Pliocene cyprinids (Cypriniformes, Teleostei) from Kunlun Pass Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau and their bearings on development of water system and uplift of the area

Abstract

Here described are the cyprinid fossils from the Pliocene Lower Member of Qiangtang Formation of the Kunlun Pass Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau, collected at a locality 4769 m above the sea level (asl). The materials consist of numerous disarticulated and incomplete bones as well as thousands of pharyngeal teeth, fin rays, and vertebrae. The fossils were referred to the genus Gymnocypris, lineage Schizothoracini, family Cyprinidae; the lineage Schizothoracini; and the family Cyprinidae respectively. The Schizothoracini is a freshwater fish group endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding area. Previous workers on living schizothoracins regarded that Gymnocypris belongs to the highly specialized grade of the group, colonizing higher altitudes than other members of the group. Two species are so far unequivocally assigned to the genus, i.e., G. przewalskii and G. eckloni, and they are inhabiting Qinghai Lake and the waters on both north (the Golmud River) and south (upper reach of the Yellow River) sides of the East Kunlun Mountain, respectively. The abundant fossil schizothoracins occur in the Kunlun Pass Basin on the southern slope of the East Kunlun Mountain (at 4769 m asl), close to the present Golmud River, indicating comparatively rich waters in the area and possible connections between the water systems on north and south sides of the East Kunlun Mountain during the Pliocene. This also suggests a more humid climate in the area during the Pliocene than it is today. The presence of the highly specialized schizothoracin Gymnocypris may also imply less amplitude of uplift (approximately 1000 m) in the area since the Pliocene than previously proposed. Gymnocypris, Schizothoracini, Pliocene, Kunlun Pass Basin of northeastern Tibetan Plateau, development of water system, uplift of the area Citation:Wang N, Chang M M. Pliocene cyprinids (Cypriniformes, Teleostei) from Kunlun Pass Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau and their bearings on development of water system and uplift of the area.

Oligocene‐Miocene Great Lakes in the India‐Asia Collision Zone

“…Limited fossil records of cyprinids from the plateau span early Oligocene to Pleistocene time. In rocks older than late Oligocene, only primitive barbines have been found (Chen & Liu, ; Wang & Wu, ), whereas moderately specialized (Wu & Chen, ; Chang et al ., ) and highly specialized schizothoracines (Wang & Chang, ) occur from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene. The Kailas fish fauna represents the only known fish remains of Tibetan cyprinids during the late Oligocene‐early Miocene, a time that witnessed the early evolution of schizothoracines.…”

Significant shift in the terrestrial ecosystem at the Paleogene/Neogene boundary in the Tibetan Plateau

“…在青藏高原南部札达盆地的上新世札达组中 发现了高度特化裂腹鱼化石 [6,12] . 在青藏高原北部昆仑 山口盆地的上新世羌塘组中发现今天高度特化裂腹鱼 类的代表裸鲤属(Gymnocypris)化石, 且在鱼群组成面 貌上, 高原鳅明显多于裸鲤, 已呈现当地明显的现代特 征 [6,12,59] .…”

Review of the Cenozoic fossil fishes from the Tibetan Plateau and their bearings on paleoenvironment

“…但也有一些种类能到达海拔5600 m以上, 比高度特 化等级的裂腹鱼亚科鱼类的分布还要高 [61] . 它的许 [58,60] . 在我们的这件工作之前不久, 研究氧、碳同位素的同行们曾得出, 东昆仑在同一时 期中曾抬升了2700±1600 m [62] .…”

“…依Wang和Chang [58] , 据青海省地质图 [59] Figure 11 Geological map of East Kunlun Mountain and surrounding area, northeastern Tibetan Plateau (Based on Geological Map of Qinghai Province [59] ). After Wang and Chang [58] 图 12 高度特化等级的裸鲤未定种(Gymnocypris sp.)与青海湖裸鲤骨片的比较. 选自Wang和Chang [58]…”