在中国云南发现狒狒化石

郑良; 潘汝亮; Darren Curnoe

摘要: 现存狒狒类(Papionin)生活于非洲(如Papio和Theropithoan)、亚洲(如Macaca)和北非(M. sylvanas)。在上新世和更新世，Theropithecus经历了从非洲到亚洲的扩散过程，在印度发现了类似化石。这次在云南中甸金沙江附近发现的下更新世狒狒化石(Papio)证明，如同亚洲猕猴和现代人类祖先一样，非洲狒狒类(Papio和Theropithecus)在同一时期从非洲扩散到亚洲。所不同的是它们没有像猕猴和人类一样生存下来。这次化石的发现对于研究以下生物学问题提供了重要依据： 1) 探讨旧大陆猴类在上新—更新世从非洲到亚洲的扩散过程； 2) 研究不同旧大陆猴类的进化和环境适应性； 3) 为现代人类祖先在非洲—亚大陆的扩散研究提供证据； 4) 由于化石产地包括有人类祖先和其他动物的化石，因此，狒狒在亚洲的生态适应研究将为探讨人类在同一时期的生态适应提供证据。

Abstract: The extant papionin monkeys are represented today by several genera including Papio (baboons) and Theropithecus (geladas) in Africa,and Macaca (macaques) in North Africa and Asia. However, During the Pliocene and Pleistocene, while geladas occupied African and India (e.g., Delson, 1984; Prasad, 1996; Fleagle, 1999; Frost & Delson, 2002; El-Zaatari et al, 2005), Papio inhabited only sub-Saharan Africa. In both cases, diversity was considerably greater in the past than today. African papionins were also sympatric with hominins, both groups being found together in major fossil hominin localities throughout East and southern Africa. Papionins are important chronological (faunal) markers for hominin sites as well as providing insights into ecology. In 2001, in Zhongdian County, Yunnan Province, China, a fossil primate was unearthed from a locality along the Jingsha River that strongly morphologically resembles Papio (see Fig.1). This fossil comprises most of a well-preserved mandible with some teeth. The specimen is dated using faunal correlation to the Lower Pleistocene. The presence of a Papio-like lineage in China is important because: 1) it indicates much wider geographic distribution for this previously African-only lineage, offering new information about primate evolution and biogeography; 2) it stems from a time when hominins first occupied East Asia; 3) it was discovered in a region likely to have been a major corridor for settlement of East Asia by hominins and other primates; and 4) it potentially offers new insights into various aspects of hominin ecology.

在中国云南发现狒狒化石

Fossil Baboon found in Yunnan, China