广西崇左缺缺洞早更新世晚期堆积中与巨猿伴生的偶蹄类

广西崇左缺缺洞早更新世晚期堆积中出土的与巨猿伴生的哺乳动物里共有4种偶蹄类化石:裴氏猪(Sus peii)、广西巨羊(Megalovis guangxiensis)、山羊亚科属种未定(Caprinae gen.et sp.indet.)以及周氏水牛(Bubalus chowi)。缺缺洞的裴氏猪是这个种目前在地理分布上最靠南的记录。缺缺洞产出的广西巨羊下颌骨具有肿厚现象,与以储钙为主的大角鹿和容纳下犬齿的李氏野猪的下颌肿厚原因不同,而可能与广西巨羊以类似竹子和甘蔗之类的坚韧食物为食的食性有关。缺缺洞的周氏水牛是目前年代最早的水牛,可能是中更新世水牛的祖先。猪属和巨羊属在中国和西欧的早更新世地层中均有分布,指示自新近纪晚期以来欧亚大陆发生过动物群的迁徙或交流事件。缺缺洞动物群各个成员的生态习性指示在早更新世晚期缺缺洞一带生态环境为热带森林-林灌环境,周边有一些浅的水域。这种自然环境非常适宜巨猿以及相关的高等灵长类在那里生息繁衍。     

贵州毕节扒耳岩巨猿地点的偶蹄类

系统记述了自2001年以来从贵州省毕节扒耳岩洞穴堆积中出土的偶蹄目化石:最后"双齿尖河猪"("Dicoryphochoerus"ultimus)、麂(未定种)(Muntiacus sp.)、凤岐祖鹿(?)(Cervavitus?fenqii)、黑鹿(相似种)(Cervus(R.)cf C.(R.)unicolor)、羚牛(未定种)(Budorcas sp.)、山羊亚科(属种未定)(Caprinae gen.et sp.indet.)、羚羊(未定种)(Gazella sp.)、斯迈提丽牛(未定种)(Leptobos(Smertiobos)sp.)8个种类。毕节扒耳岩巨猿动物群中的偶蹄类与广西柳城巨猿洞和湖北建始龙骨洞的偶蹄类可比性最大。毕节偶蹄类含有较多的古老种类, 指示其地质时代为早更新世早期; 同时显示其生态环境为植被既有密集的丛林又有开阔的草地(或草坡), 局部镶嵌有半开阔树林,而附近分布有一定的水域, 气候温暖, 非常适合高等灵长类栖息。     

广西崇左公鸡山与智人伴生的偶蹄类

系统记述了广西崇左公鸡山与智人伴生的动物群中的偶蹄类:文中小猪(Sus xiaozhu wenzhongi subsp.nov.)、裴氏猪相似种(Sus cf.peii)、麂未定种(Muntiacus sp.)、水鹿相似种(Cervus(Rusa.)cf.C.(R.)unicolor)、山羊亚科属种未定(Caprinae gen.et sp.indet.)和大额牛未定种(Bos(Bibos)sp.)。公鸡山偶蹄类及其他伴生哺乳动物指示的地质时代为中更新世至晚更新世早期,那时这一地区的气候温暖潮湿,是近水的森林和灌丛环境,并镶嵌有一些草甸和草坡。     

与南京汤山直立人伴生的偶蹄类及其古环境浅析

在汤山葫芦洞大洞发现的偶蹄类化石共有 4个科、 5个属种 ,其中化石毛冠鹿为首次在华东地区发现。除德氏水牛相似种以外 ,其它属种与周口店第 1地点的标本相比具有个体较大(如李氏野猪、葛氏斑鹿和肿骨鹿 )或形态较进步 (如李氏野猪、似德氏水牛 )。这些动物所反映的古环境为植被丰富 ,并以阔叶乔木和灌木为主 ,间有局部开阔草地。当时的年平均气温与现在相似 ,但冬季偏冷。     

广西布兵盆地么会洞发现的巨猿牙齿化石

对广西布兵盆地么会洞发现的哺乳动物化石的研究显示,该地点的部分高等灵长类牙齿化石中,16枚可归入巨猿步氏种(Gigantopithecus blacki),其形态特征与中国、越南和印度北部发现的巨猿化石相似。在尺寸大小上与重庆巫山和广西柳城巨猿洞的相近,暗示么会洞巨猿的时代与之接近,且共生的哺乳动物群也非常相似,指示它们之间相近的生物地层年龄。古地磁分析结果显示其时代在奥都威正极性世。     

