Stegodon molar from the early Pleistocene of China

[Psittacosaurus]

Here is my Stegodon molar from the early Pleistocene of the Gansu province in China.

 

The Gansu province is home to four very rich and complex mammalian faunae:

1. The Paraceratherium fauna from the late Oligocene

2. The Platybelodon fauna from the middle Miocene

3. The Hipparion fauna from the late Miocene

4. The Equus fauna from the early Pleistocene, which is where this molar came from.

 

Gansu is home to many Proboscideans such as Sinomastodons, Gomphotheriums, Platybelodons, and of course, Stegodons. I do not collect Proboscidean materials frequently so I can't give an in-depth morphological analysis of this specimen at all, the most I can say is that Stegodontidae members have a lot more lumps on their molars than the other genera. I think each loph is comprised of at least 8 lumps. The truly amazing thing about this specimen is that it has zero occlusal damage from chewing, which is seldom seen in any brachydont (low-crown) Proboscidean molars. It is heavily mineralized with pyrolusite.

 

A general overview of the Equus fauna members:

1. smaller mammals such as mice, squirrels, rabbits, and hamsters

2. mid-sized/slightly larger mammals include deers, macaques, foxes, early wolves such as Canis teilhardi + longdanensis + brevicephalus, Jackals (Sinicuon), Mustelids

3. large mammals included:

1. Hyaenids such as Chasmoporthetes, Crocuta, and Pachycrocuta, the second largest hyaena to be discovered (the first largest is the Dinocrocuta, which lived right next door in the Hipparion fauna from the late Miocene)
2. Saber-teeth such as Megantereon and Homotherium (later I'll be uploading a jaw of which), the father of Panthera - Panthera palaeosinensis and longdanensis (some scholars believe that they're the same thing though), the giant Cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis, and smaller cats like lynxes and Felis teilhardi (yeah I know, these two ain't large mammals)
3. Hipparion and Equus (how can we forget!)
4. The earliest Woolly Rhino, Coelodonta nihowanensis
5. Chalicotheres!

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Psittacosaurus