人类学学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (03): 514-528.doi: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0033cstr: 32091.14.j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0033

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广西吹风洞早更新世动物群的埋藏学

姚艳燕1,2,3(), 黄胜敏3, 廖卫1, 李金燕4, 张一景1, 莫进尤5, 王伟1()   

  1. 1.山东大学文化遗产研究院,青岛 266237
    2.广西民族博物馆,南宁 530028
    3.南宁师范大学,南宁 530001
    4.田东县博物馆,田东 531599
    5.广西自然博物馆,南宁 530012
  • 收稿日期:2024-12-19 修回日期:2025-03-11 出版日期:2025-06-15 发布日期:2025-06-15
  • 通讯作者: 王伟,教授,主要从事史前考古及相关研究。E-mail: wangw@sdu.edu.cn
  • 作者简介:姚艳燕,副研究馆员,主要研究华南地区洞穴化石埋藏学、第四纪哺乳动物群。E-mail: yaoyanyan@amgx.org
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金资助(42402008);广西自然科学基金资助(2024GXNSFBA010310);国家自然科学基金资助(42472007);国家自然科学基金资助(41572023);国家自然科学基金资助(42202004);国家社科基金重大项目资助(20&ZD246)

A taphonomic study of early Pleistocene mammalian assemblages from the Chuifeng Cave site in South China

YAO Yanyan1,2,3(), HUANG Shengmin3, LIAO Wei1, LI Jinyan4, ZHANG Yijing1, MO Jinyou5, WANG Wei1()   

  1. 1. Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237
    2. Anthropology Museum of Guangxi, Nanning 530028
    3. Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001
    4. Museum of Tiandong County, Tiandong 531599
    5. Natural History Museum of Guangxi, Nanning 530012
  • Received:2024-12-19 Revised:2025-03-11 Online:2025-06-15 Published:2025-06-15

摘要:

长期以来,我们对华南地区洞穴化石的来源、埋藏过程及其性质知之甚少,限制了对该区域不同时期动物群埋藏学的深入了解。本研究对广西布兵盆地早更新世吹风洞遗址(约1.9 MaBP)出土的近千枚哺乳动物牙齿和碎骨化石的埋藏学特征进行了详细分析,通过对优势种群的牙齿磨耗程度鉴定死亡年龄,根据种群死亡年龄的分布分析其死亡原因。结果显示,犀牛的死亡模式为磨耗型,偏向于自然死亡的模式;鹿类动物和猪属动物的死亡模式为壮年居优型,这些死亡类型极有可能是不同食肉动物对不同体型猎物的选择以及自然死亡等多种因素叠加造成的结果。从吹风洞化石的表面痕迹发现,碎骨表面存在食肉动物的咬痕和大量豪猪咬痕,以及牙齿化石不同程度的风化和磨圆痕迹,表明食肉动物和豪猪的搬运是吹风洞遗址化石积累的主要原因。吹风洞遗址动物群的埋藏学研究为探索华南地区第四纪洞穴化石堆积的来源、沉积过程及其形成机制提供了科学依据。

关键词: 最小个体数, 死亡年龄结构, 化石表面痕迹, 吹风洞, 哺乳动物群

Abstract:

Caves in South China yield abundant and well-preserved vertebrate fossils, which provide a significant foundation for the study of Quaternary biostratigraphy, species evolution, and palaeoecology. These fossils offer crucial insights into the exploration of human evolution and activities. However, the origin, burial processes, and characteristics of cave fossils in South China have not been sufficiently explored. This insufficiency impedes a comprehensive understanding of the taphonomic processes of fauna assemblages across different temporal periods in the region.

This study presents a detailed analysis of the burial characteristics of nearly 1,000 fossil mammalian teeth and fragmented bones unearthed from the Early Pleistocene Chuifeng Cave site (ca. 1.9 MaBP) in the Bubing Basin, Guangxi. The age-at-death was determined by the degree of tooth abrasion of the dominant populations, and the causes of death were analyzed based on the mortality patterns of the species.

The mortality profile of rhinos shows an attritional pattern, with fewer sub-adults. This is likely the result of both natural mortality and predation. In addition, the mortality profiles of cervids and suids exhibit a prime-dominated structure, which is usually associated with human hunting. However, since no human fossils have been found at the Chuifeng Cave site and no remains of human activities from this period have been found in the Bubing Basin, it is possible that the mortality profiles of these species are the result of a combination of factors.

The gnawing marks on the surface of the fossils suggest that the death of the dominant population could have been due to predation or natural death. The gnawing marks could have been caused either by a predator’s (e.g., hyena) consumption or handling or by porcupines collecting bones. The varying degrees of rounding and weathering marks on the surface of the fossils indicate that the accumulation of faunal bones was not a one-off burial following a disaster. This further demonstrates that the phenomenon may have been a relatively slow burial process resulting from natural death or predation by carnivores.

The present case-study of the taphonomy of Chuifeng Cave provides an important reference for re-conceptualizing the origin and accumulation process of fossils from caves in South China. Admittedly, there are numerous fossil-producing caves in South China, with diverse accumulation conditions and complex causes. Further in-depth studies are needed to comprehensively reveal the burial characteristics of South China’s caves and to lay an important foundation for paleoanthropological research.

Key words: MNI, Mortality pattern, Fossil surface traces, Chuifeng Cave site, Mammal assemblages

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