Table of Content

15 March 1986, Volume 5 Issue 01

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Relationship between Lufeng Sivapithecus and Ramapithecus and their phylogenetic position

Wu Rukang (Woo Ju-kang), Xu Qinghna, Lu Qingwu

1986, 5(01):  1-30. 

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A great number of fossils of Ramapithecus and Sivapithecus were collected at the Shihuiba locality in Lufeng County, Yunnan Province from 1975-1983. The material consists of the following specimens.
Ramapithecus: three crania, five mandibles. 23 pieces of fragments of erania and jaw bones, 22 dental rows and 329 isolated teeth, as well as two phalanges;
Sivapithecus: two crania, five mandibles, 24 pieces of fragments of erania and jaw bones, seven dental rows and 321 isolated teeth, as well as one scapula and one clavicle.
This paper is a detailed study of the material.

A new species of Sinoadapis from the hominoid site, Lufeng

Pan Yuerong, Wu Rukang (Woo Ju-kang)

1986, 5(01):  31-40. 

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The paper deals with a new form of Sinoadapis from the Lufeng hominoid Locality, assigned to Sinoadapis shihuibaensis sp. nov. .
Holotype
PA 882 A fragment of right mandible with C, —M3.
Other materials
PA 903 A fragment of left maxilla with P3—M3.
PA 959 Left lower tooth row with I1—P2, P4.
PA 902 Right upper tooth row with C'-p3.
PA 964 An isolated left I1. PA 907 An isolated right I2.
PA 972 An isolated right M3.
In comparison with Sinoadapis carnosus the new species shows the following features: relatively slender mandible with narrower cheek teeth, sharper cusps, larger trigonid fovea, developed buccal cingulum and larger upper and lower canines. The hypoconulid is elongated posteriorly and is separated from the entoconid by a deep notch. The buccalingual diameters of upper molars are slightly smaller and the lingual cingula are rather developed. The metaconid is relatively reduced in M3 and the metacone located relatively closer to the protocone.
Sinoadapis differs from Sivaladapis principally in its larger size and the P4 highly molarised and longer than any molar of the same individual. A series of upper and lower dentitions of Sinoadapis shihuibaensis were preserved. Sinoadapis shihuibaensis is basically similar to that of Sivaladapis nagri described by Gingerich. However, it also differs from Sivaladapis nagrii in some characters. The lingual cingula incompletely enelose the protocone in upper fourth premolar and upper molars and there are no enamel folds in the lingual wall of the protocone. The upper and lower third prenolars are narrower? Both the trigonid and the talonid in P4 are enlarged and the large pro- toeone located more forward than the metaconid. There are clear demarcations between the cusps, but no the enamel folds on the lingual surface. The lower molars have large trigonid fovea. The notch between the hypoconulid and the entoconid is not as deep as Sivaladapis nagrü, while the cusps of Siraladapis nagri are sharper than that of Sinoadapis shihuibaensis.
Adapid primates of Lufeng are more abundant than those of both India and Pakistan and the species frum Lufeng seems to be more complex. It indicates that there is probably a major radiation of Mioeenp adapids in Lufeng. Sinoadapis of Lufeng elearly differs from both Indraloris and Siralapis from the Siwaliks of India and Pakistan. Judging from the Lufeng mammalian fauna, Lufeng hominoid site is younger in age than Nagri beds near Haritalyangar of India. The Lufeng speeies provides important. fossil evidence for the understandinr of Miocene Adapids.

Fossil lagomorpha from the hominoid locality of Lufeng, Yunnan

Qiu Zhuding, Han Defen

1986, 5(01):  41-53. 

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Among the fossil remains found in the lignite at Shihuiba, from the Ramapithecus loeality of Lufeng, Yunnan, are speeimens of a previously reported member of the family Leporidae (Qi, 1979; Wu et al. , 1981; Qiu et al. , 1985) . Material of the mammalian order Lagomorpha in the Lufeng collection is quite rich, but contains only one taxon of Palaeolaginae, Alilepus. Based on 69 speecimens collected in the last derade, descriptions and comparisons of this leporid are made. Based on the development of P: a suggested relationship of the new speeies to some other leporids of China is given in this paper.

Fossils of rhizomyidae from Ramapithecus fossil locality, Lufeng, Yunnan

Qi Guoqin

1986, 5(01):  54-67. 

