It remains unclear how hunter-gatherers used plant resources to adapt to climate change during the LGM in southern China. In this study, new pollen and archaeobotanical results from Weijia Cave were used to analyse vegetation-climate change and plant exploitation of hunter-gatherers, then fossil pollen dataset and archaeological data from across China were used to evaluate the potential of nuts in the adaptation of hunter-gatherers to climate change during the LGM. Pollen analysis results show that vegetation around Weijia Cave was dominated by coniferous trees and the climate was quite cold during ca. 30000–19500 cal yr BP; the reduction of coniferous trees and the increase of broad-leaved trees suggested a warm trend in climate during ca. 19500–12500 cal yr BP. The hunter-gatherers at Weijia Cave adopted a plant exploitation strategy of diversified resource utilization centred on fat-rich nuts at the end of MIS 3, then transitioned to intensified tannin-rich acorn exploitation during the LGM to cope with the severe climate conditions. The sustained high-coverage of nut trees in southern China provided the hunter-gatherers with a low-cost adaptive strategy to address winter food shortages through prioritized nut exploitation during the LGM.

The Dingcun locality 54:100 site was first excavated in 1950 s and has since yielded abundant stone artefacts and the famous 'Dingcun human' fossils, including three teeth and a parietal fragment. The Dingcun teeth has been regarded as a potential evidence of early emergence and development of 'modern' anatomic characters, making them key to understanding the origin and evolution of our species. However, there has been considerable debate regarding the chronology of the Dingcun site. Here we establish a new chronology for the site, based on optical dating of the fossil-bearing sediments and U-series dating of fauna fossils from the cultural layers. Our study shows that the age of the Dingcun human fossil ranges from 298,000 to 225,000 years ago (at 95.4 % confidence interval). This new dating result suggest that the Dingcun hominins represent a Late Middle Pleistocene population in East Asia who had borne some modern dental traits.

Enamel thickness and distribution provide dietary insights in hominoids. Yet, three-dimensional (3D) enamel analysis of the Late Miocene Lufengpithecus from southwest China is lacking. We digitally reconstructed 68 unworn or lightly worn Lufengpithecus (L.) lufengensis molars using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Comparisons with modern humans, Homo erectus, extant/fossil Pongo, Pan, and Gorilla reveal L. lufengensis has "intermediate/thick" enamel, thicker than Pongo and Gorilla, but thinner than modern humans and H. erectus. In enamel distribution, relatively thicker enamel lies on the lingual cusps of the maxillary molars. The hypoconid, hypoconulid, and entoconid exhibit relatively thicker enamel compared to the metaconid and protoconid of the mandibular molars. L. lufengensis also exhibits an uneven pattern on the lingual and buccal walls. With relatively intermediate/thick enamel and distinctive distribution pattern, L. lufengensis may be able to respond to dietary variation in seasonal habitats.

Ticks serve as vectors and reservoirs for a variety of pathogens, including protozoa, bacteria, and viruses, that cause tick-borne diseases in both humans and livestock. Despite their widespread distribution, their genetic diversity and population structure in Xizang have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, sheep ticks were identified from four counties by microscopy, followed by genetic analysis of Dermacentor everestianus populations in Xizang based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene sequences. D. everestianus was the predominant species and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed nine haplotypes with seven nucleotide variations, showing a mean haplotype diversity (Hd) of 0.505 and mean nucleotide diversity (Pi) of 0.00129. Similarly, the COI sequences revealed 28 haplotypes with 26 nucleotide variations, yielding a mean Hd of 0.828 and a mean Pi of 0.00279. Molecular variance analysis (AMOVA) indicated that most genetic variation occurs within populations. In addition, neutral test analyses suggested potential bottleneck events in the D. everestianus populations. The haplotype network had a star-like distribution with the common haplotypes A1, A2, B1, and B5. The phylogenetic tree separated haplotypes of both genes into two branches on the haplotype network indicating no distinct geographical clustering. This study is the first to highlight the prevalence of D. everestianus in Xizang, revealing moderate genetic differentiation among the four populations, possibly due to host mobility. This intensive investigation of genetic variation and population structure contributes valuable insights into the current population genetics of D. everestianus in Xizang, China.

