Homo erectus remains have been found in Africa, Eurasia and Southeast Asia1-3, dating back around two million years; however, owing to their age and state of preservation, obtaining informative molecular data from them has proved challenging. Here we successfully extracted and analysed ancient enamel proteins from five male and one female Middle Pleistocene H. erectus specimens from approximately 0.4 million years ago, from the Zhoukoudian, Hexian and Sunjiadong sites. All specimens from all three sites share two amino acid variants. Of these, A253G in AMBN is previously unknown and has not been identified in other human lineages, including H. erectus from Dmanisi (Georgia), Homo antecessor from Atapuerca (Spain), Denisovans, Neanderthals and modern humans. The other variant, AMBN(M273V), has previously been identified in Denisovans, and our evidence now indicates it may have been introduced through populations related to these Middle Pleistocene H. erectus. The regions in the Denisovan genome attributed to super-archaic introgression, some of which later passed to modern humans, are likely to have originated from H. erectus. Late Middle Pleistocene H. erectus may have coexisted with Denisovans in parts of East Asia, where these interactions are presumed to have occurred.

>1. Objectives Dinosaur fossils were first discovered from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 1960s, mainly including fossil bones and teeth from the Cretaceous. Only one dorsal vertebra and one ischium were reported from the Late Jurassic at Jiangshan Island of Fangchenggang City in 2007. During the construction of high-speed railway project in June 2021, many dinosaur fossils were uncovered from the Upper Jurassic Dongxing Formation in Dongxing City of Guangxi, with dominated fossil bones, several tracks and a tooth. This is the first discovered dinosaur locality in Dongxing, and the first discovery of dinosaur tracks in Guangxi.

Denisovans are a hominin group primarily known through genomes or proteins, but their precise morphological features remain elusive because of the fragmentary nature of the discovered fossils. Here, we report 95 endogenous proteins retrieved from a nearly complete cranium from Harbin, China, dating to at least 146,000 years ago and previously assigned to a new species, Homo longi. This individual has three Denisovan-derived amino acid variants and clusters with Denisova 3, suggesting that the Harbin individual belongs to a Denisovan population. This study fills the gap between morphological and molecular evidence, enhancing our understanding of Denisovans' spatiotemporal dispersal and evolutionary history.

Denisovans have yet to be directly associated with a hominin cranium, limiting our understanding of their morphology and geographical distribution. We have attempted to retrieve DNA from a nearly complete Middle Pleistocene cranium from Harbin (>146 ka), northeastern China. Although no DNA could be retrieved from a tooth or the petrous bone, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be isolated from dental calculus. The mtDNA falls within Denisovan mtDNA variation and is related to an mtDNA branch carried by early Denisovan individuals in southern Siberia, previously observed in Denisova Cave. This suggests that Denisovans inhabited a large geographical range in Asia in the Middle Pleistocene. The association of Denisovan mtDNA with the Harbin cranium allows a better understanding of the morphological relationships between Denisovans and other East Asian Middle Pleistocene fossils. Furthermore, the retrieval of host DNA from dental calculus opens new possibilities for genetic research on Middle Pleistocene hominins.

Enantiornithes are the most successful early-diverging avian clade, their fossils revealing important information regarding the structure of Cretaceous avifaunas and the parallel refinement of flight alongside the ornithuromorph lineage that includes modern birds. The most diverse recognized family of Early Cretaceous enantiornithines is the Bohaiornithidae, known from the Jehol Biota in northeastern China. Members of this clade enhance our understanding of intraclade morphological diversity and elucidate the independent evolution of this unique lineage. Here, we report on a new specimen of bohaiornithid, Neobohaiornis lamadongensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, China. The holotype specimen is considerably smaller than all other known bohaiornithids (roughly half the size of Bohaiornis). The presence of complete fusion in compound elements strongly suggests it represents a mature or nearly mature individual, and therefore substantially increases the known size range of this clade. This specimen further differs from known bohaiornithids in that it exhibits reduced manual unguals and an increased number of sacral vertebrae, which indicates bohaiornithids evolved increased flight capabilities in parallel to other enantiornithine lineages, such as the Longipterygidae. Traces of the plumage, which are rarely preserved in bohaiornithids, reveal the presence of remiges with rounded distal margins and short crural feathers.

