Phylogenetic relationships of the Chinese fossil species of the genusEquus (Perissodactyla, Equidae)

The Chinese fossils ofEquus began to appear from the beginning of the Quaternary at 2.5 Ma B.P., and the extant species ofEquus still live in China under natural conditions at the present, which is unique in the world. 12 valid fossil species ofEquus have been discovered in China, including the stenonid, caballoid and hemione representatives ofEquus. The origin and evolution of the Chinese fossil species and other relevant species ofEquus are discussed in detail. The pmposed phylogenetic relationships and temporal distribution sequences including all the Chinese fossil species ofEquus are established. Some mistakes in the earlier researches about the Chinese fossils ofEquus are corrected. Project supported by the French-Chinese Cooperation (Grant No. 203720C).     

Geochemical evidence for non-marine depositional environment of foraminiferal fossils from the Nihewan Basin, China

From the first finding in 1970s, the findings of foraminiferal fossil assemblages in inland basins have been reported from time to time, especially in recent years. The debates on the depositional environment of foraminiferal fossils have become the hot spot of researches again in China. Based on the researches of trace element geochemistry and electron scanning microscope of shells of Quaternary foraminiferal fossils from the Xiaodukou section in the inland Nihewan basin, the original ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and other geochemical information of shells were believed to be preserved well and could be used to rebuild the geochemistry of contemporary waters where foraminifera deposited, although there existed some effects of burial diagenesis on the geochemistry of shells to a certain extent. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of well-preserved Xiaodukou foraminiferal shells were measured, giving a range of 0.711190±25–0.712018±14, apparently higher than the value of contemporary seawater (0.709087–0.709147) and similar to that of the Sanggan River, proving that it represented the value of the ancient lacustrine water. The hyperbolic mixing models of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-palaeosalinity and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-Sr/Ca indicated that the contemporary waters where Xiaodukou foraminifera inhabited was an inland lake and there was no seawater input to the depositional environment.     

Human remains and the environment of Early Pleistocene in the Nihewan Basin

The Nihewan (Nihowan) Basin is well known in the world for producing abundant mammal fossils and paleoliths. As one issue of the program 搕he early hominid evolution and environmental background in East Asia?a biostratigraphic survey was made in July 2001, and a large number of mammal fossils were un-earthed and 5 lithic artifacts were recognized from the Majuangou gully in the Nihewan Basin, Hebei Prov-ince, North China. 1 Stratigraphic section The new site is located on the south bank…     

Tectonically-controlled infilling of the eastern Nihewan Basin,North China,since the middle Pleistocene

There has been a significant debate about the nature and causes of the Pleistocene evolution of the Nihewan Basin, North China. We studied the eastern Nihewan Basin sedimentary facies at two main sites, Hutouliang and Donggou. A combination of field observations and measurements of sediment grain-size distribution was used to reconstruct the sequence of sedimentary environments since the middle Pleistocene, and optically-stimulated luminescence measurements were used to date the sediments. Our results indicate that a shallow lake occupied the basin center along the Sanggan River, probably lasting until ~440 kyr ago before disappearing completely ~340 kyr ago. It was succeeded by a phase of fluvial-dominated sediment accumulation which ended ~30 kyr ago. We suggest that the formation of the gorge resulted from the relative uplift of the Niuxin Mountain along the Liulengshan fault ~140 kyr ago. However, since ~30 kyr ago the fault may have become inactive and the river downcutting near Shixia was no longer offset by the relative uplift, which caused a shift from deposition to denudation in the Nihewan Basin from then on. The disappearance of the paleolake ~340 kyr ago may have been the culmination of the ongoing process of basin infilling.     

New discovery of Palaeontinid fossils from the Middle Jurassic in Daohugou, Inner Mongolia (Homoptera, Palaeontinidae)

Three new species of fossil Palaeontinidae are described from Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China: Daohugoucossus shii sp. nov., D. parallelivenius sp. nov., D. lii sp. nov. The diagnosis of Dao- hugoucossus Wang, Zhang and Fang, 2006 is revised. These materials are the first complete fossil palaeontinids in the Middle Jurassic of the world. Based on observation of these new specimens, Sc of this new genus has the following combined characters: joined with R at base, diverged near M separa- tion, coalesced with R before the nodal line, extended beyond the nodal line and fused with R1 before distal end. Due to the Sc characteristics mentioned above, the genus Liaocossus Ren, Yin and Dou, 1998 can be well distinguished from “Ilerdocossus-complex”.     

