A new species of great ape from the late Miocene epoch in Ethiopia

With the discovery of Ardipithecus, Orrorin and Sahelanthropus, our knowledge of hominid evolution before the emergence of Pliocene species of Australopithecus has significantly increased, extending the hominid fossil record back to at least 6 million years (Myr) ago. However, because of the dearth of fossil hominoid remains in sub-Saharan Africa spanning the period 12-7 Myr ago, nothing is known of the actual timing and mode of divergence of the African ape and hominid lineages. Most genomic-based studies suggest a late divergence date-5-6 Myr ago and 6-8 Myr ago for the human-chimp and human-gorilla splits, respectively-and some palaeontological and molecular analyses hypothesize a Eurasian origin of the African ape and hominid clade. We report here the discovery and recognition of a new species of great ape, Chororapithecus abyssinicus, from the 10-10.5-Myr-old deposits of the Chorora Formation at the southern margin of the Afar rift. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first fossils of a large-bodied Miocene ape from the African continent north of Kenya. They exhibit a gorilla-sized dentition that combines distinct shearing crests with thick enamel on its 'functional' side cusps. Visualization of the enamel-dentine junction by micro-computed tomography reveals shearing crest features that partly resemble the modern gorilla condition. These features represent genetically based structural modifications probably associated with an initial adaptation to a comparatively fibrous diet. The relatively flat cuspal enamel-dentine junction and thick enamel, however, suggest a concurrent adaptation to hard and/or abrasive food items. The combined evidence suggests that Chororapithecus may be a basal member of the gorilla clade, and that the latter exhibited some amount of adaptive and phyletic diversity at around 10-11 Myr ago.     

An Archaean heavy bombardment from a destabilized extension of the asteroid belt

The barrage of comets and asteroids that produced many young lunar basins (craters over 300 kilometres in diameter) has frequently been called the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB). Many assume the LHB ended about 3.7 to 3.8 billion years (Gyr) ago with the formation of Orientale basin. Evidence for LHB-sized blasts on Earth, however, extend into the Archaean and early Proterozoic eons, in the form of impact spherule beds: globally distributed ejecta layers created by Chicxulub-sized or larger cratering events4. At least seven spherule beds have been found that formed between 3.23 and 3.47?Gyr ago, four between 2.49 and 2.63?Gyr ago, and one between 1.7 and 2.1?Gyr ago. Here we report that the LHB lasted much longer than previously thought, with most late impactors coming from the E belt, an extended and now largely extinct portion of the asteroid belt between 1.7 and 2.1 astronomical units from Earth. This region was destabilized by late giant planet migration. E-belt survivors now make up the high-inclination Hungaria asteroids. Scaling from the observed Hungaria asteroids, we find that E-belt projectiles made about ten lunar basins between 3.7 and 4.1?Gyr ago. They also produced about 15 terrestrial basins between 2.5 and 3.7?Gyr ago, as well as around 70 and four Chicxulub-sized or larger craters on the Earth and Moon, respectively, between 1.7 and 3.7?Gyr ago. These rates reproduce impact spherule bed and lunar crater constraints.     

New hominid skull material from the late Miocene of Macedonia in northern Greece

Miocene hominoid material is very scarce and has previously only been reported as cranial fragments in the Old World. Here we describe a new specimen of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis, which consists of the right part of the face of an adult male with a portion of the frontal bone, a portion of the left part of the face and the maxilla with complete dentition except the right third molar. The characters of this specimen are not congruent with those of Sivapithecus and the pongids, but are more primitive and plesiomorphic for the recent hominid clade (Gorilla, Pan and Homo). The dental characters differ morphologically and metrically from those of the recent great apes and fit better with Australopithecus afarensis. Ouranopithecus now seems the best candidate forerunner of the Plio-pleistocene Homininae (Australopithecus and Homo). This specimen was discovered in September 1989, in the late Miocene deposits of central Macedonia (G.K., L. de B. and G.B.), and prepared by G.K. in Thessaloniki and G. Mouchelin in Poitiers. It comes from the new locality of Xirochori in the red sandstone of the Nea Messimbria formation. The fossil is the property of the University of Thessaloniki, Greece (catalogue number XIR-1).     