Gigantopithecus blacki is the largest hominoid with massive jaws and thick tooth enamel in the world and lasts from the early Early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene in South China. Understanding its foraging ecology is vital to unlocking the mysteries of its survival, evolution, and extinction. Although many analytical methods have been applied to reveal its foraging ecology, there is still a lack of direct evidence on the trophic level of G. blacki. For the first time, we presented the Ca isotope data of Gigantopithecus fauna at the locality of Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave (∼2 Ma), Guangxi, China during the early Early Pleistocene. The isotopic pattern from herbivores to carnivores is following the general trophic rule, i.e., the step decrease of δ44/42Ca values alongside the food chain. However, the cervids and Stegodon have extremely low δ44/42Ca values that are close to carnivores (hyenas) while G. blacki and Ailuropoda have the highest δ44/42Ca values among animals. When compiling the isotopic (δ13C, δ18O, δ44/42Ca) data together, we distinguish the animal niches well. Considering the dietary and physiological factors to influence δ44/42Ca values in diets, we suggest that cervids and Stegodon could have consumed lots of grasses and/or bones as an additional mineral supplement and that G. blacki and giant panda might have fed on C3 plant leaves and/or minerals from soils or rocks. The comparison of δ44/42Ca values among G. blacki, modern primates, and hominins indicates the significantly highest δ44/42Ca values in G.blacki in Asia and Paranthropus boisei in Africa. Even though both animals have distinctive δ13C and δ18O values, they have quite close δ44/42Ca values, suggesting a possible shared similar mechanism of Ca fractionation. Finally, the implications of δ44/42Ca values to reveal animal diets and physiology on species-specific scales were discussed. We hypothesize that foraging on mineral licks from soils or rocks could have been one of the main driving factors to account for the high δ44/42Ca values in the enamel of G.blacki, P. boisei, and giant panda, which possibly meets physiological demands to adapt to chew hard foodstuffs. Our study provides novel insights into the uniqueness of G.blacki's foraging ecology and displays the complexity of Ca isotope values to decipher animal diets and physiology.

2007年贵州毕节韦家洞首次发现古人类活动遗物.2016～2018年对遗址做深入考察,发现韦家洞是一个严重破坏的晚更新世古人类遗址,在深度破坏的扰乱层中出土了大量古人类活动证据,包括石制品、动物烧骨和人类牙齿,2018年在洞口和洞内深处发现残留的原生文化层.本文报告了韦家洞原生文化层的14C年代测定结果,距今1.2～2.7万年前,属于晚更新世末期.同时,观察描述了韦家洞出土的一枚古人类上颌第四前臼齿化石,对牙齿形态测量进行了研究比较,发现韦家洞人牙测量值落在现代中国人变异范围内,牙冠咬合面及釉质-齿质交界面EDJ形态简单,牙根短,根管简单纤细,与现代人相似.牙冠颊舌径大,具有三角形隆起和齿带,牙冠颊侧和舌侧均有垂直沟,近中和远中缘有边缘副结节,牙根中部膨大,这些特征显示了韦家洞人牙形态的原始性.综合比较国内外出土的古人类上颌第四前臼齿的形态特点及其演化趋势,结合遗址年代测定结果,我们认为韦家洞出土的人类上颌第四前臼齿形态特点体现了古人类牙齿演化的镶嵌性,为晚更新世东亚早期现代人的形态变异及其演化增添了新证据.

Molar enamel thickness and distribution pattern inform on the functional and dietary adaptation of extant and fossil primates. However, no systematic analysis of enamel thickness has been conducted on Lufengpithecus, a large-bodied fossil hominoid that lived in Southwest China during the late Miocene. In this study, we quantify two-dimensional (2D) enamel thickness and distribution of 68 lightly worn molars of Lufengpithecus (L.) lufengensis using micro-CT scanning data and compare it with modern humans, extant great apes, and fossil hominoids. The results indicate L. lufengensis has relatively thick enamel. It is slightly thicker than extant Pongo and comparable to some thick-enamel fossil pongines, but thinner than modern humans and most fossil hominins. The enamel distribution of L. lufengensis is distinctively unbalanced with relatively more enamel deposited on the cuspal region than the basal region in the molar crown, different from that found in modern humans and extant great apes. Concerning its palaeoecological and functional adaptations, we suggest that the features of thick-enamel and unbalanced distribution pattern in L. lufengensis is related to its adaptation to tough food and broader diets in a seasonal subtropical habitat.

