A hominine hip bone, KNM-ER 3228, from East Lake Turkana, Kenya

A male hominine partial hip bone, KNM -ER 3228, from East Lake Turkana , Kenya is described. In most of its features this specimen resembles modern human male hip bones. This is especially true for functional features related to weight transfer from the trunk to the pelvis and within the pelvis, and to the effective action of musculature arising from the pelvis during the performance of the modern human type of bipedalism . KNM -ER 3228 is very similar to the Olduvai Hominid 28 and the Arago XLIV hip bones, both attributed to Homo erectus .     

Taxonomic status of the hominine cranium KNM-ER 1813 (primates: Homininae) from the Plio/Pleistocene of Koobi Fora

The hominine cranium KNM-ER 1813, from the late Plio/Pleistocene of Koobi Fora, has been regarded recently by some authors as a female ofHomo habilis Leakey, Tobias, andNapier, 1964 and by others as an enigma. Reassessment of its cranial morphology, dental metrics, proportions, and a new detailed determination of its sex indicates that it does not conform with the diagnosis forH. habilis, and is probably a male. It is sympatric withH. habilis yet shows more primitive features and rather a closer affinity to the smaller, more primitive chronospeciesH. antiquus Ferguson, 1984, and is thus the first, nearly complete skull of our oldest known human ancestor.     

Developmental age and taxonomic affinity of the Mojokerto child,Java, Indonesia

An increasing number of claims place hominids outside Africa and deep in Southeast Asia at about the same time that Homo erectus first appears in Africa. The most complete of the early specimens is the partial child's calvaria from Mojokerto (Perning I), Java, Indonesia. Discovered in 1936, the child has been assigned to Australopithecus and multiple species of Homo, including H. modjokertensis, and given developmental ages ranging from 1–8 years. This study systematically assesses Mojokerto relative to modern human and fossil hominid growth series and relative to adult fossil hominids. Cranial base and vault comparisons between Mojokerto and H. sapiens sapiens (Hss) (n = 56), Neandertal (n = 4), and H. erectus (n = 4) juveniles suggest a developmental age range between 4 and 6 years. This range is based in part on new standards for assessing the relative development of the glenoid fossa. Regression analyses of vault arcs and chords indicate that H. erectus juveniles have more rounded frontals and less angulated occipitals than their adult counterparts, whereas Hss juveniles do not show these differences relative to adults. The growth of the cranial superstructures and face appear critical to creating differences in vault contours between H. erectus and Hss. In comparison with adult H. erectus and early Homo (n = 27) and adult Hss (n = 179), the Mojokerto child is best considered a juvenile H. erectus on the basis of synapomorphies of the cranial vault, particularly a metopic eminence and occipital torus, as well as a suite of characters that describe but do not define H. erectus, including obelion depression, supratoral gutter, postorbital constriction, mastoid fissure, lack of sphenoid contribution to glenoid fossa, and length and breadth ratios of the temporomandibular joint. Mojokerto is similar to other juvenile H. erectus in the degree of development of its cranial superstructures and its vault contours relative to adult Indonesian specimens. The synapomorphies which Mojokerto shares with H. erectus are often considered autapomorphies of Asian H. erectus and confirm the early establishment and long-term continuity of the Asian H. erectus bauplan. This continuity does not, however, necessarily reflect on the pattern of origin of modern humans in the region. Am J Phys Anthropol 102:497–514, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Plio-Pleistocene facies environments from the KBS Member, Koobi Fora Formation: implications for climate controls on the development of lake-margin hominin habitats in the northeast Turkana Basin (northwest Kenya)

