Dakkamys, ASIATICUS LINDSAY, 1988, 1977

Antoñanzas, Raquel López, 2009, First Potwarmus from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia and the early phylogeny of murines (Rodentia: Muroidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156 (3), pp. 664-679 : 669-670

‘ DAKKAMYS ’ ASIATICUS LINDSAY, 1988

This species was erected by Lindsay (1988) on the basis of seven isolated cheek teeth from the Middle Miocene localities YGSP 76 (Chinji Formation), YGSP 259 (lower Nagri Formation), and Pakistan Museum of Natural History locality JAL- 101, 2 km north-east of Jalalpur village, Potwar Plateau, Pakistan. Recently, additional material has also been recorded in Pakistan from the lower Nagri Formation at locality Y797 ( Flynn & Morgan, 2005). The holotype (YGSP 19541) is an isolated left M1 from locality YGSP 76 ( Lindsay, 1988: pl. 9, fig. a).

Although the morphology of the M1 of ‘ Dakkamys ’ asiaticus is close to that of AJ7, there are some differences. For instance, in the M1 of ‘ D. ’ asiaticus, the enterostyle is connected to the posterior side of the protocone and it is much larger than the isolated enterostyle of AJ7. In addition, the M1 of ‘ D. ’ asiaticus has a strong and long anterior arm of the protocone, and lacks an anterior cingulum, whereas the Arabian specimen has only a relict of the anterior arm of the protocone, and has an anterior cingulum. The M2s of ‘ D. ’ asiaticus are distinct from AJ11 and AJ 12 in having a very large enterostyle connected to the posterior side of the protocone, whereas it is much smaller and isolated in the Arabian specimens. Furthermore, the M2s of ‘ D. ’ asiaticus lack the lingual anterior cingulum, and have long and well-developed anterior arms of the lingual cusps. AJ11 and AJ12 have a well-developed anterior lingual cingulum and lack the anterior arms of the lingual cusps. The m1 of ‘ D. ’ asiaticus has a single-cusped anteroconid, and high and long anterior arms of the labial cusps, which are lacking in AJ13.