Abstract
The Wulanhua Fauna (∼7 Ma) derives from the basal part of Late Miocene red clays in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia. Chinese red clay deposits are rich in fossils of the Hipparion fauna, and are relatively widely distributed across Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Gansu provinces. The Mongolian Plateau also contains well-developed Neogene deposits, especially in central Inner Mongolia, where a sequence of mammalian faunas has been identified. The discovery of the Wulanhua Fauna provides an important indicator of the paleogeographical distribution of the Hipparion fauna, and this study also contributes to a better understanding of the climatic and environmental significance of red clays. Most forms of the Wulanhua Fauna are the same as or close to taxa within the Baode Fauna. However, some forms are slightly more derived than those of the Baode Fauna, which may indicate a slightly younger geological age of about 7 Ma. The components of the Wulanhua Fauna suggest that the habitat was a typical steppe and therefore yield direct evidence to delineate the boundary between the east and west subregions of the Late Miocene Hipparion fauna in North China.
References
Wang X M, Qiu Z D, Opdyke N D. Litho-, bio-, and magnetostratigraphy and paleoenvironment of Tunggur Formation (Middle Miocene) in central Inner Mongolia, China. Amer Mus Novitates, 2003, 3411: 1–31
Qiu Z D, Wang X M, Li Q. Faunal succession and biochronology of the Miocene through Pliocene in Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia). Vert PalAsiat, 2006, 44: 164–181
Qiu Z D, Li C K. Evolution of Chinese mammalian faunal regions and elevation of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2005, 48: 1246–1258
Deng T. Chinese Neogene mammal biochronology. Vert PalAsiat, 2006, 44: 143–163
Ringström T. Nashörner der Hipparion-Fauna Nord-Chinas. Palaeont Sin Ser C, 1924, 1: 1–159
Zdansky O. Jungtertiare Carnivoren Chinas. Palaeont Sin Ser C, 1924, 2: 1–150
Bohlin B. Die Familie Giraffidae mit besonderer berucksichtigung der fossilen Formen aus China. Palaeont Sin Ser C, 1926, 4: 1–178
Sefve I. Die Hipparionen Nord-Chinas. Palaeont Sin Ser C, 1927, 4: 1–94
Deng T, Wang W M, Yue L P, et al. New advances in the establishment of the Neogene Baode Stage (in Chinese). J Stratigr, 2004, 28: 41–47
Yue L P, Deng T, Zhang Y X, et al. Magnetostratigraphy of stratotype section of the Baode Stage (in Chinese). J Stratigr, 2004, 28: 48–51
Zhu Y M, Zhou L P, Mo D W, et al. A new magnetostratigraphic framework for Late Neogene Hipparion red clay in the eastern Loess Plateau of China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 2008, 268: 47–57
Hou S K, Deng T, He W, et al. New materials of Sinohippus from Gansu and Nei Mongol, China. Vert PalAsiat, 2007, 45: 213–231
Qi T. Several Late Pliocene mammalian fossils from the Damiao area, Inner Mongolia (in Chinese). Vert PalAsiat, 1979, 17: 259–260
Zhang X J. The Cenozoic stratigraphical sequence of Linhe region in Neimeng Autonomous Region (in Chinese). Petrol Explor Develop, 1984, 4: 1–8
Qiu Z X, Huang W L, Guo Z H. The Chinese hipparionine fossils. Palaeont Sin New Ser C, 1987, 25: 1–243
Zhang Y X, Xue X X. Taphonomy of Longjiagou Hipparionine Fauna (Turolian, Miocene) Wudu County, Gansu Province, China (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1995. 1–96
Bohlin B. Cavicornier der Hipparion-Fauna Nord-Chinas. Palaeont Sin Ser C, 1935, 9: 1–166
Qiu Z D, Storch G. The Early Pliocene micromammalian fauna of Bilike, Inner Mongolia, China (Mammalia: Lipotyphla, Chiroptera, Rodentia, Lagomorpha). Senck Leth, 2000, 80: 173–229
Qiu Z D. The Neogene mammalian faunas of Ertemte and Harr Obo in Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol), China. 12. Jerboas — Rodentia: Dipodidae. Senck Leth, 2003, 83: 135–147
Tseng Z J, Wang X M. The first record of the Late Miocene Hyaenictitherium hyaenoides Zdansky (Carnivora: Hyaenidae) in Inner Mongolia and an evaluation of the genus. J Vert Paleont, 2007, 27: 699–708
Luo X Q, Chen Q T. Preliminary study on geochronology for Cenozoic basalts from Inner Mongolia (in Chinese). Acta Petrol Mineral, 1990, 9: 37–46
Tong Y S, Zheng S H, Qiu Z D. Evolution of Cenozoic mammalian faunal regions of China. Vert PalAsiat, 1996, 34: 215–227
Zhang R Z. Zoogeography of China (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1999. 1–502
Zachos J, Pagani M, Sloan L, et al. Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present. Science, 2001, 292: 686–693
Deng T. New material of Hispanotherium matritense (Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla) from Laogou of Hezheng County (Gansu, China), with special reference to the Chinese Middle Miocene elasmotheres. Geobios, 2003, 36: 141–150
Heissig K. Family Rhinocerotidae. In: Rössner G E, Heissig K, eds. The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe. München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 1999. 175–188
Deng T. Character, age and ecology of the Hezheng Biota from northwestern China. Acta Geol Sin, 2005, 79: 739–750
Wang Y, Deng T. A 25-Ma record of paleodiet and environmental change from carbon and oxygen isotopes in mammalian tooth enamel and paleosols from the NE margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 2005, 236: 322–338
Zhang C F, Wang Y, Deng T, et al. C4 expansion in the central Inner Mongolia during the latest Miocene and Early Pliocene. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 2009, 287: 311–319
Guo Z T, Peng S Z, Hao Q Z, et al., Late Miocene-Pliocene development of Asian aridification as recorded in an eolian sequence in northern China. Glob Planet Change, 2004, 41: 135–145
Ding Z L, Sun J M, Liu T S, et al. Wind-blown origin of the Pliocene red clay formation in central Loess Plateau, China. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 1998, 161: 135–143
Ding Z L, Sun J M, Yang S L, et al. Geochemistry of the Pliocene red clay formation in the Chinese Loess Plateau and implications for its origin, source provenance and paleoclimate change. Geoch Cosmoch Acta, 2001, 65: 901–913
Sun X J, Wang P X. How old is the Asian monsoon system?—Palaeobotanical records from China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 2005, 222: 181–222
Wang P X. Global monsoon in a geological perspective. Chinese Sci Bull, 2009, 54: 1113–1136
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Rights and permissions
This article is published under an open access license. Please check the 'Copyright Information' section either on this page or in the PDF for details of this license and what re-use is permitted. If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and re-use information, please contact the Rights and Permissions team.
About this article
Cite this article
Deng, T., Liang, Z., Wang, S. et al. Discovery of a Late Miocene mammalian fauna from Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, and its paleozoogeographical significance. Chin. Sci. Bull. 56, 526–534 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-010-4259-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-010-4259-0
Keywords
- Siziwang Banner
- Inner Mongolia
- Late Miocene
- red clay
- mammal
- zoogeography