Climate change is hypothesized as a cause of major events of Plio-Pleistocene East African hominin evolution, but the vertically discontinuous and laterally confined nature of the relevant geological records has led to difficulties with assessing probable links between the two. High-resolution sedimentary sequences from lacustrine settings can provide comprehensive data of environmental changes and detailed correlations with well-established orbital and marine records of climate. Hominin-bearing deposits from Koobi Fora Ridge localities in the northeast Turkana Basin of Kenya are an archive of Plio-Pleistocene lake-margin sedimentation though significant developmental junctures of northern African climates, East African environments, and hominin evolution. This study examines alluvial channel and floodplain, nearshore lacustrine, and offshore lacustrine facies environments for the approximately 136-m-thick KBS Member (Koobi Fora Formation) exposed at the Koobi Fora Ridge. Aspects of the facies environments record information on the changing hydrosedimentary dynamics of the lake margin and give insights into potential climatic controls. Seasonal/yearly climate changes are represented by the varve-like laminations in offshore mudstones and the slickensides, dish-shaped fractures, and other paleosol features overprinted on floodplain strata. Vertical shifts between facies environments, however, are interpreted to indicate lake-level fluctuations deriving from longer-term, dry-wet periods in monsoonal rainfall. Recurrence periods for the inferred lake-level changes range from about 10,000 to 50,000 years, and several are consistent with the average estimated timescales of orbital precession ( approximately 20,000 years) and obliquity ( approximately 40,000 years). KBS Member facies environments from the Koobi Fora Ridge document the development of lake-margin hominin habitats in the northeast Turkana Basin. Environmental changes in these habitats may be a result of monsoonal rainfall variations that derive from orbital insolation and/or glacial forcing.     

A new species of the genusHomo (primates: Hominidae) from the Plio/Pleistocene of Koobi Fora,in Kenya

Reassessment of the hominine cranium, KNM-ER 1813, from the Plio/Pleistocene of Koobi Fora, in Kenya, shows that it is not a small-brained, extreme female variant ofH. habilis Leakey, Tobias, & Napier, 1964. Its cranial and dental morphology, morphometrics, and proportions do not conform with eitherH. habilis orH. antiquus Ferguson, 1984. On the basis of its distinctive morphological pattern and mensural gaps which distinguish it fromH. habilis andH. antiquus, the cranium KNM-ER 1813 is described as a common variant representing a male of a small-brained, intermediate population linkingH. habilis 1.83 Myr BP withH. antiquus 2.9 Myr BP, and a new paleospecies of the genusHomo. A key to the Homininae is provided and the phylogenetic relationship of KNM-ER 1813 toH. habilis andH. antiquus is discussed. This paper is dedicated to the memory of my wife,Grace, whose assistance will be sorely missed.     

关于北京猿人用火的证据:研究历史、争议与新进展

周口店第1地点古人类用火证据是该遗址一系列重大科学发现中的一项重要内容,在很长时期内,作为同类遗存中最早的记录及其分析论证结果被国际学术界广泛接受。但随着少数西方学者的质疑和挑战,从上世纪八十年代中期开始在这一问题上出现争议,其后开展的埋藏学和地球化学分析又得出进一步否定的结论。但周口店遗址的洞穴地层十分复杂,目前残存的堆积与古人类生存时期的状态有重大差别,与当初大规模发掘时见证的遗物遗迹的分布与埋藏状况也有很大不同,在剖面表层做局部有限的采样分析并不足以推翻以前的系统性研究结论,何况很多否定性的意见源自学术理论思潮的转变和缺乏具体分析的常规性推理。从以前的发掘记录和各种分析结果看,周口店遗址埋藏着丰富的古人类用火证据,这些证据不是孤立的,是可以相互验证和支持的。2009年以来在遗址开展的新的发掘与研究获得重要进展,揭示出具有结构的火塘、烧骨、石灰化的灰岩块等原地用火产生的遗物与遗迹,对相关材料的现代科技分析进一步确定这些遗存的人类用火性质。这样,遗址上文化层的用火证据变得明确无误,相关争议终可尘埃落定。对于下部地层中的用火证据,尚需做同样的发掘、分析和研究工作。     

