Siwalik Hills (Pliocene of Pakistan)

Where: Pakistan (30.7° N, 76.8° E: paleocoordinates 29.2° N, 77.3° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Pinjor Formation, Pliocene (5.3 - 2.6 Ma)

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fluvial; lithology not reported

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: Local environment (based on mammals) is open grassland,with some bushland ansd wooded grassland.

Primary reference: M. Pickford. 2007. Revision of the Mio-Pliocene bunodont otter-like mammals of the Indian Subcontinent. Estudios Geologicos 63(1):83-127 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 92070: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 28.10.2009, edited by Evangelos Vlachos, Bethany Allen and Grace Varnham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• This faunal list is an amalgamation of specimens collected at a number of localities in the area. Gastropods, etc., are mentioned but not described. Also 'unionids' listed.
Mammalia
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Enhydriodon falconeri Pilgrim 1932 otter
Enhydriodon sivalensis Falconer 1868 otter
Reptilia
 Testudines - Emydidae
"Bataguridae indet." = Batagurinae8, Omegachelys sahnii8, Emyda vittata7
"Bataguridae indet." = Batagurinae8 Gray 1870 turtle
E-105 (right hypoplastron); E-106 (left hypoplastron)
Omegachelys sahnii8 Srivastava and Schleich 2018 turtle
H 18/1 (carapace)
Emyda vittata7 Peters 1854 turtle
BMNH 39618, imperfect adult shell; BMNH 39833, imperfect adult shell; BMNH R.1441, conjoined right hyo- and hypoplastral; BMNH 1441b, right anterior marginal bone; BMNH 1441c, right half of nuchal; BMNH 48445, small marginal bone
 Testudines - Testudinidae
"Megalochelys sivalensis n. gen. n. sp." = Megalochelys sivalensis2, "Colossochelys atlas n. gen. n. sp." = Megalochelys sivalensis3, "Testudo punjabiensis n. sp." = Megalochelys sivalensis7, Testudo cautleyi n. sp.7, Testudo atlas n. sp.7, Cachuga tectum7
"Megalochelys sivalensis n. gen. n. sp." = Megalochelys sivalensis2 Falconer and Cautley 1837 turtle
Holotype: BMNH-40630, an epiplastron; E-80 (epiplastron) originally referred to as geoudo punjabiensis; PUA/702 (shell), E-76 (epiplastron), E-77 (skull), originally referred to as Colossochelys atlas; E-82 (epiplastra) and E-86 (right peripheral 11) originally referred to as Cautleya annuliger
"Colossochelys atlas n. gen. n. sp." = Megalochelys sivalensis3 Falconer and Cautley 1837 turtle
"Testudo punjabiensis n. sp." = Megalochelys sivalensis7 Falconer and Cautley 1837 turtle
BMNH R.599 (cast of holotype) from "Pliocene Siwaliks of the Punjab", partial right epiplastral; BMNH R.599a, cast of left epiplastral; BMNH R.600, cast of nuchal bone
Testudo cautleyi n. sp.7 Lydekker 1889 turtle
BMNH R.937 (holotype), epiplastrals; BMNH R.955, part of epiplastrals from small individual
Testudo atlas n. sp.7 Falconer and Cautley 1844 turtle
BMNH 40603 (holotype), imperfect epiplastrals of an adult; BMNH R.326a, nuchal bone; BMNH 16903, 1st and 2nd marginal on left side; BMNH 16903a, part of left side of shell; BMNH 16909, 1st marginal bone on left side; BMNH 16904, part of 2nd and 3rd marginal on left side; BMNH R.326c, incomplete 7th and 8th marginals on left side; BMNH 326b, posterior end of carapace; BMNH 16897, right inguinal region of carapace; BMNH R.326d, right inguinal region of carapace; BMNH R.326e, partial 7th and 8th marginal bones on right side; BMNH 16940, imperfect epiplastrals of an adult; BMNH 16941, Imperfect epiplastrals and entoplastral of an adult; BMNH R.326i, piece of epiplastrals; BMNH R.920, posterior extremity of epiplastral carina; BMNH 16955, right epiplastral of a juvenile; BMNH 40629, posterior extremity of plastron; BMNH R.326r, part of right side of plastron
