中国新第三纪中-小型猿类化石及其意义

MIDDLE SMALL BODIED APES FROM NEOGENE IN CHINA AND THEIR SIGNIFICANC

中国新第三纪中－小型猿类主要有早中新世江苏泗洪的双沟醉猿（Ｄｉｏｎｙｓｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｕｓｓｈｕａｎ－ｇｏｕｅｎｓｉｓＬｉ，１９７８）和江淮宽齿猿（ＰｌａｔｏｄｏｎｔｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｕｓｊｉａｎｇｈｕａｉｅｎｓｉｓＧｕａｎｄＬｉｎ，１９８３）；中中新世宁夏同心的占祥上猿，（ＰｌｉｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｕｓｚｈａｎｘｉａｎｇｉＨａｒｒｉｓｏｎ，ＤｅｌｓｏｎａｎｄＧｕａｎ，１９９１）和晚中新世云南禄丰的粗壮池猿（ＬａｃｃｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｕｓｒｏｂｕｓｔｕｓＷｕａｎｄＰａｎ，１９８４）以及晚中新世甘肃武都的武都森林古猿（ＤｒｙｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｕｓｗｕｄｕｅｎｓｉｓＸｕｅａｎｄＤｅｌｓｏｎ，１９８８），分为５属５种，大致可归属于３个科：原康修尔猿科（Ｐｒｏｃｏｎｓｕｌｉｄａｅ）、上猿科（Ｐｌｉｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｉｄａｅ）和猿科（Ｐｏｎｇｉｄａｅ），这些种属可与非、欧洲同时期的种属相比较，而亚洲其他地区如巴基斯坦、泰国和印度中新世时期零星牙齿的发现，提供了狭鼻猴类向东亚迁移的例证并且与早—中中新世期间全球性海平面下降事件有关。中国小型猿类在中新世早期呈现出与东非原康修尔猿类的系统关系，到了中新世中期则呈现出与欧洲上猿类的系统关系并在晚中?

Middle Small bodied apes from Neogene,China mainly include the Dionysopithecus shuangouensis Li,1978 and the Platodontopithecus jianghuaiensis Gu and Lin,1983 from Sihong,Jiangxu,Early Miocene,the Pliopithecus zhanxiangi Harrison,Delson,Guan,1991 from Tongxian,Ningxia,Middle Miocene and the Laccopithecus robustus Wu and Pan,1984 from the Lufeng,Yunnan,Late Miocene as well as the Dryopithecus wuduensis from Wudu,Gansu,Late Miocene.In addition, Pliopithecus posthumus Schlosser,1924 from Inner Mongolia,which is the heavily worn upper molar and Kansupithecus Bohlin,1946 from Gansu,which is part of mandible,are dubious in the morphology and age.It may apply a clue for the fossil anthropoid in the northwest of China. The Dionysopithecus shuangouensis is represented by a left maxillary fragment with M 1-M 3.It can be compared with Micropithecus from Early Miocene,East Africa in size and some morphological features.Also Platodontopithecus jianghuaiensis is only represented by five isolated molars.The dental morphology shows some features similar to Proconsulid from East Africa.Therefore,the Sihong catarrhines appear to be closely related to proconsulidae from the early Miocene of East Africa.In addition,several proconsulid isolated teeth ( Dionysopithecus sp.) from the Kamlial Formation of northern Pakistan and the Manchar Formation of southern Pakistan in Early/Middle Miocene ( Dionysopithecus sp.) support a relation of East Africa.The Dionysopithecus sp.is supported by the approximate contemporary of the Sihong (Early Miocene).The upper molars of the Dionysopithecus shuangouensis appear more square lingual margin than that of Micropithecus. Meanwhile,the Micropithecus leakeyorum Harrison,1989 from the Maboko,Kenya indicated that this genus can be extended to Middle Miocene.We expect more materials to be found.Present evidence suggests the association with the major sea level lowstand events at 17—16Ma. Following the Sihong catarrhines,the Pliopithecus zhanxiangi which includes 8 cranio dental specimens has been recovered from the Tongxian,Ningxia in Middle Miocene (about 15 Ma,Tunggurian),MN 6.The discovery of P.zhanxiangi had been conformed that the Pliopithecid had been extended into Asia during the early Middle Miocene soon after earliest appearance in Europe.Small sized ape is closely related to European pliopithecids during Middle Miocene and evolved in the Miocene in Yunnan province where extant hylobatids exists.By the way,the main morphological features of the Dianopithecus progressus Pan,1996 from the Yuanmou hominoid site,which is described recently,are based on the materials that could be the milk teeth of great ape.The assessment has been suggested to be called off. The Laccopithecus robustus Wu and Pan,1984 is known from 90 specimens including a partial cranium,mandibles,maxillae and numerous isolated teeth as well as a proximal phalanx. Laccopithecus is similar to European pliopithecines and some morphological features and to Hylobates concolor and H.syndactylus in other aspects of its dental and cranial morphology.But the proximal phalanx of Laccopithecus shows a number of features associated with grasping and manual suspension.In addition,the phalanx displays a combination of features that are similar to extant hylobatids,including asymmetry of the flexor ridges and transverse concavity of the ventral surface of the distal shaft and thick cortices (Meldrum and Pan,1988).According to features above,Tyler (1993) analyses that if a member of the pliopithedae were the ancestor of extant hylobatids,it would have had grown large,became adapted to brachiation and then grown small again.If it is not a pliopithecid then it would be a fossil hylobatid.It would have had to have separated from the Asian great ape lines approximately 15 Ma and developed full brachiation,and undergone a reduction in body size and dental sexual dimorphism (Tyler,1993).With relation to the study of Tertiary rodents in North America that has brought t