Paraves is the taxonomic group that includes Dromaeosauridae, Troodontidae and Avialae, and thus records the origin of birds, the evolution of pennaceous feathers, and their exaptation for flight. Non-destructive micro -X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) imaging technology was utilized to analyze two paravian fossil specimens, one referrable to the Microraptorinae (Dromaeosauridae) and the other to the Yanornithidae (Avialae). Both fossils are from the Lower Cretaceous Aptian Jiufotang Formation, a Lagerst & auml;tte that records the youngest stage of the famous Jehol Biota in western Liaoning, China. The analyses show that the bones preserve high amounts of Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S), with significant amounts of heavy elements such as Strontium (Sr) and Yttrium (Y) which may be related to biological apatite. The preserved feathers show high amounts of Cuprum (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Titanium (Ti). The claw sheaths exhibit high levels of P and Ca, which suggests they were preserved through phosphatization. Notably, large amounts of Ferrum (Fe) occur at the intraskeletal joints in both specimens and in the trunk of the microraptorine. Further analyses indicate that the enrichment of Fe may be related to the presence of pyrite. The distribution of Fe indicates precipitation of this element was a postburial taphonomic process. This micro-XRF data reveals the distribution of elements in different tissue types in these two paravian fossils and provides information for reconstructing the taphonomic processes responsible for exceptional preservation in paravian fossils in the Jiufotang Formation.

A new enantiornithine, Musivavis amabilis n. gen. n. sp., is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Biota in western Liaoning, China. The new taxon is similar to the bohaiornithids in the robust subconical teeth, bluntly expanded omal ends of the furcula, caudolaterally oriented lateral trabeculae with triangular distal ends of the sternum, and a robust second pedal digit. Yet it differs from members of Bohaiornithidae in several features recalling other enantiornithine lineages, such as the acuminate rostral ramus of maxilla, the shape of the coracoid lateral margin, the presence of craniolateral processes on the sternum, the proportions of the manual phalanges, and the unspecialized third pedal ungual phalanx. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Mesozoic birds shows that homoplasy significantly affects the reconstruction of enantiornithine relationships. When all phylogenetic characters are considered of equal weight, Musivavis is reconstructed in a lineage related to a radiation of large-bodied enantiornithines including Bohaiornithidae and Pengornithidae. Alternative scenarios based on progressive downweighting of the homoplastic characters support more basal placements of the pengornithids among Enantiornithes, but do not alter the affinity of Musivavis as a member of the "bohaiornithid-grade" group. UUID: http://zoobank.org/617c7062-21ab-4d33-ae80-4edf5a129683

本文报道了新近发现于河北宣化地区土城子组的恐龙足迹化石及沉积环境.为确定足迹化石的地质年代、土城子组的沉积环境及足迹化石属种,本文在对恐龙足迹化石层及其上、下地层进行剖面测制、沉积相划分和沉积环境分析的基础上,对化石层上覆凝灰岩层进行了LA-ICPMS锆石U-Pb测年,并对保存较好的足迹化石进行了测量和对比研究工作.研究结果表明,土城子组底部为冲积扇扇中沉积环境,足迹化石上、下地层则表现为河流相沉积环境,而足迹化石的赋存层位形成于滨湖相沉积环境,发育暴露构造并含有大量裸子植物碎屑化石.凝灰岩锆石U-Pb加权平均年龄为152.3±0.3 Ma(MSWD=0.00106),说明化石层位于土城子组一段,时代属于晚侏罗世钦莫利期(Kimmeridgian)中晚期.已发现的足迹化石以兽脚类三趾型足迹为主,包括跷脚龙足迹属(Grallator)、安琪龙足迹属(Anchisauripus)和实雷龙足迹属(Eubrontes),其次为一些疑似蜥脚类恐龙足迹,是华北北缘土城子组中群落丰富度最高的恐龙足迹点,其中一处或许为中国北方面积最大的恐龙足迹点.因此,我们认为宣化-下花园盆地土城子组一段以河流、湖泊相沉积环境为主,当时裸子植物繁茂,恐龙动物群庞大,偶尔存在火山喷发活动.新发现的宣化恐龙足迹不仅填补了宣化-下花园地区恐龙足迹化石的空白,也丰富了燕辽地区土城子组生物群的组合面貌,为土城子组内年代地层划分及陆相J/K界线的确定提供了新的证据.

