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Table of Content

    15 March 2009, Volume 28 Issue 01
    A preliminary study of the Bailong Cave paleoanthropological site in Yunxi County, Hubei Province
    WU Xian-zhu; PEI Shu-wen; WU Xiu-jie; QU Sheng-ming; CHEN Ming-hui; HU Qin; LIU Wu
    2009, 28(01):  1-15. 
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    Bailong Cave located in Yunxi County, Hubei Province, is an important paleoanthropological site in China. It was discovered in the 1970s and was excavated twice in the past 30 years. A large number of cultural remains including seven Homo erectus teeth, stone and bone artifacts, and many mammalian fossils were excavated from the site. In April-May 2007, a geological and geomorphological survey around the cave was conducted as well as analysis of cultural remains from previous excavations. In addition, in September 2007, the authors also carried out an exploration of the cave formation and a small test excavation exposing an area of about 6 ㎡.
    A large number of mammalian fossils, and some stone and bone artifacts were unearthed. The Bailong Cave was formed in the conglomerates, micrites and marlites of the Shaping Formation of the Pliocene. Vertical vadose was the main resorption pattern. Eight stratigraphic layers were identified at the site totaling more than 2.4 metres thick. Archaeological materials were mainly unearthed from the 2nd layer, a layer of red clay 5.0~6.0 cm in thickness. Mammalian fauna shows similarities to the late Early Pleistocene to early Middle Pleistocene mammalian fauna featured in South China, which indicates that the cave deposits (especially the cultural layers) were formed before the early Middle Pleistocene. It can be inferred from the mammalian fauna that the environment was forest-grass in a tropical to sub-tropical zone. The stone tool assemblage includes cores (4), flakes (4), retouched tools (10), chunks and debris (20). Stone raw materials exploited at the site were locally available from vein quartzite. The principal flaking technique was direct hammer percussion, followed by bipolar percussion, with most of the artifacts middle to small in size. Scrapers were the dominant tool type, followed by burins and choppers. Modified tools appeared to be retouched by direct hammer percussion, mostly unifacial retouch on the dorsal surface of the blank. The assemblage of the Bailong Cave site shows a close association with the Main Industry in North China, although this similarity may be the result of similar raw materials—vein quartzite.
    More detailed explanation on cave formation processes, burial features of the mammalian fossils including fragmentation, and interpretations of human occupation are further elaborated on in this paper. In addition, ESR and paleomagnetic dating was completed on some samples from the site.
    “Western Elements” in the Chinese Paleolithic as viewed in a framework of early human cultural evolution
    HUANG Wei-wen; HOU Ya-mei; GAO Li-hong
    2009, 28(01):  16-25. 
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    This paper reviews the arguments for the existence of western elements??(or marked techniques and tools in western Paleolithic) in the Chinese Paleolithic. Two conclusions were reached in this paper: 1) The Chinese Paleolithic western elements are an objective phenomena that show similar developmental steps and basic characters found in both the East and West; 2) The Chinese Paleolithic western elements show characters of overlap and diachronic patterning as is found in the West. Based on the above conclusions, the authors view the known Paleolithic cultures from Europe, Asia and Africa as the result of bi-directional movements of migration, diffusion, exchange and a blend of early human cultures between West and East as early as two million years ago, which occurred as a response to global environmental changes.
    On paleogeography, paleoclimatology, paleoecology in the Jinpendong Site
    XU Qin-qi; JIN Chang-zhu; ZHENG Long-ting; LIU Wu; DONG Wei; LIU Jin-yi; SUN Cheng-kai; LU Jin-yan
    2009, 28(01):  26-31. 
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    The Jinpendong site was excavated again in 2004. The new fossils discovered in the site indicate that there are 8 orders, 18 families, 25 genera and 31 species altogether. The Jinpendong fauna represents the latest stage of the Middle Pleistocene, corresponding to the MIS 6, or equivalent to the Riss Glaciation in Europe, or the penultimate glacial period in the world. The fauna suggests an ecological environment of forests of short trees with some limited shrubbery and grassland. The exchange between mammalian faunas was obstructed by the dense forests in South China.
