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As discussed in the write-up on the Paleozoological Museum of China’s exterior, the museum is a pyramidal stack of three progressively smaller floors. The Fossil Mammal Hall caps the museum off, completing its movement through the history of vertebrate evolution.
Unlike the Fossil Reptile and Bird Hall, this floor lacks a gaping hole in its center, using that space in a similar fashion to the first floor. Picking up from the second floor’s synapsids, the exhibit jumps straight into crown group mammals. Beginning with some major extinct mammalian lineages, the hall moves through most major clades, ending with the primates.
Similar to the second floor, the beginning of the exhibit lies on the left of the stairs. A bright sign briefly covers the origin of crown mammals before moving on to the first small display. Though occupying a small space, this display, headlined as “Mesozoic Mammals”, is densely packed. Three signs, covering the evolution of early mammals (intriguingly describing mammals as the “Fairies of the Mesozoic”, multituberculates, metatherians, and eutherians, accompany the significant fossils here.
Five fossils from five very different extinct clades are displayed in this section. Out of these, the largest and most infamous specimen is a Repenomamus robustus skeleton (IVPP V13605) from the Lujiatun Beds of the Yixian Formation. Described in 2005 along with the R. giganticus holotype from the first floor, this fossil was widely publicized for the presence of juvenile Psittacosaurus remains in its stomach. This created Repenomamus‘s current popularity as a huge and ferocious dinosaur-eater.
A much smaller slab beside Repenomamus holds another incredibly significant specimen. Crushed in the rocks of the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Beds, this is the holotype specimen (IVPP V14739) of Volaticotherium antiquus. Noticeably preserved with patagium, this eutriconodont is the earliest mammalian glider found so far. Hidden behind this fossil’s label is the tiny skull (IVPP V4726) of Sinoconodon rigneyi. Originally the holotype of Sinoconodon parringtoni, it lost this status when it was synonymized with the type species of the genus.
The next fossil returns to a crushed nature, representing the hugely successful multituberculates. These two slabs hold the holotype specimen (IVPP V12517) of Sinobaatar lingyuanensis from the Yixian Formation. The last specimen in this display, right beside the multituberculate, is preserved in a very similar fashion. This is the holotype specimen (IVPP V7466) of Zhangheotherium quinquecuspidens, the first symmetrodont discovered with a complete skeleton. It was also the first mammal found in the Jehol Biota, a fact that extra signage here heavily expands upon. The next section, on the other side of the hall’s corner, focuses on major extinct Cenozoic mammal lineages.
Headlined as “Cenozoic Archaic Mammals”, a huge diversity of extinct clades are featured in this section. Similar to most previous displays, the signage opens with an overview of these lineages, and branches out to cover Anagalida (now polyphyletic), Pantodonta, Dinocerata, and Mesonychia, all of which are featured in some form in this section.
The first side of this display case puts the spotlight on pantodonts and anagalids. The first two specimens from the left are both traditional members of Anagalida that can form a real clade. The more significant fossil is the skull (IVPP V4234) of the anagalid Linnania lofoensis, and the other fossil, also a skull, represents an uncertain species of Paranictops, a pseudictopid from Anhui.
The rest of this portion of the display case is dominated by pantodonts. Dwarfing the tiny adjacent anagalids is the skull of a coryphodont. This is the holotype specimen (IVPP V5141) of Asiocoryphodon conicus, a decently-sized herbivore from the Eocene of Henan. The pantodont’s mandible is displayed separately from the rest of the skull, since the cranium seems to have been somewhat permanently mounted.
The next pantodont, a bemalambdid, is the largest specimen in this display. This is the mounted skeleton of an ambiguous Bemalambda species from Guangdong. Looking like an older mount, very little information accompanies this skeleton, though its label deems it the “most primitive pantodont in the world”.
Sitting beside the mount is the well-preserved holotype skeleton (IVPP CV4333) of Archaeolambda tabiensis, a pantolambdid lying in situ. With Bemalambda, this specimen from Anhui gives visitors the best look at what any of the clades covered in this section looked like in life. A much more fragmentary specimen, the holotype skull (IVPP V5481) of Pastoralodon lacustris, is featured as the last pantodont on display in this area.
The next three specimens, on the other side of this display case, represent the predatory mesonychians and rhino-like dinoceratans. The rightmost fossil, a grotesque skull out-sizing all others in this display, is the holotype (IVPP CV6379) of Uintatherium insperatus, the Chinese species of the famously ugly genus. Meanwhile, a small mesonychid skull lies in the shadow of Uintatherium. This is a specimen (IVPP V12385) of Hapalodectes hetangensis, one of many species of this otter-like mammal.
