Cainotherium undetermined

Blondel, Cecile, 2005, New data on the Cainotheriidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the early Oligocene of south-western France, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 144 (2), pp. 145-166 : 163

CAINOTHERIUM SP.

Material: Pech Crabit: a left maxillary fragment bearing P2/-M2/ ( PCT 416) ( Blondel, 1996).

Measurements: See Table 7.

Description: This maxillary fragment ( Fig. 4E ) is distinguished from other material found at Pech Crabit by its larger size, in particular the length of the tooth rows and the presence of an elongate P2/ with a low main cusp. This premolar has a lingual talon that is reduced to a lingual cingulum from the parastyle to the metastyle. On P3/ the lingual talon is weakly developed and bears a tiny tubercle. The metastyle is more prominent than the parastyle.

Comparison: This maxillary fragment resembles those referred to Cainotherium by its characters. Its dimensions agree with the corresponding part of the skull of C. commune figured by Berger (1959: pl. 4, fig. 2) and supposedly from Escamps (Old Quercy collections). In the new Quercy collections, no specimen referred to Cainotherium has yet been found on the Escamps site. The Berger specimen has a P3/ with a lingual talon that is more developed than in the specimen from Pech Crabit ( MP 23). The Pech Crabit maxillary has a P3/ that is comparable to that of the much younger species C. laticurvatum from the Aquitanian of Chavroches, in Allier, France ( Hürzeler, 1936). The scarcity of material does not permit checking the diagnostic characters of the cranium given by Berger (1959) and the genus diagnosis cannot be emended.

Discussion

A number of isolated molars indicate the presence of a large cainotheriid in Escamps, Rosières 2 and Ravet that is older than that of Pech Crabit. However, the lack of material makes it difficult to determine whether they should be referred to Cainotherium or Caenomeryx . Material found in Pech Desse and Pech du Fraysse, late Oligocene localities that are younger than Pech Crabit, has not yet been studied and it is not clear whether Cainotherium was present. The study of all such material is necessary before the species of Cainotherium from Pech Crabit can be identified. Thus, we consider that derived cainotherines probably existed during the lower Oligocene.

Figures

Figure 4. Caenomeryx cf. procommunis. A & B, occlusal view. A, right P2/-P3/ (PCT 420). B, left P/2-M/2 (PCT 951). C. filholi. C & D, occlusal view. C, left P2/-P4/ (PCT 417). D, left P/2-M/1 (PCT 933). Cainotherium sp. E, left P2/-M3/ (PCT 416). Scale bar = 1 mm.