Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T02:47:26.770Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Enrichment and stability in the Pliocene mammalian fauna of North China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Lawrence J. Flynn ,
Richard H. Tedford  and
Qiu Zhanxiang
Lawrence J. Flynn
Affiliation:
Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024
Richard H. Tedford
Affiliation:
Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024
Qiu Zhanxiang
Affiliation:
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica, Box 643, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Late Neogene vertebrate fossil record from Yushe Basin presents multiple, superposed assemblages from a single area, spanning roughly the interval of 6–2 Ma. Both large and small mammals show peak species richness in the middle Pliocene but indicate relative faunal stability throughout the Pliocene. Large mammals show turnover, especially extinction, around 5 and 2.5 Ma. Small mammals indicate change (over half of the species and several genera), as well as turnover at the species level, between 4 and 3.4 Ma. The loosely controlled dating of these events does not disprove hypothetical correlation with events in North America and with global climatic shifts. Elements that lack Yushe antecedents, some being long-distance dispersers, appear throughout the section, but with little effect on the resident assemblage. First records of well-documented immigrants (from North America, Europe, Africa, southern Asia, or high latitudes) generally do not coincide with ecomorph extinctions. Early Pliocene exchange between Asia and North America appears to have been balanced in both directions and involved a small proportion of the fauna. Immigration probably was opportunistic and contributed to faunal enrichment. We interpret the Yushe Pliocene mammalian assemblages as representing a fauna that was stable from ca. 5 to 2.5 Ma and changed mainly by additions and congeneric species substitutions.

Type
Articles
Information
Paleobiology , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , Summer 1991 , pp. 246 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Andrews, P., and Nesbit Evans, E. M.. 1983. Small mammal bone accumulations produced by mammalian carnivores. Paleobiology 9:289–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Azzaroli, A. 1983. Quaternary mammals and the “End-Villafranchian” dispersal event—a turning point in the history of Eurasia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 44:117–139.Google Scholar
Badgley, C. 1990. A statistical assessment of last appearances in the Eocene record of mammals. Geological Society of America Special Paper 243:153–167.Google Scholar
Barnosky, A. D. 1989. The late Pleistocene event as a paradigm for widespread mammal extinction. Pp. 235–254. In Donovan, S. K. (ed.), Mass Extinctions: Processes and Evidence. Belhaven Press; London.Google Scholar
Barry, J. C., Johnson, N. M., Raza, S. M., and Jacobs, L. L.. 1985. Neogene mammalian faunal change in southern Asia: correlations with climatic, tectonic, and eustatic events. Geology 13:637–640.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, J. C., Flynn, L. J., and Pilbeam, D. R.. 1990. Faunal diversity and turnover in a Miocene terrestrial sequence. Pp. 381–421. In Ross, R., and Allmon, W. (eds.), Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Evolution. University of Chicago Press; Chicago.Google Scholar
Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., and Van Couvering, J. A.. 1985. Neogene geochronology and chronostratigraphy. Pp. 211–260. In Snelling, N. J. (ed.), The Chronology of the Geological Record. Blackwell Scientific Publications; Oxford.Google Scholar
Berta, A. 1981. The Plio-Pleistocene hyaena Chasmaporthetes ossifragus from Florida. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 1:341–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjork, P. R. 1970. The Carnivora of the Hagerman local fauna (Late Pliocene) of southwestern Idaho. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 60(7): 1–54.Google Scholar
