THE PLIOCENE OF EUROPE, ASIA, AND NORTH AMERICA 333 



Shanghai. Tlius the extinct hfc of China and of western North America 

 was brought 'to tlu^ notic^e of scientists at about the same time, but the 

 literature on the former stih consists of a small number of mostly incom- 

 plete studies. Owen published a small work in 1870; Gaudry in 1871; 

 there is a monograph by Koken (1885); Lydekker has contributed various 

 notes, and finally Schlosser ^ in his Die fossilen Sdugethiere Chinas 

 (Munich, 1903) has made a more exhaustive study of all the material 

 available to him, comi)aring the Chinese faunas with the contemporary 

 animal life of Europe and southern Asia (Schlosser, op. cit., pp. 7, 8). In 

 this illuminating rcn'iew of the fossil mammals thus far recorded in China ^ 

 we ol)tain our first picture of the life of northeastern Asia in Upper j\Iio- 

 cene and Pliocene times. It is important to note that there are practically 

 no geologic records. - 



It is a world of life which has close relationships with that of Persia 

 (Maragha) and diminishing resemblar^ces as we pass westward to the faunas 

 of Samos, of Pikermi, Greece, and of Mont Loberon, France. It naturally 

 has its closest relationships with the life of southern Asia, as seen in the 

 Siwalik fauna. The Slwalik fauna, as we have seen, however, belongs to 

 more southern latitudes and contains anthropoid apes which have been 

 referred both to the chimpanzees and orangs, beside other mammals dis- 

 tinctive of southerly latitudes and represented at the present time by 

 descendants which inhabit southern Asia and Africa. Not only is the 

 more northerly life of China of somewhat hardier type, but its closer 

 proximity to North America is evidenced by the presence of forest horses 

 (Hijpohippus), of supposed camels (Paracamelus) , and of supposed teleoc- 

 erine rhinoceroses (Teleoceras).^ Conspicuous by their absence are certain 

 characteristic Miocene, European, and Siwalik forms, such as Amphicyon. 

 It is noteworthy that no cattle are found in this fauna, no animals related 

 to the genera Bos, Bison, or Bubalus. 



The age of these scattered deposits is late Miocene or early Pliocene. 

 They are broadly characterized by abundant remains of the north Asiatic 

 hipparion (H. richthofeni) , of hornless rhinoceroses, or aceratheres, of very 

 large browsing horses, or anchitheres, which possibly are identical with 



' Schlosser, M., Die fossilen Siiugethicre Chinas nebst ciner Odontographic der rei'eutcn 

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



^ In all the larger cities of China, fossil remains are sold as 'dragon bones' and 'dragon 

 teeth,' and used in medicine. To bring out their supposed medicinal properties they are 

 fried, boiled in wine, or even eaten in their natural state as a cure for diseases of the heart, 

 kidneys, liver, and intestines, and are further regarded as very beneficial in nervous affections. 

 Nearly all collections of Chinese fossils have been bought up from the druggists, who fortu- 

 nately keep accurate records as to the provinces and even localities from which the materials 

 have been brought (Schlosser, 190.3, pp. 3-6). 



5 Some of the other animals from China, figured by Schlosser, singularly resemble allied 

 American types, e.g. Hipparion richthofeni, Equus sivalensis {= Pliohippus), Sus microdon 

 (= Prosthennopfi). The rhinoceroses generally are very similar to American forms. (Note 

 by W. D. Matthew.) 



