Tooth remains of Late Pleistocene moschid and cervid (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Yangjiawan and Fuyan Caves of southern China

Abstract

In southern China, the Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna is a very general one with a relatively stable Ailuropoda and Stegodon fossil assemblage throughout the Pleistocene epoch, and cervid remains are also significant elements of this fauna. The taxonomic study on isolated cervid tooth fossils of the Late Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna is not very adequate. The numerous cervid tooth fossils recently unearthed from Yangjiawan caves and Fuyan Cave give us a possibility to address this issue. Based on morphologic, odontometric and CT scanning studies, six moschid and cervid species have been recognized, including Moschus sp., Elaphodus cephalophus, Muntiacus muntjak, M. reevesi, Rusa unicolor and Cervus nippon. The cervid faunal compositions of these two sites are basically the same, and most of the species can be distinguished from one another in tooth dimensions, except for M. muntjak and E. cephalophus; but the entoflexus of upper premolars, the metacone ribs of upper molars, the structure of p4, and the metastylid of lower molars can be used as distinguishable characters between M. muntjak and E. cephalophus. The cingulum and the entostyle of upper molars, and the metastylid of lower molars of M. reevesi are weaker than those of M. muntjak. R. unicolor possesses tapered entostyle and thick enamel, while the enamel of C. nippon is relatively thinner and the entostyle is columned. Moschus sp. usually has a Dorcatherium fold in lower molars, which is a diagnostic character for Moschus species.