiodactyla,Mammalia) from the Early Miocene of East Africa

Fossils of an unnamed large suiform have been recovered from two Early Miocene localities in East Africa. The material is distinct from other species of the suborder, including the anthracothere Brachyodus aequatorialis, which is of similar size. The upper molars of the new form are bunodont, quadricuspidate (with a tiny paraconule), and have no buccal styles (parastyle, mesostyle, metastyle) and the enamel is thin and lightly wrinkled to smooth, which contrasts strongly with upper molars of Brachyodus which are pentacuspidate, selenodont, have pervasively wrinkled enamel and well-developed parastyle, mesostyle and metastyle. A new genus and species is erected for this suiform, which is most likely an anthracothere.     

New material of Diacodexis (Mammalia,Artiodactyla) from the early Eocene of Southern Europe

Diacodexeidae are the first representatives of Artiodactyla in the fossil record. Their first occurrence is at the very base of the Ypresian (earliest Eocene, 56.0 Ma) with Diacodexis, a genus well diversified during the early Eocene in Europe, especially during the MP7–MP8 + 9 interval. However, most of European species are documented by scarce material, retrieved from single localities. In this work, we describe new Diacodexis material from ～MP7 and ～MP8 + 9 localities of Southern Europe, including material of D. antunesi from Silveirinha, considered as the most primitive European Diacodexis species, and material from three localities from Southern France (Fordones, Palette, and La Borie). The new material documents Diacodexis premolar morphology and deciduous dentition which bear potentially important phylogenetic information, as well as astragali, including a specimen from Silveirinha that constitutes the earliest occurrence of an astragalus of the genus Diacodexis in the European fossil record. Investigation of the enamel microstructure reveals that early European species had a simple enamel pattern with one-layered Schmelzmuster composed of ‘basic’ radial enamel only, instead of the two-layered Schmelzmuster (thin radial enamel + thick layer of Hunter-Schreger bands) observed on North American species and so far considered to represent the primitive condition within Artiodactyla. In accordance with previous studies, our observations highlight that Diacodexis gigasei from Belgium is morphologically closer to the North American species D. ilicis than to D. antunesi from Portugal. The latter species, together with D. aff. antunesi from Fordones, appears to be morphologically closer to the Asiatic taxa D. indicus and D. pakistanensis. Finally, we found numerous similarities between D. cf. gigasei from Palette and D. gigasei, a result that challenges the intra-European provincialism that characterizes the earliest Ypresian. Diacodexis gigasei could be one of the rare species shared by the northwestern and southwestern European bioprovinces.     

First record of Entelodontidae (Mammalia,Artiodactyla) from the late Eocene of Southeast Asia

We describe two entelodontid upper premolars that were recovered from the late Eocene of the Krabi coal mine in southern Thailand. The size and morphology of the material suggest that it can be referred to Entelodon aff. E. gobiensis, a species known from the late Eocene to the early Oligocene of northern Asia and southern China. The Thai material documents for the first time the southernmost occurrence of entelodontids in Asia during the Paleogene and also suggests that Eocene Southeast Asian mammal localities might potentially yield further entelodontid remains mostly associated with selenodont ungulates.     

New data on the Cainotheriidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the early Oligocene of south-western France

The Cainotheriidae are small artiodactyls that suddenly appeared in the late Eocene of western Europe. A revision of early Oligocene cainotheriid lineages is proposed on the basis of newly dated material from the Quercy Phosphorites (south-western France). A significant diversification of the group occurred at the end of the Eocene. Few species seem to have persisted through the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, but the Cainotheriidae subsequently diversified rapidly during the early Oligocene.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 144 , 145−166.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Bovini (Mammalia: Artiodactyla)

A matrix of 57 (mainly cranial) characters and 32 taxa of fossil and Recent Bovini (buffaloes, bison and cattle) has been analysed using the parsimony program HENNIG86. Among the best established results are the exclusion of Parabos , polyphyly of Leptobos , monophyly of the Bos sensu lato + buffaloes group (a clade including all Recent Bovini), probable monophyly of the Bubalina and Syncerina, and the close relationship between bison and yak. Some other interesting questions raised include the apparent absence of a close link between Pliocene African bovines (except "Leptobos" syrticus ) and later African buffaloes, and the possible monophyly of Pelorovis oldowayensis+Bos sensu lato .     

