关键词: 哺乳动物群;华龙洞;安徽东至;中更新世

Abstract: The Hualong Cave was recovered in 2004, and 4 excavations have been conducted during 2006 and 2014-2016, which resulted in the discovery of several human fossils and numerous mammalian fossils. This paper is a preliminary report on the mammalian fossils unearthed during 2014-2016. Currently 43 mammalian species, including indeterminate species, belonging to 24 families and 8 orders have been identified. The fauna is dominated by artiodactyls. The majority of the fossils are bone fragments with very few gnawing marks of rodents, dental specimens are few, and complete bone is scanty. The Hualong Cave fauna is similar with those of Nanjing Man site and Hexian Man site in the following aspects: 1) With human remains; 2) Absence of relict elements of Neogene fauna; 3) Containing the common elements of Ailuropoda-Stegodon Fauna, e.g. Ailuropoda, Stegodon, Megatapirus, Bubalus and Arctonyx, on the other hand, some boreal elements were also recovered, but Hualong Cave bears no more than Crocidura wongi, Scaptochirus moschatus, Cricetulus, Lasiopodomys brandti, Ursus arctos, Sus lydekkeri, Cervus (Sika) grayi and Sinomegaceros sp., and the Sinomegaceros represents the southernmost occurrence of its kind; 4) Containing Stegodon instead of Elephas as in other Late Pleistocene fauna in southern China; 5) Containing rich postcranial bones, which is different from other cave sites which mainly bear isolated teeth specimens. Based on the faunal composition, the Hualong Cave fauna can be correlated with the fauna of Hexian Man Site, both of them should be of a Middle Pleistocene age. Because the site was not completely exposed, its character is not clear yet; but the bats fossils could be indicative of a cave site.

Key words: Mammalian fossils, Hualong Cave, Dongzhi of Anhui, Middle Pleistocene