OBJECTIVESGigantopithecus blacki, the largest hominoid known, is one of the representative Pleistocene mammals in southern China and northern Southeast Asia. Here we investigate the feeding ecology of G. blacki in its core habitat (Guangxi, Southern China) during the early Early Pleistocene, which was the early period in its evolution.MATERIALS AND METHODSThe stable isotopic (C, O) analysis of tooth enamel of the fauna associated with G. blacki (n = 58), including the largest number of G. blacki teeth (n = 12) to date from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave (~2 Ma), Guangxi, China, is undertaken.RESULTSThe δ13 C values of Liucheng fauna range from -12.9 to -19.0‰ with an average of -16.1 ± 1.3‰ (n = 58) and the δ18 O values range from -4.3 to -9.6‰ with an average of -6.9 ± 1.2‰ (n = 58). The δ13 C values of G. blacki range from -15.9‰ to -17.0‰ with an average of -16.5 ± 0.4‰ (n = 12), and the δ18 O values vary from -5.9‰ to -7.5‰ with an average of -6.6 ± 0.5‰ (n = 12).CONCLUSIONSThe isotopic data show Guangxi was characterized by closed C3 forest and humid climate in the early Early Pleistocene. Niche partitioning is found among G. blacki, Sinomastodon, Ailuropoda and Stegodon, the typical megafauna in South China in the early Early Pleistocene. This could be one of the important factors for them to co-exist until the Middle Pleistocene. Smallest isotopic variations of G. blacki are found compared with those of contemporary animals, indicating a conservative foraging ecology i.e., limited foraging area and/or narrow dietary flexibility. Furthermore, the more confined foraging ecology of G. blacki is also seen in comparison with fossil and extant large-bodied primates. However, the unique dietary pattern of G. blacki does not seem to have hindered its survival. The environment in Guangxi during the early Early Pleistocene offered the suitable conditions for G. blacki to become one of the typical species in the faunal assemblages.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate molar enamel development in fossil orangutans from Guangxi and shed light on the evolution of Asian great apes. MATERIALS AND METHODS We collected 32 fossil orangutan molars, most of which were from Guangxi apothecaries and the Guangxi Daxin Heidong cave, and prepared histological sections of each molar. We then characterized aspects of dental development, including long period line periodicity, number of Retzius lines and lateral enamel formation time, cuspal enamel thickness, and enamel formation time. RESULTS The long period line periodicity in fossil orangutans ranged from 9 to 10 days (mean, 9.09 days). The molar lateral enamel formation time ranged from 1.48 to 3.17 years (540-1,152 days). Cuspal enamel thickness in fossil orangutan molars ranged from 949 to 2,535 μm, and cuspal enamel formation time ranged from 0.64 to 1.87 years. Molar enamel formation time of fossil orangutans ranged from 2.47 to 4.67 years. DISCUSSION Long-period line periodicity of fossil orangutans from Guangxi was within the variation range of extant orangutans, and the average long period line periodicity (9.09 days) of fossil orangutans from Guangxi in this study was lower than the values for extant orangutans (9.5 days) and fossil orangutans (10.9 days) from Sumatra and Vietnam. Orangutan enamel thickness may have gradually decreased from the Middle Pleistocene to Holocene. Crown formation time of fossil orangutans was slightly longer than that of extant orangutans, and the M1 emergence age of fossil orangutans from Guangxi was about 4-6 years. These findings might indicate the regional difference or evolutionary changes in orangutans since Pleistocene. Dental development of the Guangxi fossil orangutans were more similar to that of Asian Miocene apes, suggesting the closer evolutionary relationship of orangutans to Miocene Asian fossil apes.

