Paratritemnodon indicus (Creodonta: Mammalia) from the early Middle Eocene Subathu Formation, NW Himalaya, India, and the Kalakot mammalian community structure

PalZ ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 66 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 387-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishor Kumar Dehradun
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Nw Himalaya ◽  
Subathu Formation

Fossil ants of the genus Gesomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Eocene of Europe and remarks on the evolution of arboreal ant communities

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2031 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
GENNADY M. DLUSSKY ◽  
TORSTEN WAPPLER ◽  
SONJA WEDMANN
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
New Species ◽  
New Taxa ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Ant Communities ◽  
Incertae Sedis ◽  
Southern Asia ◽  
Reproductive Female ◽  
Mode Of Life ◽  
Fossil Records

The formicid genus Gesomyrmex is reviewed and several new species are described from the middle Eocene (about 47 Ma) of Grube Messel, Germany, and from the middle Eocene (about 43 Ma) of Eckfeld maar, Germany. The new taxa are Gesomyrmex curiosus n. sp., Gesomyrmex breviceps n. sp., and Gesomyrmex pulcher n. sp. from Messel, and Gesomyrmex flavescens n. sp., and Gesomyrmex germanicus n. sp. from Eckfeld maar. Two previosly described Oligocene species must be excluded from Gesomyrmex. Former G. expectans Théobald, 1937 is transferred to Eoformica expectans (Théobald, 1937) (comb. nov.), and former G. miegi Théobald, 1937 has to be considered as Formicidae incertae sedis (comb. nov.). A key to the living and fossil reproductive female caste (gyne) of the genus Gesomyrmex is provided. Given the fossil records of Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr, 1868 from different European amber deposits the presence of this genus in Europe during the Eocene is well established. Both extant and fossil Gesomyrmex species have an arboreal mode of life. The comparison of arboreal ant faunas from Eocene to Recent times shows that their community structure apparently changed considerably during this period. We infer that Gesomyrmex, along with other genera, was most prosperous during the middle Eocene of Europe, and today has a relict distribution in southern Asia.

New Brontotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the early and middle Eocene of Pakistan with implications for mammalian paleobiogeography

2011 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Missiaen ◽  
Gregg F. Gunnell ◽  
Philip D. Gingerich
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Taxonomic Resolution ◽  
Early Eocene ◽  
Early Eocene Climatic Optimum ◽  
The North ◽  
Primitive Species ◽  
Subathu Formation

Brontotheriids are common in Eocene faunas of North America and Asia but are poorly known from the Indian subcontinent. Here we describe three new late early Eocene brontotheriids from Pakistan, found in the upper part of the upper Ghazij Formation and representing the oldest Asian brontotheres. Eotitanops pakistanensis n. sp. is a small, primitive species, Balochititanops haqi n. gen. n. sp. is slightly larger and more derived, and fragmentary specimens identified as cf. Balochititanops sp. appear to represent a third, larger taxon.Improved knowledge of early brontotheres from North America permits better taxonomic resolution of some middle Eocene brontothere remains from Pakistan. ‘Eotitanops’ dayi from the Kuldana Formation is shown to be closer to Palaeosyops and is renamed Palaeosyops dayi n. comb. A new astragalus from the Baska Formation probably represents Pakotitanops latidentatus. A previously described humerus and a new calcaneum, both from the Subathu Formation, are tentatively referred to Mulkrajanops moghliensis.Phylogenetic interpretation suggests that Eotitanops pakistanensis is as primitive as the North American species of this basal brontothere genus, and also, within the limits of stratigraphic resolution, Eotitanops appeared on both continents at the same time. The origin of brontotheres is therefore equally likely to have been in Asia or in North America. The presence of the primitive brontotheres Eotitanops and Palaeosyops in Indo-Pakistan and North America indicates faunal exchange, almost certainly through Asia, although the direction of dispersal cannot be determined. The postulated high-latitude exchange coincides with a warm interval known as the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.

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