广西崇左中晚更新世的犀类化石：兼论华南地区第四纪独角犀的系统演化

中国华南地区第四纪喀斯特洞穴堆积中常含有丰富的哺乳动物化石,其中广西崇左地区已发现多处含有步氏巨猿(Gigantopithecus blacki)的第四纪不同时期的洞穴化石点,在其共生的动物群中,对生物地层和环境变化有重要的指示意义且化石数量最多、演化特征最显著的种类之一是独角犀(Rhinoceros)。近期早更新世犀类化石的研究有较大进展,但中晚更新世时期的犀类化石却缺乏系统研究。本研究系统分析了产自中国广西崇左更新世中晚期的武鸣楼山临佛洞、公鸡山愚公洞、木榄山智人洞以及芭仙洞这4个化石地点的犀类新材料,依据牙齿的大小和其形态特征分别将其归入了爪哇犀(Rhinoceros sondaicus)、爪哇犀相似种(Rhinoceros cf. sondaicus)和中国犀(Rhinoceros sinensis)。通过对华南地区第四纪独角犀的系统研究表明,爪哇犀(R.sondaicus)在此地区从早更新世中期一直持续到全新世;中国犀(R.sinensis)则从早更新世晚期延续到晚更新世;暂时没有发现印度犀(R.unicornis)的化石。颊齿特征分析表明,扶绥犀(Rhinoceros fusuiensis)显得要比中国犀(R.sinensis)和爪哇犀(R.sondaicus)原始,而爪哇犀(R.sondaicus)和中国犀(R.sinensis)很可能是扶绥犀(R.fusuiensis)演化而来。从化石记录来看,当时可能有印度次大陆和中国南方两个演化中心,分别演化出Rhinoceros sivalensis→R.uncorins以及R.fusuiensis→R.sondaicus或R.fusuiensis→R.sinensis两个支系。在早更新世早期,独角犀向东扩散,到达中国南方地区之后,在中更新世时向东南亚扩散;迄今,只在东南亚部分地区残存。

     

广西崇左早更新世与巨猿共生的扶绥犀新材料

广西崇左地区第四纪喀斯特溶洞发育,洞穴堆积中常含有丰富的哺乳动物化石,十余年的地质古生物调查中已发现多处第四纪不同时期的含有步氏巨猿（Gigantopithecus blacki）的洞穴化石点,共生的动物群中,独角犀（Rhinoceros）是化石数量最多、演化特征最显著的种类之一,对生物地层和环境变化有重要的指示意义。本文系统研究了产自崇左早更新世的鲤鱼山百孔洞和泊岳山巨猿洞的独角犀新材料,依据化石牙齿的大小和基本形态特征将其归入化石扶绥犀（Rhinoceros fusuiensis）;此外,通过化石种和现生种冠高指数的比较研究表明,扶绥犀很可能栖息于温暖潮湿的森林环境中,这与现存于东南亚的苏门答腊犀的生活环境接近。扶绥犀是一种生存于早更新世早期（2.5~1.8Ma B.P.）的独角犀化石种,它往往与步氏巨猿（G. blacki）、中华乳齿象（Sinomastodon）、桑氏硕鬣狗（Pachycrocuta licenti）、小种大熊猫（Ailuropoda microta）或武陵山大熊猫（A. wulingshanensis）以及山原貘（Tapirus sanyuanensis）或中国貘（T. sinensis）等动物共生,主要分布于中国南方,尤以广西地区最为集中。

     

广西崇左三合巨猿大洞早更新世小哺乳动物群

最近在广西崇左三合大洞发现了步氏巨猿和似人似猿共生的新层位,与之伴生的有52种小哺乳动物,占三合大洞巨猿动物群总数的62%,其中苏门答腊兔（Nesolagus）是东南亚地区首次发现的化石。小哺乳动物群以南方早更新世常见的偏皮氏毛耳飞鼠（Belomys parapearsoni）、中间猪尾鼠（Typhlomys intermedius）、拟低冠竹鼠（Rhizomys brachyrhizomyoides）、硕豪猪（Hystrix magna）、先社鼠（Niviventer preconfucianus）、拟爱氏巨鼠（Leopoldamysedwardioidesi）等为代表,根据小哺乳动物群性质和与其他动物群对比以及磁性地层年代测定,表明其时代应是早更新世中期（约距今120160万年前）。该动物群由树鼩、扁颅蝠、小彩蝠、飞松鼠、笔尾树鼠、猪尾鼠等几乎是旧大陆热带-亚热带森林型动物组成,缺少北方类型,基本上属于热带森林动物群,这表明了当时的自然景观为温暖湿润的热带雨林环境。三合大洞小哺乳动物群是广西地区的首次发现,对华南早更新世巨猿动物群详细划分,探讨步氏巨猿演化和早期人类环境背景等目前科学界关注的问题具有重要的意义。     

