Report on a new mammal fossil locality of Early Pleistocene at Zhoukoudian

In 1985, during the mapping on 1:50000 in the Zhoukoudian area, Cao Boxun et al. discovered a cave-fissure site (called east cave) with abundant mammal fossils. The site is located on the north slope of the Taipingshan Hill, about 2km northeast of the Loc. 1(the 'Peking man'site) and about 140m above the sea level. Cao et al. collected some mammal fossils from the locality and studied sediments in stratigraphy, sporopollen

A New Mid Early Pleistocene Mammalian FaunaDiscovered in Choukoutien，China and Its Application in Biostratigraphy

This paper deals with a new Early Pleistocene micromammalian fauna found in Choukonden (Zhoukoudian) and its application in biostratigraphy.The new locality (east cave ), discovered in 1985,is located on the north slope of the Taipingshan Hill, about 2 km northeast of the Loc.1 in Choukoutien and is about 140-150m in altitude. At this locality,abundant fossil mammals are found in thick cave-fissure deposit. This fauna comprises 30mammalian taxa. Based on the comparison of the fauna, as Well as the sporo-pollen, climate events and paleomagnetic polarity section with those in other areas,we come to the conclusion that the sediments (Taipingshan Formation) in east cave were formed during the Period about from 1.67 Ma B. P. to 0.97 Ma B. P., and the fauna is about 1.20 Ma B. P. in ags.

First Asian record of Panthera(Leo)fossilis(Mammalia,Carnivora,Felidae)in the Early Pleistocene of Western Siberia,Russia

A lion-like pantherine felid is described as Panthera(Leo)fossilis from the late Early Pleistocene sediments of the Kuznetsk Basin(Western Siberia,Russia).The find of P.fossilis first recorded in Asia considerably extends the current notion of the eastward expansion of the most ancient lions.The Siberian lion is geologically the old­est form and is dimensionally among the largest members of the group of fossil lions on the Eurasian conti­nent.Although known by mandibular remains only,it is readily distinguished from Panthera(Leo)spelaea by a heavy built mandibular corpus with rectangular profile in the cheek teeth area,a deep,well-outlined and narrow anterior section of the masseteric fossa,and a largeр4 supported by a big unreduced anterior root.The Siberian lion shares these features with the European Middle Pleistocene P.fossilis and the American Late Pleistocene P.(Leo)atrox,which suggests their close relationship.P.atrox originated from P.fossilis and was isolated in North America south of the Late Pleistocene ice sheets.This explains why the American lion has retained more primi­tive features than the coeval Eurasian cave lion P.(L.)spelaea.

Upwelling Process of the Western Himalaya Mountains:Height and Velocity Estimation Evidenced by Formation and Evolution of the Zanda Basin,Tibet,China

Based on field geological survey, stratigraphic section measurement and indoor comprehensive investigation, the Zanda Basin＇s tectonic location in the Himalaya Plate was ascertained, and the formation and evolution of the Zanda Basin during the Pliocene to Early Pleistocene was classified as six stages： （a） primary rift-faulting stage, （b） quick rift-faulting Stage, （c） intensive rift-faulting stage, （d） stasis stage, （e） secondary rift-faulting stage, and （f） secondary quick rift-faulting stage. Based on this six-staged formation-evolution theory of the Zanda Basin, the upwelling process of the Western Himalaya Mountains from the Pliocene to Early Pleistocene was classified as the following five stages： （a） slow upwelling stage （5.4-4.4 Ma）, （b） mid-velocity upwelling stage （4.4-3.5 Ma）, （c） quick upwelling stage （3.5-3.2 Ma）, （d） upwelling-ceasing stage （3.2-2.7 Ma）, and （e） quick upwelling stage （2.7 Ma）. Research has shown that in the duration from the Early Pliocene （4.7 Ma） to the End of Pliocene （2.67 Ma）, which lasted 2.03 million years, the Himalaya Mountains had uplifted 1500 m at a velocity of 0.74 mm/a; this belongs to a mid-velocity upwening. During the 1.31 million years in the Early Stage of the Early Pleistocene, the Himalaya Mountains had risen up another 1500 m at a velocity of 1.15 mm/a; this is a rather quick upwelling. All of these data have shown that the upwelling of the Western Himalaya Mountains is along a complicated process with multi-stages, multi-velocities, and non-uniformitarian features.