Search

Here, we describe new bovid remains from the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene of Padhri in the Potwar Plateau of Pakistan. A comparison with the closely allied genera from the Siwaliks revealed that a maxillary fragment and a hemimandible belong to Tragoportax punjabicus, two isolated teeth can be assigned as cf. Tragoportax sp. and a mandible fragment belongs to Gazella lydekkeri. We suggest that Tragoportax is represented by two valid species and Gazella by three species. The extinction of Tragoportax and Gazella from the Siwaliks during the Early Pliocene could be associated with habitat loss, as these used to live in forest and shrublands respectively which were replaced with the grassland towards the beginning of the Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study reveals the presence of at least five cervid genera in the Upper Siwaliks. • Three of the Upper Siwalik deer lineages have an Asian middle latitude origin. • The Siva-Bactrian dispersal route connected Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. • The origin of the genus Panolia is related to the Indian subcontinent. • Climate aridification and seasonality caused substitution of giraffids by cervids. This article presents a description of new antler remains from five fossiliferous sites (Sardhok, Panjan Sher Shahana, Puran, Jari Kas, and Potha) of the Upper Siwaliks in Pakistan. The systematic study of the antler material revealed the presence of six cervid forms: Metacervocerus punjabiensis , Rucervus sp., Panolia sp., Hyelaphus sp., Praesinomegaceros bakri , and a poorly represented large cervid that shows a certain affinity with " Eucladoceros sp." from the Early Pleistocene of Kuruksai (Tajikistan). The remains of Panolia represent the earliest known paleontological record of this cervid lineage. Unlike Metacervocerus and Rucervus that have had phylogenetically closely related counterparts in east and north of the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt, the evolution of Panolia took place in the Indian subcontinent. The entry of Panolia lineage into the Indian subcontinent marks its phylogenetic split from the main Cervus / Rusa evolutionary branch. The earliest dispersal events of cervids into the Indian subcontinent was preceded by the late Miocene evolutionary radiation and ecological diversification of the subfamily Cervinae in Southeastern Asia. Praesinomegaceros and Metacervocerus most probably entered the Indian subcontinent via Central Asia. Possibly, this is also the case of " Eucladoceros sp." from Kuruksai (Tajikistan). The dispersal ways of Panolia and Rucervus remain unclear. The dispersals of small-sized cervids (Muntiacus and Hyelaphus) into the Indian subcontinent was triggered by the establishment of the 100-ky glaciation cycle during the Middle Pleistocene: the sea level dropped during glacial peaks and opened to them the dispersal route from Sundaland in the South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We visited several late Miocene to early Pliocene localities of the Dhok Pathan and Naragghi villages in the Chakwal district of Punjab, Pakistan and recovered a comprehensive collection of hipparionine fossils. The recently recovered specimens from these localities are compared to the previously collected material of the Middle Siwalik Hipparionini, allowing for the identification of four types of hipparionines: Cormohipparion, Sivalhippus, Hipparion, and Hipparionini indet. The hipparionine horses are common elements of the late Miocene to early Pliocene of the Siwalik Group in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report new dental remains of a large giraffid from the Late Miocene of Pakistan. The new material improves our knowledge of the dental morphology of this extinct sivatherine giraffid, as it sheds light on intra-clade morphological variability within Late Miocene sivatherine giraffids. Fossils were recovered from sediments within the Nagri and Dhok Pathan formations (Middle Siwaliks, Late Miocene) from the sites Nagri, Dhok Pathan, Kauliar and Padhri in Pakistan. Presence of these fossils in Late Miocene sediments in Pakistan demonstrates the stratigraphic range of Bramatherium grande, which was present in the Indo-Pakistani region and the Greco-Iranian region from 11.2 to ca. 3.4 Ma and 11.2 to 9.0 Ma, respectively. The new fossils provide additional data that help resolve the phylogenetic relationships of these large Late Miocene sivatheres. The new findings highlight the presence of Bramatherium grande in the Indo-Pakistani region during the Late Miocene and provide evidence for the synonymy of Bramatherium grande and Bramatherium magnum, with Bramatherium grande having priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Pleistocene site in the Pabbi Hills of Pakistan, and deposits to the east near Bhimbar provide important additions to the Upper Siwalik fauna of South Asia. The mammalian fauna of 10 species from Panjan Sher Shahana at the southwestern tip of the Pabbi Hills is a rich mammalian assemblage dating to the early to Middle Pleistocene of the Upper Siwalik Subgroup. The Panjan Sher Shahana assemblage shows strong resemblance to other Pleistocene faunas of the Siwalik Group from the Indian subcontinent. The new