中国更新世兔属化石的厘定

在对我国现生兔属各种骨骼特征研究的基础上,通过形态特征的观察与测量数据的分析,修订了已有的兔属化石材料。将周口店第1,2,6,20,山顶洞和东岭子洞等地点以及山东平邑发现的兔标本归入草兔Lepus capensis。以前被归入Lepus wongi种内的标本,除周口店第13地点及蓝田陈家窝子的应属于Lepus teilhardi外,其余地点的皆为Lepus capensis,因此L.wongi失去了原有的意义,为无效种。周口店第16地点的标本归入华南兔Lepus sinensis,是该种目前惟一的化石记录。辽宁营口金牛山的标本暂时归入东北兔Lepus mandschuricus。我国更新世共发现两个化石种和4个现生种。其中化石种Lepus teilhardi和L.ziboensis出现在早更新世晚期至中更新世早期,现生种L.capensis,L.mandschuricus,L.sinensis和L.comus分别出现在中更新世与晚更新世。初步讨论了兔属的起源,认为兔属可能起源于上新世的Trischizolagus。

REVISION OF CHINESE PLEISTOCENE LEPUS (LEPORIDAE, LAGOMORPHA)

Taxonomy of Lepus at species level has long been disputed,and the argument is still ongoing. Living hares from North China have respectively been assigned to Lepus tolai,L. oiostolus,L. capensis,L. europaeus during the long history of study. More confusingly,recent molecular analysis favored their close affinity with Lepus timidus (Wu et al.,2005). The discrepancy obviously has direct impact on the study of fossil hares. A large quantity of Pleistocene fossils discovered from Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) were respectively named after the recent hares except a new species,Lepus wongi erected by Young in 1927. Teilhard de Chardin and Pei (1941) went even further and conventionally included all fossil hares of the Early Pleistocene (Zhou-koudianian stage,now the Middle Pleistocene) in L. wongi ,considering of the difficulties of comparison with living hares. This concept was later widely cited.