Abstract: The Hexian fauna includes 47 mammalian species. Among them. 30 are modern species, and the others are extinct ones. Among the 17 extinct species, there are 4 southern elements, i.e, Tapirus sinensis, Megatapirus, Stegodon orientalis, and Sus cf. hxiaozhu; and 10 northern ones, i.e. Macaca robustus, Tamias cf. wimani, Trogonthc- rium cuvieri, Cricetulus varians, Mierotus brandtioides, Felis chinensis, Dicerorhinus, Sus lydekkeri, Pseudaxis grayi and Megalocer&s pschyosteus. The northern ones have not been found in the Pleistocene deposits in south China, except Hexian in Anhui; and Yuhang in Zhejiang (such as Microtus brandtioides, Cricetulus), Lishui in Jiangsu (such as Cricetulus) (In the last two localities, Cricetulus may be modern species). It is probable that the Hexian fauna is correlated with a cold stage, i.e. O,a stage 8, at about 240,000—280,000 years B.P. (Xu Qinqi and You Yuzhu, 1984). However, most of the northern species did live in north China not only in cold stages {i.e. in Layers 3——. 6—7, and 10—11 at Zhoukoudian, Loc. 1), but also in warm stages (i.e. in Layers 5, and 8—9 at Zhoukoudian, Loc. 1) (Xu Qinyi and Ouyang Lian, 1982). Therefore, most of the northern species were able to live in Hexian under the climatic condition similar to that of warm stages at Zhoukoudian (north China).
Among the 30 modern species, 18 elements are scattered all over China now, such as Ursus thibetanus, Miotis, Lepus etc. For the others, there are 3 northern animals, i.e. Scaptochirus, Eothen&mys inez and L'rsus arctos, for they are distributed mainly over north China. There are 3 southwestern mountainous ones, i.e. Blarinella quadra- ticauda, Eothenomys evalcinous and E. proditor, for they occur in the southwestern mountains, at over 1500 metres above sea-level. There are 6 southern ones. i.e. Hip- posideros, Miniopterus schrebersii, Battus edwardsi, Eothenomys melanogastcr7 Anouro- sorex squamipes and Hydrepotes inermisf for they are distributed mainly over south China. However, Miniopterus schrebersii is also scattered over north China. Ano urosor ex squamipes, Rattus edwardsi and Eothenomys melanogaster occur in the southern mountains at about 1000 metres above sea-level. Hipposideros, and Hydropotes inernns are found in southwestern mountains too. It follows that all of the modern species were able to live in Hexian under the climatic condition similar to that of north China or southwestern mountains of today.
There is Alligator ef. shiensis in the Hexian fauna. It is limited to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River today. However, its distribution reached northward until the Huang-Huai Plain in the area round 36° N at about 6000 years ago. It is thought that A. sinensis was able to live in Hexian under the climatic condition which was as cold as that of Huang-Huai Plain (the southern part of north China) of today.
In short, the climate in Hexian during the Hexian Man's time must have been similar to that of the southern part of north China of today, but more humid than that of north China of today, because the assemblage of the Hexian fauna shows, as a whole, a dominance of animals of moist- and water-loving. The mean annual temperature was about 10—12°C in Hexian during the Hexian Man's time. So it was about 3—5°C cooler than that of today in Hexian. Therefore, it is short of proof to reach the con- elusion that the glacial activities took place in the Dabieshan, Lush an and Huangshan mountains during the Hexian Man's time.

Key words: Hexian fauna; Climate; Glacial activities