本文报道了首次发现于内蒙古呼伦贝尔市莫力达瓦达斡尔族自治旗鸽子山化石点下白垩统龙江组的一件反鸟类.为确定该标本的解剖学特征和系统发育位置,本文对其进行了详细的骨骼特征描述,并与其他中生代鸟类进行了形态特征对比,进而通过TNT软件对其进行了系统发育分析.形态特征对比研究结果表明该标本与渤海鸟科(Bohaiornithidae)特征最为相似,如叉骨上升支的末端膨大;尾综骨的末端逐渐收缩变细;胸骨的外侧突明显向胸骨后外侧偏转;第Ⅱ脚趾最为粗壮.然而,该标本又具有许多不同于其他已知渤海鸟类(bohaiornithids)的特征组合,如乌喙骨侧缘从中部开始强烈扩展;胸骨具有三角形的中间突和外边缘凹陷,胸骨前缘比较尖锐;小翼指爪节长而弯曲,大手指爪节短小粗壮.因此,我们建立渤海鸟科新属、新种——兴安北国鸟(Beiguornis khinganensis gen.et sp.nov.).系统发育分析结果表明北国鸟与渤海鸟科的齿槽鸟(Sulcavis)和周鸟(Zhouornis)亲缘关系最近,三者构成一个单系类群(Zhouornis+'Beiguornis+Sulcavis' ).除了长爪鸟(Longusunguis),渤海鸟科的其他类群与北国鸟均在一个单系类群内,确定了北国鸟在渤海鸟科的系统发育位置.兴安北国鸟是大兴安岭地区发现的第一件反鸟类,进一步丰富了该地区热河生物群组合面貌,而且在提高渤海鸟科属种丰富度的同时,把该类群的地理分布范围从冀北-辽西地区扩展到内蒙古大兴安岭地区,更为不同地区热河生物群对比研究提供了科一级的鸟类化石证据.

简要介绍了北京周口店北京直立人发现的过程、已发现的化石材料、现存的化石材料及首批复制的头盖骨模型.描述了北京直立人的主要形态特征,讨论了直立人与现代人在形态特征上的差异,认为包括北京直立人在内的东亚地区直立人是一个灭绝的支系,没有留下后代,不是现代东亚人或中国人的直系祖先.大约在2.0 Ma前,直立人起源于非洲的匠人或能人,而后走出非洲扩散到欧洲和亚洲.非洲的直立人约在90万a前演化为先驱人,约在60万a前演化为海德堡人,约在30万a前演化为尼安德特人、丹尼索瓦人和包括现代人在内的智人.推测从非洲向欧洲扩散的海德堡人后来有可能演化为尼安德特人,而向亚洲扩散的海德堡人后来可能演化为丹尼索瓦人和智人.讨论了北京直立人的分类位置和名称有效性问题,认为亚种不可能单独存在,必须有2个或2个以上的亚种才有效.当前需进一步深化研究北京直立人,探讨周口店的直立人与爪哇岛的直立人究竟有无差别.如果二者没有差别,那么周口店发现的直立人北京亚种(Homo erectus pekinensis)就不是有效名称,应直接归于直立人(Homo erectus),称为"发现于北京的直立人"(Homo erectus unearthed from Beijing).如果二者差异明显,有2种处理方法:一是直接提升为种,称为"北京人"(Homo pekinensis);二是保持现状,仍然称为"直立人北京亚种"(Homo erectus pe-kinensis),但印尼爪哇岛发现的直立入学名需作变动,应称为"直立人直立人亚种"(Homo erectus erectus).

