Title Information

Münchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen
Reihe A: Geologie und Paläontologie

Volume 9

QIU, Zhan-xiang: Die Hyaeniden aus dem Ruscinium und Villafranchium Chinas 1987. [in German] – 110 pp., 15 figures, 15 tables, 12 plates. 29.7 x 21.0 cm. Paperback ISBN 978-3-923871-15-5 Euro 30.00 series: MGA, Reihe A: Geologie und Paläontologie order now

Abstract

From the Ruscinian and Villafranchian of China 29 fossil hyaenid remains are described. 24 of them were found in the Yushe basin, four in Nihowan and one specimen in Mianchi. Eight of the finds consist of complete skulls. The fossils belong to the genera Chasmaporthetes, Pliohyaena and Crocuta.

Among the hyaenids of the Ruscinian and Villafranchian of Eurasia, according to the features of the skull, several sister group relationships can be established. These can be expressed as ((Crocuta, Pliohyaena) Hyaena) Chasmaporthetes.

Euryboas is considered a synonym of Chasmaporthetes. VIRET's species »Euryboas lunensis« is too broadly defined and has to be divided into two independent species which are Chasmaporthetes bielawskyi and Chasmaporthetes lunensis. The mandible determined by HENDEY (1978) as Adcrocuita australis reveals to belong to Chasmaporthetes as well.

Pliocrocuta, Pachycrocuta and Plesiocrocuta are treated as synonyms of Pliohyaena. Pliohyaena pyrenaica, perrieri and brevirostris in their morphology are very close to each other and most probably represent successive stages within one evolutionary lineage, which during the Villafranchian developed rather quickly. Because of this reason the relative stoutness of the premolars can be taken as a biostratigraphic criterion.

»Hyaena« honanensis was described by ZDANSKY (1924) on the basis of a heterogenous material belonging partly to Crocuta and partly to Adcrocuta eximia. Within ZDANSKY's material a posterior skull fragment is chosen here as the holotype. Lycyaena is thought to be a member of the Chasmaporthetes stemgroup and Leecyaena lycyaenoides revealed to be a transitional form between Pliohyaena and Hyaenictis graeca. The skulls and mandibles described by DE BEAUMONT (1968) from Samos form the stemgroup of Pliohyaena and Crocuta.

Based on the lithology the complete sequence of the Yushe basin can be divided in five levels. They can be correlated to the levels MN 13 to MN 18 (17?) of the European MEIN scale. Hajnacka and Villarroya are correlated here with MN 16a, whereas les Etouaires is considered to be close to the level of St. Vallier.

Sample pages

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