2025/01/01 by Amir Amiruddin, Lim Tze Tshen, Alexandra van der Geer +9 · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Marine animal studies overview #Geological and Geophysical Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.26879/1432
openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
A maxillary left milk molar (dp3) of a Stegodon was discovered in a cave in northern Peninsular Malaysia.This finding represents the southernmost record of Stegodontidae in continental Asia.The half-exposed tooth was embedded in breccia attached to the cave wall.A micro-computed tomography (CT) scanning was employed to virtually isolate the specimen from the matrix and to reconstruct a 3D model of the fossil for accurate measurements.No sign of wear or mechanical abrasion was observed in the specimen.Age determination on the matrix based on post-infrared infrared luminescence (pIR-IRSL) dating and U-series revealed a late middle Pleistocene age of between 233 31 to 199 28 ka.Detailed comparisons with specimens of Stegodon orientalis and Stegodon trigonocephalus revealed a number of differences in size and morphologies (development of posterior cingulum, presence of enamel tubercles at posterior cingulum, tapering of each plate lingual-buccally, thickness of the plates, and depth of the valley between plates) which are different to either of these species.The discovery of Stegodon in Peninsular Malaysia provides a better understanding of the distribution of this genus in the Sundaic subregion during the middle Pleistocene.