中国古人类研究在人类进化史中的作用——纪念北京猿人第一头盖骨发现六十周年

THE ROLE PLAYED BY CHINESE PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN EVOLUTION——IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE FIRST PEKING MAN SKULL

中国发现了大量古猿化石,其中的禄丰古猿可能是接近于非洲大猿和人科成员的共同祖先的类型;巨猿更可能是一种绝灭的猿类的旁枝。 人类发展的主要阶段在中国都有代表的化石。 直立人最早起源于非洲,大约在距今100万年左右进入亚洲的论点,目前有较多的证据。 中国发现的人类化石,从直立人到现代人,有着明显的形态上的连续性,支持现代人的多地区起源说。 中国人类化石与周围地区的人群有着密切的关系。

A lot of fossil apes was found in China, among which the most important ones are the Luf-cngpithecus lufengensis. It seems close to the common ancestor of the African big apes and au-stralopithecines. Besides, the Gigantopithecus is an interesting form of extinct aberrant ape. Important representative specimens were found in different stages of human evolution, such as Homo erectus from Lantian, Zhoukoudian and Hexian, archaic or early Homo sapiens from Dali, Jinniushan and Maba and late Homo sapiens from Liujiang, Ziyang and Upper Cave of Zhoukoudian. The dates of the earliest Homo erectus whether in Indonesia or in China are in controversy. The idea that Homo erectus first originated in Africa and then came to Asia around one million years b.p. has more evidence than the other suggestions at present. The morphological continuity of human fossils right from Homo erectus to modern Homo sapiens in China clearly exists. Thus it supports the multi-regional model of the theory of origin of modern humankind. The Chinese human fossils show close relations to the peoples of surrounding areas. A lot of work has also been done on the physical features of modern Han Chinese and many national minority groups.