Other Extinct Mammals


Skull of Diacodexis pakistanensis (with its tympanic bone in the box to the left). This specimen was found in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, close to the Afghan border. It represents one of the earliest artiodactyls, a relative of cows, hippos, and camels, but no larger than a squirrel. The coin is about 15mm in cross section.
Some bones of Diacodexis pakistanensis still in rock in which they were found.

The main research interests of the Thewissen Lab in Pakistan and India is the evolutionary history of whales, elephants, and sirenians. There are many other fossils that can be collected in these areas, including artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates), primates, perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates), snakes, crocodiles, and fishes, to name a few. We also collaborate with other scientists who work in other areas, such as Turkey, where Mary Maas collects early ungulates, and in Egypt, where Elwyn Simons does field work.

Some relevant references:
Maas, M.C., J. G. M. Thewissen, and J. Kappelman. 1998. Hypsamasia seni (Mammalia: Embrithopoda) and other mammals from the Eocene Kartal Formation of Turkey. Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum 34:286-297.
Maas, M.C., J.G.M. Thewissen, S. Sen, N. Kazanci, J. Kappelman. 2001.Enigmatic new ungulates from the early middle Eocene of Central Anatolia, Turkey. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21:578-590.
Kumar, K., M. W. Hamrick, and J. G. M. Thewissen. Middle Eocene prosimian primate from the Subathu Group of Kalakot, northwestern Himalaya, India. Current Science (New Delhi) 79:1478-1482.
Maas, M. C., S. T. Hussain, J.J.M. Leinders, and J.G.M. Thewissen. 2001. A new isectolophid tapiromorph (Perissodactyla,Mammalia) from the early Eocene of Pakistan. Journal of Paleontology 75:407-417.
Sánchez-Villagra, M. R., R. J. Burnham, D. C. Campbell, R.M. Feldmann, E.S. Gaffney, R.F. Kay, R. Lozsán, R. Purdy, and J.G.M. Thewissen. 2000. A new near-shore marine fauna and flora from the early Neogene of northwestern Venezuela. Journal of Paleontology 74:957-968.
Thewissen, J.G.M., and S.T. Hussain. 1997. New Kohatius (Omomyidae) from the Eocene of Pakistan. Journal of Human Evolution 32:473-477.
Thewissen, J.G.M., S. I. Madar, E. Ganz, S. T. Hussain, M. Arif, H. Hussain. 1997. Fossil yak (Bos grunniens: Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from the Himalayas of Pakistan. Kirtlandia (Cleveland) 50:11-16.Thewissen, J.G.M. and E. L. Simons. 2001. Skull of Megalohyrax eocaenus (Hyracoidea, Mammalia) from the Oligocene of Egypt. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21:98-106.
Thewissen, J.G.M., and E.M. Williams, and S.T. Hussain. 2001. Eocene mammal faunas from northern Indo-Pakistan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 21:347-366.



Thewissen's pages are public access, although the source must be identified