Table of Content

15 March 2008, Volume 46 Issue 1

Previous Issue    Next Issue

EARLY EXPLORATIONS OF TABENBULUK REGION (WESTERN GANSU PROVINCE) BY BIRGER BOHLIN—RECONCILING CLASSIC VERTEBRATE FOSSIL LOCALITIES WITH MODERN STRATIGRAPHY

WANG Xiao-Ming , WANG Ban-Yue, QIU Zhan-Xiang

2008, 46(1):  1-19. 

Asbtract ( )   PDF (1379KB) ( )  

Related Articles | Metrics

 The classic Tabenbuluk localities first discovered by Birger Bohlin in 1931 have produced rich fossil mammals that become the basis of the Late Oligocene Tabenbulukian Land Mammal Age. Faunas from the Tabenbuluk areas are often confused, partly due to the tectonic complexities that resulted in the uplift of Danghe Nanshan and the large strike-slip Altyn Tagh Fault. However, part of the confusion is derived from a lack of appreciation of Bohlin’s historic records. We attempt to integrate Bohlin’s archive records, his journals, and his published (but often ignored) geologic descriptions. When the entire available records are brought together, it is clear that Bohlin was an exceptional paleontologist who has kept remarkably detailed locality records and was able to make clear distinctions about his Yandantu Fauna, which typify the Tabenbulukian Land Mammal Age. By placing Bohlin’s fossil localities in modern stratigraphic frameworks and integrating with fossil mammals collected recently, we can recognize at least five faunas: Early to Late Oligocene Dingdanggou Fauna, latest Oligocene Yandantu Fauna, Early Miocene Xishuigou Fauna, Middle Miocene Tiejianggou Formation unnamed fauna, and a Late Miocene or Pliocene unnamed fauna. Of these, three faunas are tied to paleomagnetic sections that yield age ranges of ~31.5–26.5 Ma for the Dingdanggou Fauna, ~20–17 Ma for the Xishuigou Fauna, and ~15.5–12 Ma for the unnamed fauna of the Tiejianggou Formation. Although still not directly tied to a paleomagnetic section, the Yandantu Fauna is confined to a narrow range of strata (~40 m) and probably spans less than 1 million years. 

ADDITIONAL RODENT MATERIAL FROM HOULDJIN FORMATION OF ERENHOT, NEI MONGOL, CHINA

WANG Ban-Yue

2008, 46(1):  21-30. 

Asbtract ( )   PDF (668KB) ( )  

Related Articles | Metrics

Dipodids, aplodontids and sciurids recently collected from the Houldjin Formation in Erenhot, Nei Mongol, were described. All of them represent the first records of their kinds in Late Eocene of Nei Mongol. The discovery has not only expanded the distribution of these taxa inAsia, added new elements to the Houldiin fauna, but also provided new information in age determination of the Houldjin Formation. All the fossils described here were collected from IVPP Loc.1988001, east to the Railway Station of Erenhot.

LATE PLEISTOCENE ARTIODACTYLA (MAMMALIA) FROM THE LINGJING SITE, XUCHANG, HENAN PROVINCE (CHINA)

DONG Wei, LI Zhan-Yang

2008, 46(1):  31-50. 

Asbtract ( )   PDF (1464KB) ( )  

Related Articles | Metrics

A series of archaeological excavations were carried out by the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute of Henan Province from 2005 to 2006 at the Lingjing Paleolithic Site. It is located on the west side of Lingjing Town which is about 15 km northwest of Xuchang City in Henan Province, China. Its geographic coordinates are 34°04'N,113°41'E,117 m above sea level. The excavation area is 300 ㎡. About eight thousands stone artifacts and ten thousands of animal fossils were uneauthed. The sediments at the site can be divided from the top to bottom into 11 layers.A few stone artifacts and animal fossils were unearthed from layer 7, but a large quantity of artifacts and fossils were unearthed from layer 10(Li,2007). Here we describe the Artiodactyla uncovered from the site. The studied materials are housed in and coded by the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute of Henan Province. The dental terminology for ruminants is based on that proposed by Dong(2004).

LATE PLEISTOCENE MAMMALIAN FOSSILS FROM THE XITAIPING CAVE, SHIDU, BEIJING 　　

TONG Hao-wen , ZHANG Shuang-quan , LI Qing , XU Zhi-jun

2008, 46(1):  51-70. 

Asbtract ( )   PDF (1514KB) ( )  

Related Articles | Metrics

A NEW SPECIES OF DIPNOI (SARCOPTERYGII, OSTEICHTHYES) FROM LOWER DEVONIAN OF YUNNAN, CHINA

QIAO Tuo , ZHU Min

2008, 46(1):  71-80. 

Asbtract ( )   PDF (786KB) ( )  

Related Articles | Metrics

A new dipnoan, Tarachomylax multicostatus sp. nov. is described from the Chuandong Formation(late Emsian, Lower Devonian) of Yunnan Province, South China. It represents the sixth dipnoan genus from the Devonian of China. The other five genera are Diabolepis(Chang and Yu,1984), Dongshanodus(Wang,1981) and Erikia(Chang and Wang,1995) from Yunnan, Sorbitorhynchus(Wang et al.,1990,1993) from Guangxi, and Chirodipterus(Song and Chang,1991) from Hunan. The associated early vertebrates include Kenichthys campbelli, Heimenia sp.(Chang and Zhu,1993; Zhu and Wang,1996) and an undescribed antiarch.