The Early Cretaceous period is characterised by a rapid evolutionary radiation for dinosaurs. Yunnan Province, one of China's richest regions for dinosaur records, has yielded numerous skeletal and track fossils from the Middle and Lower Jurassic deposits, while the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur records are relatively scarce. This paper reports the discovery of a large dinosaur tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous Matoushan Formation in Huashiban Village, Konglongshan Town, Lufeng City, Yunnan Province. Preliminary analysis has identified at least 418 footprints that are dominated by sauropods, with theropod and ornithopod footprints also present. The track assemblage from the Huashiban main site broadens our understanding of the distribution of Early Cretaceous dinosaurs in Yunnan, which shows greater consistency with the Lower Cretaceous tetrapod track assemblage from the Sichuan Basin.

The Stegodon-Ailuropoda Faunal Complex is representative of Quaternary faunas across southern China. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that a great deal of variation is present within the faunal complex. Here we report a new late Quaternary faunal assemblage from Upper Pubu Cave, Bubing Basin, Guangxi, southern China. Upper Pubu is a good example of the variation in the Stegodon-Ailuropoda Faunal Complex, particularly when situated in the broader Bubing Basin Quaternary faunal sequence. Upper Pubu was excavated two times resulting in the discovery of 2396 mammalian fossils, consisting mostly of isolated teeth from medium- to large-sized animals. Twenty four mammalian taxa were identified, representative of the Stegodon-Ailuropoda Faunal Complex, including Ailuropoda, Stegodon, Pongo, Rhinoceros, Tapirus, and Elephas. Upper Pubu is dated to 210-100 ka by Uranium-series, electron spin resonance (ESR) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) methods. The Upper Pubu fossils largely date to Marine Isotope Stage ("MIS") 6. Given the severity of the climate during MIS 6, the reduction in both the number and proportion of primates and carnivores in Upper Pubu may be the result of environmental deterioration and a decrease in forested areas towards the end of the Middle Pleistocene ("Chibanian"). It is reasonable to speculate that a predominantly forested and mosaic-like habitat was present during the end of the Middle Pleistocene in southern China - a good example of environmental change during the Quaternary in the region.

The Zuojiang rock art group is a World Cultural Heritage area, of which the Ningming Huashan Rock Art site (NHRA), in Ningming County, Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is considered to be a representative locality. However, the NHRA is located on the steep cliffs facing the Zuojiang River making accessibility to analyze the rock art images extremely difficult. Most of the previous studies have focused on understanding the age, content, function and techniques used to create the rock art. However, given its inaccessibility, any previous attempts to analyze the rock art based on metric dimensions have failed. Here we present for the first time a metric analysis of 179 intact human figures from the NHRA that have been measured (height, image height (including head ornaments), arm width, leg width, arm span, leg span, torso height, chest width, area) using close range photogrammetry technology to obtain detailed data of the size, distribution range and compositional proportion of the human figures. The results show that the height, image height, arm span and leg span of the human figures are mostly distributed between 100-150 cm. Overall, it represents a Gaussian distribution. The torso height, arm and leg width are between 50-100 cm, chest width is between 20-30 cm, and area is between 0.3-0.4 m2. Detailed features of the head, hands, feet, and torso were also classified and numeric data were recorded which allowed for statistical analyses. Pearson's correlation test results show that there is a significant correlation between the height and eight measurements indicating that the images follows the rules of proportionality and coordination, which in turn suggests that the painters are skilled at the creation of rock art. The results of this study are important for exploring the forms of organization within the social groups of the painters regarding the production, learning and diffusion of rock art. This study will shed further light on the variability of human figure rock art across southwest China and Southeast Asia.