安徽芜湖金盆洞旧石器遗址的偶蹄类

经对2002年与2004年出土于安徽芜湖金盆洞遗址的偶蹄类所做的深入研究,金盆洞遗址的偶蹄类有6个种:李氏野猪(Sus lydekkeri)、梅花鹿(Cervus(Sika)nippon)、葛氏斑鹿(Cervus(Sika)grayi)、马鹿(Cervus elaphus)、麂未定种(Muntiacussp.)及古中华野牛相似种(Bisoncf.palaeosinensis)。其中以鹿科为主,以梅花鹿和马鹿为优势种群,具有北方区动物群的特色。它们所指示的时代比和县龙潭洞动物群晚,与巢县银山巢县人动物群相当,为中更新世晚期,在古气候上处于Riss冰期。它们所处的生态环境以低矮森林为主、间有少量灌木密林及草地,当时的气候与现今的内蒙和甘肃相似。鹿属3个种的同时出现反映金盆洞遗址是史前人类汇集处理猎物的场所。     

贵州毕节何官屯新发现巨猿及早更新世哺乳动物化石

2007年8月,中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所、贵州省博物馆、贵州省考古所及毕节地、市文管部门联合组成野外考察队,对毕节何官屯扒耳岩及周边地区进行考查.根据当地化石爱好者孙贵川等人提供的材料和线索,在扒耳岩采石场发现巨猿及早更新世哺乳动物化石.     

内蒙古二连盆地偶蹄类化石研究新进展

始新世初期不同类型的原始偶蹄类几乎同时出现在北美洲、欧洲和亚洲大陆,这使得偶蹄类的起源显得扑朔迷离、至今尚未有一致的认识。始新世之后、尤其是中新世以来,偶蹄类获得了演化上的巨大成功,如今,它们是现生陆地哺乳动物中多样性最高的有蹄类类群,数量众多、与人类的生活关系密切。通过早期偶蹄类化石材料的研究,可以不断完善对这一类群的认识、对理解其具体的演化过程具有重要的意义。     

广西崇左三合巨猿大洞新发现的鼠科化石

本文记述了广西崇左三合巨猿大洞新发现的鼠类化石, 共有7属11种, 包括了4个绝灭种, 占鼠类总数的40%。经系统比较研究显示, 三合大洞鼠类主要属种的形态特征显然要比重庆巫山龙骨坡的进步, 且较相似于湖北建始龙骨洞的相关鼠类; 古地磁的测年结果为距今在120—160万年, 其时代应是早更新世中期。三合大洞鼠类除了个别广布型外均为东洋界成员, 而且几乎都是树栖和半树栖以及林地生活的种类, 与大哺乳动物反映的生态特征基本一致, 当时的自然景观为气候温暖炎热, 森林茂盛的环境。三合大洞鼠类化石的研究填补了广西巨猿动物群缺少鼠类记载的空白, 这对于探讨其生态环境将提供重要的信息。     

广西崇左泊岳山巨猿洞早更新世的鼠科化石

最近在广西崇左泊岳山巨猿洞采集到大量步氏巨猿、猩猩、长臂猿等高等灵长类及伴生的属种丰富的哺乳动物化石。本文系统记述了该化石点小哺乳动物群中的优势群体——鼠科化石:似锡金小鼠(Mus cf.M.pahari)、似大林姬鼠(Apodemus cf.A.peninsulae)、细狨鼠(Hapalomys gracilis)、狭齿狨鼠(Hapalomys angustidens)、先社鼠(Niviventer preconfucianus)、安氏白腹鼠(Niviventer andersoni)、拟爱氏巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsioides)和似始家鼠(Rattus cf.R.pristinus)共6属8种,其中包括了5个绝灭种。研究表明,泊岳山巨猿洞鼠类主要属种的形态特征显然要比同地区的三合大洞显得原始,而较相似于重庆巫山龙骨坡的相关鼠类,因此推测其时代为早更新世早期,这与古地磁的测年结果(距今约180万年)相吻合。泊岳山巨猿洞的鼠类大部分均为东洋界成员以及树栖、半树栖及林地生活的种类,反映当时的自然景观为热带-亚热带的森林-林灌环境。泊岳山巨猿洞鼠科化石的研究丰富了我国南方早更新世巨猿-中华乳齿象动物群中小哺乳动物化石的记录,这对于探讨我国南方第四纪生物地层的划分将提供重要的信息。     