A planetary system as the origin of structure in Fomalhaut's dust belt

The Sun and >15 per cent of nearby stars are surrounded by dusty disks that must be collisionally replenished by asteroids and comets, as the dust would otherwise be depleted on timescales <10(7) years (ref. 1). Theoretical studies show that the structure of a dusty disk can be modified by the gravitational influence of planets, but the observational evidence is incomplete, at least in part because maps of the thermal infrared emission from the disks have low linear resolution (35 au in the best case). Optical images provide higher resolution, but the closest examples (AU Mic and beta Pic) are edge-on, preventing the direct measurement of the azimuthal and radial disk structure that is required for fitting theoretical models of planetary perturbations. Here we report the detection of optical light reflected from the dust grains orbiting Fomalhaut (HD 216956). The system is inclined 24 degrees away from edge-on, enabling the measurement of disk structure around its entire circumference, at a linear resolution of 0.5 au. The dust is distributed in a belt 25 au wide, with a very sharp inner edge at a radial distance of 133 au, and we measure an offset of 15 au between the belt's geometric centre and Fomalhaut. Taken together, the sharp inner edge and offset demonstrate the presence of planetary-mass objects orbiting Fomalhaut.     

Geological record and reconstruction of the late Pliocene impact of the Eltanin asteroid in the Southern Ocean

In 1995, an expedition on board the research vessel FS Polarstern explored the impact site of the Eltanin asteroid in the Southern Ocean, the only known asteroid impact into a deep ocean basin. Analyses of the geological record of the impact region place the event in the late Pliocene (approximately 2.15 Myr) and constrain the size of the asteroid to be >1 km. The explosive force inferred for this event places it at the threshold of impacts believed to have global consequences, and its study should therefore provide a baseline for the reconstruction and modelling of similar events, which are common on geological timescales.     

Tectonic rotation in the western South-Dabashan orogenic belt in late Mesozoic

A paleomagnetic study was carried out on Early-Middle Jurassic sediments in the Zhenba area, the western South-dabashan orogenic belt. Stepwise thermal demagnetization isolated the characteristic high temperature component (HTC) (D=37.1°, I=46.1°, α95=10.1°), which passed the fold test. By comparing the corresponding pole of HTC (57.6°N, 196.6°E, A95=9.9°) with coeval reference poles for the Sichuan basin, we detected a 26.5°±9.0° clockwise rotation of the study area relative to the stable Sichuan basin. We...     

The recent breakup of an asteroid in the main-belt region

The present population of asteroids in the main belt is largely the result of many past collisions. Ideally, the asteroid fragments resulting from each impact event could help us understand the large-scale collisions that shaped the planets during early epochs. Most known asteroid fragment families, however, are very old and have therefore undergone significant collisional and dynamical evolution since their formation. This evolution has masked the properties of the original collisions. Here we report the discovery of a family of asteroids that formed in a disruption event only 5.8 +/- 0.2 million years ago, and which has subsequently undergone little dynamical and collisional evolution. We identified 39 fragments, two of which are large and comparable in size (diameters of approximately 19 and approximately 14 km), with the remainder exhibiting a continuum of sizes in the range 2-7 km. The low measured ejection velocities suggest that gravitational re-accumulation after a collision may be a common feature of asteroid evolution. Moreover, these data can be used to check numerical models of larger-scale collisions.     

Palaeo-altimetry of the late Eocene to Miocene Lunpola basin, central Tibet

The elevation history of the Tibetan plateau provides direct insight into the tectonic processes associated with continent-continent collisions. Here we present oxygen-isotope-based estimates of the palaeo-altimetry of late Eocene and younger deposits of the Lunpola basin in the centre of the plateau, which indicate that the surface of Tibet has been at an elevation of more than 4 kilometres for at least the past 35 million years. We conclude that crustal, but not mantle, thickening models, combined with plate-kinematic solutions of India-Asia convergence, are compatible with palaeo-elevation estimates across the Tibetan plateau.     

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.     