A much larger mesonychid is the third taxon in this display case. Another skull and another holotype, this specimen (IVPP V10760) was used to describe Sinonyx jiashanensis, a significantly more wolf-like mesonychine from Anhui. Declared in the past to have been a “direct ancestor of whales”, this is now known to be false for all mesonychids. However, the cheek teeth in the jaws here noticeably possess three cusps remarkably similar to the cusps in early cetaceans. Next, a long display case stretching across the hall covers the clade that actual wolves belong to: the carnivorans.
Covering the feliforms and the caniforms, this section on Carnivora takes up a great amount of space, sprawling across the hall. The displays are roughly split into three portions, covering the felids first, the hyaenids second, and the caniform bears last. As is expected, the signage begins with an overview of the evolutionary history and diversity of carnivorans. Immediately adjacent to this, another sign introduces the taxa that represent the felids in this exhibit: the machairodonts.
The first saber-toothed machairodont in this display is logically represented by its skull. Flipped over to show off its enlongated canines, this is a skull (IVPP V15642) of Machairodus horribilis, a Chinese species of Machairodus. In 2016, this specimen was compared against another particularly large M. horribilis skull (NWU 48Wd0001), which made headlines as the “new largest saber-tooth”.
The next specimen, now of a scimitar-toothed taxon, has been on display for a long time. This is a complete skull from Homotherium crenatidens, discovered with many other mammalian fauna in Anhui’s Renzi Cave. Returning to saber-teeth, the skull cast (IVPP FV1993) mounted adjacent to Homotherium is of Megantereon falconeri. Together, the complete skulls of these two machairodonts show off the mandibular flanges that characterize several saber-toothed taxa.
Pulled from the Western Hemisphere, a mount of the archetypal saber-toothed cat dominates this display. This replica of Smilodon fatalis is mounted in a standard saber-tooth posture, jaws opened wide. Intriguingly, all of the machairodonts on display here are accompanied by two labels each, repeating the same information, with the only difference being the presence of an illustration.
Swiveling to the right, visitors encounter Hyaenidae, the second feliform group that this exhibit focuses on. Like the machairodonts, highly-detailed signage introduces the group’s characteristics and evolutionary history. However, the first taxon on display here is no hyaenid. This is the mounted skull (IVPP RV88002) of the huge Dinocrocuta gigantea, a feliform once thought to be have been a hyena (hence its name), then found to be a percrocutid closely related to hyenas, and, most recently, found to be a hyena once more.
The next specimen represents a real member of Hyaenidae, and arguably the most well-known extinct hyena. This was the holotype specimen (IVPP V4033) of Pachycrocuta licenti, the giant short-faced hyena, though the common synonymization of Pachycrocuta species with P. brevirostris would strip the skull of its title. Turning the corner, the last feliform fossil is another Pachycrocuta, this time a skull (IVPP FV1994) of P. sinensis from the Zhoukoudian site (which notably yielded the Peking Man). So, with the hyaenids, the displays on feliforms end, and the displays on caniforms begin.
Every single caniform on display here is a bear, which seems to have been an attempt to pull on the fame of the giant panda. In fact, the sole piece of large signage, detailing the evolutionary history of ursids, is titled as “Giant Panda and other Bears”. Naturally, the first three taxa displayed in this glass case are also pandas.
The three fossils here, like the feliform displays, are all skull fossils. The innermost specimen is the holotype cranium (IVPP V14564) of Ailuropoda microta, the oldest-known apparent ancestor of the extant giant panda. On the other hand, the two series of teeth (IVPP V6892) in front belong to the separate genus and species Ailurarctos lufengensis. Meanwhile, the third panda fossil is labeled as belonging to the same species as the giant panda. In fact, this is the mandible (IVPP V4715) of Ailuropoda baconi, once thought to have been an extinct subspecies of Ailuropoda melanoleuca, the only extant panda species.
Proceeding to the right, three more skulls, representing two ursid subfamilies, are on display. The first fossil, a mandible (IVPP V9777) from the large genus Agriotherium, is labeled as A. magnum. However, this name seems almost completely absent from academic literature, making this taxon rather ambiguous.
With the next skull, the display enters the genus Ursus. This is the holotype skull (IVPP V10320) of Ursus yinanensis, a species described in the 1990s from Shandong. Alongside it is a rather distorted cranium, also from Ursus. This is a probable member of the much more famous Ursus arctos, the species containing the extant brown bear. However, these are all overshadowed by the display on the right.
