Table of Content

15 June 1992, Volume 11 Issue 02

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On the classification of subspecies of Homo

Wu Rukang

1992, 11(02):  109-111. 

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Lantian Homo erectus fossils consist of a mandible and a skull cap. They were found attwo sites in Lantian County, Shaanxi Province. The mandible was found at the Chenjiawo siteand the skull cap, at Gongwangling site. Xue Xiangxu (1991) basedon the difference of the fossils and the geological age, suggested that Lantian fossils should be assigned to two subspecies, i.e. H. e. lantianensis and H. e. gongwanglingensis. The present paper passes criticismon the suggestion as it is unfounded and meaningless.

The second batch of accelerator radiocarbon dates for Upper Cave Site of Zhoukoudian

Chen Tiemei, R. E. M. Hedges, Yuan Zhenxin

1992, 11(02):  112-116. 

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Altogether 12 fossil bone samples in two batches were dated with accelerator mass spectro-metry radiocarbon ( AMS-C14) technique. In comparison with the first batch of AMS-Cl4 da-tes, new combined dating results push the age for the cultural phase further back to 29- -24ka before present, while the time of filling of the Lower Recess remains unchanged, which hadstarted at about 34--33 ka ago (see table 1).
This new age assignment is much older than coinmonly accepted conventional radiocarbonages of 10470 a for the cultural phase and 18340 a for the deposits in the Lower Recess. Wethink the AMS-C14 dates are more compatible with geological and archaeological evidences.(1) Human skulls found in this site were unanimously classified as late Homo sapiens.Mor phologically these skulls show more primitive features than other members of Later Homo sapiens like Ziyang Man and Chuandong Man of Puding, and are different in species levelfrom that of Chinese early neolithics. It must have taken quite a long time for the evolutionprocess when Upper Cave Men gradually transformed into Homo sapiens, which would contra-dict the conception that the Upper Cave Men lived at the very end of Late Pleistocene.
(2) 19-11 ka was an extremely cold period, while 34--24 ka was a relatively warm in-terstadial during the Wurm Glacial. Upper Cave fauna contained tropic animals like Pugumalarvata and Acinonyx cf. jubatus, but no Coelodonta antiquitatis nor mammuthus which werevery popular during cold glacial time in North China. AMS -Cl4 age determination of 34--24ka would better fit the composition of the fauna.
No difference in culture nor fauna between upper and lower parts of the cultural depo-sits has been reported, still as no samples from the uppermost layers of this site has been datedyet, the possibility that the Upper Cave Culture had lasted somewhat later than 24 ka can notbe completely excluded.

A preliminary study of the paleoliths from the Zhangjiashan Site

Shi Jinming, Hu Sheng

1992, 11(02):  117-125. 

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The Zhangjiashan Paleolithicsite is situated at the upper reaches of the Cangtouhe River,nearthe Zhangjiashan village of Youyucounty, Shanxi provice(112°28'E; 39°51'N). It isabout 20 kilometres to the south of Y ouyu (Liangjiayoufang). The site was discovered in 1987.On October 20, 1990 the authors made a survey of this site again and collected 212 pieces ofstone artifacts from the earth surface.
The raw material of the artifacts is mainly flint. Types of tools include scrapers (86.7%), points (7.6%) and notches (5.7%). According to the study of stone artifacts, the age of the Zhangjiashan site may be Upper Paleolithic, and the stone industry is similar to the small stone tool tradition in North China.

Paleoliths found in Taohuaxi locality

Li Xuanmin

1992, 11(02):  126-133. 

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During dredging the waterway of Taohuaxi brooklet between August- September of 1987,a paleolithic locality was found on the high terrace about 80m above the present river level ofChangjian River near Chongqing Zoo where lies about10km in the south-western partofChongqing county. 69 stone artifacts and a few walnut shells (Juglans cathaynsis) are unco-vered in white-gray sand layer of the locality laid underground about 6m.
69 pieces of stone artifacts are divided into cores including singleplatform cores andpolyhedral cores, flakes, hammer stones, crushed hammer stone, scrapers which are subdivid-ed into two edges, the complex scraper and end scraper, and choppers (Choppingtools)which contain concave, convex, two edges, pointed, complex and end choppers, which consistof three types.
On the basis of the type and technique, the assemblage found in Taohuaxi locality havesome primary characters as follows:
Most artifacts are big and irregular in shape, most flakes are produced by direct percus-sion and a few specimens may be flaked on the anvil; The tools of the flake are common thanthose of the core; Many tools are crudely trimmed, and only three specimens are will retou-ched; The tools divided into scrapers (only 4 pieces) and choppers (29 specimens). It indi-cates the chopper is the important tool in the aggregate. These characters of the artifacts areclosely related to those found in Ziyang Man locality B and Tonglian Culture sites. This lo-cality is tentatively dated to be upper Pleistocene, probably to be the later stage supportedboth by cultural evidence and stratigraphic materials.

