Abstract: Research in the biostratigraphy of Cenozoic terrestrial deposits was one of the first organized programs in paleontology of the Geological Survey of China. Neogene fossil occurrences were placed in relative temporal order through a unique union of geomorphological and paleontological research. By the end of the 1930 's the broad outline of late Neogene physical and biological events in north China and their correlation through the fossil record with the International Geological Time Scale had been effected. Extension of these methodologies into other parts of China were confounded by local conditions, and by mid-century this research program was discontinued. The past two decades have seen a resurgence of efforts to establish the temporal sequence of Cenozoic faunas in China and their calibration by correlation with established biochronologies in Europe. Great distance and spans of marked endemism of the Chinese fauna have limited such comparisons, thereby necessitating consideration of other chronological strategies. The rarety of materials for radioisotopic dating in the continental Cenozoic strata of China has shifted attention to magnetostratigraphy as a practical tool in local and regional correlation and, aided by biochronology, as a means of calibration through reference to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS). Examples are provided of the methodology as applied to the biostratigraphy of latest Miocene through Pliocene sediments of the Yushe Basin, central Shanxi. The methodology shows considerable promise in future application to older Neogene (and Paleogene) strata yielding more precisely delimited biochronologies and age determinations for the containing strata.

摘要： 中国新生代陆相沉积的研究是前中央地质调查所最早的研究项目之一。当时，晚第三纪化石的相对时序是通过地貌与古生物学研究相结合的独特方法建立起来的。至30年代末人们对华北晚第三纪的自然和生物事件的了解已初具轮廓，并依据化石与国际性地质年表作了对比。由于这种方法的局限性，本世纪中该项工作便中止了。过去20年中，在中国恢复了建立新生代动物群的排序工作，并与欧洲已建立的生物年代进行对比。由于距离遥远以及中国动物群的明显土著性使这种对比很受限制，因此有必要采用另外的编年手段。由于中国新生代陆相地层中可用于同位素测年的材