Cao, Z., Xing, L., and Yu, Q. 1985. The magnetostratigraphic age and boundaries of the Yushe Formation. Bulletin of the Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Science 6:144–154.Google Scholar
Channel, J. E. T., Rio, D., and Thunnel, R. C.. 1988. Miocene/Pliocene boundary magnetostratigraphy at Capo Spartivento, Calabria, Italy. Geology 16:1096–1099.Google Scholar
Chiu, C.-S., Li, C.-K., and Chiu, C.-T. 1979. The Chinese Neogene—a preliminary review of the mammalian localities and faunas. Annals Géologiques Pays Hélléniques, Tome hors séries 1:263–272.Google Scholar
Connor, E. F. 1986. Time series analysis of the fossil record. Pp. 119–147. In Raup, D. M., and Jablonski, D., (eds.). Patterns and processes in the history of life. Springer-Verlag; Berlin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodson, P., and Wexlar, D.. 1979. Taphonomic investigations of owl pellets. Paleobiology 5:275–284.Google Scholar
Dong, M.-N., Wang, Y.-S., Wang, S.-F., Luo, B.-X., Wang, Q., Yue, J., Jiang, M.-S., and Ge, S.-H. 1986. A study of the Nihewan beds of the Yangyuan-Yuxian Basin, Hebei Province, China. Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Geological Science 15:149–160.Google Scholar
Eisenmann, V., and Sondaar, P.. 1989. Hipparions and the Mio-Pliocene boundary. Bolletino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana 28:217–226.Google Scholar
Fahlbusch, V., Qiu, Z.-D., and Storch, G.. 1983. Neogene mammalian faunas of Ertemte and Harr Obo in Nei Monggol, China. 1. Report on field work in 1980 and preliminary results. Scientia Sinica B26:205–224.Google Scholar
Fejfar, O., and Heinrich, W.. 1990. Muroid rodent biochronology of the Neogene and Quaternary in Europe. Pp. 91–117. In Lindsay, E. H., Fahlbusch, V., and Mein, P. (eds.), European Neogene Mammal Chronology NATO ASI Series, Plenum Press; New York.Google Scholar
Findley, J. S. 1989. Morphological patterns in rodent communities of southwestern North America. Pp. 253–263. In Morris, D. W., Abramsky, Z., Fox, B. J., and Willig, M. R. (eds.), Patterns in the structure of mammalian communities. Special Publ. 28, The Museum, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Press; Lubbock.Google Scholar
Flynn, L. J., and Qi, G. 1982. Age of the Lufeng, China, hominoid locality. Nature 298:746–747.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galiano, H., and Frailey, D.. 1977. Chasmaporthetes kani, new species from China, with remarks on phylogenetic relationships of genera within the Hyaenidae (Mammalia, Carnivora). American Museum Novitates 2632:1–16.Google Scholar
Heller, F., and Liu, T. 1982. Magnetostratigraphical dating of loess deposits in China. Nature 300:431–433.Google Scholar
Hibbard, C. W. 1970. Pleistocene mammalian local faunas from the Great Plains and central lowland provinces of the United States. Pp. 395–433. In Dort, W. Jr., and Jones, J. K. (eds.), Pleistocene and Recent environments of the central Great Plains. Department of Geology, Kansas University Special Publication 3; Lawrence, Kansas.Google Scholar
Jacobs, L. L., and Li, C. K. 1982. A new genus (Chardinomys) of murid rodent (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the Neogene of China, and comments on its biogeography. Géobios 15:255–259.Google Scholar
Jacobs, L. L., Flynn, L. J., Downs, W. R., and Barry, J. C.. 1990. Quo Vadis, Antemus? The Siwalik muroid record. Pp. 573–586. In Lindsay, E. H., Fahlbusch, V., and Mein, P. (eds.), European Neogene Mammal Chronology. NATO ASI Series, Plenum Press; New York.Google Scholar
Kennett, J. P. 1986. Miocene to early Pliocene oxygen and carbon isotope stratigraphy in the southwest Pacific, Deep-Sea Drilling Project Leg 90. Initial Reports of the Deep-Sea Drilling Project 90:1383–1411.Google Scholar
Korth, W. W. 1979. Taphonomy of microvertebrate fossil assemblages. Annals of Carnegie Museum 48:235–285.Google Scholar