This is a mounted replica of an Ursus spelaeus skeleton from the Zhoukoudian cave system. Besides the addition of an illustration, the label for this cave bear specimen is rather bland. Like Smilodon from before, this mount has a standard posture, lurking forward. It’s accompanied by mandible (IVPP RV40003) from the same species and also from Zhoukoudian. Next, another major portion of the floor is dedicated to the odd-toed ungulates.
As with all prior sections, the signage opens by recounting the evolutionary history of Perissodactylia. The most well-known members of this clade, horses and rhinos, share this section, though the latter dominates much of the display. The first side of the display case, however, is dedicated to fossil horses, and a model of horse evolution (that thankfully looks nothing like this) is presented.
Just behind the skull pictured above, the first two fossils on display here are both small jaw portions. The inner specimen belongs to Sinohippus robustus, a species described in 2007 from Gansu. On the other hand, the outer specimen is the paratype mandible (IVPP V6520) of Qianohippus magicus, which isn’t even an equid, but is instead a palaeothere from Guizhou.
To the right, the longest-faced horse ever discovered dwarfs both of the prior specimens. This is the holotype skull (IVPP V13552) of Equus eisenmannae, a particularly large Equus species described in 2004. Extra information on its label describes the animal in great detail, covering its discovery and its huge size. This skull belongs to an adult male, which seems to have been around 12 years old at the time of its death.
The next few displays seem positioned to complement the museum’s description on horse evolution. This is most obvious in the comparison of fossil Hipparion and Equus feet, accompanied by a fossil skull from the former. Two more upturned Equus skulls lie in the corner. The first specimen (IVPP V2160) is a fossil of the still-extant Mongolian wild horse (Equus przewalskii), while the second is a juvenile skull (IVPP V4250.1) from the extinct Equus yunnanensis. Turning to the longer side of the display case, the exhibit dives right into large fossil rhinoceroses.
By rhinos, what the museum really means is all members of Rhinocerotoidea, which includes the amynodonts, the hyracodonts, and rhinocerotids (true rhinoceroses). Beneath an introductory piece of signage including an illustration of two woolly rhinos (Coelodonta), the rhinocerotoid displays begin with the most basal clade: Amynodontidae.
This huge mounted skull (IVPP V7008), from the Eocene of Yunnan, belongs to Gigantamynodon giganteus, a (predictably) particularly large taxon. The signage specifically points out its elongated canines, a distinguishing characteristic of the hippo-like amynodonts.
The adjacent display is also of Gigantomynodon. Standing up to the height of the display case, this is a mounted leg (IVPP V3278.1) from G. promisus. This dwarfs fossils, pictured above, from another amynodont, Lushiamynodon, standing right beside Gigantomynodon. This is the left foot (IVPP V2892.4) of L. sharamurensis, a cardurcodontin from Inner Mongolia.
The next two specimens, despite taking up very little room, come from the clade containing some of the largest mammals ever discovered. These are the indricotheres, represented here by a upper skull and a tooth.
The skull (IVPP V2891) is part of the type specimen of Juxia sharamurenense, an older Eocene indricothere. The label provides more information on the holotype specimen, which is a nearly complete skeleton, noting that only the skull is displayed due to “space limitation”, a reference that’ll be understood once visitors reach the center of the floor.
The tooth, though one of the smaller fossils on display, demonstrates the huge size of some indricotheres well. In comparison to the teeth of Juxia beside it, this tooth is massive, belonging to one of the largest mammalian taxa known. This is Dzungariotherium orgosense, a species of indricothere sometimes synonymized with the massive Paraceratherium, but notably possessing significantly larger teeth than the latter. Unfortunately, the label does nothing to emphasize how huge this animal really was. Next, the display exits the hyracodonts, moving on to true rhinos.
Besides the obligatory introduction, featuring a restoration of the famous Elasmotherium, to the evolution of rhinocerotids (true rhinoceroses), another helpful diagram is added to the signage about this clade. This diagram depicts a collection of fossil horned rhinoceros skulls, along with life restorations of each of them, providing visitors with a good look into how fossil horns, which aren’t preserved in fossils, are reconstructed.
However, the first specimen on display here, another skull mount, is completely hornless. This is the skull of Chilotherium anderssoni, a Miocene rhino with two tusk-like incisors jutting forward from its lower jaw. The tusks point straight towards visitors, displayed prominently. Right beside it are two smaller specimens of rhinos that definitely have horns.
The older of the two specimens is a series of cheek teeth (IVPP RV24002) labeled as Dicerorhinus ringstroemi. However, in 2012, this Miocene species was reclassified as a member of Dihoplus, another rhinoceros genus. The other specimen is just a single molar (IVPP V964) labeled as Elasmotherium inexpectatum, a junior synonym of E. caucasium. Funnily, the label describes the huge-horned taxon as a literal “unicorn with strong folded dental enamel”.
