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    15 September 2000, Volume 19 Issue 03
    On the artifacts unearthed from the Renzidong paleolithic site in 1998
    Zhang Senshui, Jin Changzhu, Wei Guangbiao, Xu Qinqi, Han Ligang, Zheng Longting
    2000, 19(03):  169-255. 
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    The Renzidong Paleolithic site, situated about 10 km northwest of Fanchang County, Anhui Province ( 118°5′77″, 31°5′38″) , was discovered in May of 1998, and was excavated from September to November 1998, as the first stage of a large-scale systematic excavation a t the site. During the field season, abundant vertebrate fossils and 575 nonlimestonelithic specimens were unearthed from the cave deposit of purple clay. Among these lithic specimens, 59 pieces were recognized as artifacts made by hominids. In addition, several pieces of bone artifacts were also identified. This paper presents the results of a preliminary study of these artifacts.
    The general features of these artifacts are summarized as the follows:
    1. Five kinds of raw material were utilized in core reduction and tool manufacture at the site: iron ore, siliceous mudstone, quartz-sandstone, siliceous limestone and gneiss. Iron ore is the predominant raw material used for producing the stone artifacts at the site, constituting 52. 5% of the lithic assemblage, and can be further divided into three sub- groups accrding to quality , color, and grain. The other 4 kinds of raw material make up 22. 0% , 6. 8% , 17. 0% and 1. 7% of the assemblage, respectively.
    2. Most artifacts are small. Only 2 flakes and 5 retouched tools can be described as medium and large in size.
    3. Lithic artifacts can be classified into cores, flakes, and retouched tools. The cores consist of both single-platformed and double-platformed ones. The flakes were produced by simple hammer percussion and are irregular in shape. Flake platform types include cortical, plain, and faceted. These faceted platforms are not considered as evidence of platform preparation, but rather as the result of changing flaking directions. Only scrapers a rerecognized as retouched tools. A few pieces exhibit burination scars.
    4. A variety of blanks was selected for tool manufacture ( see Table 1). Most of the tools ( 64. 4% ) were made on chunks and cores. Tools made on flakes make up 35. 5% of the assemblage.
    5. Most tools were crudely modified by direct hammer percussion. The majority of them were retouched on the dorsal surface. A few pieces were modified on the ventral surface. Most scraper edges are obtuse, exceeding 70°in edge angle. Side edges are more commonly produced than end edges. Modification scars are mostly deep and wide. There are more single-edged pieces than double-edged ones. Edge shape of these scrapers includes straight ( 17) , convex ( 9) and concave ( 6) .
    6. Several bone artifacts were unearthed from the site. Among them, two pieces were undoubtedly modified into bone tools. One of them was made on a piece of long bone, and regular modification scars can be observed on both ends of it. The other one was made on a mandible of Rhinocerossp. and was chipped on the lip surface.
    Based on biostratigraphic data and geological comparison, the age of Renzidong site has been estimated to be the early Lower Pleistocene. The general characters of these artifacts as described above demonstrate that the Renzidong assemblage is close to Paleolithic cultures of North China in many ways.
    The early pleistocene deposits and mammalian fauna from Renzidong, Fanchang, Anhui province, China
    Jin Changzhu, Zheng Longting, Dong Wei, Liu Jinyi, Xu Qinqi, Han Ligang, Zheng Jiajian, Wei Guangbiao, Wang Fazhi
    2000, 19(03):  184-258. 
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    The Renzidong site is located at 118°5′46″E and 31°5′23″N , in Fanchang County, Anhui Province, China. Two cave-fissure filling deposits w ere discovered here in 1998. During two years' excavations, some stone artifacts, bone artifacts, and a great variety of vertebrate fossils, including Procynocephalus, were found in situ.
