Statistical analyses of metric data of hominoid teeth found in Yuanmou of China

Mesial-distal and buccal-lingual dimensions of 1 266 hominoid teeth found in Yuanmou of Yunnan Province during the period of 1986 and 1988 have been measured. The statistical analyses of the metric data show that the tooth sizes of Yuanmou hominoid can be divided into big and small two types, and most tooth dimensions display obvious bimodalities in both histograms and 2 dimensional plots. The coefficients of variance (CV) reveal that the CVs of Yuanmou hominoid tooth sizes are within or close to the CV ranges ofLufengpithecus and extant great apes. The comparisons of tooth sizes and their proportions indicate that Yuanmou hominoids have close affinities with Lefeng and Kaiyuan hominoids, and have obvious differences with Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Orangutan. The authors believe that the hominoid fossils found in Yuanmou in the past 10 years represent a single species with highly sexual dimorphism in morphology and this species may have a close evolutionary relationship with the hominoids found in Kaiyuan and Lufeng.     

Juvenile hominoid cranium from the terminal Miocene of Yunnan, China

Fossil apes are known from several late Miocene localities in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, principally from Shihuiba (Lufeng) and the Yuanmou Basin, and represent three species of Lufengpithecus. They mostly comprise large samples of isolated teeth, but there are also several partial or complete adult crania from Shihuiba and a single juvenile cranium from Yuanmou. Here we describe a new, relatively complete and largely undistorted juvenile cranium from the terminal Miocene locality of Shuitangba, also in Yunnan. It is only the second ape juvenile cranium recovered from the Miocene of Eurasia and it is provisionally assigned to the species present at Shihuiba, Lufengpithecus lufengensis. Lufengpithecus has most often been linked to the extant orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, but recent studies of the crania from Shihuiba and Yuanmou have demonstrated that this is unlikely. The new cranium reinforces the view that Lufengpithecus represents a distinct, late surviving lineage of large apes in the late Miocene of East Asia that does not appear to be closely affiliated with any extant ape lineage. It substantially increases knowledge of cranial morphology in Lufengpithecus and demonstrates that species of this genus represent a morphologically diverse radiation of apes, which is consistent with the dynamic tectonic and biotic milieu of southwestern China in the late Miocene.     

A new orang-utan relative from the Late Miocene of Thailand

The fossil record of the living great apes is poor. New fossils from undocumented areas, particularly the equatorial forested habitats of extant hominoids, are therefore crucial for understanding their origins and evolution. Two main competing hypotheses have been proposed for orang-utan origins: dental similarities support an origin from Lufengpithecus, a South Chinese and Thai Middle Miocene hominoid; facial and palatal similarities support an origin from Sivapithecus, a Miocene hominoid from the Siwaliks of Indo-Pakistan. However, materials other than teeth and faces do not support these hypotheses. Here we describe the lower jaw of a new hominoid from the Late Miocene of Thailand, Khoratpithecus piriyai gen. et sp. nov., which shares unique derived characters with orang-utans and supports a hypothesis of closer relationships with orang-utans than other known Miocene hominoids. It can therefore be considered as the closest known relative of orang-utans. Ancestors of this great ape were therefore evolving in Thailand under tropical conditions similar to those of today, in contrast with Southern China and Pakistan, where temperate or more seasonal climates appeared during the Late Miocene.     

晚新生代元谋盆地演化与河谷发育研究

元谋盆地是在晚新生代青藏高原与云南高原隆起过程中形成的众多断陷盆地之一,流经元度盆地的龙川江和金沙江。其河谷发育与盆地演化具有密切关系,通过对元谋盆地及其邻区的层次地貌与相关沉积的分析研究,认为,始新世晚期￣中新世晚期是夷平面形成时期,中新世晚期￣３．４０ＭａＢＰ前后是第一级剥蚀面形成时期;元谋盆地形成于３．４０ＭａＢＰ前后第一级剥蚀面解体过程中,其后盆地经历了３．４０￣１．７８ＭａＢＰ的古湖形成     

Extreme sexual dimorphism in a Miocene hominoid

Some Miocene hominoids may have been extremely sexually dimorphic for body size, inferred from the apparent dimorphism of dental and gnathic remains. But this has never been demonstrated convincingly for any fossil species because of small sample sizes, uncertainties about the number of species in most fossil samples, and the inability to reliably sex individual specimens. Here we demonstrate a case of extreme dental dimorphism, and presumed body-size dimorphism, in a Miocene hominoid sample in which these limitations have been overcome. Lufengpithecus lufengensis from the late Miocene site of Lufeng, China, was more dimorphic than the most dimorphic living hominoid, the orangutan, and may have been more dimorphic than any living anthropoid.     