Krause, D. W. 1986. Competitive exclusion and taxonomic displacement in the fossil record: the case of rodents and multituberculates in North America. Pp. 95–117. In Flanagan, K. M., and Lillegraven, J. A. (eds.), Vertebrates, Phylogeny and Philosophy. Contributions to Geology Special Paper 3. The University of Wyoming; Laramie.Google Scholar
Kurten, B. 1952. The Chinese Hipparion fauna. A quantitative survey, with comments on the ecology of machairodonts and hyaenids and the taxonomy of the gazelles. Societas Scientiarum Fennica, Commentationes Biologicae 13(4):1–82.Google Scholar
Kurten, B. 1968. Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. Weidenfeld and Nicolson; London.Google Scholar
Kurten, B. 1971. The Age of Mammals. Columbia University Press; New York.Google Scholar
Kurten, B., and Anderson, E.. 1980. Pleistocene Mammals of North America. Columbia University Press; New York.Google Scholar
Li, C., Wu, W., and Qiu, Z. 1984. Chinese Neogene: subdivision and correlation. Vertebrata Palasiatica 22:163–178.Google Scholar
Licent, E., and Trassaert, M.. 1935. The Pliocene lacustrine series in central Shansi. Bulletin Geological Society of China 14:211–219.Google Scholar
Lindsay, E. H., Opdyke, N. D., and Johnson, N. M.. 1980. Pliocene dispersal of the horse Equus and late Cenozoic mammalian dispersal events. Nature 287:135–138.Google Scholar
Lindsay, E. H., Opdyke, N. D., and Johnson, N. M.. 1984. Blancan-Hemphillian land mammal ages and late Cenozoic mammal dispersal events. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Sciences 12:445–488.Google Scholar
Tungsheng, Liu (ed.). 1985. Quaternary geology and environment of China. China Ocean Press; Beijing.Google Scholar
Lundelius, E. L. Jr., Downs, T., Lindsay, E. H., Semken, H. A., Zakrzewski, R. J., Churcher, C. S., Harington, C. R., Schultz, G. E., and Webb, S. D.. 1987. The North American Quaternary Sequence. Pp. 211–235. In Woodburne, M. O. (ed.), Cenozoic Mammals of North America: Geochronology and Biostratigraphy. University of California Press; Berkeley.Google Scholar
Maas, M. C., Krause, D. W., and Strait, S. G.. 1988. The decline and extinction of Plesiadapiformes (Mammalia: ?Primates) in North America: displacement or replacement? Paleobiology 14:410–431.Google Scholar
Magurran, A. E. 1988. Ecological diversity and its measurement. Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Mein, P. 1976. Biozonation du Néogène méditerranéen à partir des mammifères. Chart in Volume 2, Proceedings of the VI Congress of the Regional Committee on Mediterranean Neogene Stratigraphy, Bratislava.Google Scholar
Pevzner, M. A., Vangengeym, E. A., Zhegallo, V. I., Zazhigin, V. S., and Liskun, I. G.. 1982. Correlation of the upper Neogene sediments of Central Asia and Europe on the basis of paleomagnetic and biostratigraphic data. SSSR Izvestiya, Geology 6:5–16 (International Geology Review 1983 25:1075-1085).Google Scholar
Qiu, Z. 1987. Die Hyaeniden aus dem Ruscinium und Villafranchium Chinas. Münchener Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen A9:1–109.Google Scholar
Qiu, Z. 1990. The Chinese Neogene Mammalian Biochronology—its correlation with the European Neogene mammalian zonation. Pp. 527–556. In Lindsay, E. H., Fahlbusch, V., and Mein, P. (eds.), European Neogene Mammal Chronology, NATO ASI Series, Plenum Press; New York.Google Scholar
Qiu, Z.-D. and Storch, G.. 1990. New murids (Mammalia: Rodentia) from the Lufeng hominoid locality, late Miocene of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 10:467–472.Google Scholar
Qiu, Z., and Tedford, R. H.. 1990. A Pliocene species of Vulpes from Yushe, Shanxi. Vertebrata Palasiatica 28:245–258.Google Scholar
Qiu, Z., Huang, W., and Guo, Z. 1987. The Chinese Hipparionine Fossils. Palaeontologica Sinica 175, New Series C 25:1–250.Google Scholar
Repenning, C. A. 1967a. Subfamilies and genera of the Soricidae. U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 565:1–74.Google Scholar
