摘要
江苏省泗洪县石集乡毛山村在实施高标准基本农田建设土地整治期间,在上更新统塔兰托阶戚嘴组上部棕黄、棕红色粉砂质亚黏土夹浅灰绿色粉砂层中发掘出一体形巨大、保存较完整的淮河古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis Qi,1999)骨架化石。虽然中国许多地方的第四纪地层都发现了古菱齿象化石,但多为零散的牙齿和残破的骨骼。此次出土的标本显示,其巨大的门齿说明该象为雄性,第3臼齿磨损程度反映其死亡年龄约50岁,从其股骨长度推测,可能肩高超过4 m,体重超过10 t。对比世界各地已发现的古菱齿象化石,可见在冰期—间冰期反复交替的更新世,古菱齿象为寻找适合的生存环境不断迁徙。冰期气候变冷,海平面下降,大陆架浅海大多暴露成为陆地,它们迁徙扩散,追寻合适的生境;间冰期气候变暖,海平面上升,大陆架完全淹没成为浅海,它们被分隔在不同的大陆和岛屿,为适应不同的生境,各自独立演化。如此反复的迁徙扩散—隔离—再迁徙融合—再隔离的交替循环,导致古菱齿象种群的多样化分异。在食物资源丰富、活动空间广阔、掠食动物横行的大陆,它们体形趋向巨大化,如非洲的瑞氏古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon recki),欧洲的古老古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon antiquus),南亚的纳玛古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon namadicus)及中国的淮河古菱齿象;在食物资源和活动空间都很受限制,掠食动物威胁相对较弱的岛屿,它们的体形趋向侏儒化,如地中海岛屿的法氏古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon falconeri),马耳他古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon melitensis),莫奈德里古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis),塞浦路斯古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon cypriotes),哈尼亚古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon chaniensis),蒂洛斯古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon tiliensis)及日本的诺氏古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon naumanni)。由此演化出的物种体形大小差异很大,包含了长鼻目(Proboscidea)最大和最小的个
A relatively complete fossil skeleton of a Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis was unearthed from yellowish brown and light grayish green silty clay in Late Pleistocene upper part of Qizui Formation during land consolidation at Guitai of Maoshan Village in Shiji Town of Sihong County, northern Jiangsu Province on April 23, 2016. Although fossils of Palaeoloxodon have been found at several sites in Chi- na before, most of them are molars, tusks and a few fragmentary bones. The specimen is one of the most well-preserved skeletons of Palaeoloxodon in China, and the wear degree of last lower molar （ m3 ） indicates this elephant died at 50 years old, and the femur length suggests its shoulder height was of more than 4 meters and its body mass of over 10 tonnes. The Pleistocene period Palaeoloxodon lived was marked by repeated glacial cycles, and it caused blend-isolated cycles between groups of these elephants repeatedly. Palaeol- oxodon evolved eventually numerous species, varied widely in size, suited to their different habitats. The species of Palaeoloxodon ten- ded to be of huge size in extensive continents, for instance, Palaeoloxodon recki in Africa, Palaeoloxodon antiques in Europe, Palaeol- oxodon namadicus in South Asia, and Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis in China, while species of this elephant became examples of insular dwarfism in confined islands, such as Palaeoloxodon falconeri, Palaeoloxodon melitensis, Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis, Palaeoloxodon Cypriotes, Palaeoloxodon chaniensis, Palaeoloxodon tiliensis in Mediterranean islands, as well as Palaeoloxodon naumanni in Japan, and therefore the species of Palaeoloxodon include the smallest and the largest Proboseidea.
出处
《地质学刊》
CAS
2016年第4期545-551,共7页
Journal of Geology
基金
supportedbygrantsfromChinaGeologicalSurvey(121201008000150004)and(DD20160063)~~
关键词
淮河古菱齿象
晚更新世
戚嘴组
泗洪
苏北
Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis
Late Pleistocene
Qizui Formation
Sihong County
northern Jiangsu Province
