Table of Content

15 December 1984, Volume 3 Issue 04

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A multivariate comparison of the human calva from Huanglong county, Shaanxi province

Wang Linghong, Giinter Brauer

1984, 3(04):  313-321. 

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In an article recently published, one of the authors (Wang Linghong et al. 1983) introduced a new fossil hominid find from China dated probably to the late Upper Pleistocene. This find, which was discovered in Huanglong County in 1975, consists of a part of the frontal and adjoining sections of the parietals. Although the vault fragment might belong to anatomically modern Homo sapiens, there are also some characteristics which could probably point to a more archaic type of anatomically modern Homo sapiens. In order to more extensively study the affinities of the Huanglong specimen, a multivariate statistical comparison was carried out in the present study which used recent and Upper Pleistocene cranial material.
In order to compare the Huanglong specimen with a rather broad morphological spectrum, numerous European and South-West Asian finds of the I'pper Pleistocene were included along with the Chinese material. Such an Asian-European comparison is of great interest not only for the analysis of the affinities of tlie Huanglong hominid, but also with regard to the affinities between Maba and the western Neandertals as well as between ''Zhoukoudian, Upper Cave'' and the Cro-Magnon type.
In the selection of the variables and the statistical method, the analysis of the Upper Pleistocene frontal from Hahnofersand (near Hamburg, West Germany) was useful (Brauer 1980, 1981). In this study the same ten variables (see Fig. 1 and Table 2) and the principal components method (Nie et al. 1975) were used.
Two calculations with different groups of individuals were carried out. All of the variables were included in both. In the first analysis, the Huanglong specimen was compared only to the other Chinese material. Table 2 presents the values of the variables of the Chinese specimens. Two modern Chinese specimens (Nos. 94 and 100) which differ in many respects were chosen for this study. In the second calculation, thirty representatives of European and West-Asian Neadertals and Upper Paleolithic Europeans were included along with the Chinese material (cf. Table 1). For both analyses, the first two principal components already explain a very large part of the total variance (analysis 1: 94.1% ； analysis 2: 88.5%)； thus only these two components have to be treated here.
Figure 3 shows the distribution of the six Chinese individuals with regard to the first two components. While the linear measurements of the frontal profile have generally high loadings on the first component, the variables "minimum frontal width" and the two angles are mainly represented by the second component. The most extreme positions on the first component are held by the two modern Chinese specimens, which thus also encompass the values of all other finds, including Maba.
Concerning the angles of the curvature of the frontal (component 2), Huanglon^ holds a somewhat more archaic position compared to Liujiang and thus shows certaia affinities to the frontal of Maba.
A more complex picture, which allows better interpretations, results when a larger number of finds from Europe and West Asia are included, as in analysis 2 (Fig. 4).
If one compares the Chinese specimens to this spectrum, then the large differences between the two modern Chinese become evident. While the frontal No. 94 shows very close relationships to the more gracile finds from Ofnet, No. 100 shows affinities to the robust specimens from Predmost and Engis.
The position which Huanglong occupies on the basis of the first two components is very interesting. This find deviates a little from the modern spectrum towards the archaic direction ； its position can thus not be regarded as intermediate between the Neandertals and anatomically modern Homo sapiens. There are stronger relationships to modern Homo sapiens, which are expressed in the specific affinities to Combe-Ca- pelle. Upper Cave No. 101 also deviates in the same direction from the Upper Paleolithic Europeans, to which it nevertheless possesses the greatest similarity (e.g. to Obe- rkassel cf). Liujiang exhibits no differences to the Upper Paleolithic Europeans in this analysis. Thus, this analysis of frontal morphology supports the similarities between the late Pleistocene finds from China and Europe, which have often been determined either evolutionarily or racially. The position of Maba in Fig. 4 is quite similar to that of Upper Cave No. 101. Although Maba holds a somewhat more intermediate position between the Neandertals and the Upper Paleolithic spectrum, its relationship to the modern frontal shape is greater than to the flat Neandertaloid form. This is also shown by the fact Qafzeh VI clearly lies closer to the Neandertal spectrum than does Maba. The archaic character of Maba is primarily determined by the prominent supraorbital torus rather than by the frontal curvature.
Summing up the results of the two analyses with regard to the affinities of Huang- long, it is probable that the frontal morphology of this find might be somewhat more archaic than that of the modern Chinese. On the basis of this analysis which included only a few modern Chinese specimens, the possibility cannot be excluded that Huanglong still falls within the limits of modern variation or at least lies very close to them. Moreover, the comparison with European finds has shown that Huanglong appears to have stronger affinities to various Upper Paleolithic Europeans than to the two recent Chinese. The other specimens from the Upper Cave, however, as well as those from Liujiang and Ziyang, exhibit descriptive details on the skulls which have been regarded Proto-Mongoloid (Woo 1959, Wu 1961, Wolpoff et a]. 1984). Although this appears quite probable, one can not disregard the strong affinities which the total morphological pattern of these crania exhibits to the late Upper Pleistocene spectrum from other parts of the world.

