The Pondaung Formation () is a geologic formation in central Myanmar. The Pondaung Formation has been dated to the late middle Eocene, about 40 million years ago. The formation preserves a rich fauna of fossil mammals, the so-called Pondaung fauna, and is especially well known for its fossil anthracotheres and primates. The paleoenvironment was a warm and forested terrestrial inland habitat, with several river channels. Local habitats varied from dense forests to more open-forested wetlands.
Mammal fossils
Artiodactyls
Agriochoerids Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageAgriochoeridaeGen et sp. nov.Undescribed new species and genuscf. gen et sp. nov.Undescribed new species and genus
Anthracotheres The anthracotheres of the Pondaung Formation have been revised several times. Tsubamoto et al. (2000) recognized the three genera Anthracohyus, Anthracothema, and Anthracokeryx, and twelve species. The list here mostly follows the more recent 2008 revision by Aung N. Soe (adding species described later), which recognized eight species, in the genera Anthracohyus, Anthracotherium, Anthracokeryx, and Siamotherium. Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageAnthracohyusA. choeroidesAnthracotheriumA. crassumA. magnumA. panganAnthracokeryxA. birmanicumA. tenuisMyaingtheriumM. kenyapotamoidesSiamotheriumS. krabienseS. pondaugnensis
Helohyids Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImagePakkohyusP. lahiriiAn helohyid
Ruminants Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageIndomeryxI. arenaeI. cotteri
Unplaced Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageMyanmariusM. chitseiniThe upper molars suggest raoellid affinity. If excluded, the other fossils suggest closer relations to suoids.
Hyaenodonts Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageKyawdawiaK. lupinaA hyainailouridYarsheaY. cruentaA hyainailouridOrienspterodonO. dahkoensisA hyainailourid
Perissodactyls
Brontotheres Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageBunobrontopsB. savageiA primitive brontothere"Metatelmatherium""M". browniiDoes not belong to Metatelmatherium"M". lahiriiDoes not belong to MetatelmatheriumSivatitanopsS. cotteriDubiousS. birmanicumDubiousS.? rugosidensDubiouscf. Palaeosyopscf. P. sp.A primitive brontothere; previously described as Bunobrontops sp.
Chalicotherioids Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageEomoropusE. cf. minimusAn eomoropidE. pawnyuntiEomoropidaeEomoropidae gen. et sp. indet.An eomoropid
Rhinocerotoids Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImagecf Ilianodoncf. I. lunanensisA hyracodontParamynodonP. birmanicusAn amynodont. A second species, P. cotteri, was previously recognized but is now considered a synonym of P. birmanicus.
Tapiroids Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageBahinolophusB. birmanicusA deperetellid. Previously treated under the name Deperetella birmanicumIndolophusI. guptai
Unplaced Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageHsanotheriumH. parvumOriginally classified as an anthracobunid, perhaps closer to artiodactylsSkopailophusS. burmeseA basal tapiromorph
Primates Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageAfrasiaA. djijidaeA primitive anthropoidAmphipithecusA. mogaungensisAn amphipithecidBahiniaB. pondaungensisAn eosimiidEosimias?E.? pakaungensisAn eosimiidGanleaG. megacaninaAn amphipithecidGuangxilemurG. rarissimusAn sivaladapidKyitchaungiaK. takaiiA sivaladapidMyanmarpithecusM. yarshensisA primitive anthropoidPaukkaungiaP. parvaA sivaladapidPondaungiaP. cotteriAn amphipithecidP. minuta
Rodents Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImagePondaungimysP. anomaluropsisAn anomaluridPhiomyidae?Phiomyidae? indet.Possibly two unidentified species
Non-mammal fossils The Pondaung Formation has also yielded fossils of fish, birds, and various reptiles (crocodilians, lizards, turtles), but no extensive systematic studies have been conducted on these fossils.
Reptiles
Squamates Genus/familySpeciesNotes/affinitiesImageBarbaturexB. morrisoniA giant acrodont iguanian
References