The final specimen in this section is a skull belonging to the most famous fossil rhino genus: Coelodonta. However, this specimen does not belong to C. antiquitatis, the woolly rhino, but instead belongs to the newest species in the genus. This is the holotype skull (IVPP V15908) of Coelodonta thibetana, a species described in 2011 from the Himalayas. The part of the skull where the horn would have been located points towards visitors, clearly displaying the marks left by horn growth discussed in the signage introducing true rhinoceroses. Moving out of these display cases, visitors meet the first truly large mount of a Cenozoic mammal.
The final perissodactyl displays all revolve around some less well-known odd-toed ungulates, beginning with a mount representing one of the most unique perissodactyl lineages: the brontotheres. Standing in a sparsely decorated alcove, this is a mounted skeleton (IVPP V3254) of Rhinotitan mongoliensis, declared by surrounding signage to be “the most complete titanothere skeleton from Asia”. With the new space and lighting added in 2014 to house the mount, this specimen from Inner Mongolia appears quite dramatic, casting a bold shadow behind it. This is not the only brontothere on display, however, as one last display case sits to the right.
The second brontothere, a member of Brontotheriina, is represented much more modestly. This is a skull cast (IVPP RV59003) of Dianotherium lunanensis, a much more differently ornamented taxon from the Eocene of Yunnan. Also in this display are other perissodactyl lineages left out of the previous section.
This includes the holotype mandible (IVPP V2046.1) of a species of the weird knuckle-walking genus Chalicotherium, C. hebeiensis, described in 2013. Another set of jaws, this time including a complete skull, represents the third extant (and the least-known) perissodactyl group, the tapirs. This squashed skull (IVPP RV91002) belongs to Plesiotapirus yagii, a Miocene tapirid from Shandong. With this, the odd-toed displays finally come to an end, and the even-toed displays begin around the corner.
The artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates) are situated in a long cul-de-sac near the corner of the hall, similar to the oofossil and ichnofossil displays on the second floor. This time, the obligatory introduction to the clade’s evolutionary history is positioned separately from the displays, as the first display case’s explanatory space is taken up by the distinctive cranial appendages of the artiodactyls.
The first sign in this first display focuses on the diversity of artiodactyl horns and antlers, and is naturally adjacent to four of these appendages on the wall. The smallest of these, on the upper right, is an antler (IVPP RV37015) belonging to Paracervulus simplex, a deer from the Miocene and Pliocene of Shanxi. To its left, a more familiar fossil is displayed, belonging to the still-extant genus Capreolus. However, this left antler (IVPP V2133.2) belongs to the extinct Manchurian roe deer, C. manchuricus.
Below, the only pair of antlers on display is a specimen (IVPP V20166) of Metacervulus sp., a deer from the Miocene of Shaanxi. On the other hand, the only non-deer among the four specimens stands to the left. This is a horn from the holotype skull (IVPP V2780) of Lagomeryx complicidens, a chevrotain-like palaeomerycid from Shaanxi. Below these four cranial appendages, two huge-horned and huge-antlered skulls sit.
The most elaborate of the two large pecorans on display, with huge antlers, is labeled as Megaloceros sanganhensis, a species described in 1983. This partial skull from Hebei would be the holotype (IVPP V6768) of this taxon, but taxonomy is complicated. This species may be a junior synonym of some other taxon, or even belong to Sinomegaceros, another giant deer from East Asia.
On the other hand, the second skull, pictured above, is much less taxonomically confusing. This bovine skull (IVPP V803) featuring a bold pair of horns belongs to Bos primigenius, better known as the extinct auroch. Interestingly, this fossil was discovered in the Xicheng District of Beijing, the same district that the Paleozoological Museum resides in. Next, the last two specimens here completely shift the focus to a textbook example of natural selection.
These two smaller fossils, both belonging to the same genus, are accompanied by signage illustrating the famous evolutionary story of giraffes’ long necks. The fossils themselves possibly represent two species of Samotherium. The specimen on the left, a right metacarpal (IVPP V5192) from the Miocene of Tibet, is labeled as Samotherium sp. The other fossil, a partial skull (IVPP V20167) from Shanxi, though also labeled as Samotherium sp., belongs to the type species, S. boissieri, instead.
The next few fossil collections are all exhibited in smaller display cases. These shift the focus on to other artiodactyls.
