A biostratigraphic and palaeoecological study of Late Cenozoic kubanochoeres from the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China

• Published in: Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 2023-08, Vol.623, p.111633, Article 111633
• Main Authors: Hou, Sukuan, Zhang, Yuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biostratigraphy; China; Kubanochoeres; Linxia Basin; Paleoecology
• ISSN: 0031-0182; 1872-616X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111633

The Linxia Basin of Gansu Province, China contains the most complete record of Miocene kubanochoere fossils from Eurasia. A kubanochoere discovered in the late Early Miocene Shangzhuang Formation (ca. 17.2 Ma) is the earliest known member of the group from Eurasia; it is slightly older than the medium-sized Kubanochoerus marymunnguae discovered in Africa, and may indicate an Eurasian origin for kubanochoeres. A giant-sized kubanochoere found in the upper part of the Middle Miocene Dongxiang Formation (ca. 14.6–12.8 Ma) also occurs in the Dingjiaergou fauna (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) and the Halamagai fauna (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), of a similar age. Large-sized kubanochoeres discovered in the upper part of the Dongxiang Formation (ca. 14.6–12.8 Ma) and in the late Middle Miocene Hujialiang Formation (ca. 12.8–12.4 Ma) are widespread and elsewhere found in the Dingjiaergou fauna, the Halamagai fauna, the Kekemaideng fauna (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), the Koujiacun fauna (Shaanxi Province), and the Quantougou fauna (Gansu Province); they partly coexist with giant or medium-sized kubanochoeres in some localities. Medium-sized kubanochoeres recovered from the boundary between the Hujialiang Formation and the “Liushu Formation” (ca. 12.4–11.6 Ma) are also found in the Laogou fauna, the Lierbao fauna (Qinghai Province) and the Kangping fauna (Gansu Province). Due to significant changes in temperature and atmospheric CO2 during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum and the Mid-Miocene Climate Transition, decreasing levels of available nutrition likely influenced the evolution and size of the kubanochoeres. Coexisting fossil suids may have been another important factor in the extinction of the kubanochoeres in Eurasia and Africa. •The earliest Eurasian kubanochoeres are Early Miocene, Linxia Basin.•Four kubanochoere horizons are recognized in Linxia Basin.•Eurasian kubanochoeres flourished during MMCT, with varied size and morphology.•Global temperature and pCO2 changes influenced the evolution of kubanochoeres.•Competing fossil suids possibly influenced the extinction of kubanochoeres.