山西屯留小常村更新世哺乳动物化石

本文记述了1974、1975、1978年在山西屯留县小常村采集的更新世哺乳动物化石,并根据动物化石组合的性质和对比分析,认为该动物化石的时代为中更新世初期。     

甘肃华池马兰黄土中的哺乳动物化石

<正> 1985年10月,原华池县党校张文忠同志,在校址旁的柔远城子下挖窑洞时,于马兰黄土中发现一批化石,庆阳地区博物馆于同年11月组织了发掘.1986年1月,笔者同往华池,进一步观察了地层.鉴于我国北方马兰黄土中发现的化石很少,在此给予简要报道     

甘肃榆中晚更新世哺乳动物化石

本文记述了甘肃榆中上苦水大沟发现的几种哺乳动物化石：Microtusgregalis,Ochotonasp.,Felistigris,Equusprzewalskii,Coelodontaantiquitatis,Cervus（Sika）sp.,Antilopinaegen.indet.,Ovisnahoor,Bovinaegen.indet..含化石地层的时代应为晚更新世中晚期。这是甘肃中部地区新发现的一个层位确切、化石门类较多的第四纪哺乳动物群。     

The human cranial remains from Gran Dolina Lower Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).

In this article we study the cranial remains of the late Lower Pleistocene human fossils from Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain), assigned to the new species Homo antecessor. The cranial remains belong to at least five individuals, both juveniles and adults. The most outstanding feature is the totally modern human morphology of the very complete face ATD6-69, representing the earliest occurrence of the modern face in the fossil record. The Gran Dolina fossils show in the face a suite of modern human apomorphies not found in earlier hominids nor in contemporary or earlier Homo erectus fossils. There are also traits in the Gran Dolina fossils shared with both Neandertals and modern humans, which reinforce the hypothesis that Neandertals and modern humans form a clade, and that the Gran Dolina fossils are a common ancestor to both lineages.     

吉林乾安大布苏晚更新世野牛化石

我国东北地区更新世野牛化石的发现已有近一个世纪历史, 尽管先后有不少零星报道, 但至今无一篇专门文献, 并且前人报道的头骨化石材料无一是完整的。本文记述了保存基本完好的2件野牛头骨和3件下颌骨; 化石来自吉林省乾安县大布苏地区, 地质时代为距今约2万年。基于其形态特征和测量数据, 本文将其归入草原野牛Bison priscus(Bojanus, 1827)。前人将东北平原晚更新世野牛归入Bison exiguus Matsumoto, 1915的做法存在诸多问题, 因为后者在模式产地、地质时代及形态特征等方面都与东北晚更新世的野牛差异甚大。我国东北平原晚更新世的野牛应归入草原野牛种, 该种是中-晚更新世广泛分布于全北区的种类, 也是猛犸象-披毛犀动物群的最主要成员之一。     

泥河湾盆地新发现的梅氏犀及裴氏板齿犀化石

在河北省阳原县大黑沟中更新世和岑家湾附近石沟早更新世地层中分别发现了犀牛的下颌骨和股骨化石。其下颌联合部窄长、无下门齿、牙齿釉质层平滑而无褶皱、牙齿表面无垩质充填,股骨较披毛犀的长,故将其归入梅氏犀(Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis)。泥河湾盆地的化石是我国早期梅氏犀化石中材料最可靠,地点层位最明确的记录。山神庙咀和大黑沟出土的板齿犀牙齿及前脚骨化石,是泥河湾盆地发现的最好材料,尤其是大黑沟出土的板齿犀牙齿化石,是迄今在泥河湾盆地首次发现的完整材料;依据冠面结构和测量数据,该批材料可归入裴氏板齿犀(Elasmotherium peii);裴氏板齿犀特征鲜明,是有效名称,我国早更新世的板齿犀均应归入该种。我国第四纪的板齿犀与高加索板齿犀之间存在显著差异,表现在釉质层厚度较大但褶皱不够强烈、下颊齿的下后尖发育、颊齿冠面的前后径多数大于颊舌径、M3比M2小、M3后附尖欠发育,后脊与外脊已完全融合、上颊齿的齿脊更厚。此外,我国的板齿犀与西伯利亚板齿犀也有差异,后者的牙齿齿冠更高、无齿根、釉质层薄且褶皱强烈、上颊齿无后窝。最新地层研究表明,我国含板齿犀属的地层时代不晚于早更新世,且集中出现于下更新统。在晚新生代期间,犀牛在泥河湾盆地十分常见,先后出现过如下属种:大唇犀(Chilotherium sp.)(上新世)、裴氏板齿犀(Elasmotherium peii)(早更新世)、泥河湾披毛犀(Coelodonta nihowanensis)(早更新世)、梅氏犀Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis(早-中更新世)和真披毛犀(Coelodonta antiquitatis)(中-晚更新世)。     