Stable isotopic (C,O) analysis of fossil enamel bioapatite has been widely used in paleontological fields to reconstruct the paleoecology and paleoenvironment.It is common to compare the isotopic data of enamel bioapatite made by different pretreatment and measuring methods in different labs,without considering the isotopic variations possibly caused by different protocols.Here,we chose the same samples from Gigantopithecus fauna in the Longgu Cave (Longgudong),Hubei and remeasured their δ13C and δ18O values,which had been previously reported in Zhao et al.(2011) and Nelson (2014) with different pretreatment and measuring methods,in order to evaluate the effects of the above factors on the isotopic variability.The comparison among three isotopic dataset indicates that there did exist small isotopic variations on the δ13C and δ18O values.It seems that the δ13C values were more influenced,probably due to differential practices to eliminate the diagenetic effects using varied chemicals and retaining reaction time during the process of bioapatite preparation.However,we should emphasize that the small isotopic variations observed here do not have produced substantial isotopic variance among fossil taxa and localities,providing the preliminarily theoretical foundation to make isotopic comparison directly.Even so,we still recommend that it is best to compare the isotopic data according to the same preparing and measuring protocols to remove the systematic errors or to remeasure samples again in different labs to calibrate the data.

目的 探讨中国更新世古人类身高演变趋势.方法 采用间接法复原中国更新世化石人类身高,先重建残缺长骨标本的最大长,然后依据长骨长度复原个体身高.结果 中国直立人(4例)和早期现代人(12例)的身高变异范围分别是155.4～ 169.2 cm和155.2～ 171.7 cm,而早期智人仅有1例女性个体身高约166.1 cm.位于西南地区的柳江和丽江的古人类身高明显低于北方早期现代人.结论 从直立人至早期现代人阶段,中国古人类身高变异范围相仿,而平均身高可能呈逐渐增长趋势;早期现代人展现出较明显的地域性差异;早期现代人与新石器时期现代人群身高间差异并未表现出显著性.

作为现仅存于亚洲大陆的现生大猿,更新世时期猩猩曾广泛分布于东南亚大陆及华南地区,但其保留下来的化石材料主要为单颗牙齿.从牙齿形态、尺寸等外部特征的研究得出的关于猩猩的分类及演化问题的结论并未得到广泛一致的认同,而研究表明牙齿生长发育特征可作为系统分类研究的一个潜在工具.本研究选取了一批来自于中国广西更新世时期的猩猩牙齿化石,制作牙齿组织学切片,测量计算了其牙釉质日分泌率,结果显示广西化石猩猩牙尖釉质日分泌率在2.32-6.88μm/d之间,平均值约为4.61μm/d,从牙尖内部到表面,釉质日分泌率有增加趋势.此外,还将广西化石猩猩与其他现生大猿和现代人进行比较,以期从牙齿生长发育的角度为猩猩的演化和分类问题提供一点线索和证据.

洛阳考古研究院2012年5月至10月在栾川孙家洞作抢救性发掘,于原生层位发现古人类化石,同时伴有大量哺乳动物化石,以及少量人工石制品.根据伴生动物群的初步鉴定,栾川古人类的生存时代为中更新世.6件古人类化石代表3个个体:1个成年人和2个未成年人,未成年人的牙齿生长发育阶段分别与6～7岁和11～12岁的现代青少年相当.栾川孙家洞古人类牙齿具有一定的原始性,明显区别于现代人,其形态大小位于周口店直立人牙齿的变异范围内,可归入直立人的形态范畴;同时具有东亚古人类及现代蒙古人群的地区性特征.基于幼年个体上下颌骨的牙齿发育,推测栾川古人类第一臼齿萌出年龄可能接近6岁,提示具有接近于现代人的牙齿生长模式和生活史特点.栾川中更新世古人类化石的发现为中国古人类连续演化假说提供了新证据.