    Distribution of three skull traits in ancient Chinese groups
    LI Fa-jun
    2009, 28(01):  32-44. 
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    Three anatomical features ( canine fossa, the marginal process of the zygomatic bone and the amount of bulging between the orbit and the pyriform orifice) of 11 ancient Chinese human groups were analyzed using Chi-squared tests in order to identify between-group variation. The results show that for the different ethnic groups, the frequency in the occurrence of the canine fossa in males could be reflected on the differentia of variation. The marginal process of the zygomatic bone could be reflected on the differentia of ethnic groups in some extent. Since the Han Dynasty in a comparative study between / European0 males of Xinjiang and Mongoloid males of northern China, there is a distinct statistical difference in terms of the amount of bulging between the orbit and the pyriform orifice. And yet, the author found a correlation between the obvious appearance of the canine fossa and the amount of bulging between the orbit and pyriform orifice. To explain this correlation and its cause, the author puts forward two hypotheses: 1) when nasal morphology changes, it brings about facial bulging and then the canine fossa develops; 2) with degeneration of the maxilla and canine, a strong canine fossa develops and along with it, facial bulging.
    Diet and oral hygiene of the people in aarly Qin Dynasty from the Xishan Site, Gansu Province
    WEI Miao; WANG Tao; ZHAO Cong-cang; CHEN Liang; WANG Chang-sui
    2009, 28(01):  45-56. 
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    Parafunctional and other tooth wear, caries and antemortem tooth loss, as well as other oral health indicators and cultural related characteristics were studied on dental remains dating to the Pre Qin period from the Xishan site, Lixian County, Gansu Province. Based on dental comparisons with other available samples from other ancient people in China and abroad, our results indicate that the dietary structure of the Xishan people was polyphagous and that their subsistence strategies were mixture of herding and agriculture.
    Trends in development among children and adolescents in Shandong from 1985 to 2005
    ZHANG Ying-xiu
    2009, 28(01):  57-63. 
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    By using data of the Shandong Province survey of studentsπphysical fitness and health from the years 1985, 1995 and 2005, the secular growth change of children and adolescents aged 7-18 were analyzed. In the past 20 years, the overall increments were 6.27cm (Urban male) , 5.02cm (Urban female), 7.62cm (Rural male) and 5.69cm (Rural female) for stature, and 9.97kg (Urban male), 6.02kg (Urban female) , 7.96kg (Rural male) and 4.87kg (Rural female) for weight, and 2.57kg/㎡ (Urban male), 1.46kg/㎡ (Urban female), 1.71kg/㎡ ( Rural male) and 0.93kg/㎡ ( Rural female) for body mass index. The difference of stature level between Urban and Rural youngster was reduce and body weight was increase. The increment of legs length index is bigger than sitting height.
    Somatotypes of Tibetan adolescents in Tibet
    WEN You-feng; YE Li-ping; XI Huan-jiu; REN Fu
    2009, 28(01):  64-72. 
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    To study the characteristics and patterns of somatotypic growth in Tibetan adolescents, somatotypes of 2530 Tibetan adolescents were evaluated using the Heath-Carter anthropometric method. In this research, we found that the average somatotype of males was mesomorphic and ectomorphic (2.40 —3.29 —3.72) whereas in females, the average somatotype was central (3.65 —2.87 —3.32). The primary somatotype in males was ectomorphy (58.52 %) and endomorphy in females (32.62 %). It was noted that with increasing age, male somatotypes developed from mesomorph-ectomorphy, mesomorphic-ectomorphy to mesomorph-ectomorphy, however in females the pattern is from ectomorph- endomorphy, balanced ectomorphy, ectomorph-endomorphy ectomorphic endomorphy to balanced endomorphy. It is concluded that the somatotypes of Tibetan adolescent males and females are slender with males being more muscular and females having more body fat.
