步氏巨猿牙齿大小上的变异性和南方古猿类食性假说

步氏巨猿牙齿大小上的变异性表明,在柳城巨猿洞局部地区的堆积中可能有少量时代稍晚的巨猿牙齿标本。晚期步氏巨猿与早期的相比,后部齿显著增大而前部齿则无显著差异。从步氏巨猿牙齿在大小上的演化趋势来看,南非南方古猿类中的纤细类与粗壮类之间在齿列比例上的不同不一定意味着其食性上有大的差异,纤细类与粗壮类也未必有“属”这一分类级别上的差异。

VARIABILITY IN TOOTH SIZE OF GIGANTOPIT HECUS BLACKI AND THE DIETARY HYPOTHESIS FOR AUSTRALOPITHECINES

The isolated teeth of Gigantopithecus blacki kept in our laboratory are measured and statistically tested. The heterogeneity of Liucheng sample can be shown by a comparison of the teeth from locus C with those from non-C loci in the Gigantopithecus cave. A review of geological literature suggests that some teeth from non-C loci, which may be of later age, are responsible for this heterogeneity. The teeth of G. blacki can be divided into early and late groups on temporal grounds. The late G. blacki is significantly larger than the early G. blacki in cheek teeth, but there are no significant differences in front tooth size between these two groups It means that there is a differences in proportionate size of the canines to the cheek teeth between early and late G. blacki. The difference is like that seen between gracile "and robust of South African australopithecines. The fauna and tooth chipping indicate that the difference in tooth size between early and late G. blacki can hardly be attributed to different dietary resources. TKe evolutionary trend in tooth size of G. blacki implies that a more reasonable explanation of the difference between gracile and robust type of South African australopithecines might not be due to diets as suggested by Robinson.