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Northernmost Record of the Merck's Rhinoceros Stephanorhinus Kirchbergensis (Jäger) and Taxonomic Status of Coelodonta Jacuti

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Northernmost Record of the Merck's Rhinoceros Stephanorhinus Kirchbergensis (Jäger) and Taxonomic Status of Coelodonta Jacuti See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327419418 Northernmost Record of the Merck’s Rhinoceros Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis (Jäger) and Taxonomic Status of Coelodonta jacuticus Russanov (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) Article in Paleontological Journal · July 2018 DOI: 10.1134/S003103011804010X CITATIONS READS 0 77 2 authors: A. V. Shpansky Gennady Boeskorov Tomsk State University Russian Academy of Sciences 29 PUBLICATIONS 78 CITATIONS 104 PUBLICATIONS 946 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: The study of fossil fauna and reconstruction of environmental changes in the Neogene and Quarternary of Poland and Ukraine View project The Quaternary mammals from Kozhamzhar locality (Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan View project All content following this page was uploaded by Gennady Boeskorov on 30 April 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. ISSN 0031-0301, Paleontological Journal, 2018, Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 445–462. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2018. Original Russian Text © A.V. Shpansky, G.G. Boeskorov, 2018, published in Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 2018, No. 4, pp. 92–110. Northernmost Record of the Merck’s Rhinoceros Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis (Jäger) and Taxonomic Status of Coelodonta jacuticus Russanov (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) A. V. Shpanskya, * and G. G. Boeskorovb, ** aTomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050 Russia bDiamond and Precious Metals Geology Institute, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, 677000 Yakutia, Russia *e-mail: [email protected] **e-mail: [email protected] Received November 3, 2016 Abstract—A lower jaw of Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis from the Mus Khaya locality on the Yana River in Yakutia is described. This jaw was previously designated as a paratype of Coelodonta jacuticus, but morpho- logical and morphometric analysis has shown that it actually belongs to a typical S. kirchbergensis. Morpho- metric parameters of the holotype (skull) of C. jacuticus fall within the range of intraspecific variation of C. antiquitatis. The same results of a morphometric study were obtained for the subspecies Coelodonta antiq- uitatis pristinus and C. a. humilis. This suggests that C. jacuticus, Coelodonta antiquitatis pristinus, and C. a. humilis are invalid taxa which should be regarded as junior synonyms of C. antiquitatis. The find of S. kirchbergensis in northern Yakutia is the northernmost occurrence of this species. Keywords: Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis, Coelodonta jacuticus, C. antiquitatis, C. a. pristinus, C. a. humilis, morphology, systematics, Middle–Late Neopleistocene, Yakutia DOI: 10.1134/S003103011804010X INTRODUCTION 1877; Billia, 2008), teeth from the Vilyui River (Dubrovo, 1957), and a skull from the Chondon River The overwhelming majority of rhinoceroses have been described from this vast territory (Kirillova, recorded in Russia belong to Coelodonta antiquitatis 2016) (Fig. 1). (Blumenbach, 1799). Occurrences of rhinoceros In 1964, V.F. Goncharov found a lower jaw of a corpses or skeletons are usually of great interest, while large rhinoceros in yellowish gray sand at the base of individual finds of isolated bones receive little atten- the Mus Khaya outcrop (lower reaches of the Yana tion of researches. Little attention is also given to the River, northern Yakutia; 70°43′ N, 135°25′ E) (Fig. 1). other fossil rhinoceros species, Stephanorhinus kirch- This specimen was referred to the woolly rhinoceros (Jäger, 1839). Its remains are rather scarce bergensis and stored in the Geological Museum and usually isolated. They are frequently incorrectly C. antiquitatis of the Diamond and Precious Metals Geology Insti- identified in collection of museums and scientific tute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of organizations. This is connected with poor diagnostic Sciences in Yakutsk (IGABM, specimen no. 400). value of a number of skull parts and elements of the Subsequently, Lazarev (2008) designated this jaw as a postcranial skeleton of and S. kirchbergensis C. antiq- paratype of Russanov, 1968. To distinguish between these species, the teeth Coelodonta jacuticus uitatis. Along with the jaw of rhinoceros, a tooth of (intact or slightly worn), bones of the facial and occip- Mam- (Blumenbach, 1799) of the so- ital skull region, lower jaws, and metapodia are most muthus primigenius called early type with the plate frequency of 8.5 per important. As available material is fragmentary, iden- 10 cm was found. Similar