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Lufeng rhizomyid fossils collected by exeavation and underwater sieving of fossili-ferous sediments, are studied in this paper.
The specimen referable to Brachyrhizomys nagrii is a left lower dentition with M1—M3(V. 8126) . Length of M1-M3, is 11. 75 mm. Both size and characters (such as short M3 and an elongated mesolophid on M3 ) agree well with Siwalik specimens (Fig. 4).
The specimens identifiable to Brachyrhizomys ef. B. pilgrimi are a left dentary with M1—M3 (V8127. 1) , a right M3 (V8127. 2) and an I1 (V8127. 3) . This is a large species with heavy deep dentary (depth below M=15. 4 mm) and massive incisors. It also is the biggest one of three species of Lufeng Brachyrhizomys. An apparent trait is suppression of mure on Mo-3. The narrow connection may not be present in early wear. Length of M-Ms is 15. 6 mm and more closer to B. ef. pilgrimi than to B. pilg- rimi of Siwaliks in size (Fig. 5, A, B and C).
The third species is B. tetracharax to which the most of the rhizomyine fossils from Lufeng Ramapithecus locality belong. The materials include an incomplete skull and associated lower jaw (V8128. 1) , five maxilla fragments (V8128. 2—6) . fourteen lower jaws (V8128. 7-20) . Fifty five isolated upper and lower ehack teeth (V8128. 21-75) , eleven isolated upper and lower incisors (V8128. 76—86) . Unfortunately, the skull and assoeiated lower jaw are crushed and fiattened laterally (Fig. 6, A) . The portions of it preserved are the ear region of two sides, partial right palate and left zygoma、partial maxilla, premaxilla, temporal bone and nasal. The infraorbital foramina were damaged and the shape of their ventral slit ean not be observed. The dentary is deep. In general, the upper dentition is longer than the lower one. Average length of them is 12. 28 mm and 14. 30 mm respectively. It is undoubtedly to refer the specimens from Lufeng to B. tetracharar, although there is discrepaney between the dimensions of the cheek teeth of Lufeng and Siwalik. M' has four roots. Ma elongates transversely. There is a strong mesolophid on M2 and an evident mure on worn M2-3. M, extends longitudinally. These traits distinguish the specimens from the other speeies easily. The yariations of upper and lower eheek teeth manifested by differences of wear stage in size and pattern of occlusal surface are shown in Fig. 6.
In addition, two isolated cheek teeth are referred to Rhizomyidae indet. A right M' with four roots (V8129) possesses an antero-lingual flexus (Fig. 7) . Another right M5 with a root (V8130) has been well worn and only retained lingual reentrant and three enamel lakes on oeclusal surface (Fig. 8).
The best known record of rhizomyid evolution is doeumented in Siwaliks of Pakistan. It is considered to be a standard for comparison of fossil rhizomyids through. out the world especially Asia. Three species of Brachyrhizomys mentioned above have known temporal ranges in Pakistan and eoexisted for a short time at 8 Ma. So Lufeng hominoid fauna can be placed about 8 Ma or perhaps a bit later.

Fossils of tragulidae from Lufeng, Yunnan

Han Defen

1986, 5(01):  68-78. 

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The fossils of Tragulidae collected from layers 1-6 of section D at Shihuiba of the hominoid site of Lufeng, Yunnan, are identified to be Yunnanotherium simpler gen. et sp. , a new form of Tragulidae, and Dorcabune progressus (Yan) in this paper.

On the paleoclimate during the period of Ramapithecus in Lufeng county, Yunnan Province

Chen Wanyong, Lin Yufen, Yu Qianli

1986, 5(01):  79-88. 

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This paper deals with the reeostruetion of the late Miocene paleoelimate by meaus of sedimentary analyses of the stratum containing Ramapithecus fossils. The analyses include: differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, heavy mineral content, pH value, organic substances, sporo-pollens and identification of aquatie plant maero-fossils.
The paleoclimate of the late Miocene gradually changed along with the uplifting of the highlands of Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) and the Hengduan mountains. The geological section containing Ramapithecus fossils can be divided into five different depositional stages, from bottom to top:
The first stage— (the First Member of Shihuiba Formayion) The climate in this stage is drier and cooler than in the second one.
The second stage- (the Second Member of Shihuiba Formation) The climate is charaterized by a warm and wet perind.
The third stage—includes the early deposits of deep lacustrine and lacustrine-swamp environments in the basin. It indicates a hot, wet elimatic character, typical of the South Asian tropical zone.
The fourth stage—repersents the later lacustrine-swamp deposits of the middle and upper parts of the basin. The climate during this stage is different from that of the first—It indicates a climate that alternates between wet and dry and hot and wet. It demonstrates the periodie return of wet and dry eonditions, and is similar to that of the Sino-India tropical monsoon climate of South Asia. This climatic change is pro- bobly related to the uplifting of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau and the orogeny which produced the Himalayas and the Hengduan mountains.
The fifth stage includes the deposits of shallow lakes or rivers above the erosional surface in the geological section bearing Ranapithecus fossils. Here, substantial climatic change is indieated. Following the uplifting of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau, the Lufeng lacustrine-swamp environment faded away, and a very dry elimate is suggested. Finally one withesses the return of a rather warm and wet sub-tropical climate.

Preliminary studies of sedimental environment and taphonomy in the hominoid fossil site of Lufeng

Chen Wanyong

1986, 5(01):  89-100. 

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?Lufeng site is not only famous for its Hominoid fossils but also a very ideal place for the studies of taphonomy. In this paper, attention is paid to the measurements of the fossil distribution and the observation of their burial condition. The sedimental environment, together with the burial law, paleomorphology, paleoclimate, water chemieal properties of the laeustrine sediments and palcoccology, is diseussed. Thereby a lithostratigraphical section of the excavated site, a schematic paleoecology map, a generalized stratigraphic column, a geological section and a rosette diagram showing the distribution of the long bones, direction are drawn. The problem whether the fossils were autoehthonous or allochthonous is diseussed. And the reasons why the fossils were much concentrated and why they could be preserved so well are considered. Shihuiba and Miaoshanpo Formations, upper Miocene and lower pliocene, in Lufeng can be divided into five sedimental environments from bottom to top as below: 1. Intermontane fluvial environment; 2. Diluvial fan and debris flow environment; 3. Shallow lacustrine environment; 4. Shallow lacustrine bay and lacustrine shore-swamp environment ; 5. Fluvial environment (Miaoshanpo Formation) .