site is dominated by Bovidae and Equus. Among megafauna, two species of Elephas , commonly found in the Upper Siwaliks, are associated with the uncommon Stegodon in Pabbi Hills. These and other elements of the Panjan Sher Shahana fauna are treated briefly here. The Late Neogene deposits of Bhimbar, 30 km east of Jhelum, appear to represent a similar succession equivalent to the Pleistocene ("Pinjor") fauna and produce important new elements, including a rare record of the bamboo rat Anepsirhizomys opdykei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a common parasitoid of aphids including the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). To maximize the use of A. gifuensis for biological control of M. persicae, the functional response of A. gifuensis using M. persicae as a host was determined at 4 constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30 °C) and 20 host densities (5, 10, 15, increased incrementally by 5, to a maximum of 100) on a 6-leaf sweet pepper plant (30 cm in height) over a 24 h period. Roger's random parasitoid equation (RRPE) and Holling's disc equation (HDE) were used to fit the data. The results showed that functional responses at all temperatures were type II, and the instantaneous attack rate ( a) in both models increased as temperature increased from 15 to 25 °C and then decreased at 30 °C. The highest instantaneous attack rate ( a) for A. gifuensis was at 25 °C for the 2 models, 1.3203 ± 0.0415 d-1 for HDE and 4.295e+03 d-1 for RRPE. The handling time ( Th) for A. gifuensis by HDE was between 0.0105 ± 0.0002 d at 20 °C and 0.0214 ± 0.0009 d at 30 °C and by RRPE was between 1.265e-02 ± 3.808e-04 d at 20 °C and 0.0218 ± 0.0010 d at 30 °C. Aphidius gifuensis achieved its highest parasitism rate at medium temperatures. The results from this study showed that A. gifuensis performed best at 20 °C, suggesting that this parasitoid will be more effective as a biological control agent for M. persicae when the temperature is under 30 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe here new remains of the giraffid Bramatherium, from the late Miocene-early Pliocene of Hasnot, northern Pakistan. The fossil giraffid material from Hasnot represents 2 taxa of Bramatherium, B. megacephalum and B. grande. The Hasnot locality is characterised by high proportions of ruminants, namely Boselaphini, Antilopini, Sivatheriinae, Cervini, Dorcatherium, and Dorcabune. The Hasnot fossil ruminant assemblage is fairly typical for the Siwalik province and comparisons with the Greco-Iranian-Afghan and African palaeobiological provinces indicate a late Miocene-early Pliocene age. It is suggested that local Hasnot palaeoenvironments comprised wetlands to woodland biomes, perhaps devoid of expansive dense forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil record of the Siwalik tragulids remains poorly documented. The study of the tragulid material from the Chinji Formation allows the identification of 3 species: Dorcatherium minus, Dorcatherium majus and Dorcabune anthracotherioides. The tragulid assemblage is quite rich and Dorcatherium is the predominant taxon in the Chinji Formation of Pakistan. The fossils from the Chinji Formation of the Chakwal district, northern Pakistan, may document the first appearance of the 3 tragulid species in the Lower Siwaliks. The selenodonty and palaeoecology of the Siwalik tragulids are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, boselaphine material from several localities in the area of the Hasnot Pakistan, is described, identified, and discussed. Four species that belong to three different genera of the tribe Boselaphini have been found: Selenoportax vexillarius, S. lydekkeri, Pachyportax latidens and Eotragus sp. Eotragus sp. is reported for the first time from the Hasnot and consequently from other Upper Middle Siwalik sediments of Pakistan and equivalent strata of the world, extending the range of the genus from the Lower to the Middle Siwaliks. Reviewing the Siwaliks’Selenoportax species, S. dhokpathanensis Akhtar and S. tatrotensis Akhtar are synonymized with S. lydekkeri and S. vexillarius, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dorcatherium majus is one of the 4 Asian species of Dorcatherium found in the Siwaliks of Pakistan. Many fossiliferous sites in the Lower and Middle Siwaliks of Pakistan (Middle and Late Miocene) were visited in the last 14 years and many specimens of D. majus were found. Some specimens are well preserved and some are in a poor state of preservation. Among the collected specimens, 8 were included in this study due to their good preservation. All the selected specimens belong to the lower dentition of D. majus and document intraspecific size variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent expedition in the Potwar Plateau of Pakistan has yielded dental material of three rhinocerotid species Chilotherium intermedium, Alicornops complanatum, and Brachypotherium perimense. The material came from the Nagri and Dhok Pathan formations of the Middle Siwalik Subgroup in Punjab, Pakistan. These specimens are good addition to provide additional morphological characters that show information about the variations in dental characters of theese already recorded species and contribute to recent