A new Euprox from the Late Miocene of Yuanmou,Yunnan Province,China,with interpretation of its paleoenvironment

The Yuanmou Basin of Yunnan Province is a hotspot for the research of early homind evolution and its environmental background.During the implementation of the Program“Research of the Origin and Evolution of Early Man and Its Environmental Baqckground” from 1998 to 2001,a huge quantity of hominoid and mammal fossils were collected.The present report systematically describes an Euprox robustus sp.nov.identified during the recent laboratory work on the collected material.Euprox is a group of earliest cervids with true antlers.The new species is the third one of the genus discovered in China.Judged by its morphologic characteristics,the new species feed on juicy and tender leaves of dicotyledon.It implies that the vegetation of its epoch in the Yuanmou Basin is a kind of southern subtropical evergreen forest and the climate is humid and temperate with evident seasonality.The latter is mostly influenced by the monsoon and secondly by the latitude.     

Rock magnetic studies on the hominoid-bearing sediments at Zhupeng, Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China and its paleoclimatic significance

It has been proposed that paleoclimatic changes and tectonic events strongly affect hominoid evolution. The Zhupeng section at Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China, with the hominoid-bearing fluvial-lacustrine sediments, is an ideal natural laboratory to test this hypothesis. This study provided an integrated magnetic study, including low-frequency susceptibility, the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, temperature-dependent susceptibility, hysteresis loops, isothermal remanent magnetization, and anhysteretic remanent magnetization, on samples from the Baozidongqing section at Zhupeng. Results show that the dominant mag- netic carrier is hematite, with minor amount of magnetite. Both the composition and concentration of magnetic miner- als strongly correlate with the lithostratigraphy. At least eight short-term events defined by higher concentrations of magnetite were identified. These short events reflect that the subtropical dry-hot climate is similar to today＇s climate. Basing on the lithostratigraphic and rock magnetic results, we suggest that Yuanmou Basin was in a steady deposition environment from about 11 to 7 Ma, which is characterized by alternating of long-term torrid-humid climate and short-term dry-hot climate. Our study provides invaluable environment information for understanding the climate shift and the relationship between paleoenvironment and hominoid evolution in southwestern China during late Miocene.     

Impoverishment of Soil Nutrients in Gully Erosion Areas in Yuanmou Basin

The impoverishment of soil nutrients of nine gully head areas in Yuanmou Basin is assessed through an integrated evaluation method established on the basis of Fuzzy mathematics and multivariate mathematical theory. Results show that soil erosion of gully erosion area in Yuanmou basin has resulted in severe impoverishment of soil nutrients. All gully head areas are at high leves of impoverishment except for one at middle. By probing into and analyzing the mechanism of impoverishment of soil nutrients, we find that soil erosion has led to impoverishment of soil nutrients in a way of compacting soil, heightening position of obstacle horizon, and reducing the content of organic matter, as well as the direct loss of nutrient elements. Finally, this paper points out that soil and water conservation arming at the prevention of soil erosion is the most effective way against impoverishment of soil nutrients in Yuanmou basin.     

A Middle Miocene hominoid from Thailand and orangutan origins

The origin of orangutans has long been debated. Sivapithecus is considered to be the closest ancestor of orangutans because of its facial-palatal similarities, but its dental characteristics and postcranial skeleton do not confirm this phylogenetic position. Here we report a new Middle Miocene hominoid, cf. Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis n. sp. from northern Thailand. Its dental morphology relates it to the Pongo clade, which includes Lufengpithecus, Sivapithecus, Gigantopithecus, Ankarapithecus and possibly Griphopithecus. Our new species displays striking dental resemblances with living orangutans and appears as a more likely candidate to represent an ancestor of this ape. In addition, it originates from the geographic area of Pleistocene orangutans. But surprisingly, the associated flora shows strong African affinities, demonstrating the existence of a temporary floral and faunal dispersal corridor between southeast Asia and Africa during the Middle Miocene, which may have played a critical role in hominoid dispersion.     