Detrital sediments in karst caves are critical for investigating landscape history and archaeology. Karst landscape is widely distributed in southern China, with numerous caves which have been important archives for preserving hominin and other vertebrate paleontological fossils. However, the chronological study of detrital sediments in karst caves is complicated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating because of the existence of multiple phases of erosion and refilling of these deposits, as well as by the partial bleaching. Here we report the result of quartz OSL dating of Yicun Cave, a mammalian fossils site including the latest Pongo fossils in southern China. The consistency between the OSL ages for parallel samples from each individual sediment layer indicates that partial bleaching is not a problem for these samples. The OSL ages range from 3.0 ± 0.19 ka to 4.2 ± 0.22 ka, significantly younger than the previously reported U-series age of flowstones and soda straws (58~307 ka) from the same excavated pit. These dating results suggest that the cave have experienced two episodes of erosion and refilling in 58-4 ka and 4-3 ka. The mammalian fossils were most likely reworked into the chamber from other parts of the cave system in 4-3 ka, and the age of the fossils is best represented by the U-series age range of 57.8 ka to 66.3 ka. This study provides a typical case illustrating the complexity of karst cave deposits and the necessity of multi-disciplinary approaches in the chronological study of cave sites.

To extend the range of materials that can be used to provide chronological constraint in archaeological and palaeontological settings, we explore the use of cave pearls that form in shallow pools. Here, we present U-series dating results of cave pearls found in cave sediments with mammal fossils collected from systematic excavations at the Diaozhongyan Cave ("DZY"), located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. Similar to soda straw stalactites, cave pearls can be transported after formation and subsequently incorporated into sediments. Thus, the U-series ages of the outermost layers of cave pearls are expected to be older than their host sediments and associated archaeological and paleontological materials. In conjunction with U-series dating of mammal teeth, which can provide a reliable minimum age, U-series ages of cave pearls can provide a maximum age limit of the deposits. Thus, dating of the mammal teeth and cave pearls from DZY reasonably constrains the first occurrence of the DZY Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna to a period between 205.6 +/- 1.4 ka and 231.0 +/- 12.8 ka. These age constraints agree well with previous estimates for the time range of the late Middle Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna in southern China. We propose that greater attention should be paid to cave pearls, which are commonly found in cave deposits that were laid down at least in part due to fluvial activity, and can be used for U-series dating to better constrain the age of the associated cave deposits.

At the broad Early/Middle/Late Pleistocene level, the Chinese hominin fossil site distribution data may inform on hominin mobility/behavioral/interaction strategies. Hominins during the Early Pleistocene and well into the Middle Pleistocene appear to be more restricted to central and southern China. By the advent of the late Middle Pleistocene hominins are found regularly in northern China and by the Late Pleistocene, hominin fossils are found in all latitudes and longitudes encompassing modern day China, and beginning some time during marine isotope stage 3 appear in higher altitudinal regions (e.g., Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) as well. During the Middle Pleistocene a number of sites are found well away from major riverways suggesting an ability to transport potable water or perhaps an ability to be able to locate smaller bodies of fresh water. Given the paucity of evidence for storage containers until relatively recently in time, it is perhaps not that surprising that many of the Middle Pleistocene open-air sites are reportedly found in or near lacustrine environments. Hominins had a more restricted range due to climatic variation during the Early and early Middle Pleistocene, but were able to more successfully adapt to changing climes beginning during the late Middle Pleistocene. In part, this is due to a range of behavioral changes that hominins developed during the Pleistocene.

A number of animal remains were unearthed from the rock shelter area of the Zhongshan site in Tiandong County,Guangxi,South China.Taxonomic research shows that the number of animal remains represents at least 39 species.People who use hunting as the main production mode choose Zhongshan as their place of residence and distance hunting locale.The skeletal remains are all from wild animals,with domestication not yet involved.During occupation,Zhongshan was located in an intermontane basin with primarily shrub-meadow and forest with grass and waters nearby.This research is significant because it offers information on human survival behaviors,habitats,and evolutionary character of the late Paleolithic period in southern China.

