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Paleocene tracks of the mammal Pantodont genus Titanoides in coal-bearing strata, Svalbard, Arctic Norway

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 30; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/02724631003617449

1937-2809

Charlotta Jenny Lüthje, Jesper Milàn, Jørn H. Hurum,

Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

ABSTRACT We discuss large tracks recently discovered in Paleocene coal deposits from Svalbard. The age, large size, and excellent preservation of the tracks allows them to be identified to the pantodont Titanoides. This is the earliest evidence of a large mammal on the Arctic islands and the northernmost record from the Paleocene. The traces are described in detail and named Thulitheripus svalbardii, gen. et sp. nov. Large Paleocene pantodonts are previously only known from North America. The presence of pantodonts in the Paleocene strata of Svalbard confirms the postulated DeGeer route for migration of mammals in the Paleocene/Eocene. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS SNSK (Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani) is thanked for providing access to the mine in Longyearbyen, and especially Terje Carlsen and Malte Jochmann for contacting J⊘rn H. Hurum when the tracks were found. Charlotta Lüthje would also like to thank SNSK for providing funding for a Ph.D. project carried out at UNIS, Royal Holloway University of London, and at the University of Bergen. Jesper Milàn was supported by the Danish Natural Science Research Council. An early version of the manuscript was thoroughly reviewed by Gary Nichols and Mikael Lüthje is acknowledged for careful reading of the manuscript, and the comments and suggestions from two anonymous reviewers helped improve and narrow the focus of the manuscript. David L. Bruton corrected language in the last version.