Pliocene mammals of Asia

species of mammal

Stegodon (from the Ancient Greek στέγω (stégō), meaning "to cover", and ὀδούς (odoús), meaning "tooth", named for the distinctive ridges on the animal's molars) is an extinct genus of proboscidean, related to elephants. It was originally assigned to the family Elephantidae along with modern elephants but is now placed in the extinct family Stegodontidae. Like elephants, Stegodon had teeth with plate-like lophs that are different from those of more primitive proboscideans like gomphotheres and mammutids. Fossils of the genus are known from Africa and across much of Asia, as far southeast as Tim

Sivatherium ("Shiva's beast", from Shiva and therium, Latinized form of Ancient Greek θηρίον - thēríon) is an extinct genus of giraffid that ranged throughout Africa and Eurasia. The species Sivatherium giganteum is, by weight, one of the largest giraffids known, and also one of the largest ruminants of all time. Sivatherium originated during the Late Miocene (around 7 million years ago) in Africa and survived through to the late Early Pleistocene (Calabrian) until around 1 million years ago.

Dinofelis is an extinct genus of machairodontine (sabre-toothed cat), usually classified in the tribe Metailurini. It was widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America from 5 million to about 1.2 million years ago (early Pliocene to early Pleistocene). Fossils very similar to Dinofelis from Lothagam range back to around 8 million years ago, in the Late Miocene.

Megantereon is an extinct genus of prehistoric machairodontine saber-toothed cat that lived in Eurasia, Africa and possibly North America from the late Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene, first described by George Cuvier in 1824. It is a member of the tribe Smilodontini, and closely related to and possibly the ancestor of the more widely-known American sabertooth Smilodon, with which it shared greatly elongated saber canine teeth. In comparison to Smilodon, Megantereon was somewhat smaller, around the size of a jaguar, although it is thought to have had a similar hunting strategy as an ambush

Anancus is an extinct genus of "tetralophodont gomphothere" native to Afro-Eurasia, that lived from the Tortonian stage of the late Miocene until its extinction during the Early Pleistocene, roughly from 8.5–2 million years ago.

Sinotherium ("Chinese Beast") is an extinct genus of single-horned elasmotheriine rhinocerotids that lived from the late Miocene (Tortonian - Messinian) to Early Pliocene. It was ancestral to Elasmotherium, demonstrating a very important evolutionary transition from nasal-horned elasmotheriines to frontal-horned elasmotheriines. Its fossils have been found in the Karabulak Formation of Kazakhstan, lower jaw and teeth have been found in Mongolia, and a partial skull is known from the upper part of the Liushu Formation of western China. Sinotherium diverged from the ancestral genus, Iranotherium

Ictitherium (meaning "weasel beast") is an extinct genus belonging to the family Hyaenidae and the subfamily Ictitheriinae erected by Trouessart in 1897. Ictitherium lived throughout Eurasia during the Late Miocene.

Bramatherium (Brahma’s beast) is an extinct genus of giraffids that ranged from India to Turkey in Asia. It is closely related to the larger Sivatherium.

Tetralophodon (from Ancient Greek τετρα- (tetra-), meaning "four", λόφος (lóphos), meaning "ridge", and ὀδούς (odoús), meaning "tooth") is an extinct genus of "tetralophodont gomphothere" belonging to the superfamily Elephantoidea, known from the Miocene of Afro-Eurasia. It has been posited to be the ultimate ancestor of Elephantidae.

Zygolophodon is an extinct genus of mammutid proboscidean that lived during the Miocene in Africa, Eurasia, and North America. It is suggested to be ancestral to Mammut, the genus containing the American mastodons.

species of large herbivorous mammal (fossil)

thumb | right | Archaeopotamus Archaeopotamus is an extinct genus of Hippopotamidae that lived between 7.5 and 2.58 million years ago in Africa and the Middle East. The genus was described in 2005 to encompass species of hippos that were previously grouped in Hexaprotodon.