Thanks to the presence of the enigmatic Gigantopithecus fossils, vertebrate paleontologists have spent much time analyzing the Pleistocene faunas of southern China. Although research has been conducted in the region for more than one half century, the vast majority of this research has focused on the direct analysis of the associated vertebrate fossils, particularly for taxonomic identification purposes. In order to develop a firmer understanding of the paleoenvironment in which these various taxa lived there is still a relative paucity of data derived from other lines of evidence besides taxonomic identifications. Here, we contribute to these paleoenvironmental reconstructions of southern China by presenting the results of clay mineral composition and geochemical analyses of the deposits from the Early Pleistocene Mohui Cave (Bubing Basin, Guangxi). In general, the Mohui Cave clay mineral samples are dominated by kaolinite, which indicates a warm and humid climate. The relatively high content of smectite in Unit II implies a relatively long dry season within the overall context of the warm and humid environment. Based on the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), the estimated land surface temperature during the Early Pleistocene (27 degrees C) was much higher than today (21.9 degrees C). Our results are consistent with previous environmental reconstructions based on vertebrate paleontological and isotopic studies of the Gigantopithecus fauna in southern China that the environment during the Early Pleistocene was warmer and more humid than today. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

Studies have shown that stable isotope [oxygen (O) and carbon (C)] composition of mammal tooth enamel can provide information on a region's paleoclimate and paleoecology. Stable isotope analysis has been used to investigate the impact of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau uplift on the development and strength of the Asian monsoon. However, due to sparse data from southern China, a region dominated by the East Asian monsoon, O and C isotope analysis of mammal tooth enamel has been unable to fully inform on the impact of the monsoon environment in the region. Here, we present the results of the analysis of stable isotopes on a set of cervid tooth enamel from late Middle Pleistocene Tantang Cave in Bubing Basin, Guangxi, southern China and compare them with comparable isotope data from nearby early Early Pleistocene Mohui and middle Early Pleistocene Sanhe Caves. The results of the oxygen isotope analysis indicates that Tantang Cave (-8.70 parts per thousand to -6.39 parts per thousand) is similar to Mohui Cave (-8.71 parts per thousand to -6.34 parts per thousand), with both sites being more negative than Sanhe Cave (-4.77 parts per thousand to -1.20 parts per thousand). We suggest the East Asian summer monsoon was stronger during the Tantang and Mohui mammal occupations and weaker during the lifetime of the Sanhe mammals. This result is indirectly corroborated by vertebrate paleontological evidence. Murid rodents, implying an open grassland and somewhat drier climate, are found in great numbers in Sanhe. The carbon isotope results from Tantang (-17.70 parts per thousand to -10.26 parts per thousand), Mohui (-15.27 parts per thousand to -12.51 parts per thousand), and Sanhe (-16.63 parts per thousand to -14.71 parts per thousand) overlap extensively suggesting these various faunas primarily lived in a closed forest environment. The implications of these findings from stable isotope studies from Tantang are discussed in their broader context. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

Our understanding of the chronological sequence of Pleistocene land mammal faunas (including hominids) preserved in caves and fissures in the karstic terrain of subtropical southern China has been greatly impeded by the discontinuous nature of the strata yielding the fossils. A contributory issue is the lack of suitable elements for numerical dating, especially for the Early Pleistocene cave sediments. Here we present new magnetostratigraphic dating results for five cave sedimentary sequences in the Bubing Basin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which contain the typical Pleistocene Gigantopithecus fauna and Ailuropoda–Stegodon fauna of southern China. The five karstic caves are situated at elevations ranging from 252 m to 191 m above sea level. The integrated dating results reveal that the five cave sedimentary sequences span an age range from the late Gauss normal Chron to the early Brunhes normal Chron. The faunas are assigned to >2.6 Ma (Mohui–houshan Cave), 1.95–1.78 Ma (Mohui Cave), 0.99–0.78 Ma (Baolai Cave) and ∼0.7 Ma (Upper Wuyun and Ganxian Caves). Furthermore, by combining our new magnetostratigraphy work with previously published magnetostratigraphic, U–series and electron spin resonance dating results, a chronological sequence of the Plio–Pleistocene mammalian faunas from cave sites in southern China has been established. The chronological sequence contributes to an improved understanding of the evolutionary processes of Plio–Pleistocene land mammals, as well as of early humans in subtropical southern China.

