| |
Hipparion is one of the few fossil vertebrate
genera that were recognized by pioneer paleontologists while paleontology
was still in its infancy. The ubiquitous nature of the hipparionine fossils
gave rise to the term "Hipparion fauna"in the Old World. On
the other Hand, the earlier evolutionists, like T. H. Huxley and B. O.
Kovalewsky, found in them an ideal form linking the existing horse with
its five-toed progenitor. Both brought great fame to Hipparion Paradoxically,
the richness of the fossils caused later much confusion and uncertainty
in understanding of that particular group of animal. In result, after
the first outburst of excitement, the enthusiasm seemed to fade gradually.
One of the remarkable effects of the postwar scientific boom is the revival
of the interest in many of such unsolved problems. A glance over the recent
literature will suffice to show how fast the interest in hipparionine
studies has been growing during the last 20 years. China made its important
contribution to the study of the hipparionine horses in the first decades
of the present century, but, unfortunately, it now lags far behind. The
confusion caused by Sefve's erection of 11 roughly contemporary species
remains as annoying as it was half a century ago. None of the Chinese
vertebrate paleontologists will feel at ease until this matter is properly
solved. Bearing the matter in mind, the senior author of the present memoir
found the hipparionine material of the Licent's collection very suitable
for a start in that direction, while he visited the Tianjin Natural Museum
in 1979. The specimens are well preserved. Most of them are skulls with
associated lower jaws and metapodials. What is more important is the fact
that there are some new forms evidently from the post-pomtian and pre-nihewanian
time period. As is well known, the hipparionine fossils from this period
are seldom encountered in the Old World. From literature we know that
this collection may be part of the material that Teilhard de Chardin planned
to study and publish in "Paleontologica Sinica"during the forties
of the present centure, but he failed in fully realizing it. He succeeded
in finishing the study of the proboscideans, artiodactyls (without suines),mustelines,
felines, siphnines and castorids. Among the remainder of this collection
the hipparionines remain untouched. In view of the importance of the material,
we agreed to initiate immediately a joint plan to study it. Originally
the authors of the present memoir did have the intention to confine their
study to the specimens of the Licent's collection kept now in the Tianjin
Natural History Museum. As a matter of fact, the work had been almost
completed when the senior author of the present memoir took his two-years'
leave for West Germany. While staying in Europe, the senior author had
the opportunity to visit Uppsala and saw Sefve's original specimens. Since
then it has been clear that, without a revision of the Sefve's much confused
species, the hipparionines from Yushe can not be properly understood.
After returning to China, the scope or the work was considerably widened,
so that all the available unstudied materials have been included in the
present volume. Practically, the work turns now to be a general review
and revision of all available Chinese hipparionine materials, which are
partly new, partly previously described. The specimens to be studied here
total 358, among which 60 are well preserved skulls and jaws, The geographic
distribution of these specimens in localities is as follows:
|
|
Contact us 
