Abstract
We present a new taxonomic study of fossil giraffids from the Siwaliks of Pakistan. The recovered material belongs to the family Giraffidae and includes a cranium of Vishnutherium priscillum, maxillary isolated cheek teeth of Bramatherium grande, maxillary isolated cheek teeth and mandibular fragments of Bramatherium megacephalum. These specimens were collected from the localities of Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon, Chakwal district, and Hasnot, Jhelum district, Punjab, Pakistan. These outcrops belong to the Chinji Formation and Dhok Pathan Formation, respectively, of lower to middle Siwaliks, dated as Middle to Late Miocene in age. The presence of fossil fauna that primarily fed on herbaceous, grassy, and bushy vegetation suggests that both Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon and Hasnot were dominated by mixed woodland habitats. These localities have a very rich fossil fauna and the cranium of Vishnutherium priscillum is the first that has been reported from Dhok Bun Ameer Khatoon.