AbstractThe rock art and the associated natural scenery at 38 sites located in the Zuojiang River valley, in the southwest of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, were inscribed recently on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The painted panel at the site of Mt. Huashan is probably the largest known rock art panel in the world, consisting of approximately 1900 identifiable figures and occupying an area of approximately 8000 m2. To determine a precise age on the rock art at Mt. Huashan, 56 secondary carbonate layers above and below the paintings were studied for their mineralogy, oxygen, and carbon isotopic compositions and dated by the 230Th/U method. The 230Th/U dating results demonstrate that ages of the rock paintings can be bracketed between 1856±16 and 1728±41yr BP corresponding to the middle to the end of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25 to 220). The results imply that the rock painting practices at Mt. Huashan probably lasted more than a century, and the Zuojiang rock art is younger than that at Baiyunwan and Cangyuan in Yunnan Province by 1 to 10 centuries.

The Nalai Paleolithic site (23°43′40.1″N,106°52′01.9″E;155.7m a.s.1.),situated at the Nalai Village in Tianyang County,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,is one of the most representative sites in the central Bose Basin.This site is located at the forth fluvial terrace of the Youjiang River,with 1000m in length from west to east,300m in width from north to south.Its deposits are well preserved,with an outcrop of thick layered laterite and gravel bed,6m and ＞7.5m in thickness,respectively.Further fieldworks have been carried out by Tianyang Couty Museum since 2008.41 stone artifacts (including 12 handaxes) and one tektite were found in vermicular red soil layer of the forth fluvial terrace.Here,we report our observation and preliminary study on the in situ embedding of the tektite and the connection between this Paleolithic assemblage and Acheulean-equivalent technologies.The tektite in Nalai site displays delicate features with flow-like features,bubbles and delicate-sharp edges in the surface.The unabraded and sharp-edged surface of the tektite in Nalai site which is very similar to that of previously well-documented tektites from Damei and Fengshudao sites in the west Bose Basin indicate that it was embedded in situ without transportation or post-deposition.Based on well-established contexts of previously excavated sites at T4 in the Bose Basin,we infer that the lithic assemblage of Nalai are of similar age with the co-present tektites,which were dated to ca.0.8Ma,roughly ranging from late Early Pleistocene to early Middle Pleistocene.The stone artifacts from the Nalai site mainly include heavy duty tools,such as handaxes,picks and choppers.Also,some light duty tools,such as scrapers,were found.The lithic raw materials of these stone artifacts are quartzite (49％),sandstone (37％),igneous rock (5％),silicalite (5％),quartz (2％) and breccia(2％).This Paleolithic assemblage is similar to those previously reported in other sites in the Bose Basin.Multiple morphological and technological parameters of the Nalai handaxes including weight,length,width,thickness,refinement ratio (thickness/width) and flake scar counts were summarized to differentiate the morphological and technological features between the Nalai handaxes and Acheulean assemblages from the Old Word (East and West Asia,Africa,Europe).The geometrical morphology of the Nalai handaxes are identical with that of the Fengshudao handaxes in west Bose Basin,suggesting that Nalai Paleolithic site was the component of the stone artifacts industry in Bose Basin.The thickness of the Nalai handaxes (74.31mm in average) is within the variation range of Acheulean assemblages from the Europe (High Lodge),the Middle East (Dawadmi 207-76) and the Africa (Kariandusi and Olduvai Bed Ⅱ).The average refinement ratio of the Nalai handaxes (0.57) is very close to that of the Fengshudao handaxes (0.585),but slightly different from that of other East Asia handaxes,such as the Imjin/Hantan basin (0.65) in Korea,Luonan basin (0.61) and the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region (0.51) in China.Notably,the refinement ratios of the Nalai handaxes are close to the Acheulean assemblages of Africa (Olduvai EF HR,Bed Ⅱ,Konso KGA 7-A1,A2,A3,Olorgesailie,M1,I3,Grotte des Ours,Amanzi Springs,Doornlaagte) and South Asia (Hunsgi Ⅴ,Mudnur Ⅷ).The Nalai handaxes have higher flake scar counts than the KGA 6-A1 Locus C (ca.1.75Ma),KGA 4-A2 (ca.1.6Ma),KGA 10-A11 (ca.1.45Ma),KGA 7-A1,A2,A3 (ca.1.4Ma),KGA 12-A1 (ca.1.25Ma),indicating a more reduction level than that of the Early Pleistocene Acheulean handaxes in Africa.However,it is close to that of the Middle Pleistocene western Acheulean assemblage,such as Olorgesailie (0.4～0.7Ma) and Grotte des Ours (ca.0.4Ma).Based on above comparisons,the morphological and technological parameters of Nalai handaxes are completely within the variation ranges of the Acheulean Industrial Complex in the Old Word.There is no essential difference between the Bose toolmakers and known Acheulean communities,implying that Homo erectus in West and East had similar technology and behavioral competence,at least during the Early and Middle Pleistocene transition.