New fossils of Eucladoceros boulei (Artiodactyla,Mammalia) from Early Pleistocene Nihewan Beds,China

Recent excavations at Shanshenmiaozui site in Nihewan Basin of North China uncovered a rich collection of comb-antlered deer, which includes the first discovery of the yearling antler, complete upper and lower dentitions (both deciduous and permanent), associated limb bones including the longest metapodials ever recovered. Based on toothrow length and the dental characters as well as the postcranial bones, the new fossil materials can be referred to Eucladoceros boulei that is estimated to be 350 kg and represents the largest Pleistocene cervid ever recovered in China. Besides the large size, E. boulei is also characterized by the pronounced anterior cingulids and entostylid ribs on lower molars as well as the moderately pachyostosed mandibles. The present study shows that the body weight of large cervids can be estimated by the length of toothrow and metacarpal, with exception for Cervus elaphus, which has larger toothrow length, but shorter metacarpal and smaller body size. E. boulei is a typical element of the Early Pleistocene fauna in northern China. The early Villafranchian is a bottleneck period for cervid evolution in northern China, which is characterized by the following features: decrease of cervid diversity, disappearance of archaic groups, and the rise of the medium to large-sized three-tined cervini taxa. The sudden appearance of the very large and/or multi-tined cervids at the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition may represent a great migration event of mammals. The Early Pleistocene cervids from Nihewan Basin are very diverse, and are in need of more taxonomic work.     

Molecular phylogeny of deer (Cervidae: Artiodactyla)

Sequences of mitochondrial genes 12S and 16S rRNA (2 445 bp) and the region of the nuclear beta-spectrin gene (828 bp) were analyzed in members of the family Cervidae and in other artiodactyls. Several molecular synapomorphies characteristic both of Cervidae and musk deer have been found. According to our data, Cervidae is a sister clade to Bovidae, which are very close to Moschidae. The family Giraffidae is exterior to this common clade, while Antilocapridae occupies a more basal position. The family Cervidae proper splits into three clades including the genera Cervus and Muntiacus (1), Capreolus, Hydropotes, Alces (2), and Rangifer, Odocoileus, and the remaining genera (3). In general, our phylogenetic reconstructions conform to the results of earlier molecular genetic studies, but substantially differ from the traditional taxonomy of Ruminantia.     

Records and Stratigraphical Ranges of South American Tayassuidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla)

Tayassuidae represent one of the first mammalian immigrants that entered South America during the “Great American Biotic Interchange.” However, the exact moment of its arrival for the first time in South America is controversial. Three genera are recognized in South America: Platygonus, Catagonus, and Tayassu. This paper aims to: (1) review the paleontological record of the South American Tayassuidae and update it; and (2) discuss its geographical and statigraphical distribution pattern in South America. The genus Platygonus (middle Pliocene to early Pleistocene) is registered in Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Bolivia; Catagonus (late Pliocene? to Recent) in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Bolivia; and Tayassu (middle Pleistocene to Recent) in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Platygonus and Catagonus have adaptations to dry and relatively open environments; in contrast, Tayassu is adapted mainly to humid climates and woodland and forest environments. The faunal changes that took place since the middle-late Pliocene could have been strongly influenced by climate. Open and arid environments developed during the glacial cycles, allowing the latitudinal expansion of Platygonus and Catagonus. Considering ecological and anatomical information, it is possible to infer that Platygonus species were replaced by those of Catagonus since the middle Pleistocene, probably due to a reduction of the open environments to which Platygonus species were better adapted. The alternation of these mainly arid or semiarid, cold conditions with warmer and more humid short pulses would have allowed the posterior expansion of Tayassu species. According to phylogenetic analysis and chronological as well as geographical evidence, Platygonus and Catagonus represent two Tayassuidae lineages that originated in North America and then migrated to South America. This migration would have occurred on more than one occasion and with different taxa. Evidence indicates that Tayassu represents a lineage that differentiated in the Southern Hemisphere and then migrated to North America.     