Enhydriodon is an extinct genus of otters known from Africa and South Asia that lived from the late Miocene to the early Pleistocene. It contains nine confirmed species, two debated species, and at least a few other undescribed species from Africa. The genus name means "otter tooth" in Ancient Greek and is a reference to its dentition rather than to the Enhydra genus, which includes the modern sea otter and its two prehistoric relatives. Enhydriodon belongs to the tribe Enhydriodontini (which also contains Sivaonyx and Vishnuonyx) in the otter subfamily Lutrinae.

Celebochoerus is an extinct genus of giant suid artiodactyl that existed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene in Sulawesi, Indonesia (Celebochoerus heekereni), and the middle Pleistocene of Luzon, in the Philippines (Celebochoerus cagayanensis).

thumb|left|H. afarense mandible

Pliohyrax, is a genus of hyracoids (the cavy-like group of animals most closely related to elephants and manatees). It grew to sizes greatly exceeding those of any living hyrax, though it was by no means the largest member of this family.

Hypolagus is an extinct genus of lagomorph, first recorded in the Hemingfordian (early to middle Miocene) of North America. It entered Asia during the early Turolian and spread to Europe not much later, where it survived until the Middle Pleistocene. Though unknown in the Iberian Peninsula, fossils of this genus have been found in the Balearic Islands, suggesting an eastern migration during the dry period in the Mediterranean region known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis.

species of mammal

Alicornops is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid belonging to the subfamily Aceratheriinae. It lived in Eurasia during the Miocene and Pliocene.

species of extinct mammal

Galerix is a prehistoric genus of gymnures. Fossils of these hedgehog-like creatures are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Hemibos is an extinct even-toed ungulate, belonging to the family Bovidae. Its fossil remains were found across Asia and Europe, including findings from China, the Italian Peninsula, the Iberian Peninsula, the State of Palestine, Israel, Pakistan, and India.

Hippohyus is an extinct genus of pig-like animals that lived during the Pliocene in India.

species of mammal

Sivacobus is an extinct genus of antelope that lived in South Asia during the Plio-Pleistocene.

Dihoplus is an extinct genus of rhinoceros that lived in Eurasia from the Late Miocene to Pliocene.

Pannonictis is a genus of extinct mustelids. It is first known from the very Late Pliocene, and it survived until the end of the Villafranchian. The genus is most commonly recorded from deposits between 2.6 and 1.4 Ma. Fossil remains of Pannonictis have been found throughout Eurasia, from the Iberian Peninsula to eastern China.

Nurocyon is an extinct member of the dog family (Canidae) from the Pliocene of Mongolia. Nurocyon chonokhariensis is the only species in the genus. The teeth of Nurocyon show adaptations to an omnivorous diet, comparable to the living raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). The overall structure of the skull is similar to the more primitive Eucyon.

Archaeophocaena teshioensis is a species of extinct porpoise from the Late Miocene Koetoi Formation of Japan living around 6.4–5.5 million years ago (mya). The holotype specimen comprises a partial skull. The animal, along with Miophocaena and Pterophocaena, seem to represent an intermediary phase between porpoises and dolphins. The genus name derives from Ancient Greek archaeo, "ancient," and Latin phocaena, "porpoise"; the species name honors the Teshio District where the holotype was discovered.

Pliorhinus is an extinct genus of rhinoceros known from the Late Miocene and Pliocene of Eurasia. The type species, Pliorhinus megarhinus, was previously assigned to Dihoplus.

Libralces was a dubious genus of Eurasian deer that lived during the Pliocene epoch. It is notable for its 2+ meter wide antlers, comparable in size to those of Megaloceros.

Propotamochoerus is an extinct genus of pig-like animals that lived from the Miocene to the Pliocene of Algeria, India, Moldova, China, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Myanmar, Thailand, Tunisia and Pakistan.

Nestoritherium is an extinct genus of chalicothere; it has been dated to have lived from the late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene (11.6–0.781 mya). This range makes Nestoritherium one of the most recently dated chalicotheres. It has been found in fossil sites in Indonesia, Myanmar and China.

Shansirhinus is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid endemic to China during the Miocene through Pliocene.