Current research on the late Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits north of Homa Mountain, southwestern Kenya

The late Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments of the Homa Peninsula in southwestern Kenya are richly fossiliferous, preserve Early Stone Age archaeological traces and provide one of the few paleoanthropological data sets for the region between the branches of the East African Rift Valley. This paper presents preliminary results of our ongoing investigation of late Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits at the localities of Rawi, Kanam East, Kanam Central and Kanjera. While fossils have been collected from the peninsula since 1911, little systematic effort has been made to place them into a broader litho-and chronostratigraphic framework. This project has conclusively demonstrated that fossils occur in good stratigraphic context at all of the study localities and that claims of sediment slumping (Boswell, 1935) have been greatly overstated (Behrensmeyer et al., 1995; Plummer & Potts, 1989). A provisional chronostratigraphic framework based on magneto- and biostratigraphy is presented here. We have revised the Plio-Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Rawi and Kanam gullies to include three formations: the Rawi, Abundu and Kasibos Formations. Based on magneto- and biostratigraphy, these formations are dated between approximately three and one m.y.a. (Gauss Chron-Jaramillo Subchron) (Cande & Kent, 1995). The Apoko Formation unconformably overlies the others and may be middle to late Pleistocene in age. All formations contain rich patches of fossils, and Acheulean artifacts have been surface collected from the Abundu and Kasibos Formations. Deposition of the fossil- and artefact-bearing sediments at Kanjera North began in the early Pleistocene and continued into the middle Pleistocene. Deposition at Kanjera South began over one million years earlier than previously thought, at approximately 2.2 m.y.a., and continued into the Olduvai Subchron (1.770-1.950 m.y.a.; Cande & Kent, 1995). Excavations have recovered Oldowan artefacts in association with well-preserved fossil fauna near the base of the sequence, the oldest archaeological traces yet known from southwestern Kenya.     

贵州毕节发现古人类化石与哺乳动物群

2008年12月在贵州毕节团结乡首次发现麻窝口洞化石点,经2009年、2012年和2013年3次发掘,在麻窝口洞上部砂质黏土地层中共发现了四千余件哺乳动物牙齿化石。2013年7月发现的3枚古人类牙齿,分别为左上犬齿、左上第一臼齿和右上第二臼齿。人类牙齿尺寸偏小,臼齿咬合面沟纹简单,没有复杂的咬合面皱纹和附尖齿带结构,牙根短而不显粗壮,上述特点有别于我国已经发现的直立人和早期智人,可归入解剖学上的现代人。与人类相伴的哺乳动物化石,经初步鉴定共计8目20科43属53种,动物群组合反映出亚热带森林生态环境。根据动物群的时代特点,地貌地层及堆积物的光释光年代测定,指示毕节麻窝口洞古人类的时代可能为中更新世晚期,或者晚更新世早期,毕节古人类牙齿的发现为东亚地区现代人的起源及演化增添了新的证据。     

Middle pleistocene humans from africa

Patterns of human evolution in the Middle Pleistocene remain poorly understood. There is general consensus that by the onset of this time period, populations ofHomo erectus were dispersed from Africa into Eurasia, including the Far East. In the western part of this range (perhaps in Africa),Homo erectus then produced a daughter lineage exhibiting more advanced characters of the face, braincase and cranial base. How this new species should be defined is currently debated. In my view, fossils from sites such as Bodo and Broken Hill in Africa may be lumped with material from earlier Middle Pleistocene localities in Europe. Such a taxon is appropriately namedHomo heidelbergensis. Whether the hypodigm should be extended to include fossils from China is another question. In any case, this group of hominids is plausibly ancestral to both the specialized Neanderthals of Europe and more modern humans of the later Middle Pleistocene.     

