Stratigraphy of the primate-bearing beds of the Eocene Pondaung Formation at Paukkaung area, Myanmar

Abstract

We report on the stratigraphy of the 'Upper Member' of the middle Eocene Pondaung Formation at Paukkaung area (central Myanmar), with an emphasis on horizons that have yielded primate fossils. Deposits from the Paukkaung area of the Pondaung Formation have yielded many primate fossils at localities Pk1, Pk2, Pk3, and Pk5. The primate-bearing beds of these localities correspond to horizons of almost the same stratigraphic level. This was confirmed by tracking marker tuff and sandstone beds distributed in the Paukkaung area.

Geographical and body size distributions of the Pondaung primates with a comment on the taxonomic assignment of NMMP 20, postcranium of an amphipithecid

“…All of these primate fossils, except one specimen, have been collected from localities a few kilometers west of Paukkaung and Bahin villages (Figure 2). Among these primatebearing localities, Pk2, Pk3, and Pk5 are similar in stratigraphic level to Pk1 (Maung Maung, 2003). Of the two individuals of Pondaungia, one (NMMP 24) was found at Pk2, as noted by Ciochon et al (2001).…”

A multi-proxy provenance study of Eocene to Oligocene sandstones in the Salin Sub-basin, Myanmar

“…Aung Naing Soe et al, 2002;Khin Zaw et al, 2014). The upper member was deposited in a fluvio-deltaic environment (Maung Maung et al, 2005). The mean palaeocurrent direction indicates that the average flow was towards 243° (Licht et al, 2013).…”

“…The lower member is 1500 m thick and is characterised by grey-brown coarse-topebbly crossbedded litharenites (Saw Lwin, 1999) that contain marine molluscs at the base of the member (Bender, 1983). Polymictic, clast-supported conglomerate beds are subordinate and are 20 m thick on average, with clast lithologies including volcanic and plutonic rocks, serpentinites, medium-to-high grade metamorphics, biogenic carbonate and chert, and polycyclic sediments (Maung Maung et al, 2005). The litharenites are interbedded with variegated mudstones and palaeosols (Licht et al, 2014b).…”

Isotopic niche modelling of the Pondaung mammal fauna (middle Eocene, Myanmar) shows microhabitat differences. Insights into paleoecology and early anthropoid primate habitats

“…The fossil outcrops at PK9 are part of the Nyaungpinle Claystone, which is stratigraphically lower than the Ayoedawpon Taung Claystone. The claystones at the PK12 locality on the other hand overlay directly the sandstones above the Ayoedawpon Taung Claystone (Maung et al, 2005;Suzuki et al, 2006). It has been dated to 40.31 ± 0.65 Ma and 40.22 ± 0.86 Ma using LA-ICP-MS, U-Pb zircons on tuffaceous sandstones from the Bahin area (PK4 and PK8; Zaw et al, 2014).…”