The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) is an endemic bovid of the Tibetan Plateau, which was, until recently, considered an endangered species. Researchers have long speculated on the evolutionary origin of Pantholops, suggesting a connection to the rare fossil bovid Qurliqnoria. However, the lack of adequate fossil samples has prevented the testing of this deep-time endemism hypothesis for eight decades. Here, we report new fossils of Qurliqnoria cheni from the northern Tibetan Plateau, substantially increasing the amount of morphological data that can be brought to bear on the question of Tibetan antelope evolution. Phylogenetic analysis supports a Pantholops–Qurliqnoria clade and suggests that this lineage has been endemic to the Plateau for 11 Myr. Recent morphological and molecular studies that support the outgroup position of Pantholops relative to caprins (goats and relatives) and the fossil record of stem bovids from Europe together suggest that the Qurliqnoria–Pantholops lineage is likely to have dispersed to the Tibetan Plateau 15–11 Mya. Furthermore, the harsh environmental conditions to which Pantholops has adapted are likely to extend back to the time of its evolutionary origin. These findings provide an important new context for conservation management and research into the near-threatened Tibetan antelope, as the longest-living endemic member of the Tibetan Plateau fauna.

中文翻译：

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青藏高原柴达木盆地库尔利克诺利亚（哺乳动物：牛科）化石与藏羚羊谱系的深部时间特有性

藏羚羊 (Pantholops hodgsonii) 是青藏高原的特有牛科动物，直到最近才被认为是濒危物种。长期以来，研究人员一直在推测 Pantholops 的进化起源，这表明与稀有的化石牛科动物 Qurliqnoria 有联系。然而，由于缺乏足够的化石样本，八十年来一直无法检验这种深部特有的假说。在这里，我们报告了来自青藏高原北部的新的 Qurliqnoria cheni 化石，大大增加了可用于解决藏羚羊进化问题的形态数据量。系统发育分析支持 Pantholops-Qurliqnoria 进化枝，并表明该谱系在 11 Myr 期间一直是高原的地方病。最近支持 Pantholops 相对于山羊（山羊和亲属）的外群位置的形态学和分子研究以及来自欧洲的茎牛科动物的化石记录一起表明，Qurliqnoria-Pantholops 谱系可能已经分散到青藏高原 15-11 Mya . 此外，Pantholops 适应的恶劣环境条件很可能可以追溯到其进化起源的时间。这些发现为濒临灭绝的藏羚羊的保护管理和研究提供了重要的新背景，藏羚羊是青藏高原动物群中寿命最长的地方性成员。此外，Pantholops 适应的恶劣环境条件很可能可以追溯到其进化起源的时间。这些发现为濒临灭绝的藏羚羊的保护管理和研究提供了重要的新背景，藏羚羊是青藏高原动物群中寿命最长的地方性成员。此外，Pantholops 适应的恶劣环境条件很可能可以追溯到其进化起源的时间。这些发现为濒临灭绝的藏羚羊作为青藏高原动物群中寿命最长的地方性成员的保护管理和研究提供了重要的新背景。