Pleistocene magnetochronology of the fauna and Paleolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin: Significance for environmental and hominin evolution in North China

The fluvio-lacustrine sequences in the Nihewan Basin of North China (known as the Nihewan Formation) are rich sources of Early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites and mammalian fossils (known as the Nihewan Fauna sensu lato), which offer an excellent opportunity to investigate the evolution of early humans and land mammals in East Asia. Also abundant mammalian fossils provide clues about the general environmental and climatic setting of early humans. Among the Nihewan Fauna (sensu lato), the Daodi Fauna is one of the most complete and oldest in the eastern Nihewan Basin: seven mammalian fossil-bearing layers in the Nihewan Formation have been described. Except for a biostratigraphy, however, precise age control on the Daodi Fauna has remained unavailable. Here we report a new magnetostratigraphic record that stringently constrains its age. The seven fossil-rich layers span an age range of ca 2.5–1.8 Ma between the Gauss–Matuyama boundary and the termination of the Olduvai polarity subchron. Combining our new and recently published paleomagnetic data, we further establish a Pleistocene magnetochronology of the fauna and Paleolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin. Age ranges of about 2.5–0.5 Ma for the faunas and 1.7–0.3 Ma for the Paleolithic sites are deduced, which span most of the Pleistocene. The chronological framework and calculated proportions of mammals that were adapted to different environments indicate that mixed settings of dominant grasslands and subordinate forests continued at least from 2.5 to 0.5 Ma for early human occupation in the basin, similar to the mixed open savannah and woodland habitats of early humans in Africa. The Nihewan hominins consistently adopted a simple Oldowan-like technology (i.e., Mode 1 core and flake technologies) from at least ca 1.7 to 0.3 Ma. A more advanced Acheulean technology (Mode 2) has not been found in the Nihewan Basin, although it started to emerge in the Bose Basin of South China at ca 0.8 Ma. This implies that multiple groups of hominins distinguished by differential stone-tool-making capabilities may have coexisted in China after 0.8 Ma.     

Environmental background of evolution from the paleolithic to neolithic culture in Nihewan Basin, North China

The relationship between the paleolithic-neolithic cultural transition and environmental evolvement has been a focus of the paleoanthropologists, archeologists, and Quaternary geologists in the world. The analysis result of the paleoanthropic living environment at Yujiagou site of Nihewan Basin in the north of China shows that the microlithic culture at the Yujiagou site occurred during the opening centuries of the last deglaciation and developed markedly in the continuous warm and dry climatic conditions from late period of last deglaciation to early postglacial. Moreover, it also shows that the neolithic culture at the Yujiagou site occurred in the early postglacial and developed rapidly in a warm and humid climatic condition in the Holocene Megathermal. Climate variation is an important factor leading to the paleolithic-neolithic cultural transition.     

泥河湾盆地大长梁剖面河湖相沉积物的岩石磁学性质

以热磁分析为主,对中国北方泥河湾盆地更新世河湖相地层中灰绿色粉砂和灰黄色粉砂/细砂两种典型沉积物进行了详细的岩石磁学研究,有效确定了这两类沉积物中磁性矿物的种类、粒度特征以及加热过程中磁性矿物的变化过程和产物,并对其包含的古环境意义进行了初步探讨.灰绿色粉砂样品主要含有磁铁矿和赤铁矿两种磁性矿物,磁性相对较弱,颗粒相对较细;灰黄色粉砂/细砂主要含有磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿,磁性相对较强,颗粒相对较粗.在氩气环境中经700℃加热处理后,这两种沉积物中的绿泥石都分解,并生成超细粒（处于超顺磁和单畴颗粒区间）的磁铁矿,导致磁化率大幅升高.因此泥河湾盆地沉积物的热磁特征可以用来检测样品中绿泥石的相对含量,进而反映该地区化学风化作用强度的变化.此外,灰绿色粉砂样品中绿泥石含量比灰黄色粉砂/细砂样品的含量高,在氩气中加热后,磁化率升高幅度也较高,可能反映了化学风化相对较弱的沉积环境.     

