Pinjor Formation

Pinjor Formation
Stratigraphic range: Pleistocene
~2.58–0.4 Ma
TypeGeological formation
UnderliesBoulder Conglomerate Formation
OverliesTatrot Formation
Location
Coordinates30°42′N 76°48′E / 30.7°N 76.8°E / 30.7; 76.8
Approximate paleocoordinates29°12′N 77°18′E / 29.2°N 77.3°E / 29.2; 77.3
RegionHaryana, Punjab, India, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Pakistan, Chandigarh
Country India
Type section
Named forPinjor town, India
Pinjor Formation is located in India
Pinjor Formation
Pinjor Formation (India)

The Pinjor Formation is a Cenozoic geologic formation in India. The fossils of mammals are abundant from the formation, with the addition of reptiles, fishes and invertebrates.

Paleobiota

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon

Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text
crossed out taxa are discredited.

Reptiles

Pseudosuchians

It is possible that Rhamphosuchus crassidens and probably Hypselornis sivalensis may have been present in Pinjor Formation.

Pseudosuchians from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Gavialis G. gangeticus WIF/A 459-461, partial craniums. Ambala A gavialid.
G. browni WIF/A 458, maxillary fragment.
Crocodylus C. palaeindicus A/683, cranial rostrum. Naipli A crocodylid.
C. biporcatus A/684, a complete skull.

Turtle

Turtles from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Megalochelys M. atlas Numerous specimens, including ones referred to M. sivalensis. Known from Plio-Pleistocene deposits of entire Punjab. A large sized testudinid.
cf. Geoclemys cf. G. hamiltonii WIF/A 454, partially preserved carapace and antero-posteriorly broken plastron. Ambala A geoemydid.
Omegachelys O. sahnii WIF/A 451, terminally broken large carapace. Ambala A geoemydid.

Squamates

Squamates from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Varanus V. sivalensis Distal end of humerus, dorsal vertebrae "Pinjor Zone" A varanid.

Birds

It is possible that Leptoptilos falconeri and Struthio asiaticus might have been present in Pinjor Formation.

Birds from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Aves indet. Potwar Plateau Indeterminate aves.
Struthio S. camelus eggshells fragments Chandigarh region A struthionid.

Mammals

Eulipotyphla

Eulipotyphlas from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Chandisorex C. punchkulaensis Chandigarh region A soricid.

Rodent

Rodents from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Hystrix H. leucurus Chandigarh region A hystricid.
Rattus R. sp. Chandigarh region A murid.
Mus M. linnaeusi Chandigarh region A murid.
cf. M. flynni Chandigarh region A murid.
Hadromys H. loujacobsi Chandigarh region A murid
H. sp. Chandigarh region A murid
Nesokia N. punchkulaensis Chandigarh region A murid
Cremnomys C. blanfordi Chandigarh region A murid
Dilatomys D. sp. Chandigarh region A murid
Golunda G. sp. Chandigarh region A murid
Anepsirhizomys A. pinjoricus Chandigarh region A murid
Tatera T. pinjoricus Chandigarh region A murid
Bandicota B. sp Chandigarh region A murid

Lagomorph

Lagomorphs from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Pliosiwalagus P. sivalensis Chandigarh region A leporid

Primates

It is possible that Hominins (most likely Archaic humans) were present in Pinjor Formation.

Primates from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Theropithecus T. oswaldi Chandigarh region A cercopithecid.
Procynocephalus P. subhimalayanus Chandigarh region A cercopithecid.

Felids

Felids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Megantereon M. falconeri Chandigarh region, Roorkee region A machairodontine felid.
Homotherium H. sp. "Pinjor Faunal Zone" A machairodontine felid.
Dinofelis D. cristata Chandigarh region A machairodontine felid, includes cf. Panthera cristata.
Sivapanthera S. potens Chandigarh region A feline felid.
Panthera P. uncia Potwar Plateau A pantherine felid.
P. gombaszogensis Haro River
Felis F. subhimalayana Upper Siwaliks A feline felid.