Taphonomic study of Paleolithic site group of Shuiyang River

Fang Yingsan, Yang Dayuan, Han Huiyou, Zhou Lufu

1992, 11(02):  134-142. 

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Shuiyang River paleolithic site group is on the lower reaches of Yangtze River in AnhuiProvince. It consists of 16. localities, and covers 1400 square kilometers area.
Investigation and trial excavation at Xiang yang locality (AX 8704) show that most localities of paleolithic site group are at the second terrace. Bottom of the terraceis gravel bedabout 10-meter high, and deposits on it are loesslike silty clay 11-meter high. Section is quite si-milar with loess in North China. There are 7 paleosoil layers in deposits. According to theanalysis of grainsize, chemical, heavy mineral and electron microscope scanning, primary se-diments were carried by wind besides the gravel bed.
The age of ESR dating method of the middle and upper layer of Xiangyang locality is0.68ma BP. Summing up the results of TL and PM dates in small area in recent years, t.hesediment age of paleolithic site group of Shuiyang River has kept about 0.7ma (0.13--0.9ma).
The basic characteristics of paleolith in Shuiyang River are as follows: localities distribu-ted along the river; stone artifacts in original deposits, which put together relatively with peb-ble in the strata; their material made from flood land; figure is heavy and strong;most typesis chopper/chopping tools. These characteristics demonstrate the people who lived near the bankof Shuiyang River spent mobil life in groups then. Maybe paleolithic site group in ShuiyangRiver is the living complex of a primitive horde.

Radiographic measurements of calcaneum

Ma Qinhua, Chen Zhigang, Qian Zhizhong, Chen Qi

1992, 11(02):  143-148. 

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Radiographic measurements are performed by the lateral radiographs of right calcaneumin 1719 normal people (age 1 to 18). The results are as follows: The calcaneal growth velocitywas the fastest 'before two years. old. It was consistent with the development of physiques (e. g.height and weight), and then there is not a remirkable increase in the calcaneal growth. At puberty, a temporal sudden increase is found in calcaneum. Radiographic measurements not only provide a normal contrast for the shortness of calcaneum caussed by some congenital oracquired diseases, but also is useful to the other subject (e. g: anthropology, forensic science).

Radiological study of normal development of metatarsal bone cortex in children and youngsters

Chen Zhigang, Yang Guangfu, Qian Zhizhong

1992, 11(02):  149-155. 

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The cortical thickness and area of the 2nd--4th metatarsal bones were measured in 1607cases of normal children and youngsters. Three reJative indices were calculated also. The re-sults demonstrated that cortical thickness and area increase gradually with age. There was difference in development in sex. Cortical thickness appeared two crossesand accorded withthe development of human body. Three indiceshad no notable change in age and sex. It is be-lieved that metatarsal bone as metacarpal bone affords the best measuring area of bone quan-tity and it is suggested that the cortical thickness together with one index is the best method ofjudging bone quantity. This paper will provide basic data for the diagnosis of metabolic bonedisease and the evaluation of growth and development.

A study on development of subcutaneous tissue and body circumferences of Chinese children in Wuhu region

Xu Yunxiou

1992, 11(02):  156-164. 

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Four skinfold thicknesses (triceps, calf, subscapular, and supra-iliac) and four body cir-cumferences (triceps, calf, chest, and waist) were measured on 1 217 school-children, from 8to 17 years of age, in Wuhu region. The subjects were classified into urban andrural groups.The amount shows that in the just pre- puberal period, fat in boys limb quickly decreases,while in girls increases fast in all puberal period. Body circumferences get bigger and bigger with the growth of age, and in the post-puberal period, they are stand-still.
On all dimensions, urban groups tend to have thicker skinfolds than those from rural children of the same age and sex. It is further shown that environmental factors play an im-portant role in the development of the skinfold tissue.

