First island colonisation by Hystrix subcristata (Mammalia, Rodentia): fossil evidence from Pleistocene, southern Taiwan
Journal: Swiss Journal of Palaeontology
Year: 2026

Fossil records of porcupines ( Hystrix ) from island environments in East Asia have never been reported, leaving their Pleistocene dispersal and biogeographic history poorly understood. This study describes fossil remains of Hystrix subcristata from the Chochen–Tsailiao locality, south-western Taiwan. The locality, part of the Chiting Formation in Tainan, is dated to the Middle Pleistocene. The collection includes a well-preserved upper molar (M1/2), a lower last premolar (p4), a fragmentary low