The first group highlighted in these displays, with two skull fossils, is another clade of ruminants. These are the caprines, represented by an extinct taxon and an extant taxon. The extinct caprine, displayed in the form of a relatively complete cranium, is Urmiatherium intermedium, a taxon described by Max Schlosser in 1903. The extant genus, on the other hand, is featured in the form of an incomplete horned skull (IVPP V20180). This is the much shorter-named Pseudois sp., part of the same genus containing the baharal and dwarf blue sheep.
The next display case finally moves out of the ruminants, turning its attention to the pigs. The largest and most distinctive specimen here is the grotesque horned cranium (IVPP V8501) of Kubanochoerus lantianensis, a particularly large pig from the Miocene. Another pig cranium from the Miocene sits right beside it. This is a specimen (IVPP V8285) of Listriodon xinanensis, a smaller taxon from Henan. Together, these two specimens represent Listriodontinae, an extinct subfamily of suids (pigs) with enlarged portions of their snouts.
The other two pig specimens in this display case represent two different subfamilies, one extinct and one extant. The extinct subfamily is represented by the adult cranium (IVPP V18061) of Chleuastochoerus stehlini, a member of Hyotheriinae. The extant subfamily, Suinae (also the only extant lineage of suids), is represented by the mandible (IVPP V2681.2) of an extant genus, Potamochoerus. However, this fossil belongs to the extinct species P. chinhsienensis instead of P. larvatus (the bushpig) or P. porcus (the red river hog). Proceeding to the innermost part of this section, the displays dive deeper into the artiodactyl family tree, reaching the cetancodontamorphs.
This small display case contains the remains of two major extinct cetancodontomorph lineages, one significantly more well-known than the other. However, the lesser-known lineage takes the lead, represented by four out of the five specimens here. These are the anthracotheres, hippopotamus relatives that went extinct in the Pliocene. Two of the specimens are teeth; these are the holotype molars of Ulausodon parvus (IVPP V2808) and Heothema media (IVPP V4969). The other two specimens are a maxillary and mandible (IVPP V2662.1) from Anthracotheryx sinensis and another maxillary, the holotype specimen, (IVPP V7915) from A. dawsoni.
The fifth fossil in this display case, on the other hand, lies outside of Whippomorpha (the clade including hippos and whales). This specimen represents the entelodonts, which are also highlighted on the signage above the display. These two molars (IVPP V13858) from Gansu belong to Paraentelodon intermedium, though the label uses the species’s junior synonym P. macrognathus. Interestingly, another piece of signage here describes Diacodexis, a dichobunid close to the base of Artiodactyla. Proceeding back around the cul-de-sac, the exhibit takes a natural step into extant whippomorphs.
The first display case, containing two specimens, is positioned beneath an obligatory introduction to cetaceans and a large photo of a hippopotamus. Naturally, the two taxa here are a hippo and a cetacean. The cetacean is in the form of a juvenile short-beaked dolphin (Delphinus delphis) skull from the Pleistocene, discovered in the Yellow Sea. The hippo, also from the Pleistocene, is displayed in the form of a Hexaprotodon sp. molar (IVPP V2492) from Yunnan. Both are accompanied by a cladogram of Artiodactyla, with a focus on whales, featuring Basilosaurus, Artiocetus, and the Mysticete-Odontocete split.
The next display case is somewhat more ambiguous. It features four limb bones and a collection of artiodactyl molars. These are all unlabeled, so their purpose is a mystery until visitors look at the accompanying signage. This sign on the wall features four diagrams of ungulate features, such as hypsodont-brachydont molars, differences in the astragalus, and the cannon bone, all of which are featured in this display case. This display concludes the artiodactyl displays, reserving the last display case in this cul-de-sac for bats and an abandoned group.
Oddly, though the exhibit was created in 2014, it still insists on grouping shrews, hedgehogs, moles, and their like into Insectivora, an abandoned traditional group of mammals. Of course, the other lineage depicted in this display, the chiropterans (bats), is still very monophyletic. Both of the groups are described in the obligatory evolutionary history sign.
The “insectivorans” on display in this section include the beautiful holotype specimen (IVPP V13915) of Lusorex taishanensis, a Miocene shrew and the less aesthetic partial holotype skull (IVPP V11672.1) of Metexallerix junggarensis. Also, positioned under a small magnifying glass, the holotype skull (IVPP V534) of an extinct Asian mole shrew species, Anourosorex kui, is on display.
Meanwhile, two specimens containing many more fossils represent the chiropterans. These two slabs both originate from the Miocene and the other comes from the Pleistocene. Both contain a great amount of tiny isolated bat fossils, and were discovered in Queshan, Henan. With this short display, this cul-de-sac ends, and the history of mammalian evolution continues across the hall, in another cul-de-sac.