buried sands of the Yana– tification is complicated in connection with the Omoloi interfluve were referred by Dementiev et al. absence of detailed descriptions of many skeleton frag- (1963) based on geomorphological data and bedding ments of belonging to the same indi- S. kirchbergensis to the second half of the Middle Neopleistocene. vidual. However, these authors indicated that this sand had The remains of Merck’s rhinoceros considered yielded a number of spruce and pine forms that are below are only the fourth record in Eastern Siberia. absent in the upper horizon of icy loams. Based on Previously, a skull from the Irkutsk Region (Brandt, these data, Goncharov (1968) assumed that these sand 445 446 SHPANSKY, BOESKOROV 72° 102° 114° 126° 138° 150° 162° 72° LAPTEV SEA EAST SIBERIAN SEA 68° . R 3 ° a 68 k d r Olenek R. 2 i g i d n I ° Kolyma R. 64 Lena R. 64° 1 Vilyui R. Yakutsk 60° 60° Amga R. Aldan R. ° 56 SEA OF OKHOTSK 56° 0 100 200 km 114° 126° 138° 150° Fig. 1. Localities of Merck’s rhinoceros in Yakutia: (1) Vilyui River, mouth of the Tyalychima River (Dubrovo, 1957); (2) Chon- don River (Kirillova et al., 2017), (3) Yana River, Mus Khaya locality. beds should be assigned to the Kazantsevo Interglacial assemblage from this formation is characterized by of the Late Neopleistocene. Subsequently, the sandy uniform proportions (within 20%) of tree–bush and beds on the Mus Khaya outcrop, which have yielded grassy–shrub associations, including mostly small the rhinoceros jaw considered here, were referred to birches, alder, and dwarf cedar (up to 4–6%); there are the Kemyulken Formation and, to the first half of the also rare larch, spruce, large birches, willows, and dip- Middle Neopleistocene (Fig. 2). The pollen–spore loid pines. Herbs compose 35–40% of pollen grains PALEONTOLOGICAL JOURNAL Vol. 52 No. 4 2018 NORTHERNMOST RECORD OF THE MERCK’S RHINOCEROS 447 International Northeastern Siberia Stratigraphic Chart, 2009 (Resolution ..., 1987) Stage Series Super- System horizon Horizon Ma Division Subseries (Cande and Kent, 1995) (Cande and Kent, Paleomagnetic scale Paleomagnetic @Голоцен@Голоцен Subdivision 0 Sartanian Molotkovskoe Upper Tarantian Upper Edomian Oiyagosskii sitskii Middle Kereme- 0.5 Aka- nian 1.0 Olierian Upper Chuko- chinskii Quaternary 1.5 Pleistocene Eopleistocene Neopleistocene Lower Lower Lower Middle 2.0 Gelasian Calabrian Ionian 2.5 Fig. 2. Correlation of units in the International Stratigraphic Chart (GTS, 2009) and Regional Stratigraphic Chart of northeastern Russia (MSK Resolution …, 1987) stratigraphic circuits. and are represented by wormwoods, sedges, grasses, on sedimentary conditions; nevertheless, the color of Ericales, Caryophyllaceae. About 20% of spores specimen IGABM, no. 400 may be evidence of a sig- belong to the Siberian club moss; spores of green and nificant geological age, not younger than the Middle sphagnum mosses (4–8%), lady ferns, and horsetails Neopleistocene (MIS10–MIS11). are less frequent. The spore-pollen spectrum corre- Abbreviations used in the present study are as fol- sponds to a warming, forest–tundra and tundra–steppe lows: (GM KGU) Geological Museum of Kazan State type of vegetation of northern Yakutia (Resheniya …, University; (IGABM) Diamond and Precious Metals 1987). The jaw (specimen IGABM, no. 400) is strongly Geology Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Rus- mineralized; the bone is dark brown, in places, dark sian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk; (PM TGU) Pale- fulvous, almost black; in breaks, bone substance is ontological Museum of Tomsk State University; dark brown; the teeth (enamel and roots) are mostly (TOKM) Tomsk Regional Museum; (YaNTs) Yakut dark brown, in places, black. This color is usually Scientific Center, Yakutsk; (YaFSOAN) Yakut Sub- characteristic of bones and teeth of mammals coming sidiary of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sci- from the beds of northern Yakutia older than the ences, Yakutsk; (SMNS) Stuttgart Museum of Natu- Upper Neopleistocene. For example, bone remains of ral History, Germany. mammals from the Early Neopleistocene Oleier Fauna are usually dark brown, dark gray, almost black (Sher, 1971). Mammal remains coming from overlying MATERIAL AND METHODS icy loesslike and loamy deposits of the Upper Neo- The following specimens were analyzed: specimen pleistocene are usually lighter, from light yellow to yel- IGABM, no. 400, left mandibular ramus with teeth; lowish light brown or grayish light brown (Verescha- IGABM, nos. 311 and 104/5, skulls; IGABM, no. 603, gin, 1979; Lazarev, 2008). The extent of mineraliza- tooth M2. Analyzing morphological characters of the tion and color of bone remains undoubtedly depend skull and lower jaw, we also examined specimens PM PALEONTOLOGICAL JOURNAL Vol. 52 No. 4 2018 448 SHPANSKY, BOESKOROV Table 1. Morphological distinctions in the lower jaw structure of the woolly and Merck’s the rhinoceroses Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis Coelodonta antiquitatis Symphysis
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