    Based on a preliminary identificatin, the vertebrate fossils from Renzidong include turtles, birds and 67 mammal species that are similar to those of the Early pleistocene faunas from other parts of China. The mammal assemblage shows some primitive characters. It consists mainly of extinct forms. The Tertiary relic forms are also numero us such as Homotherium, Sinomastodon, Nestoritherium etc. Micromammals include Beremendia , Hypolagus, Mimomys, Kowaskia, Brachy rhizomys shansius. The large mammals include Pachycrocuta licenti , Equus sanmenensis, Muntiacus nanus, Metacervulus capreolinus, Cervavitus ultimus, Cervus cf. phyilisi etc. They are common members of the Late Tertiary and Early Quaternary mammal faunas in northern China. Some mammals such as Cervuscf. Philisican be compared with those of European villafranchian faunas. 15 species are commonly shared by Renzidong and Wushan fauna. Compared with the other Early Pleistocene faunas from northern and southern China , its percentage of extinct genera and species is relatively higher. On the other hand, the appearance of Equus in the fauna shows that the fauna should be later than 2. 6 Ma. Taken as a whole, the geologicalage of the Renzidong fauna is very likely the Early stage of the Early Pleistocene if 2. 6 Ma is considered as the low er boundary of the Pleistocene as most of the Chinese stratigraphers recommended. The Renzidong fauna is closer to those of northern China. It implies that there should be a cold period in China in the early stage of Early Pleistocene that pushed the northern faunas to migrate southward and made the areas south of Yangtza transitional zone between the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions. The discovery of Renzidong fauna is of great help for the study of the environmental background to the hominid evolution, and the evolution of zoogeography and paleoclimate of China in the Quaternary.
    A study of flaking technology at Zhoukoudian locality 15
    Gao Xing
    2000, 19(03):  199-215. 
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    Zhoukoudian Locality 15 is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in North China and greater East Asia. Nevertheless, since the conclusion of the excavations in 1937, the abundant unearthed materials from the site have been virtually untouched. This paper examines one aspect of stone tool technology at Zhoukoudian Locality 15: core reduction.
    Ananalysis of cores, flakes, flake fragments and debris reveals that the principal flaking technique at Locality 15 is direct hard hammer percussion, which is a huge departure from the bipolar-predominant Zhoukoudian Locality 1. Two core reduction strategies by direct hammer percussion can be inferred from various core forms. One is multi-directional flaking, and the other is alternate flaking. These two flaking strategies are believed to be employed to exploit pebbles with different initial shapes and sizes.
    The decline of bipolar flaking at Zhoukoudian from Locality 1 to Locality 15 is believed to be the result of the improvement or sophistication of direct hammer percussion by the Locality 15 hominids, which afforded them to reduce the dependence on the wasteful and inefficient bipolar technique in producing usable tool blanks. The study also reveals that there is no evidence to support a Levallois technology at Locality 15. A single, often illustrated so-called "Levallois point" from the site is in all likelihood an accidental product of alternate flaking of a discoid core.
    Preliminary study on the teeth of Jinniushan archaichomo sapiens
    He Jianing
    2000, 19(03):  216-256. 
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    Jinniushan archaic Homo sapiens has nearly complete maxillary dentition. Compared with Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens found in China , the teeth of Jinniushan archaic Homo sapiens are characterized by enlarged central incisor, especially in bucco-lingual direction, and significantly reduced third molars which can be considered as degeneration. Other teeth , with their faint cingula and simple occlusal pattern, are small in size which is in the lower range of Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens but still obviously larger than that of modern man. The female sex may be one reason of this character.
    With large anterior dental arcade breadth, the maxillary dentition is almost U-shaped. The attrition is heavier in anterior teeth than posterior teeth, thus conforms to the “ Too ls Function Hypothesis of Anterior Teeth” . However, in physio logical point of view , the recessive anterior alveolar process and more perpendicular position of incisor may also contribute to this phenomenon.
    The upper central incisor and upper second premolar of Jinniushan archaic Homo sapiens may have been suffered from slight enamel hypoplasia.
    Longitudinal study of the growth of facial symmetry in 13—18 years adolescents with normal occlusion
    Zhou Wenlian, Lin Jiuxiang
    2000, 19(03):  226-237. 