New Sivapithecus humeri from Pakistan and the relationship of Sivapithecus and Pongo

New humeri of two species of the Miocene hominoid Sivapithecus are described from near Chinji in Pakistan from between approximately 9 and 11 Myr ago. Sivapithecus, a middle and late Miocene hominoid from Turkey and Indo-Pakistan, is overall unlike any living hominoid, although facial-palatal similarities to the extant orangoutan, Pongo, have been used to support a hypothesis of close relationship. Living hominoids have postcranial similarities assumed to be shared derived, among them features of the proximal humerus. However, the new Sivapithecus proximal humeri differ from those of living hominoids, supporting an alternative hypothesis in which Sivapithecus and Pongo are not closely related. It is not clear how to choose between these incompatible hypotheses.     

Fossil Orangutan-like hominoid teeth from Late Pleistocene human site of Mulanshan cave in Chongzuo of Guangxi and implications on taxonomy and evolution of orangutan

Fossil records indicate orangutan-like hominoids have been widely distributed in south China during Pleistocene, although currently only surviving in the tropical forests of Kalimantan and Sumatra in Indonesia. This paper describes the recently discovered hominoid fossil teeth from human site of Mulanshan cave in Chongzuo of Guangxi, whose geological age is the Late Pleistocene, about 11000 yeas age based on associated mammal fauna and U-series dating. Compared with those of modern and subfossil orangutans from Indonesia, other fossil great apes from China, the hominoid teeth from Mulanshan cave are orangutan-like, but show somehow different from Indonesia＇s orangutans, the average sizes of cheek teeth larger and occlusal enamel wrinkles less and simpler. They are classified temporarily as the subspecies of Pongo pygmaeus weidenreichi. Concerning the variations of morphological features and dental sizes of orangutan-like teeth from southern China and neighboring northern Vietnam, different subspecies or species or genus possibly, but the key evidence is necessary to be identified.     

元谋断裂带砂脉及其与断裂活动的关系

依据元谋断裂带砂脉发育的层位、成份、形态、围岩变形特征、区域构造背景和古气候环境, 以及断裂带晚第四纪活动特征, 结合释光年代学测试结果, 讨论砂脉的成因机理及其与断裂带的关系。结果表明, 元谋断裂带地表或近地表发育的砂脉较多, 产状近直立, 延伸较长, 沿断裂中?北段构造面平行展布。综合分析砂脉形态、内部结构以及与围岩和断层的空间关系, 揭示砂脉的形成应是断裂带强烈运动或地震活动引起的断层带上、次级断裂面上以及构造面附近局部节理面砂土液化的结果, 或为伸展构造面裂隙充填物, 且可能为同一期地质事件所为, 形成时间约为7 kaBP。这些砂脉构造对断裂活动的时限具有重要指示意义, 是元谋断裂晚第四纪一次强烈活动的伴生产物。     

Recent Advances in the Small Mammal Biostratigraphy and Magnetostratigraphy of Lanzhou Basin

The consensus view among geologists is that the Lanzhou Basin sequence of sediments contains the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, but where this occurs is unknown. Indeed, this is the crux of the issues concerning mid-Tertiary paleontology in Asia: what fauna corresponds with this time? What turnover events or distinctive taxa signal the beginning of the Miocene epoch? Once known, this will be of broad usefulness because vertebrate-bearing deposits are widespread in Asia and can be used to date basin sediments. Lanzhou and other basins permit a means of correlating to the time scale by using fauna and paleomagnetic data locally, and ultimately radiometric data from distant localities, to develop a precise biochronology. Herein, we summarize faunal constraints, primarily those of small mammal taxa, on correlation of the Lanzhou magnetozone sequence to the magnetic time scale. We conclude that the lower part of the Xianshuihe Formation contains the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, and that the top of the formation, both in the south and north parts of the basin, is middle Miocene in age. Rodents from lower white sand units of the Xianshuihe Formation, correlate to the Xiejia assemblage of the Xining Basin, Qinghai Province, and are early, but not earliest, Miocene age. The implication for rodent faunas of the epoch boundary is that they retained a mainly "Oligocene" composition, and that other presumed late Oligocene assemblages may be, in fact, early Miocene in age. The Lanzhou appearance of Proboscidea is 19-18 Ma, as expected.     

