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New Fossil Suid Specimens from the Terminal Miocene Hominoid Locality of Shuitangba, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China

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A Correction to this article was published on 18 April 2018

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Abstract

Fossil suid specimens recovered from the latest Miocene site of Shuitangba, Zhaotong Basin, Yunnan Province, provide new information on the classification and relationship of Chinese Miocene Suinae. Most of the recovered specimens are referred to a relatively advanced and large species of Suinae, Propotamochoerus hyotherioides, based on dental dimensions and morphology. Detailed morphological comparisons were made between the Shuitangba Pr. hyotherioides and other Asian Miocene suines. From these comparisons, we suggest that Pr. hyotherioides from Shuitangba and northern China may be relatively derived compared to the specimens from Lufeng and Yuanmou, southern China and that Pr. hyotherioides and Pr. wui represent separate branches of the genus in China. Furthermore, Microstonyx differs from Pr. hyotherioides in p4/P4 and m3/M3 characters. Molarochoerus is suggested to represent a relatively derived taxon due to the uniquely molarized upper and lower fourth premolars. Miochoerus youngi is suggested to have a closer relationship to Sus and Microstonyx than to Propotamochoerus due to its small size and p4 morphology. Hippopotamodon ultimus, Potamochoerus chinhsienense, Dicoryphochoerus medius, and D. binxianensis exhibit complex morphologies that variously resemble Propotamochoerus, Microstonyx, and Sus and are suggested to be possible transitional forms between Propotamochoerus, Microstonyx, and Sus. However, the resolution of their classification requires further analysis when more material is recovered.

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Change history

  • 18 April 2018

    The original version of this article unfortunately contained mistakes. Table 5 is the comparison of upper and lower molars. However, the published edition only showed the sub-title of the upper molars, and the sub-title of the lower molars are missing.

Abbreviations

DAP:

Length of Premolar and Molar

DLL:

Labio-Lingual Diameter

DMD:

Mesio-Distal Diameter

DT:

Maximum Width of a Cheek Tooth

DTa:

Width of the First Lobe of a Cheek Tooth

DTp:

Width of the Second Lobe of a Cheek Tooth

DTpp:

Width of the Third Lobe of the Third Molar and the Deciduous Fourth Lower Premolar

H:

Height

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Acknowledgements

We thank all of those who participated in the fieldwork that resulted in the retrieval of these specimens. We would like to particularly acknowledge the assistance of the following individuals and institutions in providing field logistical support: Guodong Mao, Yuxi Museum, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Qujing Institute of Cultural Relics, Chuxiong Prefectural Museum, Zhaotong Government. Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the National Science Foundation of the United States of America (BCS-1035897, BCS-1227964, BCS-1227927, BCS-1227838), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41202002, 41430102), Yunnan Natural Science Foundation (Grant 2010CC010), Zhaotong Government, and Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. S. Hou was funded by National Science Foundation of the United States of America BCS-1227964 (to D.F. Su) while undertaking this study. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers and J.R. Wible for their insightful comments, which improved the quality and clarity of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China

    Sukuan Hou & Tao Deng

  2. Department of Paleobotany and Paleoecology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

    Sukuan Hou & Denise F. Su

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Sukuan Hou & Tao Deng

  4. Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4101, USA

    Jay Kelley

  5. Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Nina G. Jablonski

  6. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Lawrence J. Flynn

  7. Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China

    Xueping Ji

  8. Key Laboratory for Paleobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China

    Xueping Ji

  9. Zhaotong Institute of Cultural Relics, Zhaotong, Yunnan, 657000, China

    Jiayong Cao

  10. Zhaoyang Museum, Zhaotong, Yunnan, 657000, China

    Xin Yang

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  1. Sukuan Hou
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  2. Denise F. Su
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  9. Xin Yang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sukuan Hou.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: Table 5 is the comparison of upper and lower molars. However, the published edition only showed the sub-title of the upper molars, and the sub-title of the lower molars are missing.

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Hou, S., Su, D.F., Kelley, J. et al. New Fossil Suid Specimens from the Terminal Miocene Hominoid Locality of Shuitangba, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China. J Mammal Evol 26, 557–571 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9431-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9431-3

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