work on Rhinocerotidae from the Middle Siwalik Subgroup of Pakistan. The studied remains of these three rhinocerotids species whose remains are relatively low in the Middle Siwaliks are good paleontological contribution with some more detailed work suggested here to understand about these genera. Presence of these Siwalik rhinocerotids indicates diverse habitats from forest to savanna environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New fossils of the Miocene crown-tragulid Afrotragulus from Chinji and Dhok Pathan Formations of the Pakistan Siwaliks Group represent its first record out of Africa. This material from Babri Wala (ca. 12.6 Ma), Hasnot 6 (ca. 6.5 Ma) and Barnum Brown's B 51 classic locality (ca. 13.7 Ma) constitutes three new species, Afrotragulus akhtari, A. moralesi and A. megalomilos. We reassess Afrotragulus ingroup phylogeny recovering two clades with African and Asian representatives. Our results reject the existence of a strictly African lineage in the genus. Body-size estimates show three tiny Afrotragulus with a size corresponding to the lower spectrum of extant Tragulus. However, both Afrotragulus lineages produced species larger than 10 kg. Previously considered very small tragulids, these new forms demonstrate that size range of Afrotragulus equals that of all living tragulids. The smallest forms could be frugivorous/browsers but A. megalomilos and A. moralesi could be opportunistic feeders, specially accounting for their highly derived dentition. These new Asian Afrotragulus extend the biochronological range of the genus from the lower Miocene to the late upper Miocene. Afrotragulus is surprisingly uncovered here as one of the longest-lived and most successful members of the Tragulidae, existing during ca. 13.5 million years (20–6.5 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report on a new collection of mostly isolated molars of a colobine monkey from near Hasnot on the Potwar Plateau of Pakistan. The specimens are from three late Miocene localities, with ages constrained to between 7.9 and 7.1 Ma. Morphological and metrical comparisons of the new Hasnot molars with those of previously recognized Mesopithecus species and living Asian colobines lead to the conclusion that the Hasnot colobine is most probably Mesopithecus , but not Mesopithecus pentelicus. The most morphologically distinctive aspect of the Hasnot specimens is the lower third molars, which exhibit large and bulbous protoconids set off by deeply incised mesial buccal and median buccal clefts and large, broad distobuccally placed hypoconulids. Colobine specimens previously recovered from the Potwar Plateau have been assigned to Mesopithecus sivalensis , but because these specimens have not yet been fully described, a detailed comparison with the new Hasnot specimens is not yet possible. For these reasons, we assign the new Hasnot colobine fossils to cf. Mesopithecus sp. Mesopithecus was one of the most widespread and successful of late Miocene primates. As a colobine equipped with features of the molar teeth, limbs, and, presumably, gut enabling it to succeed in more highly seasonal woodland environments, Mesopithecus was able to rapidly disperse into and adapt to the conditions in South Asia brought about by profound climatic and concomitant environmental change during the latest Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Siwalik sequence saw the appearance and spread of the family Elephantidae in the Indian subcontinent during the Plio-Pleistocene epochs. Elephas flourished and underwent species turnover during the Plio-Pleistocene of the Siwalik Group. The newly discovered specimens include serially arranged M2-3 and partial maxillary fragment with M2 of Elephas planifrons , and M3 and partial dp4 of Elephas hysudricus from the Pinjor Formation (Pleistocene) of the Siwaliks. A tusk from the Tatrot Formation (Pliocene) of the Siwaliks, has been assigned to Elephantoidea indet. Based on the comparison with the stratigraphically well-dated mammalian fauna from the various Siwalik localities of the Indian subcontinent, the age of Sardhok, Panjan Sher Shahana and Kurla Sharif range is suggested to be from the Late Pliocene (Piacenzian) to Late Early Pleistocene (Calabrian), and a savannah like environment is suggested for these localities. • The article mainly deals with the remains Elephas planifrons and E. hysudricus from the Pakistan Siwalik after a long gap and their diagnoses have been revised based on previous and recent data. • The material described here is from well-known provenance as compared to most of the previously described material of these species. • The described M2 Elephas planifrons and M3 of E. hysudricus adds more data to the morphometric characters. • Correlation between the various Pakistani and Indian areas yielding Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene fauna has been attempted. • A savannah like environment is suggested for the studied areas based on the recovered fauna. • Reported the Elephas planifrons and E. hysudricus remains from the Pakistan Siwaliks with their revised diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Miocene of the Siwaliks has yielded fossils of various species of Suidae, which are more or less common. One of the rarest is Lophochoerus