Repenning, C. A. 1967b. Palearctic-Nearctic mammalian dispersal in the late Cenozoic. Pp. 288–311. In Hopkins, D. M. (ed.), The Bering Land Bridge. Stanford University Press; Stanford, California.Google Scholar
Repenning, C. A. 1987. Biochronology of the microtine rodents of the United States. Pp. 236–268. In Woodburne, M. O. (ed.), Cenozoic mammals of North America: geochronology and biostratigraphy. University of California Press; Berkeley.Google Scholar
Repenning, C. A. In press. Allophaiomys and the age of the Olyor Suite, Krestovka Sections, Yakutia. United States Geological Survey Bulletin 2.Google Scholar
Repenning, C. A., Fejfar, O., and Heinrich, W.-D.. 1990. Arvicolid rodent biochronology of the Northern Hemisphere. Pp. 385–417. In Fejfar, O. (eds.), International Symposium on Evolutionary Phylogeny and Biostratigraphy of Arvicolids. Pfeil-Verlag; Prague, Czechoslovakia.Google Scholar
Reumer, J.W.F. 1984. Ruscinian and early Pleistocene Soricidae (Insectivora, Mammalia) from Tegelen (The Netherlands) and Hungary. Scripta Geologica 73:1–173.Google Scholar
Şen, Ş. 1983. Rongeurs et Lagomorphes du gisement pliocène de Pul-e Charkhi, bassin de Kabul, Afghanistan. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 5e Series 5C:33–74.Google Scholar
Tassy, P. 1983. Les Elephantoidea Miocènes du Plateau du Potwar, Groupe de Siwalik, Pakistan. III: Stegodontidés, Elephantoïdes indeterminés, Restes postcraniens, Conclusions. Annales de Paléontologie 69:317–354.Google Scholar
Tassy, P. 1986. Nouveaux Elephantoidea (Mammalia) dans le Miocène du Kenya. Cahiers de Paléontologie, Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Paris.Google Scholar
Tedford, R. H., and Zhanxiang, Qiu. 1991. Pliocene Nyctereutes (Carnivora, Canidae) from Yushe, Shanxi, with comments on Chinese fossil raccoon-dogs. Vertebrata Palasiatica 29.Google Scholar
Tedford, R. H., Skinner, M. F., Fields, R. W., Rensberger, J. M., Whistler, D. P., Galusha, T., Taylor, B. E., Macdonold, J. R., and Webb, S. D.. 1987. Faunal succession and biochronology of the Arikareean through Hemphillian interval (Late Oligocene through earliest Pliocene Epochs) in North America. Pp. 153–210. In Woodburne, M. O. (ed.), Cenozoic Mammals of North America: Geochronology and Biostratigraphy. University of California Press; Berkeley.Google Scholar
Teilhard de Chardin, P. 1942. New rodents of the Pliocene and lower Pleistocene of North China. Publication de la Institut de Géo-Biologie 9:1–100.Google Scholar
Teilhard de Chardin, P., and Trassaert, M.. 1937. The Proboscideans of southeastern Shansi. Palaeontologica Sinica 13C:1–58.Google Scholar
Tobien, H., Chen, G., and Li, Y. 1986. Mastodonts (Proboscidea, Mammalia) from the late Neogene and early Pleistocene of the People's Republic of China. Mainzer Geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen 15:119–181.Google Scholar
Vrba, E. S. 1980. Evolution, species and fossils: how does life evolve? South African Journal of Science 76:61–84.Google Scholar
Vrba, E. S. 1985. Environment and evolution: alternative causes of the temporal distribution of evolutionary events. South African Journal of Science 81:229–236.Google Scholar
Webb, S. D. 1984. On two kinds of rapid faunal turnover. Pp. 417–436. In Berggren, W. A., and Van Couvering, J. A. (eds.), Catastrophes and Earth History: the New Uniformitarianism. Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Webb, S. D., and Barnosky, A. D.. 1989. Faunal dynamics of Pleistocene mammals. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 17:413–438.Google Scholar
White, J. A. 1987. The Archaeolaginae (Mammalia, Lagomorpha) of North America, excluding Archaeolagus and Panolax . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 7:425–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zheng, S. 1982. Some Pliocene mammalian fossils from Songshan 2 and 3, Tianzhu, Gansu, and the Songshan fauna. Vertebrata Palasiatica 20:216–227.Google Scholar