The dating of Lantian man and his significance for analyzing trends in human evolution

The Lantian fossil hominid cranium from Southern Shensi Province, China, provides the earliest record of Homo erectus in northern east Asia, and is morphologically the most primitive specimen in the entire world. Importantly, the Kungwangling Lantian cranium (calvarium plus face), with associated stone tools in good geologic and paleontological context, is demonstrably both earlier and more primitive than the Choukoutien I remains. Faunal and palynological evidence support a mid-Mosbachium equivalent age (some 700,000 years). These facts are not recognized in the original Chinese reports. The Chenchiawo Lantian mandible, like the Choukoutien I remains, is attributable to the Holstein-equivalent in China (some 300,000 years ago), and therefore should no longer be temporally associated with the Kungwangling Lantian cranium. However, that the mandible may be morphologically associated with either calls attention to the relative independence of the mandible in human evolution. A comparative study of some modern Mongoloid populations in which very large mandibles may or may not be associated with a scaphoid keel or sagittal elevation depending upon the size and shape of the cranium demonstrates the relative autonomy of the mandible. Continuing selection pressure for a masticatory complex with large jaws provides another point of continuity between East Asian fossil and modern Mongoloid hunting populations such as Eskimos and Aleuts. A number of morphological features of the cranium, especially vault thickness, cranial capacity and reinforcement system, conform to expectation and confirm a general trend of reduction in vault thickness and reinforcement system with increase in cranial capacity over time within the single human species.     

Cimetidine inhibits the pentagastrin-induced release of calcitonin in normocalcaemic man

Pentagastrin stimulates the release of calcitonin from normal C-cells in the human thyroid. In the present investigation the effect of cimetidine on the liberation of calcitonin in response to intraarterial pentagastrin (0.6 μg · kg^?1) was studied in 14 normocalcaemic patients undergoing surgery for thyroid adenomas. Cimetidine was administered as a bolus injection of 200 mg followed by an intravenous infusion of 1.5 mg · kg^?1 · h^?1. In seven patients not given cimetidine, mean calcitonin concentration in the thyroid vein rose from 419 ± 58 to 2787 ± 645 pM in response to pentagastrin. In seven patients given cimetidine, mean calcitonin concentration only increased from 107 ± 33 to 166 ± 51 pM after pentagastrin. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant both during basal conditions (P < 0.001) and in response to pentagastrin (P < 0.01). The results suggest that pentagastrin affects normal C-cells via release of histamine and that cimetidine markedly interferes with this mechanism.     

关于百色的手斧

对２８年百色手斧的类学分析表明,它们并不是真正的手斧,其中４件似应归入砍砸器,１件可能是似镐石器,其余２３件似应定为石核斧。     

山西榆社细石器遗存

注入渤海的海河水系上游山西省榆社县新发现两处旧石器时代晚期遗址,出土２００多件石制品和２件装饰品。石制品中含典型的细石器。遗物分布在河流阶地砂砾层中。骨化石＾１４Ｃ测定文化遗址的年代为距今１万多年前。     

Is there a health hazard for building occupants of airborne mineral fibers exposure?

Summary Asbestos containing material (ACM) inside buildings is an important concern for the health of their occupants. In France, for the assessment of airborne asbestos concentrations inside building, we use the indirect TEM measurement method constantly improved from 1978 on. By contrast, in the U.S.A. and UK the direct method is used. We have carried out a study in order to compare mass and numerical concentration fibres from the same samples, the tendency being now to express the results in fibre/litre. Concerning asbestos fibres released from man made mineral fibres (MMMF), optical microscope is used and results are expressed in numerical concentrations. Epidemiological studies of different occupational cohorts suggest that amphibole fibres present a greater health risk than chrysotile. Concerning indoor pollution by mineral wool, the health hazard seems negligible. The appraisal of this public health problem remains to be done. In France, a multidisciplinary study group has been created to provide advices related to corrective actions. Information on this public health problem is expected from the epidemiologic longitudinal survey, still in progress, of a cohort of workers, exposed to ACM in Paris university buildings.     

丹江口库区旧石器遗址的年代与石器技术的演进

丹江口库区位于东秦岭南麓,是连接我国南北文化的重要地带,本文全面梳理了该地区目前已发掘的旧石器遗址,重新厘定了遗址的年代。结合年代和石制品特征,本文得到以下几点认识：1）该地区文化发展可以被划分为三个阶段：阶段1（相当于MIS 27～MIS 8）石器工业为石核-石片类型,阶段2（相当于MIS 7～MIS 3c）出现了大型切割石器组合,阶段3（约晚于MIS 3b）以小型石片石器为特征;2）在文化阶段性发展的同时,石核-石片技术一直贯穿于本地区的更新世期间,体现了区域文化发展的连续性;3）丹江下游石器技术在形成过程中受到了来自华北和秦岭地区的文化辐射,显示出融合性的技术特征;4)100～50 ka BP期间,丹江口库区汉水上游的现代人石器工业中可能包含了大型切割石器组合。     

Metric dental change in the European upper paleolithic and mesolithic.

Evolutionary trends for dental reduction are presented for European Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic samples. The analysis demonstrates that the greatest decrease in tooth size occurs between the two divisions of the Upper Paleolithic, while little and insignificant change characterizes the Late Upper Paleolithic/Mesolithic transition. Trends for tooth size over this period indicate that (1) human evolution does not stop with the appearance of "anatomically modern Homo sapiens," (2) changes in tooth size fluctuate with increases in the efficiency and complexity of cultural systems, and (3) the Early Upper Paleolithic sample should be considered transitional between Wurm II European Neanderthals and later Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic groups.