nagrii , found exclusively from the Nagri Formation (of early Late Miocene age) of the Siwalik Group. Previously, the only undisputed record of this species was from the Indian Siwaliks, recovered from Haritalyangar, Himachel Pradesh, India. In this article, we describe P3-M3 from the Nagri type locality (Y311) in Talagang, Pakistan; it is the first report of the upper premolars of L. nagrii from the Siwaliks. The discovery of this species from Pakistan confirms extension in its geographic range from India to Pakistan, and the reported upper dentition is an addition in its anatomical record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently collected carnivoran specimens from the Siwalik Group of Pakistan are described and discussed. These specimens add to our knowledge of the previously known taxa while also adding to our biogeographic, stratigraphic, and temporal knowledge of the carnivorans from the Siwaliks. At least eight distinct taxa are identified, and although most specimens are fragmentary, some hyaenid specimens are identified further (e.g. Lycyaena and Ictitherium). We identify and describe the first herpestid fossils from the Chinji Formation, the first hyaenid (Lycyaena cf. L. dubia) from the Tatrot Formation, and the first definitive occurrence of Ictitherium (Ictitherium cf. I. viverrinum) from the Dhok Pathan Formation. We report the first occurrences of several taxa from various sites in the Siwaliks of Pakistan, including the first reports of any carnivorans from Dhok Milan, Kohtehra, and Lawa. Individual sites show a wide range of carnivoran biodiversity, however larger scale trends are more discernible when comparing those between formations in the Siwaliks. Several taxa disappear over time from the carnivoran fauna of the Siwaliks, starting with barbourofelines, and continuing with amphicyonids (and non-carnivoran hyaenodontids). Felids and mustelids are the most diverse carnivorans in the Siwaliks, while caniforms become more prevalent through time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil remains of Gazella sp., Dorcatherium majus and Gaindatherium browni are recovered from the middle Miocene (14.2-11.2 Ma) of Bhilomar, Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan. The sample comprises upper and lower dentitions. Presence of above fossil families in the Chinji formation depicts more faunal elements in this zone and their abundance. The Siwalik group has yielded an abundant vertebrate fauna which consists of almost all type of mammalian groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is focused on the hipparionine remains from the late Miocene to early Pliocene deposits of the Haritalyangar areas, Himachal Pardesh, India. These remains are taxonomically ranked to five genera (Plesiohipparion , Proboscidipparion , Cormohipparion , Sivalhippus , and Eurygnathohippus) and seven species. The described taxa are predominantly known from China, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Among these, Proboscidipparion is reported for the first time from the Siwaliks; the material assigned to Plesiohipparion sp. is a potential candidate for a new species. Hipparionines from this area have long been poorly known and are helpful to understand the palaeontological context of the Indian Siwalik mammalian fauna. The hipparionines suggest a wide variety of environmental conditions ranging from grasslands to forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Unpublished rhinocerotid remains from the Lower and Middle Siwaliks of Pakistan are described in this paper and recognized as two species of Alicornops. Alicornops complanatum (Heissig) is identified in the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Middle Siwaliks and Alicornops laogouense Deng in the Kamlial Formation of the Lower Siwaliks. The Dhok Pathan Formation levels with A. complanatum are roughly correlated with the late Miocene-Pliocene European mammal zones MN10-15. In turn, levels with A. laogouense of the Kamlial Formation would correlate with the middle–late Aragonian (middle Miocene) European MN5. The recognition of the Chinese species A. laogouense in the Potwar Plateau represents the first discovery of this taxon in Pakistan and increases the geographical and stratigraphic distributions of this species, and adds to the rhinocerotid association from the Siwaliks. In turn, the presence of A. complanatum in the Siwaliks of Potwar Plateau also enlarges its geographic distribution in Pakistan, as it was previously known from the Bugti Hills of Balouchistan. The absence of Alicornops from the Siwaliks in the Chinji and Nagri formations (between late MN5 and MN9 zones) might be due to an inadequate fossil record, as other rhinocerotid species are known from Kamlial to Dhok Pathan formations. However, the two recorded species of Alicornops could also reveal two independent migration waves as supported by the appearance of other taxa in different formations. A summary of fossil Cenozoic rhinocerotids from different areas of Pakistan is also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Four dentary fragments of the deer species, Cervus cf. rewati (Cervidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) are described from the Dhok Pathan Formation, Middle Siwaliks (Siwalik