The collected
giraffid material is compared with the respective Siwalik specimens housed in: (i) American Museum of Natural History, New York (AMNH), (ii) Indian Museum, Calcutta (GSI), (iii) Punjab University Palaeontological Collection, stored in the Zoology Department, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan and (iv) Palaeontology Laboratory of the Zoology Department, GC University, Lahore.
The outcrops of the Lehri village (Chinji Formation) district Jhelum, Punjab Pakistan, were thoroughly investigated in order to obtain the middle Miocene
giraffid specimens.
For example, DMA was used to determine the diets of Miocene
giraffids, late Miocene antelope, fossil equids and rhinoceros (Solounias et al.
Dental terminology of
giraffid tooth for studying EH in this experiment follows that of Khan et al.
It can be differentiated from the other Lower Siwalik
giraffid genera by strong and pillar like styles and stylids, prominent median ribs and comparatively broad crown.
The living analogues for browsers are a
giraffid; Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus (1758) and a cervid; Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus (1758).
It can be differentiated from other Lower Siwalik
giraffid genera by tiny ectostylid less prominent median ribs and weak metastylid.
The Siwalik
giraffid research history goes back to the 19th century, when Cautley (1838) discovered an elongated third cervical vertebra of a large-sized
giraffid.
Diagnosis: A gigantic Pleistocene
giraffid, with four horns in the male, an anterior conical pair, arising from the frontals, and a posterior, palmate pair situated on the parietals.
The specimens exhibit typical
giraffid features in representing rugose enamel and obliquely situated labial cusps (Pilgrim, 1911; Matthew, 1929; Colbert, 1935; Bhatti et al., 2012a) (Figs.
The
giraffid Hydaspitherium megacephalum is restricted to the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Middle Siwalik Subgroub in the northern Pakistan (Sehgal and Nanda, 2002; Barry et al., 2002; Badgley et al., 2005).
tragelaphoides, a tragulid Dorcatherium, a
giraffid Giraffokeryx punjabiensis and a proboscidean Deinotherium cf.
At that time, Hipparion (now split into several genera) was known to be a characteristic element of the Late Miocene faunas of Pikermi (Greece), which also included certain bovids,
giraffids and other open-country mammals.
Also the petrified bony bits and pieces of dentition of ruminants (Rhinoceros,
Giraffids, Suids and Bovids) were discovered from Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon, Chakwal.
It increases knowledge of the dental morphometric characters of bovids,
giraffids, cervids and proboscideans.