柳江人头骨形态特征及柳江人演化的一些问题

为深入探讨柳江人化石形态特征的表现特点、进化程度及其与其年代数据的吻合性,本文对柳江、山顶洞、资阳、丽江等主要中国更新世晚期人类头骨化石及1 114例全新世以来不同地区现代中国人头骨进行了对比分析,结果发现:柳江人头骨绝大多数特征的出现情况位于现代中国人的变异范围,只有极个别特征与现代人不同;柳江人头骨具有的低眶等特征也可见于其他中国更新世晚期人类化石,说明柳江人化石上保留有少量常见于更新世晚期人类的原始特征,但与其他中国更新世晚期人类,尤其是山顶洞人头骨相比,柳江人显得要现代的多;柳江人与山顶洞人之间头骨形态特征的差异以体现头骨原始性及粗硕强壮程度上的差别居多,而个别特征差异或许与气候环境适应有关。我们认为:柳江人在形态进化上与现代中国人已经非常接近,他们之间的差别非常小;柳江人与山顶洞人头骨特征表现上的差异主要反映了他们之间在演化程度上的差异,同时也在一定程度上体现了各自的生存环境;现有的形态学证据不大可能为柳江人较早的时代提供支持。     

广西崇左木榄山智人洞的鼠科化石

最近在广西崇左木榄山智人洞遗址采集到1件具有现代智人解剖特征初始状态的下颌骨和丰富的哺乳动物化石。啮齿类中的鼠科化石有锡金小鼠(Mus pahari)、中华姬鼠(Apodemus draco)、黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)、似德氏狨鼠(Hapalomys cf.H.delacouri)、笔尾树鼠(Chiropodomys gliroides)、社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)、针毛鼠(Niviventer fulvescens)、爱氏巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsi)、印度板齿鼠(Bandicota indica)、褐家鼠(Rattus norvegicus)和黄毛鼠(Rattus losea)共8属11种。这种全部由当地或邻近地区现生种类构成的组合显然比当地早更新世的三合大洞和川黔地区中更新世歌乐山期的鼠类组合进步, 而与广西田东雾云洞的鼠类组合相似, 其动物群的时代为晚更新世早期, 与不平衡铀系法得到的测年结果(距今约11万年)相吻合。智人洞鼠科动物的组合明显具有东洋界热带-亚热带动物群的特点, 其中林灌和草地型所占比例较大表明当时的森林面积可能减少、林灌和草地面积可能增加, 反映出当时的气候相对干旱。     

Early-Middle Pleistocene leaves of extinct and extant Proteaceae from western Tasmania, Australia

Fossil leaves of six species of Proteaceae which are no longer native to Tasmania occur in Early Pleistocene sediments at Regatta Point, western Tasmania, Australia. These species probably became extinct during the Early or Middle Pleistocene as the direct or indirect result of glacial/interglacial cycles. Only one extinct species of Proteaceae is known from younger sediments. Leaves of another four species which can be confidently assigned to extant Tasmanian species, and from an extant genus also occur in these sediments. Another extant species occurs in Early Pleistocene sediments at the Huskisson/Marionoak Divide, western Tasmania, and another extant species occurs in Early-Middle Pleistocene sediments at Regatta Point. These fossils imply that the number of species and of genera of Proteaceae in western Tasmania has not increased since the Early Pleistocene, and may have declined. More species of Banksia and Telopea and at least as many species of Orites occurred in Early Pleistocene western Tasmania than now occur in that region. The presence of extant species in the Early Pleistocene suggests that the turnover time of many proteaceous species is of the order of millions of years. Two new species, Telopea strahanensis and Orites truncata , are proposed.     

