TAXONOMY AND DENTAL MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF FOSSIL ARTIODACTYLS FROM TYPE LOCALITY OF DHOK PATHAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

A taxonomic investigation of Late Miocene artiodactyl fauna of Dhok Pathan, the Middle Siwaliks, Pakistan, was undertaken. Comparative morphometric features of the late Miocene artiodactyls from the locality are studied in this thesis. The late Miocene artiodactyls are presented on the basis of description of abundant material from the Dhok Pathan type locality of the Dhok Pathan Formation, the Middle Siwaliks and the remains increasingly indicate taxonomic diversity. Quantitatively, the taxa of bovids are the most predominant. But cervids, tragulids, giraffids and suids are approximately as common as each other at Dhok Pathan. More than 130 artiodactyl fossil specimens were studied in this thesis from the Dhok Pathan type locality. All the described specimens include Skulls, horn cores, isolated teeth and fragments of maxillae or mandibles. These fossils document twenty three artiodactyl species belonging to fifteen genera and five families. This assemblage includes two new taxa: Miotragocerus large sp. and ?Hydaspitherium sp. Boselaphines, antilopines, reduncines, cervids, tragulids, giraffids and suids are abundant in the locality whereas tragelaphines and alcelaphines are absent. Biogeographically, the late Miocene artiodactyls indicate strong relationships with Eurasian and African late Miocene sites. In this study, paleoenvironmental interpretations of the type locality provide important evidence regarding late Miocene paleoenvironments. Most of these taxa indicate a predominance of woodland to savannah habitat during the deposition of the Dhok Pathan Formation.