Yushu becomes new evidence for determining the age of the western margin of the Ordos Basin

Yushu becomes new evidence for determining the age of the western margin of the Ordos Basin

Yushu becomes new evidence for determining the age of the western edge of the Ordos Basin Yushu becomes new evidence for determining the age of the western edge of Ordos Basin

Figure CT three-dimensional reconstruction image of the maxillary bone fossil of the sturdy Yu mouse (photo courtesy of Gong Hao)

Figure CT three-dimensional reconstruction image of the maxillary bone fossil of the sturdy Yu mouse (photo courtesy of Gong Hao)

Recently, the "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology" published online the research results of Ni Xijun and Li Qiang's research team of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on a new species of Henan rat in the western margin of the Ordos Basin
.

There is a coupling relationship between the development of the Cenozoic strata in the periphery of the Ordos Basin and the northward expansion and growth of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Yuomys is a kind of rodent with a porcupine-type skull and a squirrel-type mandible, belonging to the rodent order Pectinidae
.

The species diversity of extant comb-toed rodents is relatively low, with only 4 genera and 5 species, and their geographical distribution is limited to North and East Africa; the diversity of comb-toed rodents fossil species is relatively high, at least 37 are currently known Genus, widely distributed in the Old Continent from the Eocene to the Miocene (approximately 56-5.

Since Li Chuankui established the genus Yurat in 1975 based on fossil specimens from Mianchi, Henan, materials of this genus have been continuously discovered and reported
.

At present, the rat is known to be distributed in 12 locations in the north and southwest of China, with a total of 9 species and a small number of unidentified species.

In the process of investigating the development of sediments on the western edge of the Ordos Basin and the uplift of the Liupanshan structure, the research team discovered new specimens of rat fossils from the Sikouzi Formation-Qingshuiying Formation
.

The newly discovered rat fossil is the largest of all the known rat species, the crown of teeth is the highest, and the tooth ridge is the thickest, so it is named the robust rat

In addition, the team also systematically determined the Fossils of the genus Yuri reported by the predecessors, and made detailed revisions to the genus and characteristics of the genus Yuri and its model species, the guinea pig
.

The research team also tried to estimate the weight of the Yu mouse.

The research was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Leading Science and Technology Special Project (Class A), the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Leading Science and Technology Special Project (Class B), and the Second Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Scientific Investigation and Research Project (STEP)
.

(Source: China Science News, Cui Xueqin)

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Related paper information: https://doi.

https://doi.
org/10.
1080/02724634.
2021.
1938099 https://doi.
org/10.
1080/02724634.
2021.
1938099