利用古蛋白技术分析巨猿演化地位的评述

巨猿是中国南方更新世特有的大型猿类,因其巨大的牙齿和颌骨被认为是迄今生活在地球上体型最大的猿类。迄今为止,年代学和生物地层学证据显示巨猿的生存年代2~0.3 MaBP。由于中新世晚期—上新世时期化石记录的缺失,有关巨猿的起源和演化一直存在诸多争论。2019年,《自然》杂志报道广西吹风洞早更新世早期(1.9 MaBP)巨猿牙齿化石的古蛋白质研究^[1]。结果显示,巨猿牙齿牙釉质中保存了较为丰富的古代蛋白质,这些古蛋白质由409个特有的肽组成,分属6个内源性蛋白。对这些古老蛋白质的研究表明,巨猿在系统发育上属于猩猩分支系统,大约从10~12 MaBP前分化出来并独立演化。这是在亚热带地区的化石中首次提取如此古老的分子证据,提示古蛋白质研究有望为探索早期物种(包括人类)起源与演化提供重要依据。本文将简要回顾巨猿系统演化研究的历史,并对利用古蛋白技术分析巨猿的演化地位进行评述。     

巨猿牙齿釉质厚度及对食性适应与系统演化的意义

步氏巨猿(Gigantopithecus blacki)是更新世时期生活于我国华南地区的一种超大型猿类, 它的体态特征和演化分类倍受关注。牙齿釉质厚度在探讨灵长类食性、环境适应以及系统演化方面具有重要意义。本文利用显微CT技术构建18颗巨猿臼齿虚拟模型, 测量其釉质厚度。将巨猿釉质厚度与现代人、现生类人猿、古人类、中新世古猿及其他现生灵长类进行比较, 从牙齿釉质厚度探讨巨猿的食性适应和系统演化问题。结果发现巨猿的实测釉质厚度是目前所有已知现生和化石灵长类中最厚的, 只有傍人、南非早期人属及奥兰诺古猿三种化石灵长类与之接近; 如果考虑不同物种牙齿与身体大小的关联因素, 相对釉质厚度指数显示巨猿属于"厚"釉质类型, 但非"超厚"类型, 低于奥兰诺古猿、傍人、南非早期人属; 巨猿与某些中新世古猿 (如原康修尔猿尼安萨种、非洲古猿)、南方古猿、东非早期人属、亚洲直立人以及现代人、现生卷尾猴的相对釉质厚度指数相近。巨猿的厚釉质特征与其食性和环境适应密切相关, 使得牙齿具有非常强的抗磨损功能, 能够适应长时间的咀嚼和研磨食物。从釉质厚度的系统演化角度推测, 厚釉质应该是人类祖先的特征性状, 巨猿有可能是早期人类支系演化过程中的一个特化旁支, 同时也不排除巨猿是从某种具有厚釉质的中新世古猿旁支平行演化而来的可能性。     

Mummified fossil of Keteleeria from the Late Pleistocene of Maoming Basin,South China,and its phytogeographical and paleoecological implications

Keteleeria is a small genus of Pinaceae now mainly restricted to eastern Asia. Although this genus has been documented with a wide distribution in the geologic record of Europe, North America, and Asia, its history in low‐latitude areas (including South China) has remained obscure. In this paper, a fossil wood of Keteleeria sp. is described from the Late Pleistocene (29–27 ka BP) of the Maoming Basin, South China. This wood is the most ancient megafossil evidence of Keteleeria within the modern distribution area of this genus. The fossil records of Keteleeria suggests that this thermophyllous genus migrated into South China by the Middle Pleistocene escaping from glacial cooling and became widespread over this region in the Late Pleistocene beginning from the interglacial stage preceding the Last Glacial Maximum. The analysis of growth rings in the fossil wood and its comparison with those of modern Keteleeria davidiana (Bertrand) Beissner indicates that in the Late Pleistocene of Maoming Basin (29–27 ka BP) there was a humid climate with less pronounced seasonality of precipitation than that seen in the subtropical monsoonal climate of modern northeastern Vietnam. Apparently, the Maoming Basin was influenced by interglacial regime with summer–monsoon circulation. The previously proposed method to distinguish between evergreen and deciduous conifers based on growth ring anatomy, is not reliable because of the wide variance and ambiguity in its results.     

