Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1997, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (03): 201-208.

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Pleistocene primates from Panxian Dadong, Guizhou province

Pan Yuerong, Yuan Chengwu   

  • Online:1997-09-15 Published:1997-09-15

Abstract: The Panxian Dadong , Guizhou which was discovered recently is an important site for paleoanthropology and paleolithic rchaeology. There are four isolated primate teeth which were collected from this site among 40 species of mammals. They are attributed to Macaca arctoides, M. assamensis and perhaps Colobinae.
Rig ht M3 . It is fairly worn to expose the dentine at the apices of the buccal cusps and the metaconid. The lingual cusps are higher than the buccal ones. The anterior fovea is small. There is a small but distinct tubercle intermediate between the entoconid and hypoconulid. The size o f the M3 is larger than that of Semnopithecus, Macaca nemestrina and M.mulatta. In the Dadong specimen, molar relief tends to be moderate, and it is expressed in the shallow incised lingual notches of molar cusps, which tend to be close as in cercopithecines. The spacing of apices of mola r cusps tends to be close also.
Left P4 . The buccal cusp is slightly worn, and the dentine appears only a t the apex o f protoconid. The premolar morphology is distinguished to be cercopithecines from colobines. The trigonid and the mesial shelf are long in the Dadong specimens. The size o f P4 from Dadong falls within the range of that of M. arctoides and M. assamensis, in the female. It is similar to that of M. arctoides from Guizhou ( No. 17966. Zoology Institute, Academia Sinica ) in morphology and size. The breadth of the anterior pa rt o f the crow n is much larger than the posterior one in the M. arctoides and M. assamensis, in male.
Rig ht M2 . The upper molar is confirmed to be M2 o n the basis of morphology and co n- tact surfaces. The cusps a re slightly worn, the cusps come close to the middle of the crow n so that the breadth o f the base of the crown is larger than that of the upper one. There is a clear cingulumex tending on the mesial and lingual surfaces o f the crow n. The measurements of the M2 fall within the rang e of fossil M. assamensis from Pleistocene, Guangxi a nd M. anderssoni from Early Pleistocene, Henan. Its significance for taxonomy or geological age will be investigated.
Rig ht C, . The crow n is well-preserved. The roo t has been broken. The lower canine may possess distal and internal tubercles. It is different from that of M. arctoides. M. assamensis. M. nemestrina etc. It seems similar to that o f colobines.
In modern primates, M. arctoides, M. thibetana , M. mulatta and Rhinopithecus brelichi, Semnopithecus francoisi live in the Guizhou province and Semnopithecus francoisi still lives in the Liupanshui w here the Dadong site is located. Hence there is overlap of modern and fossil primates in the geographical distribution. The discovery of Pleistocene cercopithecines in Panxian Dado ng increases their distribution during the Pleistocene period and also adds to our know ledge o f primates in the cave fissure deposits o f South China.

Key words: Cerco pithecidae, Middle-Late Pleistocene, Panxian Dadong