广西崇左三合大洞新发现的巨猿牙齿化石及其演化意义

文章报告了在广西崇左生态公园三合大洞中新发现的巨猿牙齿化石,这些新化石材料为研究巨猿演化及华南地区更新世动物群时代演化及环境变迁有着重要意义。三合大洞共出土巨猿牙齿56枚,除上犬齿,其他上、下颌牙齿种类齐全;从牙齿发育及磨损情况判断,这些材料代表了婴幼年、青少年、青壮年、中年及老年各年龄阶段的至少5个个体。测量了牙齿大小,并与其他的巨猿化石点的材料进行对比,认为三合大洞的巨猿牙齿与武鸣、巴马的巨猿有可比性。在此基础上,结合动物群组合特征及时代意义,探讨巨猿的牙齿大小时代演化趋势,同时提出存在的问题。     

西藏阿里札达盆地上新统中犀类化石的发现及意义

首次在西藏阿里札达盆地上新世河湖相沉积地层中发现了犀类化石,对其基本特征进行了描述,初步鉴定为犀类额鼻角犀亚科第三蹠骨化石,在同一层位中还采集了大量孢粉、微体古生物和植物化石.结合区域地质特征和产出犀类化石地层的沉积学特征等的分析,认为札达盆地上新世时代表着温暖湿润向寒冷潮湿-温和干旱的气候变化过程.这一发现有助于进一步认识青藏高原新近纪上新世的生物演化、气候变化和构造活动,为研究青藏高原新近纪以来的生物进化、湖泊与河流演化、气候变化、古地理与古环境变迁,以及新生代地层的划分对比等提供了新资料.     

西藏阿里札达盆地上新统中犀类化石的发现及意义

首次在西藏阿里札达盆地上新世河湖相沉积地层中发现了犀类化石,对其基本特征进行了描述,初步鉴定为犀类额鼻角犀亚科第三蹠骨化石,在同一层位中还采集了大量孢粉、微体古生物和植物化石.结合区域地质特征和产出犀类化石地层的沉积学特征等的分析,认为札达盆地上新世时代表着温暖湿润向寒冷潮湿-温和干旱的气候变化过程.这一发现有助于进一步认识青藏高原新近纪上新世的生物演化、气候变化和构造活动,为研究青藏高原新近纪以来的生物进化、湖泊与河流演化、气候变化、古地理与古环境变迁,以及新生代地层的划分对比等提供了新资料.     

中国南方首次发现的基干禽龙类化石新属种

广西壮族自治区扶绥县那派盆地早白垩世新隆组中产有包含蜥脚类、兽脚类、鸟脚类、疑似鹦鹉嘴龙类的恐龙动物群,但鸟脚类的属种鉴定尚不能进一步确认.最近发现于那派盆地新的鸟脚类肠骨、坐骨化石材料,显示出基干禽龙类的典型形态,其特征又不同于该类群其他已知属种,应代表禽龙类一新属新种,被命名为广西那派龙Napaisaurus gu...     

重庆万州盐井沟地区黄昏爪兽(爪兽科, 奇蹄目)化石新发现

黄昏爪兽（Hesperotherium）是我国早更新世代表物种之一,因发现标本稀少,其形态特征和灭绝时间是存疑的。重庆市万州区盐井沟大垭口地点发现了多件Hesperotherium化石,其中多数骨骼属首次发现,新材料增加了我们对该类动物的骨骼形态学的认识,其后肢骨骼在进化过程中较为保守,可能正是这种进化过程中的保守性导致其不能适应第四纪多变的气候环境,最终灭绝。同时通过对已知含Hesperotherium动物群的分析,认为Hesperotherium可以作为早更新世早-中期的代表物种,对应于邱占祥命名的NCMQ 1或欧洲的维拉方中-晚期。

