The micromammalian fauna from the Leilao, Yuanmou hominoid locality: implications for biochronology and paleoecology

The discovery of Lufengpithecus at Yuanmou, in Yunnan Province, China, provides important clues to understanding the evolution of early hominoids in eastern Asia. However, the age and paleoecology of the fauna remain to be established. An assemblage of micromammalian fossils, collected recently by screenwashing at Leilao, one of the hominoid-bearing localities at Yuanmou, contains 41 species belonging to 16 families and 4 orders, and represents the most diverse Neogene micromammalian fauna known from southwestern China. This paper presents an analysis of the taxonomy, age, and paleoecology of the micromammalian fauna. The Yuanmou hominoid fauna is now considered older than the Lufeng fauna, and is currently thought to correspond to an age of about 9 Ma. The micromammalian fauna indicates a predominantly forested habitat, with marginal environments consisting of bush-grassland.