Warta Geologi, Vol. 45, No. 4, December 2019, pp. 400–404

High potential new Quaternary fossil cave sites in
Merapoh (Pahang), with new geographic records for orangutan and Asian Black
Bear

Ros Fatihah Muhammad^1,*, Lim Tze Tshen²,
Islahani Huda Sahak¹, Nurameera Nadia Khairil Azhar¹,
Fakhrulradzi Mohd Razif¹, Meor Hakif Amir Hassan¹,
Muhamad Laili b. Basir³, Muhammad Rosni b. Mamat³, Mohd
Zainal Abidin b. Mohd Zin³, Sabrie b. Zoo³

¹ Department of Geology, Faculty of Science,
University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

² Sarawak Museum Campus Project, Jalan Barrack,
93000 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

³ Merapoh Adventure Clubhouse, Merapoh, Pahang,
Malaysia

*Correspondence author email address: rosfmuhammad@um.edu.my

Abstract:
Cave sediments exceptionally rich with numerous vertebrate dental remains
have been discovered in Merapoh, Pahang. To date, a total of 611 isolated teeth
have been collected, consisting of the following taxa: Hystricid, Rhizomys
spp. (?), Helarctos malayanus, Ursus thibetanus , Neofelis
nebuloso, Canid (?), Sus spp., Cervus unicolor,
medium-sized Cervids, Tragulus spp., Capricornis sumatraensis,
large-sized Bovids, Rhinocerotid, Cercopithecines and Colobines, Pongo sp. and
possibly other higher primates. The faunal assemblage resembles those
discovered in western Peninsular Malaysia that have been dated from 33-500ky
(thousand years). Cave morphology shows the fissure filled with the sediments
could have been part of a subterranean stream. The absence of bones may
indicate that most of the fossils have gone through a long history of reworking
and other taphonomic processes, and only the most resistant dental remains have
been preserved.

Keywords:
Cave fossils, Quaternary vertebrate, cave sediments

Abstrak: Enapan
gua yang kaya dengan pelbagai tinggalan gigi haiwan vertebrata telah ditemui di
Merapoh, Pahang. Sehingga kini, 611 gigi individu telah dikutip, terdiri dari
taxa berikut: Hystricid, Rhizomys spp. (?), Helarctos
malayanus, Ursus thibetanus , Neofelis nebuloso, Canid
(?), Sus spp., Cervus unicolor, Cervids bersaiz sederhana,
Tragulus spp., Capricornis sumatraensis, Bovids bersaiz
besar, Rhinocerotid, Cercopithecines dan Colobines, Pongo
sp. dan kemungkinan primat yang lebih tinggi. Kumpulan fauna ini menyerupai
kumpulan yang dijumpai di barat Semenanjung Malaysia yang telah ditentukan umur
pada 33-500 ribu tahun. Morfologi gua menunjukkan fisur yang diisi dengan
enapan mungkin adalah sebahagian dari aliran air bawah tanah. Ketiadaan tulang
menunjukkan kebanyakkan fosil telah mengalami sejarah kerja semula dan proses
tafonomi yang lain sehingga hanya tinggalan gigi yang paling tinggi ketahanan
terpelihara.

ISSN
0126–5539; e-ISSN 2682-7549

DOI :
https://doi.org/10.7186/wg454201903