The origin and dispersal of early modern humans and the associated environment background changes have been important hot topics.In recent years,some fossils of early modern humans dated to the early Late Pleistocene have been found in South China,which provides important materials for understanding the origin and evolution of early modern humans in East Asia.However,we now still have little knowledge of the environment background of early modern humans.Luna Cave (23°36′48″N,106°58′1″E) is located in the Karst mountains of the southeastern Bubing Basin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,Southern China.The cave is about 30m above the valley floor and 162m above sea level.The deposits of about 0.5 ～ 2.0m in thickness are well preserved,including three different culture layers and were primarily of light brown clay containing a few limestone breccia.The Natural History Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region conducted the first excavation in 2004 and the second excavation in 2008.We discovered more than one hundred mammalian teeth and bones,including the two hominin teeth assigned to modern Homo sapiens that were dated between 70～ 120ka B.P.based on multiple MC-ICP-MS uranium-series dates of associated flowstones in clear stratigraphic context.In this paper,we used different analysis methods including enamel stable isotopes,sporopollen,and clay minerals to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of Luna Cave (70～120ka B.P.) in a multidisciplinary way.We selected nine well-preserved Cervus teeth for carbon and oxygen isotope analysis,as the Cervus teeth and human teeth were found in the same second culture layer.We used MAT 253 mass spectrometer in the State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan).The results show that the δ13C values of the Luna Cave cervid enamel are from-10.4‰ to-14.8‰ with a mean value of -13.2±1.27‰,which clearly indicate the Luna Cave was in a forest environment dominated by C3 plants.The stable isotope analysis of the enamel from Luna Cave suggests that the Luna cave dominated by C3 plants was in a region belonging to the forest but not closed forest environment,indicating the climate was relatively mild.In total,we collected eight sporopollen samples continuously from the top to the bottom from the east wall of a 1.2m deep excavation unit in Luna Cave.The sporopollen analysis was carried out in the State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics at the Institute of Geology,China Earthquake Administration.The results suggest the Luna Cave was in mild paleoenvironment without extreme hot or cold weather events.We also collected the samples for clay mineral composition and CIA index of the sediments analysis from the east wall of a 1.2m deep excavation unit in Luna Cave.The exposed stratigraphic section was carefully cleaned before sampling.The 11 samples were taken at 10cm intervals from the top to the bottom of the excavation unit.The clay mineral composition and CIA index of the sediments of the samples were analyzed using Agilent 7700e ICP-MS in the Wuhan sample Solution Analytical Technology company.The clay mineral composition and CIA index of the sediments don't have big changes,consistently suggesting the Luna cave was in a mild and stable paleoenvironment during the time of human living.Using multidisciplinary methods to reconstruct paleoenvironment of early modern humans enables us to get a better understanding of the paleoenvironment background of early modern humans in East Asia.Our results suggest South China had suitable climatic conditions,which probably provided a good condition for the origin and evolution of early modern humans in East Asia.

