Abstract: The discovery of two teeth of Homo erectus yuanmounensis from the Yuanmou Basin in Yunnan Province, South China, 50 years ago is an important event in the history of research on human origins and evolution in China and East Asia. The original lithological, biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic analyses placed the human fossil bearing stratum to the early Lower Pleistocene with an age of 1.7 Ma which has become the prevailing viewpoint in China since then. However, this estimate was challenged by some scholars and an age of 0.6-0.7 Ma for the teeth was suggested based on paleontological data and paleomagnetic re-analysis. Recent systematic paleomagnetic investigation on three sections at the site by Zhu et al. reconfirmed the age of 1.7Ma for the Yuanmou Man fossil, and this age is believed to be supported by the Lower Pleistocene mammalian assemblage associated with the human remains and with geological comparisons and correlations. However, the teeth were not excavated systematically from the site and detailed information on taphonomic association with the few unearthed artifacts is absent, which has obscured research and discussion on the age and cultural features of Homo erectus yuanmounensis. The age controversy is not an isolated case for Yuanmou Man as human skeletal remains from Salawusu in Inner Mongolia, Liujiang in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Maba in Guangdong Province and Longgupo in Chongqi Municipality are all found to be associated with such chronological problems. Multidisciplinary research on these materials and sites and direct AMS 14C dating on some fossils of the late Upper Pleistocene age are necessary in the future.

Key words: Yuanmou; Dentition; Homo erectus; Paleomagnetism; Chronology