Advances in the Biochronology and Biostratigraphy of the Continental Neogene of Myanmar

Abstract

This chapter reviews advances in the biochronology and biostratigraphy of the continental Neogene of Myanmar. The Indian Subcontinent possesses a very good Neogene record in the Siwaliks of Pakistan, India, and Nepal. The chronology of this record is robust overall, especially in Pakistan, where it is extremely well constrained. Nevertheless, the advanced paleontological knowledge in the Indian Subcontinent is not enough to resolve the Neogene evolution of land mammals at the scale of Southern Asia. This chapter begins with an overview of Myanmar's geology and paleontology and proceeds with a discussion of the Middle Miocene fauna of the Irrawaddy Formation. It then describes Late Miocene faunas of Myanmar, along with the turnover between Middle and Late Miocene faunas. It shows that faunas from the second part of the Late Miocene and Pliocene are still unknown from the Irrawaddy Formation, the base of the formation having produced only an early Late Miocene assemblage in the region of Magway. The discontinuity of the faunal succession reflects either an important gap driven by long intervals without accumulation of sediment or an erosional gap.