TWO NEW SPECIES OF SHEEP-LIKE ANTELOPE FROM THE MIOCENE OF MONGOLIA

Abstract

The antelope remains which form the subject of this paper were collected in Mongolia in 1930 on the Tung Gur tableland (Lat. 43° 35'; Long. 112° 40') by Dr. W. Granger, who has kindly entrusted them to me for description. The deposit is isolated from other Tertiary beds of known age, so that its exact stratigraphical relations cannot be observed. The fauna differs from that of the North China Red Beds with Hipparion and from the Hipparion fauna described by Schlosser from Inner Mongolia, both referred to the Pontian, and is considered to indicate that it belongs to a period previous to that, which may be the equivalent of the Sarmatian or even earlier. The Oiocerine antelopes form the largest part of the fauna, at any rate after the Proboscidea, which include the very abundant Platybelodon grangeri and a single ramus of Serridentinus gobiensis, which have been described by Osborn and Granger (Amer. Mus. Novitates, Nos. 470, 1931, and 537, 1932)., A Giraffoid of the Palaeotragus group is fairly common and Cervidae rather less so. There is a Listriodon, apparently closely allied to L. pentapotamiae common in the Chinji stage of India. Rhinocerotidae also occur. Equidae are extremely rare, but the absence of Hipparion seems to be significant, especially since a palate and lower jaws of the older genus Anchitherium have been recovered from these beds. Chalicotheres were present and show rather close relationship with Macrotherium. The Carnivora are represented by a fine skull of Hemicyon, by a Hyaena of the type of Crocuta carnifex, by an Ictitherium and by a felid closely allied to or identical with Metailurus. Rodents have also been found.