Archaeologists from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) in China have discovered numerous fossils belonging to the Hipparion fauna on a hillside in Wensu County, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Northwest China).
Fossils of the Hipparion fauna found in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. (Photo: Chinanews)
In a statement to the media, expert Wang Shiqi noted that these fossils could date back 8 million years, with concentrated and dense fossil layers, some of which are interrelated.
After preliminary analysis and identification, scientists have determined that these fossils belong to the Hipparion horse group and related species, including Palaeotragus antelopes and Tetralophodont elephants.
The Hipparion fauna was widely distributed across the mid-latitude regions of the Eurasian continent between 8 million and 5 million years ago, with fossils found in many northern provinces of China, Greece, and Turkey.
In Xinjiang, the Hipparion fauna is only found in Wensu County, making this area significant as it connects the distribution of the Hipparion fauna at both the eastern and western ends of Eurasia—an important factor in paleontological evolutionary studies during this period.
According to expert Wang Shiqi, the area where the Hipparion fauna fossils were discovered holds high scientific research value and will be excavated in the future.
