First Record of Hoplictis (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in East Asia from the Miocene of the Ulungur River Area, Xinjiang, Northwest China

The first unequivocal remains of medium to large-sized mustelids from the middle Miocene Halamagai and Kekemaideng formations have been found in the Ulungur River area, Xinjiang, northwestern China. These new fossils are referred to the hypercarnivorous mustelid Hoplictis Ginsburg, 1961 and denote the first record of the genus in East Asia. We define Hoplictis baihu n. sp., for the mustelid from Tieersihabahe (Halamagai Fm.), which represents the smallest species of the genus. This primitive form is closer to H. florancei and H. noueli than to H. anatolicus and later, larger and more derived Hoplictis spp., from Europe and North America. A large toothless mandible from Duolebulejin (Kekemaiden Fm.) is assigned to Hoplictis cf. helbingi, and it presumably might represent the first record of H. helbingi outside Western Europe. The systematic position of Hoplicitis in relation to Ischyrictis with which it is similar is clarified. The occurrence in East Asia of two species of Hoplictis greatly expands the known distribution and diversity of the genus, and supports a Palaearctic Neogene dispersal event of carnivorans between Europe and Asia during the late Shanwangian-early Tunggurian equivalent to MN5-6 in Europe, and indication of another dispersal event from Europe to North America, through Northwest China during the late Tunggurian, equivalent to MN7-8 in Europe.