河北阳原泥河湾盆地山神庙咀早更新世哺乳动物群的发现

摘要

2006～2008年,在泥河湾盆地山神庙咀化石点发现大量保存完好的哺乳动物化石,已初步鉴定出如下种类:兔科(属、种未定)、鼠兔(未定种)、直隶狼、猫科(属种未定)、硕鬣狗(未定种)、草原猛犸象、披毛犀、板齿犀(未定种)、长鼻三趾马(未定种)、三门马、猪(未定种)、真枝角鹿(未定种)、转角羚羊(未定种)及中国羚羊等；尽管上述种类全部属于经典泥河湾动物群成员,但其中草原猛犸象、披毛犀、野猪、真枝角鹿及转角羚羊等材料都比前人所发现的要丰富和完整.从3次发掘情况看,该地点是泥河湾盆地几十年来所发现的含大哺乳动物化石种类最丰富、保存最完好的地点.这些化石不仅对解决有关属种的分类与演化问题至关重要,而且对间接确认经典泥河湾动物群的确切层位和丰富该动物群的内容是重要素材；此外,还可为解决桑干河两岸及油房断层两盘之间生物地层对比工作的有关难题提供新证据.据野外地层的高程判断,山神庙咀动物群要比小长梁动物群的年代稍晚,即晚于1.36Ma；而经典泥河湾动物群的时代也应与之相当.%A rich mammalian fauna has been recovered at the Shanshenmiaozui site in Nihewan Basin during the past few years(2006 -2008) ,the fauna consists of the following taxa; Leporidae gen. Et sp. Indet., Ochotona sp., Canis chihliensis sp., Felidae gen. Et sp. Indet., Pachycrocuta sp., Mammuthus trogontherii, Coelodonta antiquitatis nihowanensis, Elasmotherium sp., Proboscidipparion sp., Equus sanmeniensis, Sus sp., Eucladoceros sp., Spirocerus sp.,Gazella sinensis and Bovinae gen. Et sp. Indet. Although the aforementioned taxa are all the typical elements of the classical Nihewan ( = Nihowan) fauna, the materials of Mammuthus trogontherii, Coelodonta antiquitatis nihowanensis,Sus sp. And Eucladoceros sp. Are better represented and preserved than those ever reported. The newly found fauna is the richest and the best preserved ever recovered in Nihewan Basin during the past decades. These materials are not only helpful in understanding the evolution of some taxa, but also are important in reconfirming the chronological sequence of the classical Nihewan fauna; additionally, the newly discovered fauna can also be regarded as important evidences in the biostratigraphical correlations between the two sides of the Sangganhe River as well as between the two blocks of the Youfang Fault. The preliminary correlations based on the elevations shows that the geological age of the Shanshenmiaozui fauna is slightly younger than that of the cultural layer at Xiaochangliang Site.t. E. Less than 1. 36Ma,which also should be the age of the classical Nihewan fauna described by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau( 1930).