A gracile hominid cranium from upper member G of the Shungura Formation,Ethiopia

A fragmentary hominid cranium with teeth, specimen L.894-1, dating from 1.84 m.y. BP in the Shungura Formation at Omo, is described. From its dental and cranial morphology and because of similarities to Olduvai Hominids 24 and 13 and Sangiran 4, among others, it is concluded that the specimen represents a member of an early species of the genus Homo (Homo habilis or Homo modjokertensis). The specimen shows approximal grooving on the premolars, pre-mortem chipping of the molar enamel, foramina ovale and spinosum divided by the sphenosquamosal suture, limited pneumatization of the mastoid region, and a possible interparietal bone. Sedimentological, ostracod, pollen, macrofloral, and taphonomic data indicate that the paleo-environmental context was a savanna/grassland or savanna woodland on the margin of a saline lake.     

A human phalanx from the lower palaeolithic site of cueva victoria (murcia,Spain)

The morphological, metrical, and discriminant function analysis of a phalanx from the Lower Pleistocene site of Cueva Victoria suggests that it differs significantly from carnivores and non-human primate groups, and closely resembles theHomo group studied. The phalanx has been classified as a IInd. phalanx of the 5th. finger of the right hand.     

Punctuated equilibrium, morphological stasis and the palaeontological documentation of speciation: a reply to Fryer, Greenwood and Peake's critique of the Turkana Basin mollusc sequence

Fryer, Greenwood & Peake (1983) have recently criticized my analysis of morphological variation in a sequence of Plio-Pleistocene freshwater molluse faunas from the Turkana Basin in E Africa, and question my conclusions that these faunas document speciation and the punctuated equilibrium model of evolutionary change. Unfortunately, these authors misinterpret the nature of the phenotypic variation in African freshwater molluscs and its relevance to my study, and apparently misunderstand punctuated equilibrium theory. Although the majority of their criticisms are therefore erroneous, certain of the points they raise are important: they are addressed here.     

Molecular and morphometric assessment of the taxonomic status of Ectemnorhinus weevil species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Entiminae) from the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands

There are long‐standing controversies on the taxonomic status of Ectemnorhinus weevil species occurring on the sub‐Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. Since the two islands that constitute the Prince Edward Islands archipelago (PEIA), Marion Island (MI) and Prince Edward Island (PEI), differ in terms of alien invasive species such as the introduced house mouse Mus musculus and conservation management strategies, it is important to consider inter‐island dynamics when investigating inter‐specific relationships. Using a combined molecular phylogenetic and morphometric approach, we attempted to resolve the taxonomic status of the PEIA Ectemnorhinus weevil species. A COI gene phylogeny was inferred following the genetic characterization of 52 Ectemnorhinus weevils from both islands, and morphometric assessment using a set of 15 linear, external measurements was used to differentiate between the two currently recognized species, Ectemnorhinus similis and Ectemnorhinus marioni. Analyses revealed the presence of two genetically and morphometrically distinct species on PEI, whilst evidence for a single species, comprising diverse genetically discrete populations was found on MI. Based on these results, the species unique to PEI has been designated Ectemnorhinus kuscheli n. sp. whilst we confirm the synonymy between E. similis and E. marioni, the two species originally described from MI. E. kuscheli appears to be restricted to PEI, whereas E. similis occurs on both MI and PEI.     

中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所成立暨北京猿人第一个头盖骨发现65周年庆典在京举行

中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所成立暨北京猿人第一个头盖骨发现６５周年庆典在京举行１９９４年是北京猿人第一个头盖骨发现６５周年,也是古脊椎动物与古人类所的前身──中国地质调查所新生代研究室成立６５周年;更重要的是古脊椎所几代人盼望已久并为之做出不懈...     