     

泥盆纪最早期牙形刺带化石在蒙古南戈壁幕使盖(Mushgai)地区"尕屋(Gavuu)"段的首次发现

在蒙古南戈壁的Bayan—Khoshuu Ruins剖面原归入到志留系Mandalovoo组尕屋(Gavuu)段的地层中发现了牙形刺Caudicriodus woschimidti woschmidti，这是泥盆纪最早期牙形刺带化石在蒙古的首次发现。尕屋(Gavuu)段的下部属志留系，但其上部，即采集牙形刺样品M-9～M-12的层位肯定属下泥盆统(下洛霍考夫阶)，而不是下志留统。Mandalovoo组应当改为Mandalovoo群，它的三个段应提升为三个组。     

中国首次发现真正会飞的“恐龙”——中华神州鸟(新属新种)

记述了辽宁义县早白垩世九佛堂组的一件初鸟类(Avialae)化石,其嘴里无牙,前肢明显长于后肢,尾巴由20多节尾椎组成,叉骨呈U字形,飞行羽毛超过了身体的长度。各种特征表明,新发现的初鸟类真正具有了飞行能力,代表了恐龙向鸟类演化过程中的又一中间环节。正式将其命名为中华神州鸟(Shenzhouraptorsinensisgen.etsp.nov.)。     

First Discovery of Dicerorhinus sumatrensis from Yanjinggou Provides Insights into the Pleistocene Rhinocerotidae of South China

The Rhinocerotidae is one of the most common and important families in the Pleistocene mammalian fauna of South China. Since the last century, most of the Pleistocene rhinocerotid fossils were prematurely assigned to Rhinoceros sinensis, which has resulted in confusion of taxonomy for decades, especially in South China. The Yanjinggou area in Chongqing Municipality of China, where the neotype of R. sinensis came from, has yielded abundant rhinocerotid fossils and is a key area to solve this problem. A recently discovered juvenile skull from a karstic fissure in this area can be referred to Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Fischer, 1814), which is the first confirmed non-Rhinoceros rhinocerotid from the area. This new finding indicates that non-Rhinoceros fossils might have been mixed in AMNH collection from Yanjinggou and thus the diagnosis of Rhinoceros sinensis needs reformation. On the other hand, Stephanorhinus ?kirchbergensis is also detected in Granger’s collection based on our reobservation. The coexistence of Rhinoceros, Dicerorhinus and Stephanorhinus shows the higher diversity of Pleistocene rhinocerotids in South China.     

A late Early Pleistocene pollen record from Fontana Ranuccio (central Italy)

A pollen record from a sediment core drilled underneath the Acheulian site of Fontana Ranuccio provides new data on the vegetation characters in central Italy during the late Early Pleistocene, in a forest phase possibly corresponding to a substage of Marine Isotope Stage 21. A number of tree taxa nowadays extinct in Europe (Cathaya, Tsuga, Taxodium type, Carya and Pterocarya) are present at Fontana Ranuccio in a temperate phase characterised by dense forest conditions, dominated by Alnus and Pterocarya. The comparison of the Fontana Ranuccio record with other dated sites distributed along the Italian peninsula indicates that the floristic and vegetational characters of the Mid Pleistocene revolution present a rather distinct succession of biostratigraphic events. Compared to other Early Pleistocene pollen records from southern Europe, the Italian Peninsula shows greater floristic similarities with the Eastern Mediterranean regions than with the Iberian Peninsula. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deposition and provenance of the Early Pleistocene Siliceous Member in Westbury Cave,Somerset, England

The Early Pleistocene is an important interval in the Quaternary period as a time not only of climatic and environmental change, but also of key events in human evolution. However, knowledge of this period in northwest Europe is hampered by the limited extent of deposits of this age. Westbury Cave in the Mendip Hills of Somerset preserves an understudied example of fossil-bearing Early Pleistocene sediments, with rare potential to inform our understanding of British Early Pleistocene stratigraphy and landscape evolution outside the East Anglian Crag Basin. This study identifies the processes responsible for deposition of the Early Pleistocene Siliceous Member in Westbury Cave, thereby aiding taphonomic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations of associated fossil assemblages. New excavations revealed over ten metres of Siliceous Member stratigraphy, dominated by fine-grained silts/clays with interbedded sands and gravels, interpreted as being deposited within a subterranean lake or flooded conduit with fluvial input. All sediments sampled were reversely magnetised and are assigned to the Matuyama Reversed Chron. Lithological analysis of gravel clasts revealed variable components of durable non-local and non-durable local clasts. Gravels containing the latter are interpreted as distal talus slope deposits, and those lacking non-durable lithologies as stream or flood deposits. However, it remains unclear from available data whether apparently non-local clasts were sourced from long distance or stem from a more local, now denuded catchment. Siliceous Member bio- and magnetostratigraphy suggest that deposition occurred late in the Early Pleistocene, a period apparently otherwise unrepresented in the UK.     

