Changes in the composition of the Pleistocene primate fauna in southern China

Masanaru Takai, Yingqi Zhang, Reiko T. Kono, Changzhu Jin

　中国南部の広西壮族自治区崇左地域の更新世の洞窟堆積物から発見された霊長類化石相の構成変化について検討した。同地域の14の洞窟からみつかった約3600個の霊長類化石歯（主に遊離歯）を解析したところ、以下の9属の霊長類（Homo, Gigantopithecus, Pongo, Nomascus, Procynocephalus, Macaca, Rhinopithecus, Pygathrix, and Trachypithecus ）が確認された。これらの霊長類は全て前期更新世のうちに出現していた。 　ProcynocephalusとGigantopithecusは絶滅した化石属で、前者は前期更新世に、後者は中期～後期更新世にかけて絶滅したらしいが、それぞれ異なる原因で絶滅したと考えられる。Gigantopithecusの絶滅した背景には、人為的な原因よりも環境変動が主要な要因と考えられる。残りの7属は現在も中国南部またはその近隣地域に生息している。特にPongo（オランウータン）は前期更新世以降に生息数が激減したが、完新世までこの地域に生息していたと思われる。

Quaternary International (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.02.021

In this paper we examine the change in the composition of the Pleistocene primate fauna in southern China based on about 3600 fossil teeth collected from 14 cave sites in Chongzuo area, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Although it is often difficult to identify the taxonomic position of isolated Pleistocene primate teeth, nine genera were provisionally identified: Homo, Gigantopithecus, Pongo and Nomascus (Hominoidea), Procynocephalus, Macaca, Rhinopithecus, Pygathrix, and Trachypithecus (Cercopithecoidea). Among these genera, all but Gigantopithecus and Procynocephalus are extant, some of which are not presently distributed in Chongzuo and its neighboring area. More than half of the primate specimens belong to Macaca, which probably includes three to five species, while other genera likely consist of single species. There is a possibility that some of the early macaque species may have been replaced by later members of the genus. All primate genera make their first appearance in the Early Pleistocene, seven of which likely survived until the Holocene in Chongzuo. The extinctions of Procynocephalus and Gigantopithecus are probably due to different factors. The former was likely adapted to cooler and drier environments, and distributed mainly in the area of relatively high latitude. The Early Pleistocene fossil record at Chongzuo is its southernmost occurrence and it may be the youngest record in eastern Eurasia. The latter was a common taxon during the Early Pleistocene, but it disappeared in the early Late Pleistocene. This was probably due to vegetational change, including the loss of their preferred diet, such as bamboo.

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