Length estimate for KNM-ER 736, a hominid femur from the lower pleistocene of East Africa

Our knowledge concerning stature in earlyHomo is scanty. In this paper, based on comparison with the fossil femur KNM-ER 999, an estimate of 482 mm femur length is derived for KNM-ER 736, the latter dating from the Lower Pleistocene. From comparison with other fossil and modern femora, KNM-ER 736 appears to be the longest hominid femur so far recovered from a site of Early Pleistocene age. Moreover, the estimated femur length is higher than the published mean values of most modern populations. Provided that trunk and head proportions were not radically different from modernH. sapiens, the finding would suggest that a stature similar to that of modern man was already reached by East AfricanHomo as early as about 1.6 Myr before present.     

A taxonomic revision of the silphaeformis species-group of the genus Tachinus Gravenhorst (Staphylinidae,Tachyporinae) from China

The Chinese species of the silphaeformis group of the genus Tachinus Gravenhorst are revised with fifteen species being treated. Thirteen of them are described as new: T. armatus Feng & Li, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. cavazzutii Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. coronatus Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Ningxia, Qinghai), T. hercules Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. hujiayaoi Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Shaanxi), T. jiuzhaigouensis Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. linzhiensis Feng & Li, sp. n. (Tibet), T. maderianus Feng & Li, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. mengdaensis Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Qinghai), T. oblongoelytratus Feng & Li, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. parahercules Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Sichuan), T. paralinzhiensis Feng & Li, sp. n. (Tibet), and T. yini Feng, Li & Schülke, sp. n. (Sichuan). The two known species are redescribed based on the holotypes and additional material. Illustrations of the habitus and major diagnostic characters, distributional maps, and identification keys of all species are included.     

A novel toxin from the venom of the scorpion Tityus trivittatus, is the first member of a new alpha-KTX subfamily

The first example of a new sub-family of toxins (alpha-KTx20.1) from the scorpion Tityus trivittatus was purified, sequenced and characterized physiologically. It has 29 amino acid residues, three disulfide bridges assumed to adopt the cysteine-stabilized alpha/beta scaffold with a pI value of 8.98. The sequence identities with all the other known alpha-KTx are less than 40%. Its effects were verified using seven different cloned K(+) channels (vertebrate Kv1.1-1.5, Shaker IR and hERG) expressed in Xenopus leavis oocytes. The toxin-induced effects show large differences among the different K(+) channels and a preference towards Kv1.3 (EC50=7.9+/-1.4 nM).     

The first structure of a glycoside hydrolase family 61 member, Cel61B from Hypocrea jecorina, at 1.6 A resolution

The glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 61 is a long-recognized, but still recondite, class of proteins, with little known about the activity, mechanism or function of its more than 70 members. The best-studied GH family 61 member, Cel61A of the filamentous fungus Hypocrea jecorina, is known to be an endoglucanase, but it is not clear if this represents the main activity or function of this family in vivo. We present here the first structure for this family, that of Cel61B from H. jecorina. The best-quality crystals were formed in the presence of nickel, and the crystal structure was solved to 1.6 Å resolution using a single-wavelength anomalous dispersion method with nickel as the source of anomalous scatter. Cel61B lacks a carbohydrate-binding module and is a single-domain protein that folds into a twisted β-sandwich. A structure-aided sequence alignment of all GH family 61 proteins identified a highly conserved group of residues on the surface of Cel61B. Within this patch of mostly polar amino acids was a site occupied by the intramolecular nickel hexacoordinately bound in the solved structure. In the Cel61B structure, there is no easily identifiable carbohydrate-binding cleft or pocket or catalytic center of the types normally seen in GHs. A structural comparison search showed that the known structure most similar to Cel61B is that of CBP21 from the Gram-negative soil bacterium Serratia marcescens, a member of the carbohydrate-binding module family 33 proteins. A polar surface patch highly conserved in that structural family has been identified in CBP21 and shown to be involved in chitin binding and in the protein's enhancement of chitinase activities. The analysis of the Cel61B structure is discussed in light of our continuing research to better understand the activities and function of GH family 61.