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    Objective: To study the symmetry of the upper and middle face, and its variation of adolescents with normal occlusion, and to pursue its growth tendency. Methods: 26 adolescents with normal occlusion were selected. A posteroanterior cephalogram was taken for every subject at the same time each year, lasting for 6 years. Computer-aided cephalometrics was carried out. Results: 1. In adolescents with normal occlusion, the total variation range of the upper and middle face symmetry in transverse and vertical directions was less than 8% , 9 mm respectively, and it was stable in the observed period. 2. Relative to the cranial base, from 13— 18 years, the nasal cavity, the maxilla were stable and harmonious. 3. In corresponding regions of the middle face: the whole maxillary regions were symmetric for male, and for female they were symmetric except the lateral maxillary region at some age; the nasal region was symmetric for female but some variations existed only at some age for male; the lateral facial region was asymmetric at some ages for male and female respectively. The growth tendencies of the symmetry-variation-regions were symmetry- right predominance- symmetry except male lateral facial region, which was asymmetry ( right predominance )-symmetry-asymmetry ( the same predominance ). 4. There was a potential tendency of predominance during facial bone growth. Conclusions: In the upper and middle face with normal occlusion, there are some normal symmetric variations. From 13— 18 y ears, its range in transverse and vertical directions is less than 8% , 9 mm respectively, and remains stable. Relative to the cranial base, and in their cor- responding regions, from 13— 18 yea rs, the middle face of adolescents with normal occlusion keeps good symmetry.
    Distribution of four red cell blood group systems in Jino, Blang and Lahu ethnic groups
    Xiao Heng, Hao Luping, Zhang Mingqiu, Xiao Chunjie
    2000, 19(03):  238-243. 
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    A survey on the distribution of 4 red cell blood group systems, including ABO, Rh, MN and P, was carried out in 1997 on the Jino , Blang and Lahu ethnic groups in Yunnan Province, China. One hundred students from each of the three ethnic groups ( Jino in Jinghong City; Blang in Menghai County; Lahu in Lancang County ) were investigated. All students investigated were unrelated, their parents and grandparents were of the same ethnic groups. The results showed that in ABO system, the gene frequency p was 0. 2420 ( Lahu) , 0. 2144 ( Blang ) and 0. 0779 ( Jino) ; gene frequency r was 0. 6971 ( Jino) , 0. 5964 ( Blang ) and 0. 5288 ( Lahu). In Rh system, the most common phenotype was CCDee in both Jino and Lahu ethnic groups ( 56% in Lahu; 47% in Jino) , and CcDE-was also common ( 37% in Jino; 27% in Lahu) . The phenotype CCDE- was not observed in Jino and Blang while the phenotype ccDee was not observed in Blang and Lahu. The gene frequency o f CDe was the highest among all haplotypes, 0. 7433 for Lahu and 0. 6950 for Jino and the gene frequency of cDE was the next, 0. 2517 for Jino and 0. 1871 for Lahu. No case of Rh negative was observed in all of the three ethnic groups. In MN system, gene frequency m > n was observed in all of the three ethnic groups. In P system, the gene frequency P1 was 0. 5099( Lahu) , 0. 4690( Blang ) and 0. 4359( Jino ) , respectively. All these figures are higher than those of any other ethnic groups investigated allover the country.
    Genetics study of interdigital patterns Ⅰ . Clustering of the various interdigital pattern types
    Li Hui, Jin Li, Lu Daru
    2000, 19(03):  244-250. 
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    A study of the variations of interdigital patterns was made by collecting and analyzing a great deal of samples of random population and families from Fengxian, Shanghai etc. There are 19 types of Ⅲ , Ⅳ interdigital patterns considering the curve degree only. The interdigital pattern samples from other areas have their own major or special loop or whorl types. Many evidences show that the 19 types can be incorporated into 5 lo ts: ① one pattern in Ⅲ only , ② one pattern in Ⅳ only , ③ two patterns in Ⅳ , ④patterns in both Ⅲ andⅣ , ⑤ no patterns. There are some kinds of transitions between the types in the same lot. This new method of clustering is rather different from the old one, but has more proofs, and makes the foundation of inheritance model of this left-right asymmetric human character possible.