内蒙古二连浩特呼尔井组的某些啮齿类化石

描述了产自二连浩特呼尔井组的啮齿类化石:Allosminthus cf.A.diconjugatus,A.majusculus,A.ernos,Prosciurus pristinus sp.nov.和Marmotini gen.et sp.indet.。Prosciurus pristinus的特征是P4的前附尖较弱小,p4无下中附尖和下中尖,以及下次脊较低弱等。认为Banyuesminthus是Allosminthus的后出同物异名。上述啮齿类的发现也证明呼尔井组的时代为晚始新世。     

蒙古新发现的渐新世山河狸和松鼠类化石(英文)

蒙古中部地区的三达河组(HsandaGolFormation)是亚洲渐新世陆相地层的经典地层之一。三达河组的沉积岩层现被分成两个岩性段:上部早渐新世晚期-?晚渐新世山地段(ShandMember)和下部早渐新世早期塔塔尔段(TatalMember);两岩段间有时夹有KharKhoroo玄武岩层(BryantandMcKenna,1995;MengandMcKenna,1998)。该玄武岩层的时代用40Ar/39Ar法被确定为距今31.5Ma(Hcketal.,1999,他们称其为BasaltI)。三达河组中产有丰富的哺乳动物化石,特别是啮齿类化石(MatthewandGranger,1923;Kowalski,1974;RussellandZhai,1987;Hcketal.,1999)。近年来,本文的后一作者在三达河组中又采集到一批啮齿类化石,其中包括松鼠和山河狸2科的化石。本文是对这两类化石新材料的记述。现生的松鼠科分异很大,而且大多数都分布在亚洲。然而,松鼠科化石在古近纪时在北美和欧洲却很丰富。在北美出现于晚始新世,在渐新世时已明显分异;在欧洲出现于早渐新世,在中新世时分异很大。相反,亚洲古近纪的松鼠化石却发现得很少,标本也很破碎。已报道的只有3件标本。2件产自党河下游地区:Bohlin(1946)报道的晚渐新世的Sciurussp.,标本只是2枚单个臼齿(M3和m2);王伴月、邱占祥(2004)报道的早渐新世的党河鲜松鼠(Oligosciurusdangheensis),标本只是一段带m1～2的下颌骨。还有一件是Minjin(2004)报道的蒙古渐新世的三达河克热姆鼠(Kheremhsandgoliensis),标本也只是一段带m1～3的下颌骨。本文报道的松鼠化石产自蒙古国的巴彦洪戈尔省的塔石盖贝(TashgainBel)地点的三达河组上部山地段,时代为早渐新世晚期-?晚渐新世。这批松鼠化石标本包括1件具P3～M3的上颌骨(PC369)和2段下颌骨(PC3610和PC3611)。这是亚洲古近纪目前已知的最好的一批松鼠化石标本,代表松鼠科Kherem属的一新种:亚洲克热姆鼠(Kheremasiaticasp.nov.)。其主要特征是颊齿较大,较宽;下内尖的高度和下次尖的大小从m1到m3变化不大,彼此相近;下内脊较明显;下内尖较明显,与下后边脊间有浅沟分开等。K.asiatica的形态特征表明,Kherem属应归入北美的Cedromurinae亚科。新的发现表明,亚洲渐新世的松鼠已发生了分异,至少可分为3支。以Kherem为代表的一支,与北美早期的cedromurines有较近的系统关系。它可能是由类似于北美Oligospermophilus的种类演化并迁徙到亚洲来的。现生的山河狸只有一种(Aplodontiarufa),仅生活在北美西部沿海地区。但从始新世到中新世,山河狸却遍布全北区。它们在北美较繁盛,分异大,但在亚洲发现得很少。在亚洲渐新世地层中虽曾报道过3属4种山河狸化石,但材料都很少(Prosciurusordosicus和P.?shantungensis均只有一枚单个的牙)。山河狸化石在蒙古渐新世地层的新发现表明,亚洲渐新世的山河狸化石比已知的要丰富。本文描述的山河狸化石分别采自蒙古南戈壁省Shunkt地点的山地段和前杭爱省UlaanKhongil(=TatalGol)地点的塔塔尔段。它们代表原松鼠属的3类:蒙古原松鼠(新种)(Prosciurusmongoliensissp.nov.)、蒙古原松鼠(相似种)(P.cf.P.mongoliensis)和小原松鼠(新种)(P.pisinnussp.nov.)。蒙古原松鼠的主要特征是下颊齿的下中附尖与下后附尖脊连,下中尖发育较弱,下外中脊弱或无;p4无下前边尖和下前齿带;m1具从下外脊伸向下次脊的小刺;m2和m3的下后脊II较发育;下次脊在p4和m1后弯,与下后边脊连,在m2和m3横向,伸达下外脊等。蒙古原松鼠(相似种)与蒙古原松鼠的区别是:颊齿尺寸较小,p4具明显的下外中脊,p4和m1的下次脊弯曲度较缓,m1缺从下外脊伸向下次脊的小刺,m2～3的下后脊II较短等。小原松鼠的主要特征是:个体较小;齿冠较低;下臼齿的下中附尖孤立;下颊齿的下次脊横向、较低,与下外脊连,下中尖和下外中脊均较明显,下次尖明显向前颊侧延伸,具明显的齿带等。蒙古渐新世啮齿类化石的新发现表明,亚洲渐新世的松鼠和山河狸与北美的关系要比与欧洲的近。     

