Paradakkamys chinjiensis

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, pp. 664-679 : 670

PARADAKKAMYS CHINJIENSIS LINDSAY, 1988

This species was erected by Lindsay (1988) on the basis of 23 isolated cheek teeth from the Middle Miocene localities YGSP 76, YGSP 491, YGSP 504, YGSP 634, YGSP 636, and YGSP 726 in the Chinji Formation, and from the early Late Miocene YGSP 259 locality in the Nagri Formation, Potwar Plateau, Pakistan. Additional material has been found in the Nagri Formation at locality Y797 ( Flynn & Morgan, 2005). The holotype (YGSP 24656) of this species is an isolated right M1 from locality YGSP 76 ( Lindsay, 1988: pl. 8, fig. h). Wessels (1996) suggested that this species should be re-allocated to Myocricetodon because, in particular, of its resemblance to Myocricetodon eskihisarensis . However, the phylogenetic study below corroborates the validity of Paradakkamys .

The M1s of Paradakkamys chinjiensis have a prominent enterostyle connected to the posterior side of the protocone, a paracone with a small posteriorly directed spur, a long anterior arm of the protocone joined with the anterocone near its midpoint, and a short lingual cingulum. In AJ7 the enterostyle is small and isolated, the spur of the paracone is lacking, the anterior arm of the protocone is only a relict, and the lingual cingulum is long. On the M2 of P. chinjiensis the enterostyle is small, but connected to the posterior side of the protocone by a short loph, and the lingual anterior cingulum is normally absent. In AJ11 and AJ12, the enterostyle is isolated and the lingual anterior cingulum is strong. The m1s of P. chinjiensis are not reduced anteriorly: they show a well-developed anteroconid, a large ectostylid, short anterior arms of the labial cusps, and a labial cingulum. In contrast, the anteroconid, the anterior arms of the labial cusps, and the labial cingulum are lacking in AJ13, and it has a minute ectostylid.