Luminescence dating of the Huliu River terraces in the Nihewan Basin,North China

As one of the most important regions for early human occupation in East Asia, Nihewan Basin in North China is well-known for an abundance of archaeological sites with ages spanning the last 2 Ma. In recent 10 years, more than 27 new archaeological localities have been discovered from the Yuxian (sub-basin of Nihewan), and all of them are with no age control. The lack of reliable ages for these localities affects our understanding for the evolution of the stone-tool technology in the Nihewan Basin. As many localities were founded in the river terrace, the fluvial terrace sequence of the Huliu River (main river of the Yuxian) was investigated. Based on single-grain post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) procedure on potassium (K-) feldspar, our results reveal that the formation ages of three Huliu River terraces are 139.6–115.7, 19.7–5.5, and <0.9 ka, respectively. On the basis of these pIRIR ages, the formation of the fluvial terrace sequence may provide informative constraints on the human occupation in the Huliu River terrace in the Nihewan Basin, if a clear stratigraphic correlation is established between the archaeological sites and the dated terrace deposits.     

High-resolution U–Pb dating of an Early Pleistocene stalagmite from Corchia Cave (central Italy)

Recent developments in the uranium–lead (U–Pb) dating of speleothems have opened up new opportunities in palaeoclimate research. An important goal in this new frontier is to produce palaeoclimate records underpinned by precise and accurate age models, which together will increase the range of palaeoclimate questions that can be addressed by the speleothem research community. In this paper, we investigate the level of age-model precision that is achievable by applying high-resolution U–Pb dating of a stalagmite (CC8) from Corchia Cave (Italy) whose period of growth spans part of the Middle Pleistocene Transition (∼970–810 ka). Focussing largely on the periods encompassing three glacial terminations, we carried out age sampling of CC8 at a density similar to that performed in many studies of younger (i.e. U–Th-dated) speleothems. Using a combination of Tera–Wasserburg isochron and model age approaches, coupled with age-depth modelling, our results show that age-model uncertainties of ∼4 kyr are possible, equivalent to a precision of about 0.4%. At this level of precision palaeoclimate time series derived from speleothems of this age can be used to test hypotheses of orbital forcing.     

Magnetostratigraphic dating of Early Miocene deep-sea fossils from the Morozaki Group in central Japan

Early Miocene sediments of the Morozaki Group in central Japan contain deep-sea fossils that have been dated using biostratigraphic and radiometric data. In this study, we utilize magnetostratigraphy to provide a more precise age for mudstones from just below the layer containing the fossils. Rock magnetic experiments suggest that both magnetic iron sulfide and Ti-poor titanomagnetite carry the remanent magnetization of the mudstones. Two different stratigraphic sites have normal polarity directions with a northeastern declination, which can be correlated with Chronozone C5Dn. Given their magnetostratigraphic position near the C5Dn/C5Dr chronozone boundary (17.466 Ma) and a high sedimentation rate, the estimated age for both the sites and the deep-sea fossils is ~17.4 Ma. The northeasterly-directed site-mean directions suggest clockwise tectonic rotation, most likely due to the Early Miocene clockwise rotation of Southwest Japan associated with the back-arc opening of the Japan Sea. The deep-sea fossils, dated at ~17.4 Ma, represent organisms deposited within a submarine structural depression formed by crustal extension during the back-arc opening stage.     