Human tooth fossils and some mammalian remains from Tobo, Liujiang, Guangxi

Li Youheng, Wu Maolin, Peng Shulin, Zhou Shibao

1984, 3(04):  322-416. 

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Eight human fossil teeth described in this paper were unearthed by a field team in Liujiang, Guangxi in 1981.
The description of the teeth shows that most features of the teeth are quite similar to those of modern human. We attributed it to late Homo sapiens in classification.
Two of these teeth have dental caries. This is the earliest evidence in human fossil teeth of China.
The mammalian remains associated with human fossils belong to the Ailuropoda- Stegodon fauna widely distributed in South China. Judging from the fauna, geological age of this site is late Pleistocene

The measurements of some Chinese (Qingdao district) cranial angles (continued)

Bao Mingxin, Wang Ruxin

1984, 3(04):  330-333. 

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Seventeen angles of 312 adult skulls of known sex (male 154, female 158) collected in Qingdao (Tsingtao) district of Shandong province were measured.
The sex differences of some cranial angles were discussed.

Investigation on the supratrochlear foramen in the Chinese humerus

Yang Yutian, Li Yingyi

1984, 3(04):  334-340. 

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This paper presents an investigation on the supratrochlear foramina in 213 pairs of Chinese adult humeri (122 males and 91 females). The data are as follows:
1. Rate of appearance: In 47 specimens the supratrochlear foramina were found 11 ca&es (9%) on the left side and 6 cases (5%) on the right, in 17 males and 15 cases (16%) on both sides respectively in 30 females. The rate of appearance is higher in females than in males (2.29:1). They are located more often on the left side than on the right and found in pairs in 12 eases (51.06%), and non-pairs in 23 cases (48.94).
2. Shape : The shape of the supratrochlear foramina is different, but mostly transverse-oval (37 eases, 78.72%). A rounded shape was found in 5 cases (10.46%), polygonal in 3 cases (6.38%) and longitudinal-oval in 2 cases (4.26%).
3. Number: One supratrochlear foramen was found in one humerus in 46 cases (97.87%) and two in one case (2.1%).
4. Diameter: The longitudinal diameter of the supratrochlear foramina ranged from 1 to 6.85 mm and the transverse diameter from 1 to 10.30 mm.
The cause for the appearance of the foramen is discussed.
The results of investigation were compared with the data reported by others.

Relationship between the growth of the body and the time of the fusion of epiphysis and diaphysis of femur, tibia and fibula

Xi Huanjiu

1984, 3(04):  341-348. 

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Based on the anthropometry of 2612 Han students born in Xian, and treatment of data with electronic computer, the development markers of the body (for example, body height, sitting height, etc) and some indices were obtained. The development curves were drawn up. The relations between the time of epiphysial fusion with diaphysis in the femur, tibia and fibula and development markers of the body were discussed.
This paper was done under the direction of Prefessor Zhang Huaitao and Associate Professor Dang Rulin.

Anthropological survey on Sibo nationality in Xinjiang uighur autonomous region

Shao Xinzhou, Wang Dulun, Cui Jin, Zhu Xinan, Zhao Wenhai

1984, 3(04):  349-362. 

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An anthropological study was made in May 1983 on Sibo nationality including 130 males and 90 females, from 20 to 78 years of age.
The results of the survey can be summarized breifly as follows :
Sibo nationality has significant features of Eastern Asian type o'f yellow race and is most closely related to Dawuer nationality living in Heilongjiang province and Han nationality living in North China, while it is remotely related to Li and Miao nationalities.
The type of head belongs to brachy-, liypsi- or tapeino-eephaly. Sibo nationality lias well-developed fold of upper palpebra. The breadth of eye aperture belongs to narrow type. The ear is longer. The armstretch is longer. The shoulder is narrower. The waist is thicker. The pelvic breadth is broader.
The mean value of the stature of males is 1697.3 mm and that of females is 1584.46 mm.