河北泥河湾及隆化新发现原始牛化石（英文）

原始牛(Bos primigenius)化石新材料包括泥河湾盆地禾尧庄的1件角心、上沙嘴的1件肱骨和承德隆化的1件肱骨、1件胫骨、1件踝骨、2件跟骨和3件距骨;其中上沙嘴的肱骨化石长达457.3 mm,代表迄今在我国境内发现的最大原始牛个体,也是该种的最大记录之一,推算其所属动物的肩高接近2 m;北京门头沟珠窝的原始牛头骨的眶后宽度及角心周长数据也是该种的最大记录之一;禾尧庄的角心标本稍小,但也比晚更新世多数同类要大;这些巨大的化石与欧洲中更新世晚期同类十分接近,其时代也应当与之相当,为中更新世晚期;过去认为原始牛在我国只出现于晚更新世地层,但现在看来该种在中更新世晚期就已扩散到中国。东欧及北亚的最新化石证据表明,过去认为与原始牛共生的晚更新世化石组合的常见属种早在中更新世晚期或更早时期就已出现,其中包括灰狼、虎、真猛犸象、马、真披毛犀、野猪、诺氏驼、赤鹿、驼鹿及草原野牛等。最新测年数据也表明中国北方有几个含原始牛化石的遗址是形成于中更新世晚期;本文认为华北和西北地区个体巨大的原始牛,代表中更新世晚期,而个体较小的则可能代表晚更新世或全新世;近些年在东北地区发现大量原始牛化石,但其中少见个体巨大者。在我国,原始牛化石分布只局限于北方及淮河过渡区,而在南方及毗邻的东南亚地区均未发现此类化石;因此,有人提出原始牛很可能是在中更新世中、晚期通过中亚走廊(Central Asian Corridor)进入中国。不过,近些年在非洲也发现了一些牛属(Bos)化石,因此有人又提出了牛属非洲起源的"奥杜威牛–牛属演化谱系"(Pelorovis–Bos lineage),但该学说所依据的奥杜威牛化石材料,在形态结构上与牛属相去甚远,难以归入同类;此外,非洲可靠的牛属化石记录均未超过1 Ma。本文作者支持传统的牛属"南亚起源学说",因为在南亚西瓦里克地区发现的早期牛属化石不仅时代更古老(早于2 Ma),并且在形态上与原始牛更为相似。中国北方的原始牛化石主要发现于华北平原、黄土高原和松嫩平原的河湖相堆积层,仅极个别出现于黄土地层;由此推断原始牛可能更喜欢水系发育的林缘和/或沼泽环境。     

河南许昌灵井遗址的晚更新世鹿科化石新种类

记述了在近几年从河南省许昌市灵井旧石器遗址出土的1个鹿科化石新亚种: 灵井山西轴鹿新亚种(Axis shansius lingjingensis sub sp.nov.)和1个属、种未定的潜在新种。前者角冠的主枝呈琴弓状, 并有一定程度的螺旋状, 目前是轴鹿属在晚更新世的唯一代表;后者的角冠在角环上方同一位置向不同的方向伸出3个分枝, 与鹿亚科其他成员的角冠在角环上方只有主枝和眉枝(或第一枝)的情况完全不同,而介于晚中新世的皇冠鹿(Stephanocemas)和中、晚更新世的大角鹿(Megaloceros)之间。     

New material of Muntiacinae (Artiodactyla,Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,China

Recent expeditions in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have produced additional mammalian fossils from the Lower Baodean (equivalent to Vallesian, Late Miocene), and, significantly, a new large and the earliest muntjac, Muntiacus noringenensis sp. nov. It is phylogenetically closer to the Late Pliocene M. fenghoensis and extant M. vuqangensis than the other fossil and extant muntjacs are. The existence of this muntjac and other folivores in the Late Miocene Qaidam Basin suggests a forested period in the basin and the evolution from a forested and humid environment to a desert one today. Such a dramatic evolution in environments is an evidence of the effect of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and of its influence on continental climates.     

The Camelidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the Quaternary of South America: Cladistic and Biogeographic Hypotheses

Presented here is a cladistic analysis of the South American and some North American Camelidae. This analysis shows that Camelini and Lamini are monophyletic groups, as are the genera Palaeolama and Vicugna, while Hemiauchenia and Lama are paraphyletic. Some aspects of the migration and distribution of South American camelids are also discussed, confirming in part the propositions of other authors. According to the cladistic analysis and previous propositions, it is possible to infer that two Camelidae migration events occurred in America. In the first one, Hemiauchenia arrived in South America and, this was related to the speciation processes that originated Lama and Vicugna. In the second event, Palaeolama migrated from North America to the northern portion of South America. It is evident that there is a need for larger studies about fossil Camelidae, mainly regarding older ages and from the South American austral region. This is important to better undertand the geographic and temporal distribution of Camelidae and, thus, the biogeographic aspects after the Great American Biotic Interchange.