EUTHERIAN MAMMALS FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (MAASTRICHTIAN) INTERTRAPPEAN BEDS OF NASKAL, ANDHRA-PRADESH, INDIA

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) eutherian mammals are documented from the intertrappean beds of Naskal, Rangareddi District, Andhra Pradesh, India, on the basis of isolated canines, premolars, molars, and mandi bular fragments. Besides the previously recorded Deccanolestes hislopi , two additional forms, one with affinities to D. hislopi and a new sp ecies, D. robustus, are also described. These mammals are primitive in comparison to North American palaeoryctids in their lack of strong, w inged conules and absence of lingual cingula on the upper molars; pres ence of cristid obliqua at the base of metaconid; and hypoconulid clos er to hypoconid than to entoconid. Based on transversely wide upper mo lars with wide stylar shelf, large parastylar area, paracone and metac one which are high and connate at the base, anteriorly recumbent proto cone, tall trigonids and small paraconid on the lower molars, these sp ecies are referred to Palaeoryctidae. Most of the similarities between the North American palaeoryctid Cimolestes and Deccanolestes are in s ymplesiomorphic characters. In a few derived characters, however, Decc anolestes compares well with C. magnus and Procerberus. Deccanolestes and Otlestes share some derived characters indicating a possible phylo genetic relationship. These finds extend the distribution of Laurasian palaeoryctid mammals into India and support faunal exchange between I ndia and Laurasian landmasses in Late Cretaceous times, as was suggest ed previously by the occurrence of discoglossid and pelobatid frogs, c rocodilians, ostracods, and charophytes in the intertrappean biota.