302 ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF MAMMALS 



sandstones of China belong mainly to the genera just enumerated, which we 

 regard as constituting the Siwalik fauna, or at least to very closely allied 

 genera ; some species are even identical with the Indian, although here there 

 are also a few forms, such as Anchitherium and Cennvus, which evidently 

 represent only descendants of the European Miocene types. At the end 

 of the Miocene, North American faunal elements evidently invaded China, 

 some of which, such as the Leporidae, Dipoides, Hipparion, Canis and Fidpes, 

 perhaps also Hyaena, even reached Europe, while some at first spread only 

 over Asia, such as Camelus, the aegodont antelopes, and perhaps also the 

 Sivatheriinae, the descendants of Protoceras. As a return gift North America 

 received the Aphelops-Vike rhinoceroses, Palaeomeryx-like deer, and especially 

 the mastodonts, the carnivore Dinocyon, and perhaps also Ursus. 



The fauna of Monte Bamboli and Casteani iu Tuscany holds a peculiar 

 position, for it contains the first European cynopitliecine, Oreopithecus. Of the 

 carnivores occurring here, Hyaenardos is more primitive than that of Pikermi, 

 the Mustela is very similar to a marten from Pikermi, and Enhydriodon to a 

 species from the Siwalik, the antelopes can best be compared with those of 

 Pikermi, and the pig is found also at Eppelsheim : this fauna must therefore 

 be at the earliest of Lower Pliocene age. On the other hand, the fauna of 

 Casino, notwithstanding its poverty, is connected rather with that of Rousillon 

 and Montpellier, although the presence of Hipj?opotamus in it gives it a some- 

 what younger aspect. Contrasted with the Lower Pliocene mammal world, 

 that of the Middle Pliocene appears somewhat poor. A considerable number 

 of important species, such as Machairodus crenatidens, Hyaena^ arvernensis, Ursus 

 arvernensis, Mastodon arvernensis, Tapirus arvernensis, and Gazella horhonica, as 

 well as Lagomys corsicanus, are common to it and the Upper Pliocene ; but it 

 exhibits an older character by the presence of Hipparion, Mastodon borsoni, and 

 perhaps also of Ehinoceros leptorhinus and a Viverra, while the numerous deer are 

 still somewhat more primitive. Among the antelopes Palaeoryx hoodon in some 

 ways leads up to the cattle. While the rodents and the felines, in spite of 

 their considerable variety, may not be of special interest, the occurrence of 

 several Cynopithecinne, Dolichopithecus Semnopithecns and Macacus is all the more 

 noteworthy. About the same time as this land fauna, there lived numerous 

 raai'ine mammals, especially toothed whales and some seals and sirenians — 

 Felsinotherium, of which the remains appear in great abundance near Antwerp 

 and Montpellier, in Piedmont and near Siena. 



The Upper Pliocene mammal fauna of the Auvergne was early the subject 

 of detailed investigation, and the most important of the species occurring here 

 were later discovered in the Val d'Arno, Tuscany, while many of the character- 

 istic forms were also found in England — Norwich Crag, — in Transylvania, and 

 even near Giurgewo, in Roumania. While most of the deer and antelopes, pigs, 

 tapirs. Rhinoceros, Mastodon, rodents and beasts of prey diflfer veiy little from 

 their Middle Pliocene forerunners, and even belong in part to the same species, 

 this fauna nevertheless bears a distinctly younger aspect through the first 

 appearance of the genera Eleplias, Equus and Bos. 



In North America undoubted Pliocene is known only from Texas and 

 Nebraska. The Blanco beds contain large canines — Borophagus, Amphicyon, a 

 musteline — Canimartes, a feline — Felis hillanus, edentates — Glyptotherinm, Megal- 

 onyx and Mylodon, several proboscideans — Tetrahelodon and Mastodon, horses — 

 Pliohippus, Protohippus and Neohipparion, pigs — Platygonus, and camels — 



