陕西蓝田晚中新世新罗斯祖鹿(鹿科,偶蹄目)（英文）

Late Miocene Cervavitus novorossiae (Cervidae, Artiodactyla) from Lantian, Shaanxi Province

描述了陕西蓝田地区蓝田组底部发现的新罗斯祖鹿化石。该种中等大小,具三分支鹿角,主枝弯曲,角基脊延伸至额骨上;年轻个体的角环与第一分支间距离长,眉枝长且弯曲;下颊齿的古鹿褶不发育或缺失。整理中国发现的祖鹿化石,认为中国晚中新世至早更新世应该有5个种存在:新罗斯祖鹿(Cervavitus novorossiae)、山西祖鹿(C.shanxius)、化德祖鹿(C.huadeensis)、最后祖鹿(C.ultimus)和凤岐祖鹿(C.fenqii)。新的生物年代学数据以及对比分析提示祖鹿可能起源于欧洲,随着东亚夏季风的加强从保德期开始迁入中国。不同于新罗斯祖鹿,山西祖鹿为适应气候与环境改变而出现了较明显的形态改变。上新世之后冬季风的加强致使祖鹿的分布范围越来越小,到更新世早期仅在中国南方有遗存。

Deer fossils from the basal of the Lantian Formation are described and assigned to Cervavitus novorossiae by their medium size, three-tined antlers, curved beams, pedicles prolongated by a ridge on the frontals, the long span between the burr and first fork in young individuals, long and curved brow tine with laterally flattened fork etc. Overview of the pliocervines from China confirms that five species of Cervavitus existed in China： C. novorossiae, C. shanxius, C. huadeensis, C. ultimus, and C. fenqii. New biochronological data and comparative study suggest the possible origination of Cervavitus in East Europe, and it migrated to China from the beginning of Baode age. The differences of C. novorossiae from C. shanxius show that C. novorossiae might evolve into the latter in order to adapt to local climatic and ecological changes. From Pliocene on, the East Asian winter monsoon intensified, and there are much less records of Cervavitus and no records from Pleistocene in North China. While South China, much less affected by the winter monsoon, may be the last refuge of this genus.