目的 探讨大猩猩和现代人股骨颈结构对不同行走方式的差异化适应.方法 使用CT扫描9例大猩猩和18例现代人股骨标本,选取股骨颈内5处截面,测量截面几何形态参数.结果 大猩猩和现代人股骨颈近端至远端截面内几何形态参数(如Ix/Iy 、Zx/Zy和标准化骨密质面积)多呈增长趋势,但现代人标准化极截面抵抗矩除外.大猩猩股骨颈各截面内标准化骨密质面积和极截面抵抗矩均明显低于现代人.结论 大猩猩和现代人股骨颈各截面内几何形态特征间的相似性可能与股骨颈作为悬臂梁结构相关,而差异性主要归因于不同行走方式所产生的载荷环境.现代人颈中部抗扭转强度和平均抗弯强度相对较低,可能是导致其股骨颈中部易发生骨折的原因之一.

Tooth enamel is composed of elongated, hexagonal crystallites of hydroxyapatite. Some crystallites are arranged into various regual structures and futher formed a composite structure in a hierarchical manner. The hierarchical system can provide a basis for analysis different levels of structural complexity from varitaiton of particular crystallite strucutes to variation of structural types throughout a individual’s dentition. The size, orientation, distribution and the packing patterns of crystallites are gene-comtrolled and have limited range of intraspecific variability. Thus, these microstructures provide considerable and reliable morphological characters that help understanding of external dental morphology in context of both phylogeny and function in vertebrates. Because teeth are highly resistant to weathering, mainly owing to their enamel covering, so that they were commonly preserved as fossils. This organic system, particularly their microstructures, has attracted more and more attention from vertebrate paleontologists and other morphologists. However, as already recognized by many previous studies, some terminologies of the enamel microstructures have been complex and used inconsistently. Although considerable effort has been made to study enamel microstructures in China during the last few decades, a standard terminology of enamel microstructures in Chinese has not be formally brought into line with that in English literatures. Here we intend to introduce and systematize the relevant terminology used in the study of enamel microstructures and translate them into Chinese, in hoping that this systematic effort will enhance researches of enamel microstructures in China. 脊椎动物牙齿釉质显微结构具丰富的形态学特征，承载着系统发育和生物力学等方面的信息。本文在前人的研究基础上，试图系统地介绍牙釉质显微结构的基本内容，提出牙釉质研究中相关术语的中文译名建议，并对一些重要术语做了简要解释，供相关研究者参考，以期促进牙釉质显微结构研究的进一步发展。

Recently,three human fossil teeth in association with abundant mammalian remains have been recovered from the limestone Mawokou Cave in Bijie,Guizhou Province of southwestern China.The human teeth including one upper canine and two upper molars can be assigned into anatomically modem Homo sapiens both in tooth sizes and morphological traits.The mammalian assemblage associated with human teeth discovered from the Mawokou Cave contains 8 orders,20 families,43 genera and 53 species after identification,including 23 species of large mammals and 30 species of small mammals.In this study the proboscidean remains from this site are systematically described as Stegodon orientalis and Elephas maximus.Due to the absence of the typical Early Pleistocene members in southern China,such as Sinomastodon and Stegodon huananensis,the Mawokou fauna bears the transitional characteristics of the typical Middle Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna (s.s.) and Late Pleistocene Asian elephant fauna in southern China.The geological age of the Mawokou fauna is estimated to be late Middle Pleistocene or early Late Pleistocene based on the biostratigraphic correlation.The preliminary TL/OSL dating of the strata containing the human fossils gives an age of 178 ka～112 ka.The proboscidean assemblage with the associated fauna from the Mawokou Cave signifies a warm,humid subtropical forest with aquatic resources,shrubs,and grasslands nearby.This environment was apparently favorable for habitation of Homo sapiens,as well as Stegodon orientalis and Elephas maximus.

Tooth enamel is composed of elongated,hexagonal crystallites of hydroxyapatite.Some crystallites are arranged into various regual structures and futher formed a composite structure in a hierarchical manner.The hierarchical system can provide a basis for analysis different levels of structural complexity from varitaiton of particular crystallite strucutes to variation of structural types throughout a individual's dentition.The size,orientation,distribution and the packing patterns of crystallites are gene-comtrolled and have limited range of intraspecific variability.Thus,these microstructures provide considerable and reliable morphological characters that help understanding of external dental morphology in context of both phylogeny and function in vertebrates.Because teeth are highly resistant to weathering,mainly owing to their enamel covering,so that they were commonly preserved as fossils.This organic system,particularly their microstructures,has attracted more and more attention from vertebrate paleontologists and other morphologists.However,as already recognized by many previous studies,some terminologies of the enamel microstructures have been complex and used inconsistently.Although considerable effort has been made to study enamel microstructures in China during the last few decades,a standard terminology of enamel microstructures in Chinese has not be formally brought into line with that in English literatures.Here we intend to introduce and systematize the relevant terminology used in the study of enamel microstructures and translate them into Chinese,in hoping that this systematic effort will enhance researches of enamel microstructures in China.