Dwarfism in an adolescent from the Italian late Upper Palaeolithic

There have been numerous reports of pathological conditions in the hominid fossils, but these have only involved trauma or age-related deterioration in the health of otherwise normal individuals. Here we describe a skeleton of a young male from Riparo del Romito in Calabria, dated to the Epi-Gravettian of southern Italy. The preserved skeletal elements show that this individual (Romito 2) had the skull and long-bone morphology consistent with a mesomelic form of dwarfism, most probably the autosomal recessive disorder acromesomelic dysplasia. Generally recognized at birth, persons with acromesomelic dysplasia usually have normal intelligence and are free of serious medical problems. However, growth deficiency is severe (adult height typically is 110-120 cm) and mobility at the elbows is restricted. These physical impairments would have greatly interfered with the individual's participation in subsistence activities and would have been a substantial handicap in a nomadic hunting and gathering group. Thus, besides being the earliest known case of dwarfism in the human record, this skeleton provides evidence of tolerance of, and care for, a severely deformed individual in the Palaeolithic.     

Pedogenic carbonate isotope record of vegetational evolution since late Miocene in Loess Plateau

Isotopic analyses for paleovegetational evolution have been carried out on samples of the pedogenic carbonate nodules in the Red Clay-Loess sequence at Lingtai (35°N), the Loess Plateau. Stable carbon isotopic composition indicates that ( i ) C4 plants might be present at least by7.0 Ma; ( ii ) C4 plants expanded gradually between ～4.0 and ～3.2 Ma, and their biomass fraction was up to 50% ; and (Ⅲ ) the biomass of C4 vegetation since ～2.0 Ma seems to have been decreased to the level (about 20%) before 4.0 Ma. C4 plant expansion at Lingtai cannot be fully understood with the "global C4 expansion" model because it occurred much later up to 3.0 Ma than in Pakistan, which indicates that some changes in the regional climatic system may also contribute to C3/C4 shift except changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and temperature. The latitudinal zone for C3/C4 transition seems to move southwards slightly in East Asia, compared with the case in North America where 37°N癗 is the ideal boundary for the C4 expansion.     

Evolution of stomatal and trichome density of the Quercus delavayi complex since the late Miocene

A fossil oak species,Quercus tenuipilosa Q.Hu et Z.K.Zhou,is reported from the upper Pliocene Ciying Formation in Kunming,Yunnan Province,southwestern China.The establishment of this species is based on detailed morphologic and cuticular investigations.The fossil leaves are elliptic,with serrate margins on the apical half.The primary venation is pinnate,and the major secondary venation is craspedodromous.The tertiary veins are opposite or alternate-opposite percurrent with two branches.The stomata are anomocytic,occurring only on the abaxial epidermis.The trichome bases are unicellular or multicellular.The new fossil species shows the closest affinity with theextant Q.delavayi and the late Miocene Q.praedelavayi Y.W.Xing et Z.K.Zhou from the Xiaolongtan Formation of the Yunnan Province.All three species share similar leaf morphology,but differ with respect to trichome base and stomatal densities.Q.tenuipilosa.Q.praedelavayi,and Q.delavayi can be considered to constitute the Q.delavayi complex.Since the late Miocene,a gradual reduction in trichome base density has occurred in this complex.This trend is the opposite of that of precipitation,indicating that increased trichome density is not an adaptation to dry environments.The stomatal density(SD)of the Q.delavayi complex was the highest during the late Miocene,declined in the late Pliocene,and then increased during the present epoch.These values show an inverse relationship with atmospheric CO_2 concentrations,suggesting that the SD of the Q.delavayi complex may be a useful proxy for reconstruction of paleo-CO_2 concentrations.     

电子皮带秤称重托辊局部区域耦合振动分析

以直接称重式电子皮带秤的称重托辊局部区域振动为研究对象．建立数学模型,采用Runge-Kutta法求解计算并揭示称重托辊受力与纵向振动、横向振动之间的关系．计算结果表明：当皮带上的物料分布均匀时,称重托辊受到的竖向力随时间变化,称重传感器输出与皮带和物料的实际重力值有较大的差距,即皮带的振动是电子皮带秤测量误差的主要来源．     