Canids

Canids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Canis C. pinjorensis Chandigarh region A canine canid.
C. etruscus Potwar Plateau and Siwaliks of Dádúpúr. A canine canid, includes Canis cautleyi.
Prototocyon P. curvipalatus Chandigarh region A canine canid. Also known from the older Tatrot Formation.

Ursids

Ursid from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Agriotherium A. sivalensis Kasamuri Rao, Saharanpur of North-Western Provinces and Siwalik Ganges valley neighbourhood. A ailuropodine ursid.
Melursus M. theobaldi Kangra district A ursine ursid.

Viverrids

Viverrids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Vishnuictis V. durandi Upper Siwalik A viverrine viverrid.
V. sp. Chandigarh region A viverrine viverrid.
Viverra V. bakeri Upper Siwalik A viverrine viverrid.

Mustelids

Mustelids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Enhydriodon E. sivalensis Chandigarh region, Potwar Plateau A lutrine mustelid.
Sinictis S. lydekkeri Upper Siwaliks A mustelid
Amblonyx A. indicus Upper Siwaliks A lutrine mustelid.
A. sp. Upper Siwaliks A lutrine mustelid.
Mellivora M. sivalensis Chandigarh region A mellivorine mustelid.
Lutra L. palaeindica Upper Siwaliks A lutrine mustelid.

Hyaenids

Hyaenids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Pachycrocuta P. brevirostris Chandigarh region, Potwar Plateau A hyaenid.
Crocuta C. sivalensis Upper Siwaliks A hyaenid.
Pliocrocuta P. perrieri Upper Siwaliks A hyaenid.
Hyaenictis H. bosei Chandigarh region A hyaenid.

Proboscideans

Proboscideans from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Stegodon S. pinjorensis Chandigarh region A stegodontid proboscidean.
S. insignis Chandigarh region A stegodontid proboscidean.
S. sp. Chandigarh region A stegodontid proboscidean.
S. bombifrons Potwar Plateau A stegodontid proboscidean, also known from the older Tatrot Formation.
Elephas E. hysudricus Chandigarh region An elephantid proboscidean.
E. planifrons Chandigarh region An elephantid proboscidean, also known from the older Tatrot Formation.
E. platycephalus Chandigarh region An elephantid proboscidean.
Anancus A. sivalensis Chandigarh region A gomphothere proboscidean, also known from the older Tatrot Formation.
Stegolophodon S. stegodontoides Chandigarh region A stegodontid proboscidean, also known from the older Tatrot Formation.

Rhinocerotids

Rhinocerotids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Rhinoceros R. sivalensis Chandigarh region A rhinocerotine rhinocerotid.
R. platyrhinus Chandigarh region A large rhinocerotine rhinocerotid, includes Punjabitherium.
R. palaeindicus Chandigarh region A rhinocerotine rhinocerotid.
Subchilotherium S. intermedium Chandigarh region A aceratheriine rhinocerotid. Also known from the older Tatrot Formation.

Bovids

Bovids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Bison B. sivalensis A bovine bovid.
Damalops D. palaeindicus An alcelaphine bovid.
Oryx O. sivalensis A hippotragine bovid.
Hemibos H. acuticornis A bovine bovid.
H. triquetricornis
H. antilopinus
Antilope A. subtorta An antilopine bovid.
Bubalus B. platycerops A bovine bovid.
B. palaeindicus
Leptobos L. falconeri A bovine bovid.
Bos B. acutifrons A bovine bovid.
Proamphibos P. sp. A bovine bovid
Caprinae Indeterminate An indeterminate caprine bovid.
Bucapra B. deviesi A caprine bovid
Reduncinae Indeterminate An indeterminate reduncine bovid.
Boselaphus B. cf. namadicus A bovine bovid.
Sivatragus S. bohlini A hippotragine bovid.
Bovidae Indeterminate Indeterminate bovids.
Gazella G. sp. An antilopine bovid
Sivacapra S. subhimalayaensis A caprine bovid
Sivacobus S. palaeindicus A reduncine bovid.

