云南西瓦古猿头骨的初步研究

本文对1978年12月在云南禄丰石灰坝煤窑发现的第一个古猿头骨化石作了描述和比较,归属为云南西瓦古猿类型。由于它在形态上保留一些原康修尔猿的性质和显示出较多的相似于猩猩的特征,所以作者认为它可能代表后两者的中间环节。同时,作者又发现这个头骨具有接近于南方古猿粗壮种的性质,因此认为云南西瓦古猿与南方古猿粗壮类型可能有亲缘关系。

PREUMINARY RESEARCH ON THE CRANIUM OF SIVAPITHECUS YUNNANENSIS

A cranium of Sivapithecus was discovered at Shihuiba Colliery, Lufeng County, Yunnan Province, by a team of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica, and the Museum of Yunnan Province in Desember 1978. The fossil unearthed from the stratum of brown coal which dates to Early Pliocene epoch. Preliminary studies indicate that the cranium can be referred to Sivapithecus yunnanensis. It belongs to an adult and male individual.The facial bones of the cranium are fairly well preserved, but the cerebral portion is mostly broken.Comparison between the Sivapithecus yunnanensis and the living orang-utan, shows that: the trigonum frontale and narrowing apertura piriformis etc. are similar, therefore, it is possible that Sivapithecus yunnanensis is an ancestor of both the fossil orangutan of south China of Pleistocene and the living one. But Sivapithecus yunnanensis also has many differences with the living orang-utan, such as the difference in size between central and lateral incisors is larger, the canines are smaller and more delicate, the degree of extension downwards and forwards of the sub-nasal part of the premaxilla is weaker.There are some features in the Sivapithecus yunnanensis which resembled to the robust species of australopithecine e.g. the broad face and interorbital distance etc. it is possible that some of the robust species of australopithecine were derived from Sivapithecus yunnanensis.