The two sections containing hominoid fossils in the Yuanmou Basin, Yunnan Prov-ince have been studied by means of magnetostratigraphy. The results are as follows. The Xiaohe section records over 8 polarity zones corre...The two sections containing hominoid fossils in the Yuanmou Basin, Yunnan Prov-ince have been studied by means of magnetostratigraphy. The results are as follows. The Xiaohe section records over 8 polarity zones corresponding to Cande-Kent95 time scale, including C3Br.1n, C3Br.1r, C3Br.2n, C3Br.2r, C4n.1n, C4n.1r, C4n.2n and C4n.2r, attaching to Late Mio-cene. This section comprises two layers of hominoid fossils: the lower layer (the 1st layer in fig. 4) which records the lower portion of C4n.2r with paleomagnetic age of 8.20—8.10 Ma and the upper layer (the 16th layer in fig. 4) which records C3Br.1r with paleomagnetic age of 7.20—7.15 Ma. So the age of hominoid fossils in the Xiaohe section is about 8.20—7.15 Ma. The Leilao section records over 11 polarity zones corresponding to Cande-Kent95 time scale, including C3Br, C3Br.1n, C3Br.1r, C3Br.2n, C3Br.2r, C4n.1n, C4n.1r, C4n.2n, C4n.2r, C4n.3n and C4n.3r, attaching to Late Miocene. This section also consists of two layers of hominoid fossils: the lower layer (the 3rd layer in fig. 3) which records C4n.2r with the age of 8.20—8.10 Ma and the upper layer(the 19th layer in fig. 3) which records the middle portion of C3Br with the age of 7.15—7.1 Ma. So the age of hominoid fossils in the Leilao section is about 8.20—7.10 Ma. Sedimentary environments reflected in both sections are extremely similar, and the ages of hominoid fossils are of correspondency. The age of the lower and upper fossil layers is 8.20—8.10 Ma and 7.20—7.10 Ma respectively, which probably imply that hominoids living in Xiaohe and Leilao basins have uniform activity areas. There were hominoids activities all along during 8.00—7.00 MaBP in this field.展开更多
It has been proposed that paleoclimatic changes and tectonic events strongly affect hominoid evolution. The Zhupeng section at Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China, with the hominoid-bearing fluvial-lacustrine sediments,...It has been proposed that paleoclimatic changes and tectonic events strongly affect hominoid evolution. The Zhupeng section at Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China, with the hominoid-bearing fluvial-lacustrine sediments, is an ideal natural laboratory to test this hypothesis. This study provided an integrated magnetic study, including low-fre- quency susceptibility, the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibil-ity, temperature-dependent susceptibility, hysteresis loops, isothermal remanent magnetization, and anhysteretic rema-nent magnetization, on samples from the Baozidongqing section at Zhupeng. Results show that the dominant mag-netic carrier is hematite, with minor amount of magnetite. Both the composition and concentration of magnetic miner-als strongly correlate with the lithostratigraphy. At least eight short-term events defined by higher concentrations of magnetite were identified. These short events reflect that the subtropical dry-hot climate is similar to today’s climate. Basing on the lithostratigraphic and rock magnetic results, we suggest that Yuanmou Basin was in a steady deposition environment from about 11 to 7 Ma, which is characterized by alternating of long-term torrid-humid climate and short-term dry-hot climate. Our study provides invaluable environment information for understanding the climate shift and the relationship between paleoenvironment and homi-noid evolution in southwestern China during late Miocene.展开更多
The earth forest is a geomorphic type of the running water found in recent years in China. At some distribution regions of loose or semicemented fluviolacustrine facies strata, owing to scouring of rainstorm runoff, t...The earth forest is a geomorphic type of the running water found in recent years in China. At some distribution regions of loose or semicemented fluviolacustrine facies strata, owing to scouring of rainstorm runoff, thousands of gullies and ravines and some stretches of earth columns were formed, like a stretch of forest observed at a distance, thus it was named earth forest.The earth forest landform developed the most typically in the Yuanmou Basin, Yunnan Province. Through the study, such as strata of fluviolacustrine facies, neotectonics, geomorphics, soil, climate, vegetation, etc., the authors pointed out the condition for forming the earth forest landform and its five development stages, and then divided it into four types: thin gully-earth gemma type, round basin-earth column type, broad gully column fort type and slope-remaining column type.展开更多