皮带运输巷道粉尘质量浓度分布规律的数值模拟

为了掌握皮带运输巷道粉尘质量浓度的分布规律,获取通风除尘设计的合理参数,以西石门铁矿提升车间系统40#皮带运输平巷为研究背景,依据气固两相流理论,运用计算流体力学的离散相模型对皮带运输巷道粉尘质量浓度进行数值模拟,并与现场实测的粉尘质量浓度分布情况进行对比分析,模拟结果与实测数据基本吻合.研究表明,运用欧拉--拉格朗日法对皮带运输巷道粉尘质量浓度分布规律进行模拟是可行的.在通风除尘设计中,当巷道风速为3 m.s-1时,排尘效果最好,粉尘质量浓度整体保持在3 mg.m-3以下;皮带运输速度为2.5 m.s-1时粉尘质量浓度较低;定期进行壁面洒水也能在一定程度上实现降尘目标.     

郯庐断裂带张八岭隆起北段晚中生代岩体的成因

郯庐断裂带张八岭隆起北段分布着一些晚中生代岩体,其侵位时间在120~128 Ma之间,稍晚于同期华北克拉通内江苏徐州和安徽宿州地区(简称徐宿地区)。文章通过对上述两地区的地球化学特征的对比研究,认为张八岭隆起北段岩体的岩浆来源可能是壳-幔岩浆混合形成的,并可能经历了一定的岩浆分异作用;而徐宿地区岩浆可能与深部地壳物质的部分熔融有关。上述结果表明,张八岭隆起北段岩浆来源深度较华北克拉通内部徐宿地区深,断裂带内具有较强的伸展活动及岩石圈减薄程度。分析认为,断裂带的存在和活动在岩石圈减薄过程中具有诱发和促进作用。     

Downcutting and uplifting in the middle part of Qinling orogenic belt during the late Quaternary

Layered cave passages formed on the walls of the Qianyou River valley in the middle part of the Qinling Mountains since the Pleistocene due to the intermittent uplifts. 12 speleothem samples near ruins of palaeowater tables in 3 cave passages are dated by using the 230Th method. The results show that the 3 caves began to uplift (358±38) ka, (247±28) ka, (118±19) ka ago respectively. Given the differences of elevation between the caves, we could obtain the downcutting rates of the valley: (0.23(0.02) mm/a during 358-247 ka, (0.19(0.03) mm/a during 247-118 ka, and (0.51(0.08) mm/a since 118 ka. This implies that more andmore strong uplifting sustained in the middle part of Qinling since 358 k     

A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad,Central Africa

The search for the earliest fossil evidence of the human lineage has been concentrated in East Africa. Here we report the discovery of six hominid specimens from Chad, central Africa, 2,500 km from the East African Rift Valley. The fossils include a nearly complete cranium and fragmentary lower jaws. The associated fauna suggest the fossils are between 6 and 7 million years old. The fossils display a unique mosaic of primitive and derived characters, and constitute a new genus and species of hominid. The distance from the Rift Valley, and the great antiquity of the fossils, suggest that the earliest members of the hominid clade were more widely distributed than has been thought, and that the divergence between the human and chimpanzee lineages was earlier than indicated by most molecular studies.     

双层皮带机防雨罩流场和粉尘浓度场分析

上层运煤下层运粉煤灰的双层皮带机比常规单层皮带机高度增加,为了确定双层皮带机防雨罩的最适高度,防止在17 m/s强侧风环境下粉尘泄露污染环境,以气固两相流理论为基础,运用Fluent软件分别在有无强侧风的条件下,对双层皮带机的防雨罩内流场和粉尘浓度场的分布进行数值模拟。计算结果表明,强侧风会强化双层皮带之间形成的流动漩涡,从而可能导致粉煤灰被吹动,当侧风速度为17 m/s时不会导致形成的漩涡强度过大,粉煤灰不会被吹到罩外。有侧风时防雨罩顶部会出现非常高流速（高达55 m/s）的风,在对其进行强度设计时必须考虑由于强风冲击造成的受力。有侧风时防雨罩内粉尘浓度最大位置出现在运煤皮带和煤堆交界处,其次是运粉煤灰皮带和粉煤灰堆交界处,当侧风速度为17 m/s时,防雨罩外部空间的粉尘浓度均小于4×10^-6 kg/m³,满足《煤矿安全规程》的要求。