中国南方早更新世主要哺乳动物群层序对比和动物地理

我国南方早更新世哺乳动物群中学术界十分关注是含巨猿的"巨猿动物群"。上世纪50年代广西仅发现个别有确切层位的巨猿地点,现已扩展到鄂、桂、黔、琼和渝5省市12个地点;同时也发现了重要的人猿超科化石及文化遗存。这对探讨人类进化和古文化发展具有重要的意义。依动物群和年代学的研究,本文将早更新世哺乳动物群划分为早、中、晚三期。根据多重地层划分和对比,文中对含哺乳动物主要层位(遗址)的厘定、层序对比提出了一些不同的意见,以供讨论;同时对我国南北动物地理区系间过渡带作了必要的阐明。     

Molar enamel thickness and dentine horn height in Gigantopithecus blacki

Absolutely thick molar enamel is consistent with large body size estimates and dietary inferences about Gigantopithecus blacki, which focus on tough or fibrous vegetation. In this study, 10 G. blacki molars demonstrating various stages of attrition were imaged using high-resolution microtomography. Three-dimensional average enamel thickness and relative enamel thickness measurements were recorded on the least worn molars within the sample (n = 2). Seven molars were also virtually sectioned through the mesial cusps and two-dimensional enamel thickness and dentine horn height measurements were recorded. Gigantopithecus has the thickest enamel of any fossil or extant primate in terms of absolute thickness. Relative (size-scaled) measures of enamel thickness, however, support a thick characterization (i.e., not "hyper-thick"); G. blacki relative enamel thickness overlaps slightly with Pongo and completely with Homo. Gigantopithecus blacki dentine horns are relatively short, similar to (but shorter than) those of Pongo, which in turn are shorter than those of humans and African apes. Gigantopithecus blacki molar enamel (and to a lesser extent, that of Pongo pygmaeus) is distributed relatively evenly across the occlusal surface compared with the more complex distribution of enamel thickness in Homo sapiens. The combination of evenly distributed occlusal enamel and relatively short dentine horns in G. blacki results in a flat and low-cusped occlusal surface suitable to grinding tough or fibrous food objects. This suite of molar morphologies is also found to varying degrees in Pongo and Sivapithecus, but not in African apes and humans, and may be diagnostic of subfamily Ponginae.     

New fossils of Eucladoceros boulei (Artiodactyla,Mammalia) from Early Pleistocene Nihewan Beds,China

Recent excavations at Shanshenmiaozui site in Nihewan Basin of North China uncovered a rich collection of comb-antlered deer, which includes the first discovery of the yearling antler, complete upper and lower dentitions (both deciduous and permanent), associated limb bones including the longest metapodials ever recovered. Based on toothrow length and the dental characters as well as the postcranial bones, the new fossil materials can be referred to Eucladoceros boulei that is estimated to be 350 kg and represents the largest Pleistocene cervid ever recovered in China. Besides the large size, E. boulei is also characterized by the pronounced anterior cingulids and entostylid ribs on lower molars as well as the moderately pachyostosed mandibles. The present study shows that the body weight of large cervids can be estimated by the length of toothrow and metacarpal, with exception for Cervus elaphus, which has larger toothrow length, but shorter metacarpal and smaller body size. E. boulei is a typical element of the Early Pleistocene fauna in northern China. The early Villafranchian is a bottleneck period for cervid evolution in northern China, which is characterized by the following features: decrease of cervid diversity, disappearance of archaic groups, and the rise of the medium to large-sized three-tined cervini taxa. The sudden appearance of the very large and/or multi-tined cervids at the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition may represent a great migration event of mammals. The Early Pleistocene cervids from Nihewan Basin are very diverse, and are in need of more taxonomic work.     

Enamel thickness and development in a third permanent molar of Gigantopithecus blacki

A ground section was prepared from a lower right M3 attributed to Gigantopithecus blacki as close as possible to axial plane of the mesial cusps. Daily cross striations were imaged, measured and counted in each cusp using polarised light microscopy. Long-period striae of Retzius were counted in the lateral enamel and their periodicity determined from counts and measurements of daily cross striations between adjacent striae. Cross striation spacings in the cusps were between 3.8 microm at the enamel dentine junction and 6 microm close to the enamel surface. Cuspal enamel formation times were long (800 days in the protoconid and 620 days in the metaconid). Linear enamel thickness was as much as 3.75 mm in the protoconid. There were 63 and 61 long-period striae of Retzius in the mesial aspects of the lateral enamel and the periodicity was 11 days. Lateral enamel formation took 1493 and 1291 days and when summed with cuspal enamel formation times totalled 4 years in the protoconid and 3.5 in the metaconid. Relative enamel thickness was 23, calculated through the mesial cusps. This falls short of that in the so-called 'thick hyper-thick' enamel described in 'robust' australopithecines to which Gigantopithecus blacki has previously been compared in both its dental and mandibular morphology. With respect to enamel thickness, therefore, Gigantopithecus blacki falls squarely among an increasingly large number of Miocene hominoids that can all be described as having 'thick enamel'.