采用沉积地貌学方法分析"丁村组"的年代

自1954年发现“丁村组”化石至今，“丁村组”的年代长期存在很大争论。作者通过对S5以来临汾盆地地貌和沉积环境演化过程的研究，揭示出“丁村组”的堆积是在S1早期的一次区域构造抬升引起盆地湖退后才开始发生的，时间距今大约13万年。结合上覆“丁村组”的黄土古土壤分析，发现其堆积结束于距今约5.3万年。“丁村组”的堆积与气下S1古土壤的发育和L1黄土下半段的堆积几乎的同期的。     

伊犁盆地侏罗系煤岩生烃潜力评价

运用有机岩石学和有机地球化学方法,对伊犁盆地侏罗系煤岩有机显微组分特征和生烃潜力进行了综合研究．结果表明：伊犁盆地中下侏罗统八道湾组和西山窑组煤有机岩石学及地化特征有较大的差异．八道湾煤中镜质组、壳质组含量远远高于西山窑组;反映生烃性能的有机地化指标也优于西山窑组．认为八道湾组煤属较好的煤成烃源岩,而西山窑组煤相对为较差的烃源岩．八道湾组虽然富含有利生烃组分,但由于成熟度偏低,煤系地层中砂岩比例较高,不易形成大规模的油气聚集．     

甘肃白龙江流域顶蒴藓类植物区系研究

经过系统全面的野外调查研究和标本鉴定整理,得出甘肃白龙江流域顶蒴藓类植物203种,隶属于14科59属。经区系分析发现,白龙江流域顶蒴藓类植物区系成份以北温带分布为主,占总数的35．5％。另外,东亚分布也占有较大的比例,占总数的21．7％。     

川西须家河组火山岩夹层时代及其地质意义

四川盆地西部的上三叠统须家河组作为反演前陆盆地构造演化的物质基础，因缺少精确的同位素地层年龄阻碍了对盆山演化的进一步理解。作者在四川盆地西部须家河组中发现了一套火山（碎屑）岩夹层，通过 LA-ICP-MS U-Pb 同位素定量分析，获得1件凝灰岩样品中岩浆锆石的结晶年龄，其加权平均值为（214．7±1．6）Ma，属于晚三叠世诺利期。该年龄结果对四川盆地西部须家河组岩石地层单元的划分与对比可提供重要参考，同时为进一步约束龙门山隆升与川西前陆盆地的演化、古特提斯洋关闭等重大事件时限提供了新证据。基于四川盆地及周缘的区域火山活动对比结果，表明诺利期中期（210～222 Ma B．P．）是中国西部地区一次强烈的区域火山喷发阶段，其范围从羌塘地体延伸到东昆仑地体，所对应的构造事件并非传统的印支运动作用。     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating of the Ordos Basin basement and its tectonic significance

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon 207 Pb/206 Pb ages were obtained from two drill cores from the basement of the Ordos Basin.A garnet-sillimanite-biotite-plagioclase gneiss(QI1-1) from the western Ordos Basin basement yielded an average age of 2031 10 Ma.Based on the mineral assemblages,the source material of the gneiss is speculated to be pelitic-felsic system.A gneissic two-mica granite(Long1-1) from the eastern Ordos Basin basement yielded an average age of 2035 10 Ma.The zircons from both samples exhibit magmatic growth pattern.The shapes of the zircons suggest that the zircons should crystallize from a granitic of felsic volcanic terrain.The ages and the characters of zircons are consisitent with the other researches in the Ordos Basin and indicate that the basement of the Ordos Basin had experienced an intensive magmatic epsode during the late Paleoproterozoic period.The date from this study suggest the possible existences of a Paleoproterozoic mobile tectonic belt in the region.The reconstruction of such a belt is critical for understanding the tectonomagmatic evolution of the western block of the North China Craton.     

Alkylammonium cations treating and K-Ar dating of illite from mudstones

Two kinds of mudstones from the Tarim Basin and the Tuha Basin were treated with C8 and C18 alkylammonium cations. Both of them were dated by the K-Ar method. One kind of rock contains mainly diagenetic illite, and the other contains mixed layer illite/smectite (I/S). Sample separation and alkylammonium cations treatment were performed first, and K-Ar dating followed. The result shows that fine-grained minerals have younger K-Ar ages and coarse-grained components have older ages. Plots of K-Ar age versus K2O (%) are linear, the range of diagenetic age can be estimated by extrapolation. The reaction results of the above samples are different after alkylammonium cations treatments. The samples containing mainly illite show a decrease in K2O and an increase in age by 1-25 Ma, suggesting that preferential exchange of young diagenetic clay rather than detrital clay by alkylammonium cations, therefore the age of diagenetic illite can be calculated directly by the % K2O and radiogenic 40Ar removed. For the I/S dominant samples, detrital illite was opened preferentially by C8 alkylammonium cations treatment. Detrital age can be calculated, but it is hard to obtain the diagentic age directly.