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。     

更新世中期中国古人类演化区域连续性与多样性的化石证据

以往,在东亚大陆发现的更新世中期人类化石被分别归入直立人和古老型智人。这种分类的主要依据是化石形态特征以及年代。魏敦瑞对周口店第一地点人类化石研究描述的一些头骨、下颌骨和牙齿特征通常被作为判定直立人的标准。根据这些化石的年代分布,一般将30万年前的中更新世晚期作为划分直立人与古老型智人的大致年代界限。近20年来,在非洲、欧洲和东亚新发现了一些更新世中期人类化石,目前古人类学界对中国更新世中期人类化石特征及演化有了与以往不同的认识。最近对大荔、许家窑、盘县大洞、许昌、华龙洞等人类化石的研究显示,近30万年以来东亚大陆人类演化呈现复杂的多样性,将这一时期人类全部归入古老型智人难以准确反映更新世中期中国古人类演化模式及规律。本文结合近年中国更新世中期人类演化研究进展,选择部分具有演化及分类价值的形态特征,分析这些特征在更新世中期中国古人类化石的表现特点。在此基础上,对更新世中期中国古人类演化模式做了尝试性探讨。本研究发现,周口店、和县、沂源、南京等中更新世早期人类化石呈现有较多的区域性特征,形态特征表现相对稳定;而大荔、金牛山、许家窑、许昌、华龙洞、马坝、盘县大洞等中更新世晚期人类在化石形态特征表现复杂多样,变异范围大。此外,在这一时期人类化石上发现较多与生存活动、健康、环境适应有关的证据。根据这些发现,作者认为中国中更新世早期组人类演化以形态连续性为主;进入中更新世晚期,中国古人类演化区域性特征减弱,演化模式以多样性为主。一系列新的化石发现和研究证据提示中更新世晚期东亚大陆可能生存有不同的古人类成员。根据目前掌握的化石形态和年代证据,大约30万年前是中国更新世中期演化变化关键时间节点。     

A geometric morphometric analysis of hominin upper second and third molars, with particular emphasis on European Pleistocene populations

The study of dental morphology by means of geometric morphometric methods allows for a detailed and quantitative comparison of hominin species that is useful for taxonomic assignment and phylogenetic reconstruction. Upper second and third molars have been studied in a comprehensive sample of Plio- and Pleistocene hominins from African, Asian and European sites in order to complete our analysis of the upper postcanine dentition. Intraspecific variation in these two molars is high, but some interspecific trends can be identified. Both molars exhibit a strong reduction of the distal cusps in recent hominin species, namely European Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens, but this reduction shows specific patterns and proportions in the three groups. Second molars tend to show four well developed cusps in earlier hominin species and their morphology is only marginally affected by allometric effects. Third molars can be incipiently reduced in earlier species and they evince a significant allometric component, identified both inter- and intraspecifically. European Middle Pleistocene fossils from Sima de los Huesos (SH) show a very strong reduction of these two molars, even more marked than the reduction observed in Neanderthals and in modern human populations. The highly derived shape of SH molars points to an early acquisition of typical Neanderthal dental traits by pre-Neanderthal populations and to a deviation of this population from mean morphologies of other European Middle Pleistocene groups.     

周口店更新世鸟类化石

<正> 北京市房山县周口店更新世洞穴,尤其北京猿人产地的第一地点(Loc.1)富含鸟类化石。自1927年开始至1980年采获的鸟类化石多达万件。同北京猿人相伴生的周口店脊椎动物群,是我国北方第四纪动物群的主要代表。近半个世纪来,中外学者,除对周口店人类化石、文化遗迹等进行过不少详细的研究,也对脊椎动物化石,主要是哺     

广西大新黑洞哺乳动物化石

<正> 本文研究的材料是1955年初,由裴文中教授领导的野外考察队在广西大新、武鸣、柳州、崇左、扶绥等县进行古人类和第四纪哺乳动物洞穴调查时发现的。这批材料发现于大新县正隆乡牛睡山黑洞(野外编号:5657),计有巨猿等多种哺乳动物化石。巨猿牙齿化石已由裴文中、吴汝康共同研究并于1956年发表了专题报告。报告中曾提到,与巨猿同时发现的其它哺乳类化石有猩猩、大熊猫、剑齿象和巨獏等,其地质时代为更新世中期。     

Body size structure in north-western Mediterranean Plio-Pleistocene mammalian faunas