Organic carbon is one of the indispensable indexes in multi-target geochemical surveys, land quality geochemical surveys and other project studies. Accurate quantification of organic carbon is an important part of the geochemical survey with great significance. However, the traditional gravimetric method and volumetric method have long processes and slow speed, which can no longer meet the requirements of large-scale and rapid determination of geochemical samples. In this paper, dilute hydrochloric acid was used to remove inorganic carbon in the samples, and a high-frequency infrared carbon-sulfur analyzer was used to determine the organic carbon in different types of geochemical samples. This paper optimized the conditions such as the sample weight, the choice of acids and fluxes and their optimal concentration and dosage by the comparative experiments. Additionally, the first-level geochemical reference materials also are utilized to establish the calibration curve. A hydrochloric acid pretreatment- infrared absorption spectrometry analysis method of organic carbonin geochemical samples was established by this paper. The experiments showed that the blank value of ceramic crucible could be reduced by burning at 1 200 degrees C, which could reduce the impact on the results. The test accuracy was high when choosing the sample weight of 50. 0-70. 0 mg, and solving the problem of the splash when melting. 0. 40-0. 60 mL dilute hydrochloric acid (1 7) was chosen as it can remove the inorganic carbon and reduce the loss of organic carbon. The results also showed that the fluxing action was preferably when 0. 40 0. 50 g pure iron filings and 1. 50-1. 70 g tungsten particles were used as the mixed flux. The calibration curve of organic carbon established by national geochemical standard reference materials showed good linearity (R-2 =0. 998 5). The detection limit of this method is 69 rtg " g i, and the relative standard deviations (RSD, n=12) of the measurement results is less than 8%. This method has been verified by 63 different types of national geochemical standard reference materials (soil, rock, and sediments), and the results are consistent with the standard values. The method provides the advantages of convenient operation with low detection limits, high sensitivity, and reliable results. It is believed that this method is suitable for the determination of organic carbon in geochemical samples.

As one of the most complete archaic human fossils, the Harbin cranium provides critical evidence for studying the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of Homo sapiens. However, the unsystematic recovery of this cranium and a long and confused history since the discovery impede its accurate dating. Here, we carried out a series of geochemical analyses, including non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF), rare earth elements (REE), and the Sr isotopes, to test the reported provenance of the Harbin cranium and get better stratigraphic constraints. The results show that the Harbin cranium has very similar XRF element distribution patterns, REE concentration patterns, and Sr isotopic compositions to those of the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene mammalian and human fossils recently recovered from the Harbin area. The sediments adhered in the nasal cavity of the Harbin cranium have a Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio of 0.711898, falling in the variation range measured in a core drilled near the Dongjiang Bridge, where the cranium was discovered during its reconstruction. The regional stratigraphic correlations indicate that the Harbin cranium was probably from the upper part of the Upper Huang-shan Formation of the Harbin area, which has an optically stimulated luminescence dating constraint between 138 and 309 ka. U-series disequilibrium dating (n = 10) directly on the cranium suggests that the cranium is older than 146 ka. The multiple lines of evidence from our experiments consistently support the theory that the Harbin cranium is from the late Middle Pleistocene of the Harbin area. Our study also shows that geochemical approaches can provide reliable evidence for locating and dating unsystematically recovered human fossils, and potentially can be applied to other human fossils without clear provenance and stratigraphy records.

We describe a new taxon of advanced ornithuromorph bird, Khinganornis hulunbuirensis gen. et sp. nov., from the previously unreported Pigeon Hill locality of the Lower Cretaceous Longjiang Formation in the northern Greater Khingan Range area of Inner Mongolia, China. A cladistics analysis resolves K. hulunbuirensis as the sister group of a clade formed by Changzuiornis and Iteravis among ornithuromorphs. The osteohistological analysis indicates that K. hulunbuirensis is the first ornithuromorph that maintained an uninterrupted growth during a longer period characterised by slow deposition of low-vascularised and terminal avascular bone tissue. The relatively long hindlimbs and elongate pedal digits with long proximal phalanges suggest a wading and amphibious ecology for the new bird. The discovery of K. hulunbuirensis represents the first occurrence of Jehol birds in the Greater Khingan Range and documents the northernmost known geographic distribution of the celebrated avifauna in China. The new record implies more extended palaeogeographic range for the early diversification of Mesozoic birds on the eastern side of Laurasia.

