Anthropol. Sci. 110(2),149-163, 2002 |
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| Liu Wu1, Gao Feng2, and Zheng Liang3 |
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| (Received
July 9, 2001; accepted February 13, 2002) |
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| Abstract
In the past decades numerous late Miocene hominoid
fossils have been discovered in Eurasia but the relationships among
them and to the later hominids are still in debate. Yunnan Province
of China is one of the key places of hominoid fossil discoveries. Till
now, four sites have yielded Miocene hominoid fossils. Among them, Lufeng
and Yuanmou rank with Siwalik as the richest fossil sites in Eurasia.
Here, we report the results of a dietary analysis of the Yuanmou hominoid.
Our analysis of tooth size proportions, M2 shearing crest development,
tooth enamel thickness and body weight of Yuanmou and other Miocene
hominoids indicate that, compared with other samples, the Yuanmou hominoid
had relatively bigger front teeth and weakly developed molar shearing
crests (lower SQ). So, the Yuanmou hominoid is considered to have mainly
fed on a harder or frugivorous diet. Among the other Miocene hominoids
considered in present study, the SQs of Proconsul nyanzae, Ouranopithecus
macedoniensis, Dendropithecus macinnesis and Lufengpithecus lufengensis
is close to that of Yuanmou indicating that they had similary developed
molar shearing crests with a likely preference for hard fruits. On the
other hand, there are some differences between the Yuanmou hominoid
and Lufengpithecus in all the four aspects of evidence studied here.
Among them, Lufengpithecus had relatively smaller front teeth, relatvely
smaller M1, higher SQ, indicating that more folivorous and soft dietary
items like leaves and berries were consumed. The preferred paleoenvironments
of the Yuanmou hominoid and Lufengpithecus might also have been different. Key Words: Miocene hominoid, diet, tooth size, tooth morphology, Yuanmou hominoids |
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| (C)Copyright
2002 The Anthropological Society of Nippon |
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