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CHAPTER 3 Systematic Palaeontology

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CHAPTER 3 Systematic Palaeontology TAXONOMIC STUDIES OF FOSSIL EVEN AND ODD- TOED MAMMALS FROM THE MIOCENE ROCKS OF DHOK BUN AMEER KHATOON, DISTRICT CHAKWAL, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN By KHIZAR SAMIULLAH A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Philosophy In the Faculty of the Life Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan Supervisor PROF. DR. MUHAMMAD AKHTAR Department of Zoology University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus Lahore, Pakistan. (2010) IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL DEDICATION Dedicated to MY PARENTS BROTHERS, SISTERS AND MY WIFE i ABSTRACT Fossil site Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon (32o 47' 26.4" N, 72° 55' 35.7" E) yielded a significant amount of mammalian assemblage including four families of even-toed fossil mammal (Suidae, Tragulidae, Giraffidae, and Bovidae) and one family of odd-toed (Rhinocerotidae) of the Late Miocene. This newly discovered site has well exposed Chinji and Nagri formation and has dated approximately 14.2 Ma-9.5 Ma. This age agrees with the divergence of different mammalian genera and is important Palaeoecologically, Palaeogeographically and Palaeoclimatologically. Sedimentological evidence of the site supports that this is deposited in locustrine or fluvial environment, as Chinji formation is composed primarily of mud-stone while the Nagri formation is sand dominated. Palaeoenvironmental data indicates that Miocene climate of Pakistan was probably be monsoonal as there is now a days. Mostly the genera recovered from this site resemble with the overlying younger Dhok Pathan formation of the Siwaliks while the size variation in dentition is taxonomically important for vertebrate evolutionary point of view and this is the main reason to conduct this study at this specific site to add additional information in the field of Palaeontology. A detailed study of fossils even and odd-toed mammals found in Miocene rocks exposed at Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon was carried out. Over all one hundred and twenty specimens were collected during field trips from which forty two specimens are well preserved and identified and are described in this thesis. Two specimens belonging to Gaindatherium browni, five specimens belonging to Listriodon pentapotamiae, four specimens belonging to Dorcatherium majus, one specimen belonging to Dorcatherium cf minus, two specimens belonging to Giraffa priscilla, twenty one specimens belonging to Giraffokeryx punjabiensis, three specimens belonging to Gazella sp. and three specimens belonging to Eotragus sp. Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon is the new locality which is discovered in detail first time in Pakistan by the present author. The collection comprises isolated upper and lower teeth and fragments of maxillae and mandibular ramii. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All praises to omnipotent Allah, who bestowed me the wisdom and courage to complete this palaeontological research work successfully. And Darood-o-salam to Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Who is forever a path of guidance for mankind and enables us to recognize our creator and to understand the philosophy of life. It is my privilege and honour to express the deepest gratitude to my dignified supervisor, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akhtar for his inspiring guidance, unprecedented help and intellectual suggestions. Without his help it would not have been possible for me to produce this work. Thanks and gratitude to my Father, Mother, Brothers and Sisters, as without their prayers and support I was unable to accomplish this work. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar and Dr. Muhammad Akbar Khan are thanked for their regular visits with me as well as for their precious advices during field work. Mr. Saeed-ur-Rehman Deputy Director Fisheries is thanked for urging me for Ph. D. and Mr. Ghulam Murtaza, Mr. Muhammad Abid, Muhammad Hassan Siddiqi and Shaukat Bhatti are thanked for being patient with me. I would like to thank Abdul Majid Khan, Mr. Abdul Rehman and Mr. Muhammad Bilal for their support and help in photography. The author is grateful to Engineer Jahangeer Siddique Bhatti, Sub Divisional Officer and Assad Shabbir, Lecturer institute of Mycology and Plant Pathology, for their helpful discussion and suggestions for the improvement of the manuscript. Hafiz Muhammad Nazir, my supper senior is also being thanked for his help to prepare my Ph. D. synopsis in my early days. I would like to thank Mr. Mahboob Iqbal, Assistant Professor for his kind co-operation during my research work. I offer my profound thanks to Dr. Muhamad Shafiq Ahmad for his absorbing attitude, useful intellectual suggestions and helping me in all the difficulties. I pay my cordial thanks to my loving and caring Brothers Humayoun Malik, Jawad Malik, Babar Malik, and Aamir Malik and sisters who prayed and encouraged me a lot. I will also ever remember the exceptional support and prayers of my wife, who patiently waited for the completion of this work. I am also thankful to Mr. Maskeen Ali laboratory attendant for his help and continuous visits to study area with me. I am grateful to Mr. Maqsood Hussain (Lab. Attendant) for his assistance in the hours of need. iii I would like to thank all the people from the village Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon for their hospitality. Special thanks to Mr. Iftikhar and his son Mohsin for their help in my every field trip for fossil collections. If I forget to mention any person then I do apologise and say so lot of thanks whom I missed. Khizar Samiullah Malik iv ABBREVIATIONS Ma Million years ago MN European Mammal Neogene zone scale No. Number mm millimeter AMNH American museum of Natural History, New York, U.S.A. GSI Geological survey of India (Kolkata) GSP Geological survey of Pakistan (Islamabad) PUPC 08/11 Punjab University Palentological Collection, housed in the department of Zoology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan (Institutional abbreviation). In the text the lower figure of the serial numbers denotes the collected number of the specimen of the respective years. I1 Upper Incisor 1 M 1 First upper or lower molar 2 M 2 Second upper or lower molar 3 M 3 Third upper or lower molar 2 P 2 Second upper or lower premolar 3 P 3 Third upper or lower premolar 4 P 4 Fourth upper or lower premolar L maximum preserved length W maximum preserved width H maximum preserved height W/L Width/Length ratio v CONTENTS Abstract ............................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................ii Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................iv Contents ...........................................................................................................................v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................ix List of plots ......................................................................................................................xii CHAPTER 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................1 Geography of the Siwaliks ..................................................................................1 Geology of the Siwaliks .......................................................................................3 Lithology of the Siwaliks .....................................................................................4 Sedimentology of the Siwaliks ............................................................................8 Taphonomy of the Siwaliks .................................................................................9 Siwalik Stratigraphy.............................................................................................11 Siwalik Chronostratigraphy .................................................................................14 Siwalik Biostratigrapy and Paleoenvironments ...................................................16 Studied Section ................................................................................................................19 Methodology ....................................................................................................................21 Tooth Morphology ...........................................................................................................22 Objectives of Present Study .............................................................................................24 Thesis Layout ...................................................................................................................24 CHAPTER 2 Literature Review.............................................................................................................25 Rhinocerotids .......................................................................................................26 Suids .....................................................................................................................27 Tragulids ..............................................................................................................28 Giraffids ...............................................................................................................29 Bovids
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