    Murid rodents of the newly discovered Gigantopithecus fauna from the Sanhe Cave, Chongzuo, Guangxi, South China
    WANG Yuan; QIN Da-gong; JIN Chang-zhu; PAN Wen-shi; ZHANG Ying-qi; ZHENG Jia-jian
    2009, 28(01):  73-87. 
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    This article describes the murid rodents from the newly discovered Gigantopithecus fauna from Sanhe Cave, Chongzuo, Guangxi. There are 7 genera and 11 species, of which 4 ( 40% ) are extinct. Systematic comparisons indicate that the murid species from Sanhe Cave are morphologically more advanced than those from the hominid site at Longgupo Cave, Wushan, but resemble those from the hominid site at Longgudong Cave, Jianshi. Paleomagnetic dating of the fossil??bearing strata in Sanhe Cave gives an age of approximately 1.2-1.6 Ma BP, i.e. the middle Lower Pleistocene. Except for a few widespread types, most murid species from Sanhe Cave belong to the Oriental faunal realm. Furthermore, almost all of them are arboreal or semi??arboreal species preferring tropical to subtropical forest or grassland environments, basically identical with the ecological characteristics reflected by megamammals from Sanhe Cave. Consequently, the local environment at that time may be inferred to have been a lush forest with a warm to hot climate. The murids discovered at Sanhe Cave represent the first record of murids in the Gigantopithecus fauna of Guangxi. This new data will help paleontologists to further interpret its ecological and environmental contexts.
    Sex assessment in the lengths of metacarpals and metatarsals of Macaca mulutta living in the Taihang Mountains
    ZHAO Xiao-jin; ZHAO Jun-jie; WANG Geng; MA Jing; LIU Yu
    2009, 28(01):  88-94. 
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    This paper analyzes sexual differences in metacarpal ( N = 24) and metatarsal ( N = 26) length in adult Macaca mulutta, using one-way ANOVA and multi-variable discriminant function analysis (SPSS 13.0 for Windows). The results indicate that all of the metacarpal and metatarsal lengths show a significant difference between the sexes ( P < 0.00) . The order of average metacarpal length is different between the two sides of the body with the different sexes, but that difference is not significant ( P> 0.05). Using SPSS, the established discriminant functions based on the lengths of metacarpals and metatarsals uses two methods: enter independents together and stepwise. To distinguish between the sexes using the metacarpals gives accuracies of 91.7% ( enter independents together) and 93.8% ( stepwise method) . If both methods are applied the accuracy for metatarsals is 84.6%. This paper has demonstrated that the sex of Macaca mulutta can be identified by assessing discriminant functions based on metacarpal and metatarsal lengths.
    Late Pleistocene mammalian fauna from the Mashandong, Chaoyang, Liaoning Province
    DONG Wei; FU Ren-yi; FENG Xing-wu; ZHANG Shuang-quan
    2009, 28(01):  95-109. 
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    A new mammalian fauna was uncovered at Mashandong, Chaoyang Municipality, Liaoning Province. The perissodactyls and artiodactyls unearthed in 2007 from the Mashandong are systematically described. The identified taxa are as follow : Equus przewalskii , Cervus ( E.) elaphus, Procapra przewalskii, Spirocerus kiakhtensis, Spirocerus peii, Pseudois sp. The analysis of the Mashandong mammalian fauna showed that it belongs to the Northern Region. Its ecological environment is mainly open grassland with some mosaic forests, and in the semi-humid to semi-arid continental monsoon climate. The average temperature then was slightly lower than that of today. The extinct taxa in the Mashandong fauna are not numerous. The composition of the fauna is close to that of the Gulongshan, Xiaogushan and Yanjiagang, and its age should be between those of these faunas and is estimated about 50ka.