Aim We investigated the patterns of body‐size changes of the north‐western Mediterranean Plio‐Pleistocene large mammal faunas (excluding rodents, bats, lagomorphs and insectivores) in order to identify the tempo and mode of the major shifts in body size distribution, and to put them in the context of Plio‐Pleistocene environmental changes and the development of the Mediterranean climate. Location We analysed fossil faunas of Spain, France and Italy. A set of recent regional faunas from several macroclimatic regions was selected to serve as elements for comparison of the size distribution of past faunas, consisting of: Spain, France and Italy together, Florida, California, Central Chile, Indochina, India, Korea‐Manchuria, Malawi, The Cape, North Africa, Turkey and Australia. Methods Mammal species were grouped into five body size categories for carnivores and four categories for noncarnivore species. The number of species in each size category was computed and the resulting matrix of body weight classes × regions and time intervals was used as an input matrix in a Correspondence Analysis. Results Recent and fossil faunas strongly differ in body size structure. The distribution of recent faunas within the CA seems to reflect both ecological and historic factors, intertwined in a complex fashion. No clear relationship has been observed between body size structure and environmental factors. During the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene there were only minor changes in the pattern of size distribution, although plant communities were in a transition process from subtropical forests to Mediterranean woodlands and steppes. The major change in body size structure of the north‐western Mediterranean fauna occurred at the Galerian, around 1 Ma ago. This marked the beginning of the modern fauna, and a general trend towards a larger body size, reduction in the number of medium sized herbivores, and an increase of large herbivores and megaherbivores. Main conclusions The Plio‐Pleistocene faunas lack modern analogues. The body size structure of mammalian regional faunas appears to be strongly dependent on historical factors. The only major shift in body size distribution occurred during the Plio‐Pleistocene, in the late Villafranchian‐Galerian transition, coincident with the onset of the Pleistocene high intensity glacial cycles.     

The Atapuerca human fossils

After 20 years of research, the Atapuerca sites have provided a large amount of archaeological and palaeontological remains. Human fossils have been found in three sites: Gran Dolina, galería and Sima de los Huesos. The Early Pleistocene human fossils from Gran Dolina have been ascribed to a new species,Homo antecessor, that represent the last common ancestor of Neandertals and modern humans. The Sima de los Huesos fossils and all the European Middle Pleistocene human fossils are the ancestors exclusively of the Neandertals, which evolved in Europe in conditions of geographic and genetic isolation.     

Phylogeny, biogeography, and evolution of two Mediterranean snakes, Malpolon monspessulanus and Hemorrhois hippocrepis (Squamata, Colubridae), using mtDNA sequences

Variation in 815bp of mitochondrial DNA from two gene fragments (300bp of cytochrome b and 395-515bp of 12S rRNA) for 26 Malpolon monspessulanus, and cytochrome b for a further 21 individuals, indicates that this species originated in the Maghreb area of Northwest Africa. Here, an estimated 3.5-6Mya, it divided into the western M. m. monspessulanus, and an eastern clade including M. m. insignitus and M. m. fuscus. The very limited genetic differentiation between Maghreb and Southwest European populations of this form suggests that it arrived in the Iberian Peninsula only recently. Population genetics and demographic tests indicate subsequent expansion in this area around 83,000-168,000 year ago. Because present populations of Malpolon arrived recently, mid-Pliocene and at least some Pleistocene fossils of the genus Malpolon in Southwest Europe are probably derived from an earlier invasion from the Maghreb, possibly as early as the end of the Miocene period, 5.3-5.9Mya, when there was a temporary land bridge across the site of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea desiccated. The descendants of this earlier invasion must have eventually become extinct, perhaps during one of the Pleistocene glaciations. In contrast to the western M. m. monspessulanus, the greater genetic divergence found in the eastern clade of M. monspessulanus suggests that it dispersed at an earlier date and probably over a longer period, spreading eastwards through northern Libya and Egypt to Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and around the Mediterranean Sea through Turkey into the Aegean archipelagos and the Balkan peninsula. The western and eastern units of M. monspessulanus have different dorsal color pattern, differences in skull structure and exhibit an 8.4% uncorrected genetic divergence in the combined gene fragments investigated here. It is consequently recommended that they should be treated as separate species: M. monspessulanus (sensu stricto) and Malpolon insignitusstat. nov., the latter including the subspecies Malpolon insignitus fuscuscomb. nov. The same combined mitochondrial gene fragments used in Malpolon were investigated in 20 individuals of Hemorrhois hippocrepis, and of cytochrome b alone in a further 17. They indicate that this species also originated in the Maghreb and again invaded the Iberian Peninsula quite recently. Some of the most recent invasions of the Iberian Peninsula by reptiles and amphibian taxa could probably be anthropogenic in origin. Some other species including M. monspessulanus and H. hippocrepis, may have crossed naturally, by "hopping" across the Strait of Gibraltar via temporary islands on the shallowest parts that were exposed during sea-level fall associated with Pleistocene glaciations.