BIOLOGIA (PAKISTAN) PKISSN 0006 – 3096 (Print)

December, 2016, 62 (2), 345-349 ISSN 2313 – 206X (On-Line)

Some New Fossils of Protanancus chinjiensis (Proboscidea, Mammalia) from

Middle Miocene of Pakistan
SAYYED GHYOUR ABBAS, MUHAMMAD AKBAR KHAN, *MUHAMMAD ADEEB BABAR,
RABIA SHAHID, MUHAMMAD KHALIL NAWAZ, & MUHAMMAD AKHTAR

Dr. Abu Bakr Fossil Display and Research Centre, Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
ABSTARCT
Newly discovered remains of Protanancus from the late Middle Miocene Chinji Formation of Pakistan
have been described and discussed. The material originates from two localities: Chabbar Sayyedan (near Pari
Darveza) in district Jhelum, Chinji and Kanhatti in district Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan. The new material is being
reported for the first time from these localities after the description of this species by Tassy (1983). The Middle
Miocene proboscideans especially Protanancus are rare and every new finding contributes to their better
knowledge.
Key Words: proboscideans, vertebrates, miocene, chinji, siwaliks.

INTRODUCTION

Chabbar Sayyedan (Lat. 33° 00' 71.3" N,

Long. 73° 22' 63.7" E) is one of the neglected
Siwalik locality, located in the Potwar Plateau of
Pakistan. Recently, the locality has provided
abundant late Middle Miocene faunal elements
including rhinocerotids and artiodactyls. The locality
is situated in the Jhelum district, Punjab, Pakistan
(Fig. 1). The outcrops belong to the Middle Miocene
in age. The Chinji Formation can be identified easily
on the basis of lithology by having bright red clay.
The mammalian fauna of the locality shares many
common species with the other Middle Miocene
localities of the Siwaliks (Colbert, 1935; Sarwar,
1977; Tassy 1983; Khan et al., 2011a, b, 2012,
2013). Fig., 1: Map of Potwar Plateau, northern Pakistan
Previously, Protanacus chinjiensis was (studied sites highlighted).
reported from the Middle Miocene of the Siwaliks
with various names (Pilgrim, 1913; Osborn, 1936;
Sarwar, 1977; Tassy, 1983). Pilgrim (1913) quoted it MATERIALS AND METHODS
in the fauna of the lower Chinji as Tetrabelodon
aungustidens var. chinjiensis and Tetrahelodon The described specimens have been
macrognathus. Osborn (1936) named the same collected from the fossiliferous localities nearby the
specimens as Trilophodon chinjiensis. Tassy (1983) Chabbar Sayyedan village, Chinji Rest House and
noted that all these earlier described specimens Kanhatti village (Fig. 1). The material is been a part
showed the characters of amebelodontines (with of the PhD thesis of the first author. The surface
massive upper tusks strongly curved laterally, lower collection was the main tool of collecting fossils but
tusks with concentric dentine, more dorsally in some cases the excavation was done to dig up
concave than those of Archaeobelodon; pseudo- the partially buried fossils. Further preparation was
anancoidy of the prettrite and posttrite half done in the Dr. Abu Bakar Fossil Display and
lophs(ids), especially in M3, and more developed Research Centre with the help of various
cementum than in Archaeobelodon) and named preparatory tools, gums and resins. The upper case
Protanacus chinjiensis as a valid species in the is used for upper dentition (M) and lower one for
Lower Siwaliks. lower dentition (m). The nomenclature of description

Author’s Contribution: S.G.A., R.S., M.K.N., Collection and identification of samples; M.A.K., M.A.B., M.A., Planning, supervising the
work and manuscript writing. *Corresponding author: babar_fcc2005@yahoo.com
346 S. G. ABBAS ET AL BIOLOGIA (PAKISTAN)