The Upper Miocene Xiaohe Formation of the Yuanmou Basin in Yunnan Pro- vince, southwestern China, is famous for its hominoid fauna and is important for studying the Late Cenozoic human and mammal evolution. Abundant f...The Upper Miocene Xiaohe Formation of the Yuanmou Basin in Yunnan Pro- vince, southwestern China, is famous for its hominoid fauna and is important for studying the Late Cenozoic human and mammal evolution. Abundant fossil wood was found associated with this fauna, which provided important evidence for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the basin. Among the fossil wood, two different taxa have been identified namely, Quercoxylon sp. (Fagaceae) and Pterocarya sp. (Juglandaceae). Based on the habitats of their Nearest Living Relatives (NRLs), it is suggested that upland subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by QuercuslLithocarpus was common around the basin, while a lowland deciduous broad-leaved forest dominated by Pterocarya was present on the river bank of the basin during the Late Miocene.展开更多
The taxonomy, age and environment status of the Yuanmou hominoids had been contro-versial since their discovery. We launched new ex-cavations and investigations in the Yuanmou Basin and analyzed both old and newly col...The taxonomy, age and environment status of the Yuanmou hominoids had been contro-versial since their discovery. We launched new ex-cavations and investigations in the Yuanmou Basin and analyzed both old and newly collected data. We conclude that all hominoids from the Yuanmou Basin and the so-called Pliocene hominids can be attributed into a single species, and its valid nomination is Lufengpithecus hudienensis. It is different from Lufengpithecus lufengensis and Lufengpithecus kei-yuanensis. Based on the faunal comparison and pa-leomagnetic correlation, the strata yielding the Yuanmou hominoids are older than those of Lufeng hominoids and younger than those of the Kaiyuan hominoids. The age of the Yuanmou hominoids is Late Miocene. The environments of the Yuanmou hominoids were subtropical, hilly, with some dense forestry and partial transitional bushes and seasonal climate.展开更多
文摘The two sections containing hominoid fossils in the Yuanmou Basin, Yunnan Prov-ince have been studied by means of magnetostratigraphy. The results are as follows. The Xiaohe section records over 8 polarity zones corresponding to Cande-Kent95 time scale, including C3Br.1n, C3Br.1r, C3Br.2n, C3Br.2r, C4n.1n, C4n.1r, C4n.2n and C4n.2r, attaching to Late Mio-cene. This section comprises two layers of hominoid fossils: the lower layer (the 1st layer in fig. 4) which records the lower portion of C4n.2r with paleomagnetic age of 8.20—8.10 Ma and the upper layer (the 16th layer in fig. 4) which records C3Br.1r with paleomagnetic age of 7.20—7.15 Ma. So the age of hominoid fossils in the Xiaohe section is about 8.20—7.15 Ma. The Leilao section records over 11 polarity zones corresponding to Cande-Kent95 time scale, including C3Br, C3Br.1n, C3Br.1r, C3Br.2n, C3Br.2r, C4n.1n, C4n.1r, C4n.2n, C4n.2r, C4n.3n and C4n.3r, attaching to Late Miocene. This section also consists of two layers of hominoid fossils: the lower layer (the 3rd layer in fig. 3) which records C4n.2r with the age of 8.20—8.10 Ma and the upper layer(the 19th layer in fig. 3) which records the middle portion of C3Br with the age of 7.15—7.1 Ma. So the age of hominoid fossils in the Leilao section is about 8.20—7.10 Ma. Sedimentary environments reflected in both sections are extremely similar, and the ages of hominoid fossils are of correspondency. The age of the lower and upper fossil layers is 8.20—8.10 Ma and 7.20—7.10 Ma respectively, which probably imply that hominoids living in Xiaohe and Leilao basins have uniform activity areas. There were hominoids activities all along during 8.00—7.00 MaBP in this field.
