A revision of Tetraconodon (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Suidae) from the Miocene of Myanmar and description of e a new species

Abstract

We describe five new dento-gnathic specimens of Tetraconodon, a genus of Miocene tetraco nodontine suid (Mammalia, Artiodactyla), discovered in Myanmar (= Burma). In Myanmar, we recognized three distinct species of Tetraconodon (T. minor, T. intermedius and T. malensis sp. nov.) and one specifically undetermined specimen, which is here named Tetraconodon sp. cf. T. intermedius. The new species, T. malensis, has characteristics of Tetraconodon, such as extremely enlarged P₄ and simple and relatively small M₃. It is distinct from the other Tetraconodon species in being much smaller, suggesting that it is the most primitive known Tetraconodon species. The dental size and characteristics of T. malensis suggest that Tetraconodon was derived during the late middle Miocene from the early middle Miocene Conohyus sindiensis, which was discovered in the Siwalik Group of Indo-Pakistan and Nepal and has also been found in the middle Miocene deposits of Thailand, or a close relative. The discovery of the most primitive form in Myanmar suggests that Tetraconodon may have originated in Myanmar.