of the teeth and mandible fragments follows Tassy posttrite cone (metacone) has mesoconelet
(1983, 1996). (partially divided), and posterior posttrite central
SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY conule. The third loph is the smallest one and main
pretrite cone (posthypoconule) is well shifted
Superfamily Elephantoidea Gray, 1821 posteriorly resulting in partial chevroning “V-shape”.
Family amebelodontidae Barbour, 1927 A small valley is present between the third loph and
Genus Protanancus Arambourg, 1945 the posterior cingulum. The posterior cingulum is
weaker than the anterior one.
Protanancus chinjiensis, Pilgrim, 1913 Lower dentition: The lower dentition includes last
Lectotype: Mandible equipped with m2 and left and molars (Fig. 2). The molars are pentalophids. In all
right m3 and lower left tusk cut near its origin, No. specimens, the first lophid is missing and the
AM 19421, figured by Osborn (1936, fig 218, p 237). second lophid is partially preserved. In the third
Type locality: B 53-54, 2 miles 1/2 West Chinji lophid, there is pronounced pseudo-anancoid
Rest-House, Chinji Formation. contact but in the form of junction cusp. In the third
Geographic Distribution: Protanancus is one of lophid the postentoconulid is the highest among all
the proboscidean species in the Lower Siwalik the conids. The fourth lophid is small and chevron.
Subgroup (Osborn, 1936; Tobien, 1972; Tassy, The fifth lophid and posterior cingulid is incipient.
1983). Geraads & Gulec (2003) ascribed some The molar has abundant quantity of the cement. All
deciduous premolars of this species from Turkey. the valleys show the deposition of the cement in
Recently, Markov & Vergiev (2010) described the abundance. The enamel is highly rugose. The roots
same species for the first time from Europe. are strong.
Stratigraphic range: Kamlial and Chinji formations,
Lower Siwaliks.
Diagnosis: Amebelodont with very elongated
symphysis, the cheek teeth with pronounced
3
anancoide tendency, especially M 3, enamel very
wrinkled, molars usually have a post trite trefoil and
the structure of dentin is less concentric in tusks
(Tassy, 1983).
New material: PUPC 15/237, partially damaged left
M1; PUPC 15/74, posterior part of left m3; PUPC
15/04, partially broken right m3; PUPC 15/71, left
mandible fragment with partial m3.
Localities: PUPC 15/237, Chabbar Syedan; PUPC
15/74, Kanhatti; PUPC 15/04, Chabbar Syedan;
PUPC 15/71, Chinji Rest House.

DESCRIPTION

Upper dentition: The anterior cingulum is strong,

slightly worn and is in contact with the anterior
pretrite central conule in the upper molar (Fig., 2).
The median sulcus is present but it is blocked by the
pseudo-anancoid contact. The first loph is well
developed; the main pretrite cone (protocone) is
slightly worn, shows trefoil structure and has
incipient mesoconelet, anterior and posterior central
conules. The main posttrite cone (paracone) of the
first loph has mesoconelet and posterior posttrite Fig., 2: PUPC 15/237, partially damaged left M1; 2.
central conule, which form the conelet. The first PUPC 15/74, posterior part of left m3; 3. PUPC
valley is narrow lingually and wide labially. The main 15/04, partially broken right m3; 4. PUPC 15/71, left
pretrite cone (hypocone) of the second loph is more mandible fragment with partial m3. a) Occlusal view,
distinct than that of the first loph, showing the same b) Lingual view, c) Labial view. Scale bar 20mm.
morphology. The anterior pretrite central conule is in
contact with the posterior posttrite central conule of
the first loph forming pseudo-anancoid. The main
VOL. 62 (2) MIDDLE MIOCENE PROBOSCIDEANS
COMPARISON AND DISCUSSION
The studied lower molars represent well-
developed pseudo-anancoid contact, which
associates them to the genus Protanancus.
Protanancus is characterized by having flat lower
tusks, long symphysis that ends in beak, long and
narrow lower molars with pseudo-anancoid contact,
alternating semilophs/ids, cementodonty, and
posttrite ornamentation (Tassy, 1983, 1984, 1986).
The Siwalik Protanancus is represented by only one
species P. chinjiensis and the material attributes to
the species P. chinjiensis morphometerically (Table
I). Previously, Sarwar (1977) described Anancus
properimensis from the Chinji type locality, based on
a single specimen UZ 47. It is a partial tetralohid
right m3 which shows the pseudo-anancoid contact,
indicating that the molar definitely belongs to the
genus Protanancus. Tassy (1983) described some
m3s (with the characteristic pseudo-anancoid
contact) from the Chinji Formation of the Siwaliks.
Protanancus, an amebelodontid, has been
reported by five species all over the world during
Middle Miocene. It has been reported from the
Middle Miocene of East Africa (P. macinnesi; Tassy,
1986), the Middle Miocene (possibly extending into
the Late Miocene) of south Asia (P. chinjiensis;
Tassy, 1983), the Middle Miocene of west Asia (P.
sp.; Tassy, 1984), and recently from the Middle
Miocene of Europe (cf. Protanancus; Markov &
Vergiev, 2010) and of southeast Asia (cf. P.
Macinnesi; Saegusa et al., 2005; Thasod et al.,
2012).
Pilgrim (1913, p 316) quotes in the fauna of
the "Lower Chinji" area with various elephantoids
"Tetrabelodon aungustidens var. chinjiensis" and
"Tetrahelodon macrognathus". In the latter case, the
mandible described by Pilgrim (1913, p. 309), but
not shown, is characterized by elongation of the
rostrum. Type (and only specimen) of this species,
only a photograph of the m3 g. is known (Osborn,
1936, fig. 219, p. 274, specimen 692, IM). However,
Hopwood (in Osborn, 1936, p. 274) notes that “the
holotype mandible with rami fastened together does
not appear to leave room for more than a short
rostrum". The main feature of this case remains
doubtful and I do not comment on its systematic
status.
347
Trilophodon chinjiensis was raised to the
species rank by Osborn (1936), whose indication
was provided by the Pilgrim (1913) in terms of
elongation of symphysis which is found in T.
chinjiesis. It was previously created as variety of
Tetrabelodon angustidens by Pilgrim (1913) and he
noted that its symphysis is more elongate than the
T. angustidens. The lectotype, AM 19421 (loc. B 53-
54) is a mandible provided with m2 (excavated) and
m3 and incised left tusk. The symphysis is very long
and a little broken in front of the origin of the
incisors. This species is therefore valid.
The species was ascribed by Tassy (1983)
as amebelodont after revising the previous
specimens. Osborn (1929) created a new species
“Synconolophus ptychodus” from material of lower
Chinji Formation; much of these specimens
including holotype belong to P. chinjiensis. Anancus
properimensis (Osborn, 1936) shows that anacoidy
in lower molars is comparable to Trilophodon
chinjiensis and belong to P. chinjiensis. The m3
fragments reported by Sarwar (1977) as “Anancus
properimensis”. Gomphotherium dialensis Sarwar
(1977) is quite comparable to A. properimensis,
which has been synonymized with P. chinjiensis
(Tassy, 1983).
The studied specimens correspond well
with the specimen studied by Tassy (1983)
especially the lower molars. The studied M1 (PUPC
15/237) is identical to the specimen figured by
Tassy (1983; Plate 2, Fig. 7). All the studied partial
m3s are in agreement in terms of its morphology to
m3 described by Tassy (1983; Plate 2, Fig. 9).
These show typical diagnostic characters
associated including the pseudo-anancoidy and
chevroning of last lophids.
CONCLUSIONS
Protanacus chinjiensis is recovered from
the Chinji Formation of the Lower Siwalik Subgroup
of Pakistan. The two localities Chinji and Kanhatti in
district Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan are famous for
the Middle Miocene proboscideans. The recovered
specimens are housed in the Dr. Abu Bakr Fossil
Display and Research Centre, Zoology Department,
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
348 S. G. ABBAS ET AL BIOLOGIA (PAKISTAN)