基金We thank Prof.Gao Feng for advice on the field work.This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40221402).
文摘It has been proposed that paleoclimatic changes and tectonic events strongly affect hominoid evolution. The Zhupeng section at Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China, with the hominoid-bearing fluvial-lacustrine sediments, is an ideal natural laboratory to test this hypothesis. This study provided an integrated magnetic study, including low-fre- quency susceptibility, the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibil-ity, temperature-dependent susceptibility, hysteresis loops, isothermal remanent magnetization, and anhysteretic rema-nent magnetization, on samples from the Baozidongqing section at Zhupeng. Results show that the dominant mag-netic carrier is hematite, with minor amount of magnetite. Both the composition and concentration of magnetic miner-als strongly correlate with the lithostratigraphy. At least eight short-term events defined by higher concentrations of magnetite were identified. These short events reflect that the subtropical dry-hot climate is similar to today’s climate. Basing on the lithostratigraphic and rock magnetic results, we suggest that Yuanmou Basin was in a steady deposition environment from about 11 to 7 Ma, which is characterized by alternating of long-term torrid-humid climate and short-term dry-hot climate. Our study provides invaluable environment information for understanding the climate shift and the relationship between paleoenvironment and homi-noid evolution in southwestern China during late Miocene.
文摘The earth forest is a geomorphic type of the running water found in recent years in China. At some distribution regions of loose or semicemented fluviolacustrine facies strata, owing to scouring of rainstorm runoff, thousands of gullies and ravines and some stretches of earth columns were formed, like a stretch of forest observed at a distance, thus it was named earth forest.The earth forest landform developed the most typically in the Yuanmou Basin, Yunnan Province. Through the study, such as strata of fluviolacustrine facies, neotectonics, geomorphics, soil, climate, vegetation, etc., the authors pointed out the condition for forming the earth forest landform and its five development stages, and then divided it into four types: thin gully-earth gemma type, round basin-earth column type, broad gully column fort type and slope-remaining column type.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31170206)the National Financial Fund of China (Project "collection and purchase of specimen of Geological heritage", No. 1211311381001)National International Science and Technology Cooperation Program (2009DFA32210)
文摘The Upper Miocene Xiaohe Formation of the Yuanmou Basin in Yunnan Pro- vince, southwestern China, is famous for its hominoid fauna and is important for studying the Late Cenozoic human and mammal evolution. Abundant fossil wood was found associated with this fauna, which provided important evidence for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the basin. Among the fossil wood, two different taxa have been identified namely, Quercoxylon sp. (Fagaceae) and Pterocarya sp. (Juglandaceae). Based on the habitats of their Nearest Living Relatives (NRLs), it is suggested that upland subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by QuercuslLithocarpus was common around the basin, while a lowland deciduous broad-leaved forest dominated by Pterocarya was present on the river bank of the basin during the Late Miocene.
文摘The taxonomy, age and environment status of the Yuanmou hominoids had been contro-versial since their discovery. We launched new ex-cavations and investigations in the Yuanmou Basin and analyzed both old and newly collected data. We conclude that all hominoids from the Yuanmou Basin and the so-called Pliocene hominids can be attributed into a single species, and its valid nomination is Lufengpithecus hudienensis. It is different from Lufengpithecus lufengensis and Lufengpithecus kei-yuanensis. Based on the faunal comparison and pa-leomagnetic correlation, the strata yielding the Yuanmou hominoids are older than those of Lufeng hominoids and younger than those of the Kaiyuan hominoids. The age of the Yuanmou hominoids is Late Miocene. The environments of the Yuanmou hominoids were subtropical, hilly, with some dense forestry and partial transitional bushes and seasonal climate.