In eastern Asia, several Middle-Late Pleistocene human fossils, such as the Dali, Jinniushan, Hualongdong, and Harbin crania, evidently resemble each other and are phylogenetically closer to H. sapiens than to H. neanderthalensis or other archaic humans.1Ni X. Ji Q. Wu W. et al.Massive cranium from Harbin establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage in China.The Innovation. 2021; 2 (this issue, 100130)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar The Harbin cranium is the best preserved of this group. It shows a mosaic combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic features. Here, we suggest that the Harbin skull should be recognized as a new species of Homo. Order Primates Linnaeus, 1758Suborder Anthropoidea Mivart, 1864Superfamily Hominoidea Gray, 1825Family Hominidae Gray, 1825Tribe Hominini Gray, 1825Genus Homo Linnaeus, 1758Homo longi sp. nov. Ji & Ni(Figure 1) The species name is derived from the geographic name Long Jiang, which is a common usage for the Heilongjiang Province and literally means "dragon river." An undistorted and almost complete cranium (HBSM2018-000018(A)). The specimen was donated to Hebei GEO University (HGU) in 2018. The repository is the Geoscience Museum of HGU, Shijiazhuang, China. The holotype of Homo longi sp. nov. has been deposited in the ZooBank database (http://zoobank.org/) with Life Science Identifier urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B2179E99-5CDF-44DA-A1F1-A2BBAFB47185. Middle Pleistocene, upper part of the Upper Huangshan Formation (∼138–309 ka), near the Dongjiang Bridge in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China. A reliable minimum U-series age is 148±2 ka.2Shao Q. Ge J. Ji Q. et al.Geochemical locating and direct dating of the Harbin archaic human cranium.The Innovation. 2021; 2 (this issue, 100131)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100131Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar Differing from all the other named Homo species by presenting a combination of the following features: an extinct hominin massive in size with a very large maximum cranial length, nasio-occipital length and supraorbital torus breadth; cranial vault long and low, with receding frontal, evenly curved parietal contour, and rounded occipital contour; no sagittal keeling; upper face extremely wide, with large and almost square orbits; facial height low relative to the upper facial breadth; supraorbital torus wide, massively developed, and gently curved. Interorbital area wide, with a flat and recessed nasal saddle; cheekbone flat and low, with a shallow canine fossa; no maxillary inflation; nasal aperture wide inferiorly and almost triangular; cranial lateral walls nearly parallel, without lateral expansion at the parietal prominence; occipital torus weak, without suprainiac fossa; palate in U-shape, with shallow and thick alveolar bone; incisor sockets angled, suggesting the presence of alveolar prognathism; mastoid process large, inclining forward and inward; tympanic plate anteroinferior surface flat and moderately thick; styloid process fused to the tympanic. The Harbin cranium is massive in size, larger than all other known-archaic humans.1Ni X. Ji Q. Wu W. et al.Massive cranium from Harbin establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage in China.The Innovation. 2021; 2 (this issue, 100130)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar The endocranial capacity is estimated as ∼1,420 ml, falling in the range of H. sapiens and Neanderthals, and larger than other Homo species such as H. erectus, H. naledi, H. floresiensis, and even some H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis. The Harbin cranium is relatively long and low and lacks the globularity of the modern human braincase. The frontal is receding, and the parietal is evenly curved. The supraorbital torus is massive and continuous, and the postorbital constriction is much deeper than in H. sapiens. The large endocranial volume of Harbin cranium is reflected in more parallel side walls of the temporals and parietals, but the cranium lacks the H. sapiens-like parietal bosses. The thickness of the supraorbital torus is proportionally much greater than that of later H. sapiens. The Harbin cranium does also share some similarities with H. sapiens. Its facial height is very low, the zygomaxillary region is flat with a shallow canine fossa, and the overall prognathism is reduced, showing a similar condition to recent humans. The basion angle-nasion angle plot indicates that the Harbin cranium is much closer to H. sapiens than to H. erectus and H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis, and the face is hafted onto the braincase with reduced prognathism. In its combination of traits Harbin is more like fossils attributed to early H. sapiens, such as Jebel Irhoud 1 and Eliye Springs, than to later members of our lineage. There are very small angular tori inferiorly on the parietals, proportionally much smaller than those in H. erectus. The occipital has a relatively rounded lateral profile, presenting a less flexed form than that typical of H. erectus. The occipital torus is almost absent, much weaker than in H. erectus. The face is relatively low, and lacks the anterior projection typical of H. erectus. Postorbital constriction is also proportionally shallower than in most members of H. erectus. The tympanic bone of the Harbin cranium is flat and thin, and lacks the robusticity typical of H. erectus. The Harbin cranial vault lacks the