Dentognathic remains of Gigantopithecus blacki from the newly discovered Early Pleistocene locality of Yanliang Cave, Guangxi, South China are described. These include an incomplete mandible, only the fourth discovered and the first known from a site other than Liucheng, as well as 25 isolated teeth. Comparisons of the Yanliang mandible show that the best preserved part of the right corpus is morphologically similar to the left side of the Liucheng Mandible III. In addition, the Yanliang mandible and the Liucheng Mandible III share a similar degree and pattern of wear on the premolars and molars. The partially resorbed alveolus for the right M2 in the Yanliang mandible indicates antemortem tooth loss, which is the first record of its kind for Gigantopithecus blacki. Comparisons of the enamel–dentine junction morphology show that the isolated upper premolars from Yanliang are similar to those of Gigantopithecus blacki from Early Pleistocene sites, and differ from the more specialised form from the Middle Pleistocene Hejiang Cave. This supports the biochronological evidence that Yanliang Cave is Early Pleistocene in age.

Several caves of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, have delivered Gigantopithecus blacki remains, an extinct Pleistocene giant ape, in association with abundant mammalian faunas. To determine their geological ages, fossil teeth from Mohui and Sanhe Caves were dated using the coupled ESR/U-series method. The teeth from Mohui Cave gave age estimates of 1.69 +/- 0.22 Ma and 1.29 +/- 0.11 Ma. The Sanhe Cave samples had age estimates ranging from 910 +/- 200 ka to 600 +/- 150 ka with error weighted mean ages of 890 +/- 130 ka and 720 +/- 90 ka for the layers 5 and 4, respectively. Our results and previous paleomagnestism data place the Gigantopithecus fauna at Mohui Cave between Olduvai and Jaramillo subchrons and suggest that it was coeval with Chuifeng, Longgupo and Liucheng assemblages. The Sanhe fauna is younger, of late early Pleistocene age, and can be dated to the period between Jaramillo subchron and B/M boundary. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

百峰遗址位于百色盆地西部右江南岸的第四级河流阶地.本文报道我们在该遗址调查时采集的37件石制品,其中包括2件手斧和16件手镐.这些手斧和手镐均用扁平砾石为毛坯加工而成,暗示生活在百色盆地的早期人类加工石器时利用附近可获得的原料.在遗址的网纹红土地层中,新暴露出来的石制品和玻璃陨石处于同一层位,显示百色盆地第四级阶地的石制品制作时代与玻璃陨石的降落事件时间一致,在中更新世早期.

New research in recent years has enriched our understanding of the spatio-temporal distribution of Large Cutting Tool (LCT) technology in Paleolithic China. Yet, few studies have focused on hominid social behaviors, and by analyzing LCTs from the Baise Basin in southern China, this case study aims to clarify some of these strategies for the region. Specifically, by employing two primary lines of evidence that consider both quantitative environmental variables and technological tool attributes, the results suggest that hominids preferred to adopt behavioral strategies associated with short-distance travelling and small-territory ranging. Furthermore, given the low density of stone artifacts and LCTs in all excavated sites, the somewhat homogenous landscape, and the even distribution of plant-dominated resources throughout the basin, site occupation and/or settlement was likely temporary in nature. Overall, the use of ecological simulations and analogous approaches in this study provides a series of new data for understanding lifeways of early humans in the humid subtropical forests of South China, and equally important, promote new research avenues for understanding the dynamics of the Chinese Paleolithic.

Previous analyses of dental size in Gigantopithecus blacki indicated marked sexual dimorphism and a trend towards increasing size through time. These studies were based on a sample of over 700 teeth from five localities excavated prior to 1990. Since then, 12 additional cave sites have been discovered in southern China, yielding hundreds of isolated teeth of G. blacki. Most of these sites are well dated by a combination of biochronology and absolute dating methods, so we now have a much better understanding of the chronology of G. blacki. Here, we reexamine the degree of sexual dimorphism and the question of dental size increase through time in G. blacki based on the expanded collections now available. Our results show that sexual dimorphism is not as marked as indicated in previous studies and confirm earlier analyses suggesting that the postcanine teeth of G. blacki tend to become larger through time from the beginning of the Early Pleistocene to the Middle Pleistocene.