This next display, composed of three display cases holding a huge amount of fossils, focuses on the clade containing rodents and rabbits: the Glires. Naturally, after the obligatory introduction to Glire evolution, the two proceeding signs cover the rodents and the lagomorphs (rabbits and their relatives) respectively. The display cases reflect the respective diversity of both clades, as two are stuffed with rodent fossils, and one holds lagomorph fossils.
This first display case features several rodent specimens, many under a magnifying glass. This includes a slab (IVPP V20126) containing multiple Cocomys lingchaensis skulls, along with one isolated skull, the tiny holotype jaws (IVPP V10775) of Tribosphenomys minutus, and the relatively large skull of Tsaganomys altaicus. Also, right beside Cocomys, the skull of the extant capybara is displayed next to the skull of a tiny house mouse in an effective demonstration of the vast diversity of rodents.
The second display features more skulls, but now with complete rodent specimens. The two most notable fossils here, situated in the corners of the display case, are the beautifully crushed holotype specimens of Diatomys shantungensis (PM 5967) and the squirrel Oriensciurus linquensis (IVPP V14409).
This case also includes a skull (IVPP V13550) from Marmota parva, partial skulls (IVPP V9663.1 and IVPP V9633.18) of the Chinese bamboo rat (Rhizomys sinensis), the skull (IVPP V8128.1) of Brachyrhizomys tetracharax, the neotype (IVPP V5082) of the porcupine Hystrix hodgsoni, and the lower jaw (IVPP V10458) of the extinct giant beaver Trogontherium cuvieri.
It also contains the skull of the hamster Cricetinus varians, the jaws (IVPP V13990) of the vole Mimomys gansunicus, the skulls of the beavers Castor anderssoni (IVPP V10472) and Youngofiber sinensis, and the skulls of the mole rats Prosiphneus murinus (IVPP RV42008), and Mesosiphneus praetingi (IVPP RV42006).
Meanwhile, the rather sparser display case containing fossils of lagomorphs includes the holotype skull (IVPP V7462) of Dawsonolagus antiquus, the skull of Sharnolagus medius, the holotype skull (IVPP V12755) of Gobiolagus lii, the skull (IVPP V13530) of Sericolagus brachypus, and the skull and cervicals (IVPP RV42010) of the large extinct hare Hypolagus schreuderae.
On the right side of the display case, the specimens include the holotype maxilla (IVPP Sh. 429) of the pika Sinolagomys kansuensis, the skull (IVPP V15932) of Nesolagus sinensis, the youngest-known skull (IVPP V6294) of Ochotona lagrelii minor, a skull (IVPP RV40011) of the Zhoukoudian lagomorph Ochotonoides complicidens, and the skull (IVPP RV40133), also from Zhoukoudian, of the cape hare (Lepus capensis). Turning to the inside of this cul-de-sac, behind a couple chairs, the displays on Glires end with a large phylogenetic tree of rodent relationships.
On the other side of the cul-de-sac, the evolutionary story the hall has been telling starts to come to a close. These displays focus on an assortment of fossil primates, huge and tiny, split into two display cases. The first case, positioned under an obligatory overview of primate history (this time using a larger sign), displays almost all of its small fossils under magnifying glasses.
Two of the most significant specimens in this section are appropriately given much more detailed signage. The earlier described genus, on the left, is represented by two miniscule jaw fossils. These dentaries constitute the holotype specimen (IVPP CV11000) of Eosimias centennicus, possibly one of the earliest simian primates.
The other genus, only described in 2013, is represented by a much more complete specimen. This is the flattened holotype skeleton (IVPP V18618) of Archicebus achilles, one of the basalmost primates ever discovered. Found in Hubei, this haplorhine from the Eocene was hugely important for research regarding the origin of primates.
The rest of the display case is occupied by seven more specimens. These include the holotype jaw (IVPP V12063) of Xanthorhysis tabrumi, the paratype jaw (IVPP V10220) of Hoanghonius stehlini, the paratype jaw (IVPP V10696) of Chronolestes simul, and a jaw (IVPP AN1985-1) and maxillary fragment (IVPP PA903) from Sinoadapis carnosus. Another hugely significant specimen here is the holotype (IVPP V12357) of Teilhardina asiatica, an incredibly early primate, like Archicebus.
The specimens here also include two relatives of primates in Euarchonta: the treeshrews and basal plesiadapiforms. The former clade is represented by a fossil skull of the extant Northern treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri). The latter clade, on the other hand, is represented by the holotype jaw (IVPP V10697) of Carpocristes onens. Next, the second display case features primates much closer to humanity.