Cervids

Cervids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Cervus C. sivalensis A large-size cervid.
C. triplidens A cervid.
C. sp. A cervid.
Metacervocerus M. punjabiensis A cervid.
Eucladoceros E. sp. A large cervid.
Praesinomegaceros P. sp. A large cervid.
Rucervus R. sp. A cervid.

Giraffids

Giraffids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Giraffa G. sivalensis A giraffid.
Sivatherium S. giganteum A giraffid.
S. sp.

Suids

Suids from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Sus S. falconeri A suid.
S. hysudricus
S. giganteus
S. choprai
Kolpochoerus K. sp. A suid.
Potamochoerus P. theobaldi A suid.
P. palaeindicus
Sivachoerus S. sp. A suid.
Suidae Indeterminate Indeterminate suids.

Other Ungulates

Other Ungulates from the Pinjor Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialLocationNotesImages
Hexaprotodon H. sivalensis A hippopotamid.
Camelus C. sivalensis A camelid.
Equus E. cautleyi An equid, includes Equus sivalensis.
E. namadicus
Nestoritherium N. sivalense A chalicotheriid.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Kaur, A. P.; Saarinen, J.; Patnaik, R.; Chauhan, P. R.; Dennell, R. (2026). "Contextualizing Early to Middle Pleistocene hominin ecology in the Indian Subcontinent". Journal of Quaternary Science. doi:10.1002/jqs.70088.
  2. ↑ V. Kumaravel, S. J. Sangode; Rohtash Kumar, N. Siva Siddaiah (2005). "Magnetic polarity stratigraphy of Plio–Pleistocene Pinjor Formation (type locality), Siwalik Group, NW Himalaya, India". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad184.
  3. ↑ Martin, J. E. (2019). "The taxonomic content of the genus Gavialis from the Siwalik Hills of India and Pakistan" (PDF). Papers in Palaeontology. 5 (3): 483–497. Bibcode:2019PPal....5..483M. doi:10.1002/spp2.1247. S2CID 134966832.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Srivastava, R., and H. H. Schleich. (2018). "Fossil Turtles and Crocodiles from the Caenozoic of S-Asia". ARCO-Nepal, Muhich, 1-324
  5. ↑ Chabrol, Nils; Jukar, Advait M.; Patnaik, Rajeev; Mannion, Philip D. (21 March 2024). "Osteology of Crocodylus palaeindicus from the late Miocene-Pleistocene of South Asia and the phylogenetic relationships of crocodyloids". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 24 (1) 2313133. doi:10.1080/14772019.2024.2313133.
  6. ↑ Buffetaut, E. (2022). Feduccia, A. (ed.). "The First-Named Fossil Ostrich: A Revision of Struthio asiaticus, from the Siwaliks of India". Diversity. 14 (10): 860. doi:10.3390/d14100860.
  7. ↑ Louchart, A., Vignaud, P., Likius, A., Brunet, M., & White, T. D. (2005). A large extinct marabou stork in African Pliocene hominid sites, and a review of the fossil species of Leptoptilos. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 50(3).
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  11. ↑ Getahun, Dagmawit Abebe; Delson, Eric; Seyoum, Chalachew Mesfin (July 2023). "A review of Theropithecus oswaldi with the proposal of a new subspecies". Journal of Human Evolution. 180 103373. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103373. hdl:10150/672281. Retrieved 5 March 2026 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
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  13. ↑ Werdelin, Lars & Lewis, Margaret E. (2001), "A revision of the genus Dinofelis (Mammalia, Felidae)", Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 132 (2): 147–258, doi:10.1006/zjls.2000.0260
  14. ↑ Jiangzuo, Q.; Liu, J. (2020). "First record of the Eurasian jaguar in southern Asia and a review of dental differences between pantherine cats". Journal of Quaternary Science. 35 (6): 817–830. Bibcode:2020JQS....35..817J. doi:10.1002/jqs.3222.
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