On fossil remains of Early Pleistocene tapir (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from Fanchang, Anhui
Chinese Science Bulletin
2002
Journal Article
47
7
586-590
Tapiridae Mammalia Early Pleistocene Fanchang Anhui Tapir Bibliography
The materials of Tapirus from Renzidong, Fanchang, Anhui Province, are the best ones among the early most Pleistocene findings in China up to now, not only in richness, but also in completeness. The fossils contain complete tooth rows of both the upper and the lower, as well as most parts of the postcranial skeletons. These materials are very helpful in understanding the evolutionary level of this kind of animal. In morphology, the materials from Fanchang appear to be very similar to Tapirus sanyuanensis, and can be placed within this species. The materials from Fanchang provided sound evidence to distinguish the Early Pleistocene tapirs and the living form Tapirus indicus. As to the geological distribution, it can be tentatively concluded that Tapirus sanyuanensis and Tapirus sinensis only appeared in Early Pleistocene, Megatapirus appeared after Early Pleistocene, and lasted until Holocene. The Early Pleistocene tapirs of South China resemble Megatapirus more closely than Tapirus indicus.