Using Eosimias‘s possible classification as an early simian, the second display case propels itself into confirmed simians, exhibiting four larger skulls. Two of the specimens represent the catarrhine monkeys, while two represent the great apes. The only facial fossil here is the paratype (IVPP AN1999) of the catarrhine Laccopithecus robustus.
The other catarrhine is an extinct species of snub-nosed monkey. Exhibited here is the holotype (IVPP V10697,1-1) and paratype (IVPP V10697, 1-2) jaws of Rhinopithecus laotianensis. The great apes, on the other hand, are represented by a genus that had previously been shown in the Shuhua Museum of Paleoanthropology. This is a mandible (IVPP AN1649) from Lufengpithecus lufengensis, a pongine from Yunnan. On the other hand, the fourth taxon, also a pongine, surpasses all three of the other genera in name recognition.
This fourth specimen is a jaw (IVPP PA53) from one of the largest and most famous fossil apes: Gigantopithecus blacki. Appropriately, the signage dives more into detail regarding this unique ape, featuring a photo comparison of a man standing under a G. blacki model. With this huge jaw, the exhibit’s story of mammalian evolution ends; the primate story, however, naturally picks up in the Shuhua Museum of Paleoanthropology.
All the displays so far circulate around a large space in the center of the hall. Like the first floor, this space is filled with mounts; naturally, fossil proboscideans, icons of Cenozoic mammal diversity, take center stage.
Two skeletal mounts and three skulls take residence in the center of the Fossil Mammal Hall. Prior to 2014, the mounts of Rhinotitan, Juxia, and Xenosmilus occupied this space as well (of course, Rhinotitan was moved, while the other two were taken off-display, leaving only the skull of Juxia from before). Out of the two remaining mounts, the smaller belongs to one of the most well-known odd fossil proboscideans: Platybelodon. It stands in a standard posture and belongs to the abundant P. grangeri. Of course, an older model of its likeness stands in front of the mount, sporting abnormally huge tusks.
This space also includes one more shovel-tusked fossil. This Platybelodon skull also belongs to P. grangeri, mounted low on the ground. However, this is still the same skull exhibited on the full skeletal mount. The skeletal mount’s noggin is a reconstructed replica of this original fossil, which is significantly less aesthetically pleasing. However, this relationship between the mount and the skull is never mentioned by the exhibit.
Unlike the first floor and more akin to the second, a series of display cases containing various proboscidean fossils circles around the central mounts and skulls, serving as a border between them and the visitors. In regards to Platybelodon, these specimens include an incomplete left tusk (IVPP V5579) and two molars, one from each side of the jaw (IVPP V5573), both belonging to P. grangeri.
Towering over Platybelodon, the star attraction of this floor is the massive mounted skeleton (IVPP V4710-4750) of Stegodon zdanskyi, an elephantoid. The specimen displayed here, unearthed near the Yellow River (consequently dubbed the “Yellow River Elephant”), is hugely significant for its size and age. With a shoulder height of 3.87 meters and an estimated weight of 12.7 tonnes (calculated by Larramendi and his colleagues in 2016), this giant individual was likely over 50 years old at death. In the context of the smaller third floor, the perception of its size is not lost, but highlighted.
Of course, the surrounding display cases are also populated by many Stegodon fossils. The most notable specimen, sitting on a blue cushion, includes the incredibly rare holotype hyoid bones (IVPP V4753) of S. zdanskyi. Right beside it, a small yuwen textbook lays open to pages describing a hypothetical life for the mounted Stegodon individual, effectively demonstrating the significance of the specimen.
Many more other proboscideans occupy these display cases as well. These include two lower jaws (IVPP V15715) of Mammuthus trogontherii (the steppe mammoth) as well as a huge partial jaw (IVPP V2948) from Palaeoloxodon namadicus (the Asian straight-tusked elephant), a candidate for the largest known land mammal. The latter specimen is particularly special for being the only elephant fossil unearthed in Beijing, originating from the northern Huairou district.
Right beside Palaeoloxodon, a typical Mammuthus primigenius (the woolly mammoth) tooth, from Jilin, is displayed. Other smaller fossils include jaw fragments (IVPP V18010.1), from M. trogontherii, originating from Hebei. A Pleistocene tooth (IVPP V1959) from the modern Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is also displayed. Meanwhile, the central space itself holds two more proboscidean skulls, one belonging to Mammuthus, and the other belonging to a gomphothere.