parasagittal flattening and keeling found in some H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis. The occipital bone lacks the angulation and strong transverse torus. The face is relatively low, and lacks the anterior projection as in the Broken Hill, Petralona, Bodo, and Arago fossils. Postorbital constriction is also proportionally shallower than in most members of H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis. The cheekbones do not show the Neanderthal-like inflation found in large specimens of H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis. Compared with Neanderthals, the Harbin cranium also has a massive and curved supraorbital torus, with strong lateral thickness. Postorbital constriction of the Harbin cranium is proportionally deeper than those of Neanderthals. The occipital surface lacks both a "chignon" and a centrally developed suprainiac fossa typical of Neanderthals. The zygomaxillary angle is somewhat larger than in Neanderthals and approaches that of H. sapiens, indicating a less medial projection of the midface. The zygomaxillary area is flattened and without maxillary inflation. The single molar tooth is huge by Neanderthal standards. H. antecessor is much smaller than the Harbin cranium, with weaker supraorbital development, much smaller endocranial volume, narrower upper face width, and much smaller M.2Shao Q. Ge J. Ji Q. et al.Geochemical locating and direct dating of the Harbin archaic human cranium.The Innovation. 2021; 2 (this issue, 100131)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100131Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar Differing from the Dali cranium, Harbin lacks sagittal keeling and presents proportionally larger and almost square orbits, overall thinner and smoother supraorbital tori with a weaker superciliary arch, and weaker lateral thinning. The Jinniushan cranium has a similar cranial capacity (∼1,390 ml) to the Harbin, but is more gracile. Harbin has a proportionally broader anterior maxillary region, larger and squarer orbits, thicker supraorbital tori, and a larger molar than the Jinniushan. The recently described Hualongdong skull belonged to an adolescent individual. It resembles the Dali cranium and differs from the Harbin in presenting strong frontal sagittal keeling and thick supraorbital tori with a strong superciliary arch. Compared with the Harbin and Dali, the Hualongdong skull has a proportionally narrower and longer face, narrower nasal aperture, and shallower canine fossae. Some of these differences may be due to the younger age of the Hualongdong individual. The Xuchang cranium has a much larger cranial capacity, but a wider, lower braincase with reduced bone thickness. Its supraorbital tori are much thinner, and its mastoid processes are much smaller. The supraorbital torus of the Maba partial cranium is thinner and more curved, the nasal bone more projecting, and the frontal and parietal are thinner than in the Harbin cranium. The orbital shape and projecting upper nasal region of the Maba cranium look particularly similar to those of Neanderthals. Overall, the Harbin cranium shows a distinctive combination of apomorphic and plesiomorphic features. These features present a clear diagnosis, supporting the Harbin cranium as a new species of Homo, which is distinctive from other designated Middle-Late Pleistocene human taxa, such as H. sapiens, H. erectus, H. neanderthalensis, and H. heidelbergensis/rhodesiensis. The Dali cranium was initially proposed as a subspecies of H. sapiens (H. s. daliensis) by Xinzhi Wu, but Wu abandoned the subspecies name and called the cranium "archaic H. sapiens" in his later publications.3Wu X. Middle Pleistocene human skull from Dali, China.Palaeontol. Sin. N. Ser. D. 2020; 13: 1-205Google Scholar It was also suggested to be a subspecies of H. heidelbergensis (H. h. daliensis),4Manzi G. Humans of the Middle Pleistocene: the controversial calvarium from Ceprano (Italy) and its significance for the origin and variability of Homo heidelbergensis.Quat. Int. 2016; 411: 254-261https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.12.047Crossref Scopus (47) Google Scholar or should be raised to the species level (H. daliensis).5Etler D.A. Homo erectus in East Asia: human ancestor or evolutionary dead-end?.Athena Review. 2006; 4: 37-50Google Scholar The Hualongdong cranium shows a lot of interesting similarities with the Dali cranium. Based on our morphological comparisons and the phylogenetic analyses,1Ni X. Ji Q. Wu W. et al.Massive cranium from Harbin establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage in China.The Innovation. 2021; 2 (this issue, 100130)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar we suggest that both the Dali and Hualongdong crania should be referred to H. daliensis. The Harbin cranium, on the other hand, shows clear diagnostic features differing from the Dali and Hualongdong crania. Here, we raise a new species name for the Harbin cranium to reflect these significant differences. Given the sister-group relationship between the Harbin cranium and the Xiahe mandible,1Ni X. Ji Q. Wu W. et al.Massive cranium from Harbin establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage in China.The Innovation. 2021; 2 (this issue, 100130)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar it is possible that both specimens belong to H. longi sp. nov. Further human fossils from the Middle Pleistocene of China and neighboring areas will test this idea. The authors declare no competing interests.

