New Discoveries of an Extinct Giant Pangolin (Manis cf. Palaeojavanica Dubois) at Niah Cave, Sarawak, Borneo: Biogeography, Palaeoecology and Taxonomic Relationships.
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
New Discoveries of an Extinct Giant Pangolin (Manis cf. Palaeojavanica Dubois) at Niah Cave, Sarawak, Borneo: Biogeography, Palaeoecology and Taxonomic Relationships. |
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Author :
Philip J. Piper, Ryan J. Rabett and Earl of Cranbrook |
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Abstract:
Early in 1960, D.A. Hooijer received three large Manis sp. bones recovered from archaeological excavations underway in the West Mouth of Niah Cave, Sarawak, Borneo. Hooijer compared the fossils from Niah with equivalent specimens from both the giant extinct Manis palaeojavanica of Java and the modern M. javanica. He concluded that there was little difference in the morphology of the bones from the Borneo and Java specimens, and thus attributed the skeletal elements from Niah to the extinct form described by Eugene Dubois, M. palaeojavanica. During new investigations of the animal bones recovered during the 1950’s and 1960’s excavations at Niah Cave the authors identified a further five skeletal elements of this rare fossil vertebrate in assemblages from late Pleistocene deposits. Comparisons of the new skeletal elements from Niah with fossil Manis and Macrotherium remains from Java and India suggest that the palaeogeography of the large pangolins of Asia is more complex than Hooijer envisaged. This paper describes the new Manis sp. bones from Niah cave and discusses the palaeobiological and taxonomic relationship between Manis palaeojavanica from Java, the Manis specimens discovered in Borneo and the Late Pliocene Indian Pholidota in light of these new discoveries.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Philip J. Piper et al. (2007). New Discoveries of an Extinct Giant Pangolin (Manis cf. Palaeojavanica Dubois) at Niah Cave, Sarawak, Borneo: Biogeography, Palaeoecology and Taxonomic Relationships. The Sarawak Museum Journal, LXIII (84): 185-197 |
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References
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