Mounted like the Platybelodon skull from before, the skull of Sinomastodon yangziensis lays low, sitting just under the rear-end of Stegodon. Despite its name, this proboscidean was a gomphothere, not a mastodon. It would have likely coexisted with Stegodon in life, making its placement here more appropriate. This specimen is heavily crushed, with only the basic shape of the skull being discernable. To the left, this skull is dwarfed by a replica of the most famous fossil proboscidean ever discovered.
Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) are a common giant sight in many fossil halls, but here, positioned right next to the comparatively puny skulls of Platybelodon and Sinomastodon, this replica gives visitors a new sense of the animal’s massive size. Accompanied by signage describing the evolutionary history of the mammoth genus as a whole, this is a cast of a skull unearthed in Inner Mongolia.
The signage here also describes the extinction of the mammoths, chronologically moving into the age of humans. With this skull representing some of the last great extinct Cenozoic megafauna, the proboscidean displays come to a close. However, before the hall (and the museum) ends the journey across vertebrate evolution, two final displays near the stairs bid the visitors farewell.
A total of five specimens occupy these last two displays. The larger of these displays, a phylogenetic overview of Mammalia, could fit into the beginning of the hall or the end. Essentially all major extant groups of mammals are illustrated on this large diagram, though every clade is labeled in Chinese only. A few major extinct lineages are labeled as well at the base of the tree. Four fossils, intriguingly not all mammals, are exhibited here as well.
This display case includes two mammals, one fish, and one bird. The mammals are both coryphodonts. The more complete of these is a lower jaw (IVPP V5149) belonging to Eudinoceras youngi, a Eocene taxon from Hubei. The other specimen is an upper jaw (IVPP V5145) from Heterocoryphodon flerowi, another Eocene taxon, this time from Henan as well as Hubei.
The fish in the display is represented by an extremely flattened and incomplete fossil, making it hard to discern what animal it is at all. This impression (IVPP V12751A) from Hubei belongs to Jianghanichthys sp., a cypriniform fish from the Paleocene. Right beside it, something labeled as the holotype specimen (IVPP V18187-V18188) of Songzia acutunguis sits. Intriguingly, the same specimen is present on the second floor, meaning that one of the two, though not specified as such, is likely a replica. The presence of these two non-mammals on an explicitly mammalian floor is uncertain, though both may serve to simply paint a better picture of Cenozoic life.
The final display and final specimen in the hall (and museum) focuses on recent(ish) paleontological research. Since this display is from 2014, using a revolutionary discovery from 2013 somewhat works. However, this last specimen faces a similar issue to Songzia from before. Apparently, displayed here is the holotype specimen of Archicebus achilles, which had already been displayed just around the corner of the hall. However, this is resolved by the fact that these two seemingly identical specimens are likely just part and counterpart of the same fossil.
Archicebus is also accompanied by signage detailing the Homeric background of its specific epithet achilles and a large sketch of the taxon holding an insect meal. The signage here does a particularly good job at explaining the discovery and evolutionary significance of Archicebus. On this note, the museum’s exhibits conclude. However, like the two previous floors, a huge mural still adorns the hall.
Like the previous two murals, this huge illustration seems to chronologically move through the Cenozoic. Beginning with dense Eocene forests near the bat displays, featuring the likes of Uintatherium, the mural then opens up into a grassland, featuring brontotheres and a giant indricothere among others. A pond is also present, depicting three Platybelodon and a single Kubanochoerus.
Near the end of the mural, however, near the rodent and lagomorph displays, the transition into the Quaternary begins, featuring woolly mammoths, woolly rhinos, Megaloceros, and, of course, the rise of mankind. Notably, this is the only time in the hall that prehistoric humans are featured in any significance, reserving paleoanthropology for the Shuhua Hall.
With the Fossil Mammal Hall, the Paleozoological Museum of China comes to a close. Visitors exit the way they came, allowing them to revisit displays from the other two floors. On the left of the museum’s entrance, opposite from the Shuhua Hall of Paleoanthropology and the Museum of Vertebrate Paleontology, temporary exhibitions are held, usually featuring more specimens from the museum’s collections.
With the Fossil Fish and Amphibian Hall, the Fossil Reptile and Bird Hall, the Fossil Mammal Hall, and the Shuhua Hall of Paleoanthropology, the museum covers almost all significant facets of vertebrate paleontology. Displaying magnificent and hugely important specimens from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, the Paleozoological Museum of China gives the public a great look inside one of the world’s most important fossil collections.
More on the Paleozoological Museum:
The Exterior of the PMC and IVPP
The Shuhua Hall of Paleoanthropology
The First Floor of the Museum of Vertebrate Paleontology
The Second Floor of the Museum of Vertebrate Paleontology
References
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The Hall of Fossil Halls 
