Anisodon grande, (DE BLAINVILLE, 1849)

Anquetin, Jérémy, Antoine, Pierre-Olivier & Tassy, Pascal, 2007, Middle Miocene Chalicotheriinae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from France, with a discussion on chalicotheriine phylogeny, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (3), pp. 577-608 : 581-582

ANISODON GRANDE ( DE BLAINVILLE, 1849)

under the mandibular symphysis, retaining a tubercle on the ventral border of the external auditory meatus and a protocone relatively more anterior in position on molars, having a less swollen braincase and a foramen caroticum that perforates the tympanic bulla; and from A. sivalense in retaining the paraconule on upper molars.

Lectotype: Right maxilla ( MNHN Sa 9339, formerly A.C. 4232) with M 1 –M 3, P 4 alveoli, and distal alveolus of P 3 ( Fig. 1 ). The tooth row was illustrated by de Blainville (1849: plate 8; see Fig. 2B ) in association with a P 4 that could not be identified in the MNHN collection

Anoplotherium grande de Blainville, 1849 Chalicotherium anisodon de Blainville, 1849 Macrotherium sansaniense Lartet, 1851

Anisodon magnum Lartet, 1851

Diagnosis: Anisodon grande displays two autapomorphies: absence of the canalis alisphenoideus; weak entoconid on P 4. The species also retains, unchanged, the 16 synapomorphies of Anisodon (see above).

Anisodon grande is distinguishable from other species of the genus by several plesiomorphic characters: short symphysis extending until the level of P 2; distal cingular crest of M 3 stopping at the base of the hypocone. Additionally, A. grande differs from A. macedonicus by lacking the pterygoid lacuna and tuberosity (as de Blainville’s illustration is not accurate enough). Another lectotype, previously selected by Schaefer & Zapfe (1971), is not valid under ICZN regulations (see below).

Paralectotypes: The other remains described by de Blainville (1849): a fragment of a left hemimandible ( MNHN Sa 9374); the cranium MNHN Sa 15670 (illustrated: see Fig. 2 this paper); a complete mandible (left side MNHN Sa 9341 and right side MNHN Sa 9376 – the latter was illustrated: see Fig. 2A this paper); a fragment of a right juvenile hemimandible ( MNHN Sa 9377) .

Type locality: Sansan, Gers, France.

Figures

Figure 1. Lectotype of Anisodon grande (de Blainville, 1849); right maxilla MNHN Sa 9339 (formerly A.C. 4232) with M1–M3. Scale bar: 1 cm.

Figure 2. Plate 8 (genus Anoplotherium) of de Blainville (1849) showing: the cranium MNHN Sa 15670; A, the right hemimandible MNHN Sa 9376 with the problematic symphysis; B, the tooth row of the maxilla MNHN Sa 9339 (the new lectotype). MNHN Sa 9339 was confused with MNHN Sa 9340 by Schaefer & Zapfe (1971). Orientations are reversed from the actual specimens (see text).