332 THE AGE OF MAMMALS 



the first occurrence of the true elephant {E. hysudricus), just as the Upper 

 Pliocene of Europe witnessed the first occurrence of the southern mammoth, 

 or true elephant (E. meridionalis) . 



Conclusions as to the age of the Siwalik Fauna. — Against the actual 

 Upper Miocene age of any of the true Siwalik fauna is the fact, to which 

 attention was called by Forsyth Major,i that there is not a single species 

 in common with the Upper Miocene of Pikermi. Yet it would appear that 

 the true Siwalik fauna begins with mastodons, hipparions, chalicotheres, 

 rhinoceroses, dinotheres, antelopes, amphicyons, closely comparable to 

 Upper Miocene forms of Europe. The Upper Siwaliks close with true 

 elephants (Elephas), camels, buffaloes, and cattle, also true horses (Equus), 

 which are of Upper and Lower Pliocene but not of Lower Pleistocene age. 

 The successive evolution stages of these mammals will undoubtedly be 

 discovered when the horizontal or geographic and vertical or stratigraphic 

 distribution is carefully worked out. This is one of the most fascinating 

 problems awaiting British palaeontologists. 



It is important to note, as an indication of the tropical conditions of 

 climate of northern India in Pliocene times, the presence of a large num- 

 ber of mammals which have now been driven farther south into the Indian 

 archipelago and into Africa, especially the anthropoid apes and certain 

 of the antelopes. It is equally important to note the absence of northern 

 forms of deer and other ruminants. The single species of bear known in 

 the Upper Siwaliks of the Irawadi is of southern type, similar to th existing 

 Indian sloth bear (Melursus). Traces of this northern forest fauna are 

 to be found in China. 



Outlyers of this south Asiatic fauna are to be found on the north in 

 China, and on the west, in beds of Maragha, Persia, and even in Africa. 



As noted by Schlosser ^ we find at Maragha, near the southern shore of 

 the Caspian Sea, pure Asiatic types, such as the sivathere (Urmiatherium) , 

 the hornless gi affe {Alcicephalus) , the true giraffe (Camelopardalis), three 

 species of antelope, the Asiatic hipparion {H. richthofeni) and the acerathere 

 {A. blanfordi). On the other hand, out of thirty-two Maragha species, 

 thirteen of the most typical occur at Pikermi. Thus the fauna of Maragha 

 may be said to form a transition , between the Asiatic and Chinese assem- 

 blages and those of Pikermi and Samos. While it shows distinct affinities 

 with Asia, it contains at the same time some northern (i.e. north Asiatic) 

 elements. 



2. Life of Eastern Asia 



The earliest mention of fossils in China dates back to 1853, when David- 

 son published a short notice on a number of teeth sent to England from 



' Forsyth Major, Comptes rendus, Acad. Sci. Paris, Nov. 16, 1891. 



^ Schlosser, M., Die fossilen Saugethiere Chinas nebst einer Odontographie der recenten 

 Antilopen. Abh. k. buyer. Akad. Wiss., CI. II, Vol. XXII, Pt. 1, Munich, 1903. 