It has recently become clear that several human lineages coexisted with Homo sapiens during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene. Here, we report an archaic human fossil that throws new light on debates concerning the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of H. sapiens. The fossil was recovered in Harbin city in northeastern China, with a minimum uranium-series age of 146 ka. This cranium is one of the best preserved Middle Pleistocene human fossils. Its massive size, with a large cranial capacity (similar to 1,420 mL) falling in the range of modern humans, is combined with a mosaic of primitive and derived characters. It differs from all the other named Homo species by presenting a combination of features, such as long and low cranial vault, a wide and low face, large and almost square orbits, gently curved but massively developed supraorbital torus, flat and low cheekbones with a shallow canine fossa, and a shallow palate with thick alveolar bone supporting very large molars. The excellent preservation of the Harbin cranium advances our understanding of several less-complete late Middle Pleistocene fossils from China, which have been interpreted as local evolutionary intermediates between the earlier species Homo erectus and later H. sapiens. Phylogenetic analyses based on parsimony criteria and Bayesian tip-dating suggest that the Harbin cranium and some other Middle Pleistocene human fossils from China, such as those from Dali and Xiahe, form a third East Asian lineage, which is a part of the sister group of the H. sapiens lineage. Our analyses of such morphologically distinctive archaic human lineages from Asia, Europe, and Africa suggest that the diversification of the Homo genus may have had a much deeper timescale than previously presumed. Sympatric isolation of small populations combined with stochastic long-distance dispersals is the best fitting biogeographical model for interpreting the evolution of the Homo genus.