华北泥河湾盆地铺路哺乳动物群的磁性地层学定年

华北泥河湾盆地的晚新生代河湖相沉积地层, 产出了十分丰富的旧石器和哺乳动物化石, 记录了早期人类活动以及晚上新世以来哺乳动物群的演化过程.作为广义泥河湾动物群之一, 铺路动物群化石点位于盆地内的壶流河东侧, 含有晚上新世及早更新世哺乳动物化石.本文结合生物地层学和岩石地层学, 对含铺路哺乳动物化石的河湖相沉积物, 进行详细的岩石磁学及高分辨率的磁性地层学研究, 旨在对铺路哺乳动物群进行精确定年.结果表明, 铺路剖面河湖相沉积物的磁性矿物主要为磁铁矿、磁赤铁矿和赤铁矿, 平均粒度以准单畴为主.铺路剖面河湖相沉积物记录了布容正极性时(Brunhes normal chron)早期、松山负极性时(Matuyama reverse chron)、高斯正极性时(Gauss normal chron)和吉尔伯特负极性时(Gilbert reverse chron)晚期, 铺路动物群产出在留尼旺(Réunion)地磁漂移之前, 凯纳(Kaena)负极性亚时之后, 年代约为3.0~2.2 Ma.本研究结果将广义泥河湾动物群的年代下限延至约3.0 Ma.此外, 结合泥河湾盆地古气候学及古环境学研究结果, 表明在上新世与更新世过渡期间, 泥河湾动物群的演化受气候环境变化的影响, 更适应干旱寒冷的生存环境.

     

Paleomagnetic dating of the Cenjiawan Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, northern China

It draws much attention of scientists how early hu- mans occupy and adapt to the rigorous climate and environment at high northern latitudes in East Asia after they stepped out of Africa, passed West Asia and finally arrived in East Asia[1-4]. Reliable age determi- nations of Paleolithic sites from northeastern Asia not only help to find out the earliest occupation of early humans in this region, but also relate to the founda- tion of the overall framework of human origin and migration[1-8]…     

New stylophorans (Echinodermata) from the upper Cambrian of Guangxi,South China

This paper describes for the first time the cornute stylophorans (Echinodermata) in China. The new material came from the Guole Formation of the Furongian (Late Cambrian) in the Guole area of Jingxi, Guangxi Province, South China. These new cornute specimens are preserved in situ and found along with well-preserved trilobites and brachiopods. One new species, Phyllocystis jingxiensis sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate these unusual materials. The new species is defined by the small, heart-shaped theca with the frame composed of ten narrow, smooth and thick marginal plates, three adoral plates and distinctive zygal and aulacophore. Both supracentrals and infracentrals are polygonal-outlined. The marginal plate M1' on the inferior face extends posteriorly to form zygal that possesses a broadened proximal end and the proximal portion joining with the conjunction between M4 and M5 on the inferior face. Aulacophore comprises ten segments at its proximal part and is conical at the middle part (named stylocone). Its distal portion is rather long and bears conspicuous ambulacrum grooves. Tectals are horizontally arranged on superior face and obliquely arranged on inferior face. Both cothurnopore and anal pyramid are vaguely seen on the right anterior corner and the extremity of theca's superior face.     

2001年度华北地区及河北省地震概况

1　 2 0 0 1年河北省及京津地区地震活动概况据河北省地震台网测定 ,2 0 0 1年 1月 1日至 12月 31日河北省及京津地区共发生地震 6 73次 ,ML2 .0级以下地震 5 0 3次 ,ML2 .0～ 2 .9级地震 146次 ,ML3.0～ 3.9级地震 2 0次 ,ML4.0～ 4.9级地震 4次 ,最大地震为 2 0 0 1年 3月 2日宣化 ML4.4级。见图 1。图 1　 2 0 0 1年河北省及京津地区地震活动分布图2　 2 0 0 1年河北省及京津地区地震活动特征从河北省及京津地区 1990年以来地震活动统计表 (表 1)可以看出1小震频度低 :从 1990年以来至 2 0 0 1年 12月小震频度达到最低值仅有 6 73次 …     

Palynological record during the Pleistocene (between 1.05 Ma and 0.36 Ma) from ODP1144, northern South China Sea

This paper presents the pollen record from the lower section of ODP1144 (depth 501.3-225.7 m, ca. 1.05-0.36 Ma). Two pollen zones (PA and PB) and eleven pollen subzones are recognized. Within zone PB, the 11 pollen subzones (PB21-11) are defined according to the pine, fern and herb variations, and are equivalent to the marine isotope stages 21-11 (MISs 21-11). The interglacial periods are typified by an increase in pine pollen and fern spores, and a decrease in herbaceous pollen, while the patterning during the glacial periods is just the opposite. During the interglacial periods, pollen assemblages were dominated by pine similar to those of the present day, suggesting that the paleoenvironment of the interglacial periods was similar to that of the present day, whereas the glacial periods are marked by an increase in herbaceous pollen, mainly Gramineae and Cyperaceae, indicating that grassland covered the exposed continental shelf when sea level declined. Increased Artemisia percentages and the highest     