Table I: Measurements of the cheek teeth of Protanancus chinjiensis (mm). * The studied specimens.
** Dimensions of preserved parts. Referred data are taken from Tassy (1983).

Number Position L l1 l2 l3 l4 l5 l6
PUPC 15/237* lM1 92.5 54.0 56.0 59.0 40.0 (talon)
PUPC 15/08* lM2 112.0 62.0 64.0 63.5 45.0 (talon)
+
AM 19442 lM1 93.6 56.4 58.6 54
PUPC 15/74* lM3 116.2 - - - -
YPM 20064 lM3 149 86e 82.4 81.9 66.6
IM K 24/862 lM3 157 89.0 87.0 80 66.0
BSM 201 lM3 175 88.6 89.1 85.8 73.0
AM 103242 lM3 192.2 84.6 90.9 83.7 81.0 69.0
PUPC 15/04* rm3 162 - - 73.5** 65.5 49.5
PUPC 15/71* m3 136.6** 140** 73.1 52.75 42.4
63.4
(talonid)
AM 19421 rm3 170 63.5 67.0 72.1 70.4 55.4
lm3 174.5 64.3 67.5 71.7 68.5 51.6
+ + +
AM 19398 lm3 195 61.0 71 72 67.5
+ 57
YMP 19277 lm3 177 69.0 73.4 72.7 65.0
+
BSM 128 loph rm3 125 - - - 55.0 - -
l1-6 =width of lobe/lophid
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dhok Bun Amir Khatoon, Chakwal,
Pakistan: systematics and biostratigraphy.
First author (Sayyed Ghyour Abbas) is Turk. J. Zool. 35: 281–286.
greatly thankful to Dr. Ari Grossman, for providing Khan M.A., Khan, A.M., Ghaffar, A., Iqbal, M., &
the literature and for his endless moral support. Akhtar, M., 2011b. New fossil locality in the
Thanks are due to Dr. Jon E. Kalb, Dr. Hauro Neogene of Lava. Pak. J. Zool. 43: 61–72.
Sauegusa, Dr. Shiqi Wang and Dr. Nikos Soulianis Khan, M.A., Akhtar, M. & Ikram, T., 2012. True
for the useful comments on the material. ungulates from the Nagri type locality (late
Miocene), northern Pakistan. J. Anim. Pl.
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Received: 04-02-2016 Revised:06.02.2016 Accepted: 31-05-2016