Changes of height and trunk ratio of urban and rural Chinese children in 6 years(1979 to 1985)

Ouyang Zhen, Tang Xilin

1992, 11(02):  165-170. 

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The results of 1979 and 1985 National Survey of Physical constitution are used to discuss the urban-rural differences in height growth acceleration and the change of trunk ratio. The followings are concluded: (1) The height growth and maturation accelerated in the period of 6 years for both urban and rural Chinese children; (2) The height increment and advancing of Maximum Growth Age for height and sitting height of rural children are more obvious than that of urban children; (3) The change of height and trunk ratio are easily seen in puberty; (4) The change of height and trunk ratio are mainly resulted from the change of growth tempo.

Constitutional characters of the university students descended from the intermarriage between the Mongols and the Hans

Chen Guoquan, Liu Shulian, Zhu Qin

1992, 11(02):  171-175. 

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The constitutional characters of 439 university students (20--22 years of age) who are the descendants of intermarriage between the Mongols and the Hans are reported. The results showthat all items related to the constitutional characters in descendant stud ents have developed well and surpass those in the Hans students with significant differences in stature and chest circumference in the female students. The stature, sitting height, chest. Circumference and shoulder breadth of the descendant students are above those of the Mongol students, and the differences in sitting height and shoulder breadth in male students and in stature, sitting height,chest circumference in female students are significant. They have smaller pelvic breadth thanthe Mongol students. The differences are significant in both sex groups. Judging by D;j values,constitutionally they have more characters of the Han nationality.

Study on pathological anthropology in endemic cretin

Xi Huanjiu, Li Zeshan, Gu Xuejing, Wang Yahui

1992, 11(02):  176-183. 

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103 items were measured each in 55 cases of patients with endemic cretin and of the control normal people with the same sex, race etc. The discriminant function and value were obtained. The results indicate that the normal people in Kaiyuan County is close to North Chinain physical characters. The patients with endemic cretin are short because their sitting height and length of lower limb are short. Total height of head is almost same to that of the control.The nasal height, breadth of pelvis, auricular height, physiognomic facial height, deepness of nasal roof and breadth of head are very important to distinguish patients from the control.

Cluster analysis and evolutionary relationships of Chinese macaques

Jiang Xuelong, Wang Yingxiang, Ma Shilai, He Yuanhui

1992, 11(02):  184-191. 

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There are five species of macaques in mainland China: M. mulatta, M. assamensis, M. thi-betana, M. nemestrina and M. arctoides. The cluster analysis of 35 proportional characters ofskull demonstrates that: M. assamensis and M. thibetana have the closest relationship, then clu-ster with M. nemestrina to form one branch, and M. mulatta and M. arctoides form anotherbranch, finally, all the five species cluster together. Interspecific Euclidean distancesand groupings support Fooden's (1976, 1980) classification of the genus Macaca into four speciesgroups. The phylogeny tree also shows living Asian macaques diverged intotwo branches atearlier stage, one presents slower trends in foramen occipitale magnum and condylus occipita-lis moving ventrally forward, rostral shortening and vault enlarging, such as M. nemestrina,M. assamensis, M. thibetana. Excluding M. sylvanus, in this branch, silenus group radiatedfrom west to east and south, and sinica group radiated from west to east and north, the diver-gence of these two groups probably relates to allo-patric speciation. Another branch presents fa-ster trends in foramen occipitale magnum and condylus occipitalis moving ventrally forward,rostral shortening and vault enlarging, such as M. mulatta, M. arctoides. In this branch, M.arctoides has sympatric distribution with fascicularis group in heartland area of South Asia,the divergence probably relates to M. arctoides developed special external reproductive organand they tended to adapt different habitats. The result differs from other authors in that M.arctoides is more similar with M. mulatta, and less similar with M. assamensis and M. thibe-tana (Delson, 1980; Caldecou, 1986), or M. arctoides appears to be the most divergent of themacaques (Weiss et al., 1973; Melnik et al., 1985; Zhang et al., 1990).

News and activities.

1992, 11(02):  192-192. 

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