Phylogeny and evolutionary history of the Aplodontoidea (Mammalia: Rodentia)

Athough over a hundred species of fossil aplodontoids have been described since the extant species, Aplodontia rufa (the mountain beaver), was first described by Rafinesque in 1817, a thorough survey of the relationships among all the species in this clade has not been undertaken since McGrew's study in 1941. Here, a complete phylogenetic analysis of all published species of aplodontoids is used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships within the clade, and to present an updated classification of the Aplodontoidea. Several of the traditionally recognized subfamilies are found to be paraphyletic, namely the Prosciurinae, the Allomyinae, and the Meniscomyinae. Others, however, including the Aplodontinae and the Mylagaulidae, appear to be monophyletic. These latter two taxa, which include all of the hypsodont members of the aplodontoid clade, seem to be sister taxa. The history of the aplodontoid clade shows several episodes of rapid diversification in the Early Oligocene, the Late Oligocene, and the Early to Middle Miocene. The Ansomyinae and Aplodontinae show comparatively low speciation rates. The patterns of change in morphology and evolutionary rates suggest a need for a more detailed study of the causes of diversification, extinction, and ecological change in this lineage.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 153 , 769–838.     

DISCOVERY OF APLODONTIDAE (RODENTIA, MAMMALIA) FROM MIDDLE OLIGOCENE OF NEI MONGOL, CHINA

<正> Today only a single species of the aplodontid rodents still survives in the humid region of western North America, but in the Oligocene time the family was widespread over the Northern Hemisphere. Fossils of the Oligocene aplodontids so far have been mainly found in North America and Europe. Their occurrence in Asia is scarce. Only a few examples are known from Kazakhstan, USSR, and Mongolia. No record was known in China until 1977, when some fossil aplodontids were collected from the Middle Oligocene in Nei Mongol.     

ON THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF PROSCIURUS LOHICULUS

The species Prosciurus lohiculus was erected by Matthew & Granger (1923), based on an upper jaw from Hsanda Gol Formation (Middle Oligocene), Mongolia. Later, Argyropulo (1939) described a lower jaw from the upper Oligocene of Kazakhstan, USSR, which was identified as Prosciurus sp. (lohiculus). Stehlin & Schaub (1951, p. 278) thought that the Kazakhstan lower jaw described by Argyropulo should belong to Plesispermophilus, leaving the holotype of P. lohiculus from Hsanda Gol Formation still in Prosciurus. Wood (1962, p. 236) transferred P. lohiculus into Plesispermophilus on the assumption that the Kazakhstan lower jaw belongs to the same form as the holotype from Hsanda Gol. Wood's opinion was followed by Mellett (1968, p. 6) and Shevyreva (1976, p. 22). Meanwhile, Kowalski (1974, p. 153) described several lower jaws, new material from the type locality, and believed they belongs to Prosciurus lohiculus and came to the conclusion that the Kazakhstan lower jaw was morphologically quite different from those he found in Tatal Gol, and hence could not belong to the species in question. Schmidt-Kittler and Vianey-Liaud (1979; p. 73) agreed with Kowalski and gave further evidence that the upper teeth of true Plesispermophilus was also different from those of P. lohiculus and that the lower jaw from Kazakhstan might well be of Plesispermophilus. Irrespective of these disagreements, all the authors consented to include P. lohiculus in Prosciurinae (Aplodontidae).     

THE ARAGONIAN VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF XIACAOWAN, JIANGSU——7. APLODONTIDAE (RODENTIA, MAMMALIA)

<正> The fossils which form the subject of the present study were collected in the recent years from the middle Miocene Xiacaowan Formation at three sites, Songlinzhuang, Shuanggou and Zhengji of Sihong, Jiangsu. Most of the material from the first two sites have been reported previously as Prosciurus sp. (Li et al., 1983). Further study indicates that all the specimens mentioned and the M_1/2 previously assigned to Prosciurus? shantungensis Rensberger et Li (1986) are quite different from those of Prosciurus, but represent a new genus, Ansomys. In some features, the new form resembles Plesispermorphilus? descedens of Europe. For the two taxa a new subfamily Ansomyinae is created. It is morphologically intermediate between Meniscomyinae and Allomyinae, and may be the sister taxon of the higher aplodontids Allomyinae and Aplodontinae.