Abstract
New dental remains of rhinoceros species have been discovered from the Middle Miocene deposits of the Siwaliks of Pakistan. The specimens have been identified as Brachypotherium perimense and Brachypotherium fatehjangense based on their comparative morphometric analysis. The hypsodonty and thick enamel of the studied samples are the indicators of the presence of grazing community feeding on coarse grasses during Middle Miocene times in the Siwalik region. This newly discovered dental material adds up additional information about the Middle Miocene faunal composition of family Rhinocerotidae that can play role in tracing out the community structure during this epoch in the Asian region. The ecological implications of the Brachypotherium genus towards the changing Middle Miocene climatic condition on the basis of enamel hypoplasia is also discussed in this article.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Barry, J.C., Morgan, M., Flynn, L., Pilbeam, D., Behrensmeyer, A.K., Raza, S., Khan, I.A., Badgely, C., Hicks, J., Kelley, J.: Faunal and environmental change in the late Miocene Siwaliks of northern Pakistan. Paleobiology 28, 1–72 (2002)
Barry, J.C., Flynn, L.J.: Key biostratigraphic events in the Siwalik sequence. In: European Neogene mammal chronology. Springer, US. p. 557–571 (1990)
Badgley, C., Barry, J.C., Morgan, M.E., Nelson, S.V., Behrensmeyer, A.K., Cerling, T.E., Pilbeam, D.: Ecological changes in Miocene mammalian record show impact of prolonged climatic forcing. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 105, 12145–12149 (2008)
Colbert, E. H.: Siwalik mammals in the American Museum of Natural History. Trans. Am. phil. Soc., n.s., 26, 1–401 (1935)
Ducrocq, S., Chaimanee, Y., Suteethorn, V., Jaeger, J.J.: Age and paleoenvironment of Miocene mammalian faunas from Thailand. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 108, 149–163 (1994)
Falconer, H., Cautley, P.T.: Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis, pp. 72–75. Folio Atlas, London (1847)
Heissig, K.: Pala ontologische und geologische Untersuchungen im Tertia¨r vo Pakistan, 5. Rhinocerotidae (Mamm.) aus den unteren und mittleren SiwalikSchichten. Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse, Abhandlungen, Neue Folge 152, 1–112 (1972)
Heissig, K.: Change and Continuity in Rhinoceros faunas of Western Eurasia from the Middle to the Upper Miocene, pp. 35–37. EEDEN, Stará Lesná (2003)
Antoine, P.O., Welcomme, J.L.: A new rhinoceros from the Lower Miocene of the Bugti Hills, Baluchistan, Pakistan: the earliest elasmotheriine. Palaeontology 43(5), 795–816 (2000)
Khan, A.M.: Taxonomy and Distribution of Rhinoceroses from the Siwalik Hills of Pakistan, p. 134. University of the Punjab, Lahore (2009)
Lydekker, R.: Siwalik Rhinocerotidae. Pal. Indica (X), II, Pt., 1: 1–62 (1881)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Rafeh, A., Khan, A.M., Ahmad, R.M., Akhtar, M. (2019). Dental Morphology and Palaeoecological Implications of Brachypotherium (Rhinocerotidae) of the Middle Miocene Siwaliks (Pakistan). In: Boughdiri, M., Bádenas, B., Selden, P., Jaillard, E., Bengtson, P., Granier, B. (eds) Paleobiodiversity and Tectono-Sedimentary Records in the Mediterranean Tethys and Related Eastern Areas. CAJG 2018. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01452-0_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01452-0_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-01451-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-01452-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)