详细介绍了 8 Ma以来全球气候变化的规律,研究表明地球上主要发生过3次冷气候事件:第一次冷气候事件大约发生在距今7 Ma,一股强烈的干冷气流刮过欧洲大陆,穿越赤道地区直达非洲大陆,使得原始森林开始萎缩,面积的缩小导致古猿与人类发生演化分异;第二次冷气候事件大约发生在距今4.2 Ma,那时干冷气候持续发展,非洲大陆的原始森林进一步萎缩,并逐渐演化为稀树草原,出现了南方猿人和傍人;第三次冷气候事件大约发生在距今2.3 Ma,全球气候变化波动较大,冷-暖气候交替发育,地球上出现了真正意义上的人(人属),并逐渐演化成现代人.根据目前的研究,人类的起源和演化与古地理、古环境和古气候变化密切相关,人类演化历史大致可分为7个时期:撒海尔猿人—原初猿人时期、地居猿人时期、南方猿人—傍人时期、能人—鲁道夫人时期、匠人—直立人时期、先驱人—海德堡人时期和智人时期.

This paper makes an introduction to the dating ages of the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary in South China,based on the Nanbiancun section in Guangxi and the Daposhang section of Guizhou.The Nanbiancun section of Guangxi falls into the slope,gravity-flow sedimentary facies,and the conodont sequence is somewhat chaotic.Although the D-C boundary was fixed between'Bed 56'and'Bed 57',the so-called'bed'numbers are actually the conodont sampling numbers.'Bed 55'to'Bed 58'are a single shell-limestone,from which 4 conodont samples were collected.The paper believes that it is unacceptable and unscientific in theory to place the D-C boundary within the shell-limestone.It is unreasonable to separate the brachiopod individuals into 2 parts,that is to place the lower part in the Upper Devonian,and the Upper part in the Lower Carboniferous.The samples used for dating were taken from'Bed 58'and'Bed 66',which are clearly higher than the occurrence position of Siphonodella sulcata(conodonts)in the profile.It is clear that the D-C boundary age of(361.0±4.1)Ma obtained by them is neither credible nor desirable.The Daposhang section in Guizhou falls into the sedimentary facies of deep-water basin,and it is the only section in China yields both the Wocklumeria Fauna and the Gattendorfia Fau-na.Liu et al.(2012)collected a tuff sample for dating from the D-C event bed of 2-4 black shale at the basal part of the Wangyou Formation and obtained a zircon U-Pb concordant age of(359.6±1.9)Ma.This age is close to,but older than the D-C boundary age of(358.9±0.4)Ma given by International Commission on Stratigraphy(2020).Superficially,this age seems credible and acceptable,but its error is huge,and the data is not precise enough to make the final word now.It is necessary to collect again samples from the Daposhang section in order to verify the accuracy of the age.Personally,it is acceptable that the age of the D-C boundary is about(358.9±0.4)Ma,and that the age of the D-C event bed ranges from 360.0 to 361.0 Ma.

This paper deals with the speciation,phylogeny and zonation of Protognathodus (conodonts) in details and puts more attention to the Pr.collinsoni-Pr.kockeli lineage in particular.Pr.meischneri Morphotype 2 with no node give rise to Pr.collinsoni by developing a single node orally either on the outer cup or on the inner cup,and then Pr.collinsoni with a single oral should gives rise to an unknown form with 2 oral nodes,rather than directly to Pr.kockeli with one row of oral nodes on each side of the cup respectively.It is obvious that there might be a missing link between Pr.collinsoni and Pr.kockeli.In addition,the Pr.collinsoni-Pr.kockeli lineage is clearly interrupted by the D-C event,and the first occurrence of Pr.kockeli should be after the event.Thus,the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary could not be defined by the first appearance of Pr.kockeli.According to their evolutionary relationship and stratigraphic distribution,six zones can be roughly recognized: the Lower meischneri zone,the Upper meischnei zone,the collinsoni zone,the unknown zone,the kockeli zone and the kuehni zone.We prefer placing Devonian-Carboniferous boundary (DCB) at the base of the kuehni zone to placing DCB at the base of the kockeli zone,because the base of the kuehni zone is consistent with the base of the sulcata zone.

Hereditary hierarchy is one of the major features of complex societies. Without a written record, prehistoric evidence for hereditary hierarchy is rare. Intentional cranial deformation (ICD) is a cross-generational cultural practice that embodies social identity and culture beliefs in adults through the behavior of altering infant head shape. Therefore, ICD is usually regarded as an archeological clue for the occurrence of hereditary hierarchy. With a calibrated radiocarbon age of 11245-11200 years BP, a fossil skull of an adult male displaying ICD discovered in Northeastern China is among the oldest-known ICD practices in the world. Along with the other earliest global occurrences of ICD, this discovery points to the early initiation of complex societies among the non-agricultural local societies in Northeastern Asia in the early Holocene. A population increase among previously more isolated terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene hunter-gatherer groups likely increased their interactions, possibly fueling the formation of the first complex societies.

The Cretaceous is a crucial period in the Earth's evolutionary history. However, the lack of a consolidated chronology for continental strata has precluded a better understanding of terrestrial processes and the integration of marine and terrestrial records. Here, we present an integrated chronology for the Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene terrestrial strata in the Jiaolai Basin, eastern China, based on new magnetostratigraphic results and 40Ar/39Ar analyses of the Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling borehole (CCSD-LK-I). Our geochronologic results suggest that, in the Jiaolai Basin, the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary is within the magnetozone R6 (560.62-570.13 m) and that the age of the Hongtuya Formation (containing late Cretaceous dinosaur bone and egg fossils) ranges from 84 Ma to 73.5 Ma, thus corresponding mainly to the Campanian. The comprehensive geochronologic framework allows the accurate correlation of the terrestrial Upper Cretaceous strata in the Jiaolai Basin to marine strata and other continental sequences, and also lays the foundation for the study of the structural evolution of eastern China.