Chronology of the Paleolithic site of Xibaimaying in the Nihewan Basin,North China,inferred from optical dating of fine-grained quartz

The Paleolithic site of Xibaimaying (XBMY), once considered the youngest flake tool site within the Nihewan Basin, North China, is an ideal archive to study the chronological relationship between flake tool and microblade industries in the Nihewan Basin during the Upper Palaeolithic, but the previous ages obtained for the site remain controversial. From 2015 to 2019, three areas at two archaeological localities (XBMY-I and XBMY-II) of the site were excavated, and well-preserved fossils and flake tools were unearthed. In this study, a total of 26 samples were collected from the three areas for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating using a single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol on fine-grained quartz. A shared ‘Standardized growth curve’ (SGC) for a section was constructed to reduce the time required for D_e estimation. The long-term weighted average water contents of the samples during their burial period were estimated based on the in-situ water contents of continuous samples from a nearby borehole. All the OSL ages were modelled via Bayesian statistics using the OxCal software, modifying the OSL ages with stratigraphic constraints in each section. The results show that the cultural layer bearing flake tool assemblages falls within the period of 122–36 ka, indicating that the flake tool industry of the Xibaimaying site is comparable to that of the Youfangbei (108–86 ka), Banjingzi (∼86 ka) and Xinmiaozhuang (75–63 ka) sites, rather than the youngest one in the Nihewan basin, which explains why the Xibaimaying site is characterized as pure flake tool culture without any ‘advanced’ trait. The OSL dating results also shed new light on the study of sedimentary processes in the Xibaimaying site area. The different deposition rates (0.01–1.61 mm/a) for the sediments at the three newly excavated areas imply complex geomorphologic processes in the site area.     

Petrogenetic simulation of the Archean trondhjemite from Eastern Hebei,China

It is generally believed that trondhjemitic rock, an important component of TTG rocks, is the anatectic product of mafic rocks. However, in many TTG gneiss terranes, for instance, the granulite facies terrane in Eastern Hebei, trondhjemites occur as small dikes, intrusions or leucosomes in tonalitic gneisses, suggesting their origin of in-situ partial melting. Based on the petrological analysis of a tonalitic gneiss sample from Eastern Hebei, in combination with zircon U-Pb dating, we investigated the petrogenesis of trondhjemite through simulating anatectic reactions and the major and trace element characteristics of the product melt at different pressures(0.7, 1.0 and 2.0 GPa). The results indicate that hornblende dehydration melting in a tonalitic gneiss at 0.9–1.1 GPa and 800–850°C, corresponding to the high-T granulite facies, with melting degrees of 5–10wt.% and a residual assemblage containing 5–10wt.% garnet, can produce felsic melts with a great similarity, for instance of high La/Yb ratios and low Yb contents to the trondhjemitic rocks from Eastern Hebei. However, the modelled melts exhibit relatively higher K2 O, and lower CaO and Mg~# than those in the trondhjemitic dikes and leucosomes from Eastern Hebei, suggesting that the leucosomes may not only contain some residual minerals but also be subjected to the effect of crystal fractionation. The zircon U-Pb dating for the tonalitic and trondhjemitic rocks in the Eastern Hebei yields a protolith age of 2518±12 Ma and a metamorphic age of 2505±19 Ma for the tonalitic gneiss. The latter age is consistent with a crystallization age of 2506±6 Ma for the trondhjemitic rock, confirming a close petrogenetic relation between them.     

Longgudong,an Early Pleistocene site in Jianshi,South China,with stratigraphic association of human teeth and lithics

In this paper we report on Longgudong,an Early Pleistocene cave site in south China which was systematically excavated in 1999 and 2000,and where human teeth and associated stone artifacts were discovered within the same stratigraphic layer.The age of this site was estimated from faunal comparisons and palaeomagnetism and has been attributed to the Early Pleistocene,most probably the earlier Early Pleistocene.The human teeth from this site have been well studied.However,the stone artifacts are still unknown to most scholars.This paper thus presents an analysis of the lithics as the first firmly demonstrated stone tools associated with Early Pleistocene human fossils in south China.