Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1991, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (01): 78-83.

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Discovery of a comparatively complete skeleton of Coelodonta in Fuyu, Jilin

Jiang Peng   

  • Online:1991-03-15 Published:1991-03-15

Abstract: A comparatively complete skeleton of Coelodonta was found in 1989 at Xiaoyaotun whichlies 3km to the north of Fuyu town, situated in the eastern part of Song Nen Plain. The skeletonSf Coelodonta was unearthed from the second terrace of Songhua River, 140 m above the sealevel. The stratigraphic section of the terrace from top to bottom is divided into six layers. Thefossil was buried in greyish white silty sands of the fourth layer with a depth of 6.6m un-der the. surface. The mineralization degree of the specimen is not good because of the strong per-colating 'of the sand layers.
The skeleton is basically intact, except the absence of left humerus,left radius, left ulna,some of vertebrate and phalangeal bones. The calculation based on the measurement of the bonessuggests that the skeleton is 1.79 m high and 3.53m long.
Based on the eruption and attrition of the teeth, we are of opinion that this animal died justafter it became an adult individual. Judged from the nasal septum and features of its forehead,it was a female individual.
According to the stratigraphy of fossil- -bearing sediments and C. antiquiatis' morphology,the animal might live in Late Pleistocene. Although a large number of Coelodonta skeletons, in-cluding skull, limb and teth have been found in Jilin, such complete one had never been seen before and is rare in the whole country too. This discovery, therefore, provides a valuable evidencefor studying the complete figure of Coelodonta and its living environment.

Key words: Skeleton of Coelodonta; Late Pleistocene; Fuyu