Pollen record from Colle Curti and Cesi: Early and Middle Pleistocene mammal sites in the Umbro–Marchean Apennine Mountains (central Italy)

The palynological record from the Colle Curti and Cesi continental deposits has been examined in order to identify the main palaeofloristic and vegetational changes between 0.99 and 0.6–0.7 Ma. These data show a progressive increase in aridity, as well as a progressive decrease in temperature, which are associated with the transition in dominance from the 41 to 100 ka cyclicity in the Milankovitch orbital record during the Middle Pleistocene. The disappearance of Tsuga, recorded during the lower part of the Brunhes Chron, also has been related to a shift in global aridity. During the successive open vegetational phases (glacials), Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia progressively increase, whereas Cyperaceae decrease. Forest phases (interglacials) are successively dominated by Tsuga, Abies with Picea and, finally, Pinus; but all lack significant expansion of broad‐leaved deciduous taxa. Palynological and sedimentological data, in addition to taphonomic interpretations, demonstrate the occurrence of several hiatuses in the lower parts of the interglacials. These hiatuses are considered to represent the palaeoenvironmental response to climatic changes affecting local sedimentological and geomorphological conditions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paleoecological and archaeological implications of a late Pleistocene/Early holocene record of vegetation and climate from the pacific coastal plain of panama

A phytolith record from Monte Oscuro, a crater lake located 10 m above sea level on the Pacific coastal plain of Panama, shows that during the Late Pleistocene the lake bed was dry and savanna-like vegetation expanded at the expense of tropical deciduous forest, the modern potential vegetation. A significant reduction of precipitation below current levels was almost certainly required to effect the changes observed. Core sediment characteristics indicate that permanent inundation of the Monte Oscuro basin with water occurred at about 10,500 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Pollen and phytolith records show that deciduous tropical forest expanded into the lake’s watershed during the early Holocene. Significant burning of the vegetation and increases of weedy plants at ca. 7500 to 7000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. indicate disturbance, which most likely resulted from early human occupation of the seasonal tropical forest near Monte Oscuro and the development of slash-and-burn methods of cultivation.     

The Early Pleistocene Praetiglian and Ludhamian pollen stages in the North Sea Basin and their relationship to the marine isotope record

In this paper, the currently accepted correlation of the Early Pleistocene Ludhamian stage of England with the Tiglian‐A sub‐stage of the Netherlands is challenged. Recent investigations of Early Pleistocene marine North Sea deposits from a borehole near Noordwijk (the Netherlands) yielded evidence from molluscs, dinoflagellate cysts and sporomorphs for an alternation of warm‐temperate and arctic intervals within the Praetiglian and Tiglian stages. Marine equivalents of the terrestrial‐based pollen sub‐stages Tiglian A and B have been recognised in the upper part of the sequence. A Praetiglian age can be assigned to the lower part of the sequence on the basis of mollusc analysis. Within the Praetiglian, an alternation of warm and cold phases has been recognised from both the dinoflagellate cyst and molluscan records. Three cold phases within the Praetiglian are tentatively correlated with marine isotope stages (MIS) 96–100. The molluscan assemblages provide evidence for climate forcing of the sea level: highest sea levels are reached in the warm‐temperate intervals. Within the Praetiglian, an interval with an acme zone of the dinoflagellate cyst Impagidinium multiplexum, is correlated with the Ludhamian and tentatively linked to MIS 97 and/or MIS 96. The cold molluscan assemblages from the Noordwijk borehole include an acme zone of Megayoldia thraciaeformis, the first and only occurrence of this North Pacific bivalve in the North Sea Basin. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.