腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿的形态特征及其系统关系——颅骨的形态与比较

本文通过具体的形态比较指出,禄丰腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿应为同一类型的雌雄个体,它们与现代猩猩比较相似,而与大猩猩和黑猩猩差别较大,因此,它们可看作是猩猩的祖先。猩猩这一支大约是在一千二百万年前开始从人猿超科的进化主干上分化出来的。     

禄丰食肉类化石记述

自1975年以来已在禄丰西瓦古猿(腊玛古猿)化石产地进行过多次发掘。在晚中新世的褐煤地层中,除获数量较多的古猿及小灵长类化石外,其他哺乳类化石的数量和种类也颇丰富。本文记述的是1976年以前从禄丰所采集的部分食肉类化石,其中包括Proputorius lufengensis和Epimachairodus fires两个新种。     

禄丰古猿的两性差别

本文首先讨论了粗壮池猿化石标本的性别判断问题,然后把粗壮池猿和禄丰西瓦古猿分别与有关的现生猿类的两性差别进行比较研究,得出这两个进化系统性别差异的时代变化的结论。这样的结论支持禄丰西瓦古猿的系统地位的论证。     

Quantitative differences in dental microwear between primate species with different diets and a comment on the presumed diet of Sivapithecus

Studies of dental microwear have been used to relate tooth form to function in a variety of recent and extinct mammals. Probably the most important aspect of microwear analysis is the possibility of using it to deduce the diet of extinct animals. Such deductions must be based on comparative studies of modern species with known diets, but to date, only qualitative studies have been attempted and all have been based on small samples. Here we report quantitative differences in dental microwear between primate species that are known to have different diets. Occlusal facets with different functions have previously been shown to exhibit different microwear patterns. However, the differences between facets of one species are shown to be far less than those between homologous facets of different species. Study of seven species of extant primates shows that enamel microwear can be used to distinguish between those with a mainly frugivorous diet and those with a mainly folivorous one. Microwear can also distinguish hard-object feeders from soft-fruit eaters. The microwear of Miocene Sivapithecus indicus cannot be distinguished statistically from that of the chimpanzee, but it is different from that of the other species. On this evidence S. indicus was not a hard-object feeder and the adaptive significance of its thick molar enamel is at present unknown.     

Khoratpithecus piriyai, a Late Miocene hominoid of Thailand

A Khoratpithecus piriyai lower jaw corresponds to a well-preserved Late Miocene hominoid fossil from northeastern Thailand. Its morphology and internal structure, using a microcomputed tomography scan, are described and compared to those of other known Miocene hominoids. It originated from fluviatile sand and gravel deposits of a large river, and was associated with many fossil tree trunks, wood fragments, and large vertebrate remains. A biochronological analysis by using associated mammal fauna gives an estimated geological age between 9-6 Ma. The flora indicates the occurrence of a riverine tropical forest and wide areas of grassland. K. piriyai displays many original characters, such as the great breadth of its anterior dentition, suggesting large incisors, large lower M3, a canine with a flat lingual wall, and symphysis structure. Several of its morphological derived characters are shared with the orangutan, indicating sister-group relationship with that extant ape. This relationship is additionally strongly supported by the absence of anterior digastric muscle scars. These shared derived characters are not present in Sivapithecus, Ankarapithecus, and Lufengpithecus, which are therefore considered more distant relatives to the orangutan than Khoratpithecus. The Middle Miocene K. chiangmuanensis is older, displays more primitive dental characters, and shares several dental characters with the Late Miocene form. It is therefore interpreted as its probable ancestor. But its less enlarged M3 and more wrinkled enamel may suggest an even closer phylogenetic position to orangutan ancestors, which cannot yet be supported because of the incomplete fossil record. Thus Khoratpithecus represents a new lineage of Southeast Asian hominoids, closely related to extant great ape ancestors.     

腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿的形态特征及其系统关系——下颌骨的形态与比较

本文通过禄丰腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿的下颌骨与现代大猿类和其它同时代的古猿及南方古猿类的下颌骨的比较得出:禄丰的两类古猿有不少特征与猩猩相似,因此它们可能与猩猩有较密切的关系,两类古猿可能是同一类型的雌雄个体。但另一方面,禄丰腊玛古猿又显示出一些与南方古猿相似的性状,因而另一种可能是腊玛古猿是与西瓦古猿不同的类型,它比西瓦古猿更接近于人猿的共同主干。     

Subnasal alveolar morphology and the systematic position of Sivapithecus

Recent collecting in the Potwar Plateau of Pakistan has produced several new maxillae attributable to Sivapithecus. Since the subnasal region is preserved in most of these specimens, comparisons with early Miocene hominoid and Pliocene hominid maxillae become possible. On the basis of these comparisons, it has become clear that subnasal/premaxillary morphology distinguishes Asian and African hominoids. Ramapithecus and Sivapithecus share with Pongo an "Asian" subnasal pattern. The Proconsul species from the early Miocene of western Kenya and Australopithecus afarensis from the Hadar Formation of Ethiopia present two subsets of an "African" subnasal pattern. We think it likely that Ramapithecus and Sivapithecus represent a lineage that postdates the last common ancestor of African and Asian hominoids.     

A late divergence hypothesis

The possibility of a Middle-Late Miocene separation of the human lineage from the lineages leading to the extant great apes, based on paleontological and phenetic evidence, is presented. Middle Miocene Sivapithecus, rather then Early Miocene Dryopithecus, is supported as a last common ancestor of Pongo, Pan, Gorilla, and Homo. Estimates for the branching of the lineages are a maximum of 15 m.y.a. for the Pongo lineage and a range from 14-6 m.y.a. for the Pan, Gorilla, and Ausralopithecus/Homo lineages. Weaknesses of the late divergence hypothesis are discussed.     

腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿的形态特征及其系统关系——牙齿的形态与比较

禄丰腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿的牙齿有许多性状是一致的,但在犬齿和下前臼齿的形态上则有较大的差别,这些差别可能是两性的差别。它们与现代大猿类相比,表现出与猩猩比较相似,而与大猩猩和黑猩猩差别较大,因而禄丰腊玛古猿和西瓦古猿可能是同一类型的雌雄个体,与猩猩有较近的关系。但另一方面,与南方古猿类的牙齿相比,禄丰腊玛古猿牙齿又显示出较多的相似于南方古猿阿法种和非洲种的性状,而西瓦古猿大的犬齿与所有南方古猿类差别甚大,因此另一种可能性是禄丰腊玛古猿与西瓦古猿是不同的类型,前者是向南方古猿方向进化的早期的人科成员。