Dermatoglyphic study of Buyi and Gelao nationalities in Guizhou, China

Wu Lifu

1984, 3(04):  365-371. 

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The normal values of 12 dermatoglyphic parameters of Buyi and Gelao Nationalities were reported. The total number of 450 samples was obtained from Buyi Nationality, and 410 froin Gelao Nationality. The 12 dermatoglyphic parameter values obtained from Buyi and Gelao Nationalities were as follows: 1. the frequencies of finger patterns A，, A% Lu? Lr, W9, Wd of Buyi Nationality 0.69%, 0.11 %, 45.03%, 2.01 %, 39.98%, 12.35%, and the Gelao Nationality 1.66%, 0.37%, 46.38%, 2.39%, 38.78%, 9.98% respectively; 2. mean total finger ridge count (TFRC): Buyi, 132.99, Gelao, 135.95； 3. mean a—b total ridge countt Buyi, 36.68, Gelao, 37.33； 4. mean atd angle: Buyi, 42.33°, Gelao, 42.43°; mean tPD: Buyi, 16.21 %, Gelao, 17.15%； 5, mean line index of transversality: Buyi, 2 3.69, Gelao, 24.34； 6. frequencies of true patterns of palmar thenar areas: Euyi, 3.24%, Gelaj, 4.41%； 7. frequencies of true patterns of palmar hypothenar areas: Buyi, 8.93%, Gelao, 8.70%; 8. frequencies of true patterns of palmar interdigital areas I2> I3, I4t Buyi, 0.89%, 65.86%, Gelao, 2.82%, 18.75% 9 65.04%； 9. frequencies of persons with simian line, palmar flexion crease of transitional I type, palmar flexion crease of transitional II type and Sydney type: Buyi, 3.13%, 7.82 %, 5.14 % , 0, Gela。，6、1 %, 9.05 %, 6.35%, 0.49%； 10. frequencies of hallucal patterns A, L, W: Buyi, 8.11%, 64.33%, 27.55%, Gelao, 10.25%, 61.58%, 28.17%； 11. frequencies of true patterns of sole interdigital areas L： Buyi, 7.67%, 63.22%, 13.44%, Gelao, 8.17%, 54.88 %, 8.66%; 12. frequency cE hypothenar true patterns of sole: Buyi, 1.78%, Gelao, 2.44%. The difference between sexes, left and right hand, and nationalities were analysed.

A dermatoglyphic study on Baima Tibetan

Huang Xuanyin, Cheng Zhirang

1984, 3(04):  372-376. 

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The authors made a study of the clermatoglypliics of the Baima Tibetan in good health in Pingwu county, Sichuan province. There are 488 people in this sample (male: 246 ； female 242). The various dermatoglyphies parameters of the Baima Tibetan were compared with those of the Han the Tu, the Yi nationalities and so on. By means of %2 and u test, it is found out that the dermatoglyphies of the Baima Tibetan conforms to that of yellow race on the whole, but there is a lot of statistical difference between Baima Tibetans and Han. Tu, Yi. Nationalities.

Dermatoglyphics in tupaia belangeri chinensis

Zhang Yaoping, Ye Zhizhang, Peng Yanzhang, Liu Shuilin

1984, 3(04):  377-382. 

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The present paper deals with the dennatoglypliics of 42 tree shrews (23cf, 192). The dermatoglyphics of this animal possess a number of primitive features as noted in insectivores. There are six palmar pads on the manus and five plantar pads on the pes. All of them form small hillocks which are disc reted. Interdigital pads I, II, and IV of the manus similar to those of the pes. They possess the form of three-sided (or four-sided) pyramid. On the manus, the hypothenar pad is the largest and shows triradii. Interdigital pad and thenar pad differ from the other pads of the vola in their shape and conformation of ridges. Thenar pad and hypothenar pad on the pes are elongated. The interdigital pad I and the thenar are fused into one. All the apical pads of the manus in T. b. chinensis are covered mainly with transverse epidermal ridges except the pollical pad. On the apical pads of digit 2一5 of the pes are also covered with epidermal ridges, but the epidermal ridges are placed obliquely on the apical pad of digit 1. The epidermal ridges are only distributed on the pads but not on the rest of skin.

Climate during the Hexian mans time

Xu Qinqi

1984, 3(04):  383-391. 

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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.