Stratigraphic subdivision of hominoid fossil localities of Yuanmou, Yunnan
Zong Guanfu, Pan Yuerong, Jiang Chu, Xiao Lin
1991, 10(02):
155-166.
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Yuanmou basin is located in the south of the Hengduan Mountain, about 200 km. to thenorth-west of Kunming city. The hominoid localities are situated on the high platform of hoththe Xiaohe and the Leiyi rivers in the north of Y uanmou basin,about 30--40 km. north ofYuanmou county. The strata of the hominoid localities(Baozidongjing, Hudieliangzi,Gai-pailiangzi, Daishujingliangzi) are all fluvial deposits, consisting of sand, gravel, sandy clay,about 30- 50 m. or more in thinkness. The Neogene beds are directly overlying on the old be-drock ( Mesozoic Red Beds" and Granite) and Early Neogene bed (Miocene lacustrine deposits).
There are three localities ( Baozidongjing, Hudieliangzi and Gaipailiangzi) on the highplatform of Xiaohe river. "Homo erectus zhupengensis (Jiang et al., 1987) or Homo orientalis (Zhang et al., 1987) was collected from the locality, Baozidongjing near Zhupeng Vil-lage. It was considered to be early stage of lower Pleistocene (B. P. 2 Ma). The -' Ramapi-thecus hudienensis" (Zhang et al., 1987) was collected from the Hudieliangzi near Ziaohe :Village and considered to be late Pliocene (B. P. 3--4 Ma).
According to the characteristics of deposits and the fauna and comparing them with thoseof hominoid fossil site of Lufeng, we draw the following:
l. Baozidongjing bed of "Homo orientalis" is higher than that of Ramapithecus hudien-easis.But judging from the bearing of borh the strata of them and the trace of new struture,the Baozidongjing bed can b econsidered similar to the bed of Hudieliangzi site.
2. The age of Baczidongjing bed with "Homo orientalis" is similar to the one of Hu-dieliangzi bed with " Ramapithecus hudienensis". It is because the elements of Hi pparion,Chilotherium and some Carnivora also appeared in the Hudieliangzi bed.
3. Judging from the comparisons of the Carnivora and the others of Yuanmou Xiaohefauna, it is possible that the geological age of Yuanmou fauna was later than Lufeng faunaand probably represents a lower fauna zone of the Early Pliocene (B. P. 5--6 Ma) in South China.
The Leilao hominoid fossil was found by a field team of the Paleontology, Yunnan Province in the spring of 1990. Leilao is a yillage of Yuanmou county and about 10 km. to theSouth of Xiaohe hominoid site and collected from Daishujingliangzi near Leilao village. They are:
Brachyrhizomys nagrii
Monosaulax sp.
Hyaenidae indet. gen. sp.
Stegolophodon banguoensis
Stegotetrabelodon primitium
Hipparion platyodus
Chilotherium yuannanensis
Macrotherium salinum
Potamochoerus sp.
Suidae indet. gen. sp.
Yunnanotherium sp.
Dorcabune sp.
Muntiacus sp.
Muntiacus fenhoensis
Cervavitus sp.
Cervinae indet. gen. sp.
As can be seen from the above list the fauna is similar to the Xiaohe hominold fauna,such as Monosaulax, Stegolophodon, Hipparion, Chilotherium, Macrotherium, Yunnnanothe-rium, Dorcabune etc. So the Leilao hominoid fauna can be correlated with the Xiaohe fauna.