Cachuga tectum7 Gray 1831 turtle
BMNH 39837, incomplete shell
 Testudines - Geoemydidae
"Bellia sivalensis n. sp." = Melanochelys sivalensis7, "Bellia theobaldi n. sp." = Melanochelys sivalensis7, Melanochelys trijuga8, Melanochelys tapani n. sp.4, Palatochelydia indet.4, "Hardella thurjii" = Hardella thurjii8, "Batagur falconeri n. sp." = Hardella thurjii5, "Batagur durandi n. sp." = Batagur dhongoka7, "Batagur bakeri n. sp." = Batagur kachuga7, cf. Batagur baska8, Batagur cautleyi n. sp.5, Pangshura sp.5, "Geoclemys hamiltonii" = Geoclemys hamiltonii8, "Clemmys palaeindica n. sp." = Geoclemys hamiltonii5
"Bellia sivalensis n. sp." = Melanochelys sivalensis7 Lydekker 1885 Indian black turtles
BMNH R.1514 (cast of holotype), imperfect shell
"Bellia theobaldi n. sp." = Melanochelys sivalensis7 Lydekker 1885 Indian black turtles
BMNH R.1515 (cast of holotype), imperfect shell
Melanochelys trijuga8 Schweigger 1812 Indian black turtle
E-89 (shell) originally labelled as Clemmys theobaldi; E-90 (shell) originally labelled as Clemmys sivalensis; E-92 (shell) originally labelled as Clemmys punjabiensis; E-93 (shell) originally labelled as Clemmys hydaspica; K-53/222 (shell)
Melanochelys tapani n. sp.4 Garbin et al. 2020 Indian black turtles
Palatochelydia indet.4 Joyce and Lyson 2010 turtle
BMNH 39840, incomplete juvenile shell; BMNH 39838, adult shell; BMNH R.887, partial unusually large shell
"Hardella thurjii" = Hardella thurjii8 Gray 1831 turtle
E-176 (shell), W19/178 (shell)
"Batagur falconeri n. sp." = Hardella thurjii5 Gray 1831 turtle
BMNH 39835, partial shell
"Batagur durandi n. sp." = Batagur dhongoka7 Gray 1834 Three-striped roofed turtle
BMNH 39841 (holotype), adult shell
"Batagur bakeri n. sp." = Batagur kachuga7 Gray 1831 Red-crowned roofed turtle
BMNH 39835a (holotype), incomplete shell; BMNH R.891, partial juvenile shell
cf. Batagur baska8 Gray 1831 River terrapin
E-104 (nuchal), E-108 (peripheral)
Batagur cautleyi n. sp.5 Lydekker 1885 turtle
BMNH 39834 and IM E.178, partial shells
Pangshura sp.5 Gray 1856 turtle
BMNH 17435, partial shell
"Geoclemys hamiltonii" = Geoclemys hamiltonii8 Gray 1831 Spotted pond turtle
BMNH-39838 (shell)
"Clemmys palaeindica n. sp." = Geoclemys hamiltonii5 Gray 1831 Spotted pond turtle
BMNH 39838, partial shell
 Squamata - Varanidae
Varanus sivalensis1 Falconer 1868 monitor lizard
distal end of right humerus; dorsal vertebrae
 Crocodylia - Gavialidae
Rhamphosuchus crassidens n. sp.6 Cautley and Falconer 1840 crocodilian
BMNH 39802 (holotype), piece of rostrum; BMNH 39804, middle portion of cranium; BMNH 29803, hind portion of mandibular symphysis; BMNH R. 760, quadrate and quadratojugal; BMNH 16218, partial mandibular symphysis; BMNH R. 776, cervical vertebra; BMNH R. 776a, early dorsal vertebra; BMNH R. 759, early dorsal vertebra; BMNH R. 761, early dorsal vertebra; BMNH R. 761a, early dorsal vertebra; BMNH R. 762, dorsal vertebra; BMNH R. 763, dorsal vertebra; BMNH R.763a, late dorsal or lumbar vertebra; BMNH R. 764, late dorsal or lumbar vertebra; BMNH R. 766a, left ilium; BMNH R. 766b, small left ilium; BMNH 18460, right fibula; BMNH R. 766, large scute; BMNH 17066, dorsal scute; BMNH 39817, large dorsal scute; BMNH R. 783, dorsal scute
Gavialis browni8 Mook 1932 gharial
E-13 (snout)
Gavialis gangeticus8 Gmelin 1789 Gharial
E-11 (partial rostrum), originally labelled as Gharialis leptodus; BMNH-36727 (cranium fragment); E-25 (cranium fragment)
Gavialis cf. gangeticus8 Gmelin 1789 Gharial
E-20 (mandibular fragments)
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Crocodylus palustris8 Lesson 1831 mugger crocodile
BMNH-39798 (skull)
Crocodylus cf. palustris8 Lesson 1831 mugger crocodile
E42 (mandible fragment)