釉面横纹的数目可用于推断个体牙齿的牙冠形成时间,在生长发育研究中具有重要的意义.本研究运用数码体视显微镜和扫描电镜观察了云南石灰坝禄丰禄丰古猿(简称禄丰古猿)30枚齿冠完整的前部牙齿,包括上下颌中门齿6枚、侧门齿10枚和犬齿14枚.根据唇侧面釉面横纹计数的观察结果,分别以7天和9天芮氏线生长周期,估算各齿型的牙冠形成时间,结果显示:以生长周期7天计算,中门齿牙冠形成时间约为3.6-4.1年,侧门齿牙冠形成时间约为2.7-3.7年,犬齿牙冠形成时间约为4.2-7.0;以生长周期9天计算,中门齿牙冠形成时间约为4.4-5.2年,侧门齿牙冠形成时间约为3.4-4.7年,犬齿牙冠形成时间约为5.2-8.8年.为更深入地了解禄丰古猿牙冠形成时间在不同齿型及性别间是否存在明显差异,本文用SPSS软件对其进行显著性差异检验.采用小样本平均值的t值假设检验(置信区间为95％),结果如下:禄丰古猿前部牙齿的牙冠形成时间在各类牙齿的上下颌中不存在显著性差异;犬齿牙冠形成时间存在非常显著的性别差异,雄性牙冠形成时间明显长于雌性,侧门齿也存在显著的性别差异,而中门齿性别间则无显著性差异.此外对禄丰古猿中门齿,侧门齿和犬齿的牙冠形成时间进行单因素方差分析并两两对比,结果显示中门齿与侧门齿的牙冠形成时间不存在显著性差异,而犬齿与中门齿和侧门齿均存在显著性差异,犬齿牙冠形成时间明显长于门齿.同时也对禄丰古猿前部牙齿的牙冠形成时间与齿冠高进行相关性分析,其结果表明两者有显著的正相关性.将禄丰古猿与其他古猿和现生大猿、南方古猿以及人属成员进行对比,结果显示其前部牙齿牙冠形成时间长于原修康尔猿、南方古猿、傍人、人属成员,接近于蝴蝶禄丰古猿和大猩猩,而明显小于黑猩猩、华南化石猩猩及现生猩猩.

OBJECTIVESThe present study investigated the distribution of perikymata on anterior teeth of Miocene Lufengpithecus lufengensis so as to broaden the comparative data of developmental variation within and among hominoids. We also compared perikymata-spacing pattern of Lufengpithecus lufengensis with hominins and extant African great apes to understand the implication of dental development.MATERIALS AND METHODSA total of 30 anterior teeth (including 6 I1, 10 I2, and 14 C) of Lufengpithecus lufengensis were examined using a scanning electron microscope and Keyence VHX-600EOS digital microscope to document the number and distribution of perikymata on their labial surfaces. The labial crown height of each tooth was divided into 10 equal deciles and the total perikymata number in each decile was recorded. The mean number of perikymata per millimeter was then calculated for each decile. SPSS statistical software was used to perform analyses of these data, including t-tests for sexual dimorphism and plots showing the perikymata distribution in Lufengpithecus lufengensis.RESULTSPerikymata counts of Lufengpithecus lufengensis in the first three deciles are fewer than the remaining deciles, and with perikymata becoming increasingly more closely packed as growth progresses from cusp to cervix, but decrease in density in the cervical decile. Besides, total labial perikymata counts of canines tend to display very significant sexual dimorphism.DISCUSSIONLufengpithecus lufengensis anterior teeth are more similar in their distribution of labial perikymata to those of Australopithecus than those of other hominins and extant African great apes from previous studies.