First Magnetostratigraphic Study of the Pondaung Formation: Implications for the Age of the Middle Eocene Anthropoids of Myanmar

Abstract We report the results of a magnetostratigraphic investigation to improve the stratigraphical and chronological resolution of the Pondaung Formation of central Myanmar. A total of 98 samples were collected from 45 sites through a 319‐m‐thick section at the fossiliferous locality of Yashe Kyitchaung or the Primate Resort (yielding primate species Bahinia pondaungensis, Amphipithecus mogaungensis, and Myanmarpithecus yarshensis) near the Bahin village. Thermal and alternating field demagnetization allowed separation of two remanence components. The high‐temperature component is interpreted as the characteristic magnetization. Rock magnetic experiments show that the remanence magnetization is mainly carried by magnetite. This investigation documents normal polarity remanent magnetization, with a mean direction \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usep...