The first Choerolophodon (Proboscidea, Gomphotheriidae) skull from China  

作　　者：WANG ShiQi DENG Tao 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China

出　　处：《Science China Earth Sciences》2011年第9期1326-1337,共12页中国科学（地球科学英文版）

基　　金：supported by the Knowledge Innsovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZCX2-YW-Q09-120, KZCX2-YW-120);National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40730210, 41002010);Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2006CB806400);Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, CAS (Grant No. 2010LESV004)

摘　　要：Here we report the first discovery of a relatively complete skull of Choerolophodon from the late early Miocene Dalanggou quarry of Linxia Basin, Gansu Province in China. The skull is low and elongated, with two enamel-less and out ward-and-upward curved incisors and the choerolophodont molars. These characters indicate that the new specimen can be as signed to the genus Choerolophodon, as it is quite distinct from other common gomphotheres in northern China such as Gom photherium, Platybelodon, and Sinomastodon. The skull is also primitive in possessing laterally-expanded zygomatic arches, anteriorly-positioned orbits, weakly-developed cheek teeth cement, and retention of a P4. Prior to this discovery, Cho erolophodon was found primarily from the middle-late Miocene of Africa, Eastern Europe, and western and southern Asia. The discovery of this new material expands the known temporal and spatial distributions of this taxon and helps us better un derstand the phylogeny, evolution, and adaptive radiation of gomphotheres in early Miocene of China.Here we report the first discovery of a relatively complete skull of Choerolophodon from the late early Miocene Dalanggou quarry of Linxia Basin, Gansu Province in China. The skull is low and elongated, with two enamel-less and outward-and-upward curved incisors and the choerolophodont molars. These characters indicate that the new specimen can be assigned to the genus Choerolophodon, as it is quite distinct from other common gomphotheres in northern China such as Gomphotherium, Platybelodon, and Sinomastodon. The skull is also primitive in possessing laterally-expanded zygomatic arches, anteriorly-positioned orbits, weakly-developed cheek teeth cement, and retention of a P4. Prior to this discovery, Choerolophodon was found primarily from the middle-late Miocene of Africa, Eastern Europe, and western and southern Asia. The discovery of this new material expands the known temporal and spatial distributions of this taxon and helps us better understand the phylogeny, evolution, and adaptive radiation of gomphotheres in early Miocene of China.

关 键 词：gomphotheres Choerolophodon Linxia Basin early Miocene China 

分 类 号：Q981[天文地球—古生物学与地层学] P425.55[生物学—人类学]