中国境内与巨猿伴生的偶蹄类化石

Artiodactyla assemblages associated with Gigantopithecus blacki in China

1956年在广西大新黑洞发现了第一个具有明确地点和层位的巨猿化石地点。此后在广西的柳城和武鸣、湖北建始、广西巴马、重庆巫山、广西田东和崇左、贵州毕节及海南昌江也陆续发现了有明确地点和层位的巨猿化石地点。其中田东有么会洞和吹风洞两个地点,崇左有三合大洞、泊岳山、缺缺洞、百孔洞、岩亮洞和合江洞等地点群。这些地点均分布在长江以南,在31°N以南、19°N以北、105°E以东、110°E以西的范围内。与巨猿伴生的大哺乳动物中,种类及标本数量占有显著比例的偶蹄类总计有30个种类,可以归入5个科。其中具有代表性的偶蹄类是最后河马齿河猪(Hippopotamodon ultimus)、小猪(Sus xiaozhu)、裴氏猪(S.peii)、麂属(Muntiacus sp.)、凤岐祖鹿(Cervavitus fenqii)、黑鹿亚属(Cervus(Rusa))及广西巨羊(Megalovis guangxiensis)。如果在新的化石地点找到这些代表性种类,就有可能发现新的巨猿化石,突破巨猿现有的分布范围。在上述30个种类中从新近纪延续下来的属有河马齿河猪、猪、丘齿鼷鹿(Dorcabune)、麝(Moschus)、麂(Muntiacus)、副麂(Paracervulus)、后麂(Metacervulus)、祖鹿、羚羊(Gazella)和转角羚(Spirocerus)共10个。早更新世出现的种有17个,其中未能延续到中更新世的种有10个;早更新世出现的属有7个,均为牛科成员。与巨猿伴生的偶蹄类中牛科动物指示存在局部的草原草甸环境,其余偶蹄类均指示阔叶森林和灌木林环境。猪科、黑鹿和水牛还指示存在零星水域。杂食的巨猿在食性上与猪科有部分重叠而有一定的竞争关系,和粗食的牛科几乎没有重叠和直接的竞争,而和嫩食的鼷鹿科、麝科和鹿科只有少量重叠。与巨猿伴生的偶蹄类均是食肉类的捕食对象,从而为巨猿分担了大部分被捕食的危险,因此与巨猿伴生的偶蹄类有利于巨猿的生存和繁衍。

The first Gigantopithecus locality with precise geographic location and stratigraphic horizon in China was discovered in 1956 at the Black Cave(Dark Cave)in Daxin County,Guangxi.A series of such localities were uncovered successively since then,such as Liucheng and Wuming in Guangxi,Jianshi in Hubei,Bama in Guangxi,Wushan in Chongqing,Tiandong and Chongzuo in Guangxi,Bijie in Guizhou,Changjiang in Hainan.There are two localities in Tiandong,Mohui and Chuifeng Caves,a group of localities in Chongzhou,such as Sanhe,Boyue,Queque,Baikong,Yanliang and Hejiang Caves.All localities are situated south of the Yangtze River,range from 31°N to 19°N,from 105°E to 110°E.Among the mammalian faunas associated with Gigantopithecus,artiodactyls figure a large portion of fauna composition and total 30 taxa.They can be included into 5 families.The representative species are Hippopotamodon ultimus,Sus xiaozhu,S.peii,Muntiacus sp.,Cervavitus fenqii,Cervus(Rusa)and Megalovis guangxiensis.The genera survived from the Neogene include Hippopotamodon,Sus,Dorcabune,Moschus,Muntiacus,Paracervulus,Metacervulus,Cervavitus,Gazella and Spirocerus.17 species appeared in the Early Pleistocene,and 10 of them didn’t survive into the Middle Pleistocene.The genera appeared in the Early Pleistocene total 7,all belong to bovids.The bovids associated with Gigantopithecus indicate some grasslands and open lands among forest dominated environment,while the rest artiodactyls indicate broadleaf forests and shrub environments.The suids,sambar and buffalo imply the presence of scattered water areas.The omnivorous Gigantopithecus share a partial food chain with suids and should have certain food competition.Gigantopithecus share hardly food chain with such grazers as bovids,but share a small part of the chain with browsers such as tragulids,moschids and cervids.All artiodactyls are prey of carnivores that they share most of the risk of predation for Gigantopithecus.The associated artiodactyls were therefore favorable for the habitation and development of Gigantopithecus.