若干有争议的直立人头骨特征在周口店和东非人科成员中的出现情况(英文)

THE OCCURRENCE OF SOME CONTROVERSIAL HOMOERECT US CRANIAL FEATURES IN THE ZHOUKOU-DIAN AND EAST AFRICAN HOMINIDS

多年来,直立人被看作是一个公认的物种;它曾分布于亚洲和非洲,也可能还曾分布于欧洲。这个物种包括了从距今180万年至距今大约20万年的人科成员。直立人标本彼此之间有着许许多多的相似之处,因此,归属于同一个物种已为众所认可(Howells 1980,Rightmire 1984)。 然而,这一观点好几年来受到一些研究者的质疑(Andrews 1984,Stringer 1984,Wood 1984)。这些研究者使用的是分支系统学方法。使用这种方法是试图复原出演化谱系中分裂出新种和其它分类单元的过程。该方法并不涉及全部相似之点,而是着重于单一的形态性状状态及其变化和分裂情况。依据这一方法,共有的衍生特征或独有的衍生特征对复原物种之间的关系才是有用的。亚洲的与非洲的直立人之间的许多共有性状常只被当作在其它分类单元里也存在的原始性状而已。 根据分支系统学方法,一些研究者(Stringer 1984,Wood 1984)强调:若干0独有的衍生性状状态或特化性仅存在于东亚的直立人之中。Andrews(1984)对原始特征作了进一步地剔除,表列出东亚直立人具有的7个近裔自性:额矢状嵴、顶矢状嵴、厚的颅盖骨、顶骨的角圆枕、枕外隆突点远离枕内隆突点、乳突裂、以及盂内突与鼓板之间的隐窝。 Andrews(1984)根据这些特征提出了一个假说,认为“

On the basis of cladistic analyses, some authors have recently questioned the widely-held view that Homo erectus is a single species which existed in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has been argued that the Asian sample is characterized by a unique set of derived features (autapomorphies) not present in the African specimens, and may thus represent a side branch of. human evolution. More precise morphological descriptions and comparisons of these suggested autapomorphic features in hominid samples form various geographic region may help shed light upon this controversy. This paper will show the presence and variability of some critical features in the Zhoukoudian and in the ercctus and habills samples from East Turkana and Olduvai. This research was supported by the Kenyan and Tanzanian Governments, the National Museums in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam, and the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) in London as well as by grants of the German Research Council (DFG).