THE EQUIDS FROM KURUKSAI Loc. 73 (TADJIKISTAN, RUSSIA)

There have been several interpretations of the number and systematic status of these equids believed to be older than the Olduvai Episode. The most recent (Forsten and Sharapov, 2000) accepts the presence of one large and one small species. The large one was given the name of Hippotigris pamirensis by Sharapov (1986) and E. stenonis bactrianus by Zhegallo (in Vangengeim et al. 1988). It will be referred here as Allohippus pamirensis. Sharapov (1986) and Forsten and Sharapov (2000) have described the fossil equids of Kuruksai kept in the Institute of Zology and Parasitology of the Tadzzhik Academy of Sciences, Dushanbe. There are, however, many specimens inside the PIN collections left unpublished.

All the data labeled I-XXX/N come from Sharapov 1986. Most photographs were given to me by Claudio De Giuli. Photos of cheek teeth PIN 3120-50, PIN 3120-30, 366 and 243 were adapted from Zhegallo.