Mulkrajanops

Mulkrajanops; Temporal range: Middle Eocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	†Brontotheriidae (?)
Genus:	†Mulkrajanops; Kumar & Sahni, 1985
Species:	†M. moghliensis
Binomial name
	†Mulkrajanops moghliensis; Kumar & Sahni, 1985

Mulkrajanops is a dubious^[2] extinct genus of perissodactyl, possibly a primitive brontothere, known from the Middle Eocene of South Asia. Fossils of the type and only species, M. moghliensis, have been found in both India-administered and Pakistan-administered districts of the disputed Kashmir region.

Research history

Mulkrajanops moghliensis was described in 1985 by Kishor Kumar and Ashok Sahni, based on Middle Eocene partial skull (VPL/K 563) found in the Upper Subathu Group of the India-administered Jammu and Kashmir region.^[1] The genus name Mulkrajanops honors the professor Mulk Raj Sahni, and the species name is derived from the locality of the fossils, the village of Moghla in the Rajouri District.^[1] VPL/K 563 partially preserves both sides of the upper dentition.^[1] Kumar and Sahni identified Mulkrajanops as a primitive brontothere due to morphological similarities to the primitive brontothere Eotitanops, from which they differentiated Mulkrajanops by dental features. Per Kumar and Sahni, the molars of Mulkrajanops are much more elongated than those of Eotitanops.^[1] Kumar and Sahni further differentiated Mulkrajanops from E. dayi,^[1] an Asian species of Eotitanops since reclassified as a species Palaeosyops,^[3] by the protocone and hypocone being further apart than in E. dayi, by the more lingually placed protocone, and by the presence of a metaconule.^[1]

In 2011, Peter Missiaen, Gregg F. Gunnell, and Philip D. Gingerich tentatively referred additional fossils to M. moghliensis, from the Pakistan-administered Kotli District.^[3] These new fossils consisted of a humerus (GSP-UM 1575) and a calcaneus (GSP-UM 1743), identified as belonging to a primitive brontothere of Middle Eocene age. Identification as M. moghliensis was based solely on it being the only possible brontothere known from the region and timeframe of the fossils.^[3]

Description

Mulkrajanops was a fairly large and long-snouted animal.^[1] The cheek teeth series (first premolar to third molar) of the type specimen measures 13.5 centimeters long.^[1] Mulkrajanops had the dental formula 2.1.4.32.1.4.3.^[1]

Classification

Kumar and Sahni classified Mulkrajanops as a primitive brontothere, in the subfamily Eotitanopinae due to comparing it to Palaeosyops dayi (then classified as Eotitanops dayi).^[1] In 2008, Matthew C. Mihlbachler considered Mulkrajanops to represent a problematic taxon in need of reanalysis, noting that it was probably valid but that it might not be a brontothere.^[2] Mihbachler noted that many features of the dentition of Mulkrajanops appeared to be consistent with brontotheres, but that the type specimen apparently lacks well-developed molar mesostyles, which are otherwise present in brontotheres and in genera believed to be close relatives of brontotheres, such as Lambdotherium and Danjiangia.^[2]

Paleoecology

The Upper Subathu Group was deposited under fluvial conditions.^[1] In addition to Mulkrajanops, fossils of several other mammals have been recovered, including raoellids (Khirtharia, Kunmunella, and Metkatius), pakicetids (Ichthyolestes), and ctenodactylid rodents.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Kumar, Kishor; Sahni, Ashok (1985). "Eocene mammals from the Upper Subathu Group, Kashmir Himalaya, India". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 5 (2): 153–168. doi:10.1080/02724634.1985.10011853. ISSN 0272-4634.
1 2 3 Mihlbachler, Matthew C. "Species taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the Brontotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (311). American Museum of Natural History. hdl:2246/5913.
1 2 3 Missiaen, Pieter; Gunnell, Gregg F.; Gingerich, Philip D. (2011). "New Brontotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the early and middle Eocene of Pakistan with implications for mammalian paleobiogeography". Journal of Paleontology. 85 (4): 665–677. Bibcode:2011JPal...85..665M. doi:10.1666/10-087.1. ISSN 0022-3360.

[KumarSahni-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Kumar, Kishor; Sahni, Ashok (1985). "Eocene mammals from the Upper Subathu Group, Kashmir Himalaya, India". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 5 (2): 153–168. doi:10.1080/02724634.1985.10011853. ISSN 0272-4634.

[Mihlbachler_2008-2] 1 2 3 Mihlbachler, Matthew C. "Species taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the Brontotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (311). American Museum of Natural History. hdl:2246/5913.

[:0-3] 1 2 3 Missiaen, Pieter; Gunnell, Gregg F.; Gingerich, Philip D. (2011). "New Brontotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the early and middle Eocene of Pakistan with implications for mammalian paleobiogeography". Journal of Paleontology. 85 (4): 665–677. Bibcode:2011JPal...85..665M. doi:10.1666/10-087.1. ISSN 0022-3360.

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