Group, Pliocene) of northern Pakistan. The specimens under study include the lower teeth and exhibit the basic characters of Cervus rewati. Arif et al. (1991) described this species for the first time from the Upper Siwaliks (Pleistocene) but our findings extend the range of this species from the Pliocene of the Middle Siwaliks to the Upper Siwaliks of the Indian subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pleistocene mammalian remains of the Siwalik Group in Pakistan are less described than that of the Siwalik Miocene age. The recent expedition in the Pabbi Hills of Kharian has produced large mammalian remains, predominantly bovids forms. Proamphibos kashmiricus, Kobus sp., Hemibos triquetricornis, and Boselaphus namadicus have been described in this article, based on the new collection. The fourth upper deciduous premolar of B. namadicus is reported for the first time from the Pleistocene of the Siwalik Group. These taxa are large sized and found in the Pleistocene deposits of Pakistan. A Pleistocene savannah‐like landscape is suggested for these two localities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a description of a new species of the genus Praesinomegaceros from the Early Pleistocene of Pabbi Hills (Upper Siwaliks) in Pakistan. This is a first record of Praesinomegaceros in the geological past of the Indian Subcontinent. Unlike Praesinomegaceros from the Late Miocene of Central Asia, the Siwalik form is characterized by the loss of basal tine palmation and diminished number of crown ramifications. However, the new Siwalik cervid maintains the characteristic of Praesinomegaceros general antler bauplan. The antler shape of the new species from Pakistan reveals important evolutionary changes in ecology and ethology. Antlers of Praesinomegaceros from Siwaliks have lost their function of social display and "returned" to the effective weapon antler type. The multivariate cluster analysis of antler characters supports the close evolutionary relationship of the new cervid species from the Siwaliks with Praesinomegaceros and Sinomegaceros from the Pleistocene of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on some new material of currently called Miotragocerus / Tragoportax complex of species, collected from Nagri type locality, early Late Miocene (10.039 to 9.969 Ma) of the Siwalik Group of Pakistan. Along with the material description, the issues regarding the taxonomic status of Tragoportax , Miotragocerus , Sivaceros and Helicoportax are briefly discussed on the basis of preliminary results of ongoing thorough research on the Siwalik bovids. Furthermore, the priority of Graecoryx over Miotragocerus , the synonymy of Sivaceros with Graecoryx , the distinction between Tragoportax and Graecoryx , and some hypotheses have been laid down for future work, based on the morphological study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccinellids are common predators of aphids, including Aphis nerii, Diuraphis noxia and Lipaphis erysimi. The zigzag ladybird beetle, Menochilus sexmaculatus, is an effective predator against various aphid species. In the present study, different stages of M. sexmaculatus were evaluated for their functional response against A. nerii, D. noxia, and L. erysimi. Functional response at different densities of aphids was calculated over a period of 24h at 25 ± 5 °C and 65 ± 5% RH. Roger's Random Predator equation was used to calculate the parameters of a functional response. All the predatory stages showed Type II functional response. Attack rate was highest in the fourth instar for all aphid species (4.5171, 2.5894 and 2.8853, respectively), while the shortest handling time of the fourth instar was recorded for A. nerii (0.0175h) and L. erysimi (0.0159h). In the case of D. noxia, the shortest handling time was observed in the first instar (0.0175h). The fourth instar of M. sexmaculatus consumed more prey, followed by the third instar. These results indicate that the fourth instar of M. sexmaculatus was the most effective stage against its prey, followed by the third instar, adult females and males. Further field experiments must be carried out to corroborate the efficacy of these predatory beetles under natural conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New isolated teeth with maxillary and mandibular fragments from the Chinji Formation of the Lower Siwaliks are described and determined as Gaindatherium browni and Gaindatherium vidali. This material comes from the Middle Miocene of Lava and Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon localities, northern Pakistan, and significantly increases the number of remains previously known for this rhinocerotid genus. Specimens from the Lava site determined as G. vidali present morphological differences with respect to those of G. browni, being similar to those of G. vidali from the Nagri Formation, showing a greater size. Previously, G. vidali was reported only from the Nagri Formation of the Middle Siwaliks and the new material thus significantly widens the chronological distribution of this species in the continental deposits of the Siwaliks. This record implies that both species are not successive but rather coeval during the late Middle Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]