Yuanmou ManTooth fossilIt was discovered in Shangnabeng Village, Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province on the May Day in 1965. Yuanmou County is known as the "hometown of Yuanmou people".In 1976, according to the paleomagnetic method, the age of life was about 1.7 million years ago, with a gap of no more than 100000 years (some scholars believed that the age should not exceed 730000 years, which could be 600000 to 500000 years or later).
About 1.7 million years agoYunnan ProvinceYuanmou CountyIt is a subtropical grassland and forest with dense hazelnuts and lush forestsClawed hoof beastThe remaining animals of the third period lived and multiplied here.After a whileHyaena licenti 、Yunnan horse、Shanxi axial deeretc.Early PleistoceneOf the animals in this grassland and forest.Most of them areHerbivoresbeast.In order to live, Yuanmou people used crude stone tools to hunt them.According to the two teeth, stone tools, carbon chips unearthed, and a small amount of them later excavated in the same layer at the same placeStoneware, large amount of carbon chips and lactationanimal fossilTo prove that they can make tools and use firePrimitive human。
In 1965, Qian Fang, Pu Qingyu and other scholars went to search for fossils near Shangnabeng Village.At that time, under the guidance of an old cattle herder, they came to the place about 1km west of Beng VillageIn a ravineLook for fossils.At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, a man found it under an earth bagYunnan horseAnd then found two human incisors.Later, scholars brought tooth fossils back to Beijing.
In October 1973, the Chinese Academy of SciencesPaleovertebrateHe and the Institute of Paleoanthropology organized large-scale excavation, and found artificial stone tools and carbon chipsmammalFossils, etc.But no new human fossils have been found.[1]
July 25, 1976, usedPaleomagnetic methodIts absolute geological age is about 1.7 million years ago.(Dispute later)
The Yuanmou man fossil consists of two upper medial incisors, one on the left and one on the right, belonging to the same adult.The crown is intact, the root tip is incomplete, the surface has small cracks, and the cracks are filled withBrown clay。These two teeth are very thick, with flat lips and complex tongue patterns, which have obvious primitive properties.
Yuanmou County is located at the edge of Yuanmou Basin, where a set of fluviolacustrine sediments with a thickness of 695m is exposed.It is divided into 4 sections and 28 layers from bottom to top.Yuanmou human tooth was found in the 25th layer of the 4th section.Since then, a small amount ofStonewareA large number of carbon chips and mammalian fossils.
A total of 7 stone products have been unearthed, with clear artificial traces.The raw material isVein quartz, small type, yesStone coreandScraper。Although they are not the same as human teethlevelHowever, the horizon is roughly the same and the distance is not far, so it should be produced and used by Yuanmou people.The carbon chips found are mostly doped in clay and powderSandy clayA small amount is in the lenticular body of gravel.The carbon chips are roughly divided into three layers, each with a spacing of 30-50 cm.Carbon debris is often associated with mammalian fossils.The diameter of the largest carbon chip can reach 15mm, and the smaller one is about 1mm.On a 4 cm × 3 cm plane, there are 16 carbon chips above 1 mm.In addition, two black bones were found, which may have been burned after identification.The researchers believe that these are the traces of human use of fire at that time.This discovery is different from that ofXihoudu CultureFound inBurn boneIf it is really evidence of artificial fire use, it will greatly advance the history of human fire use.Some animals with obvious artificial traces were also found in the siteBone slice。[2]
The fossil of Yuanmou Man consists of two upper medial incisors, one on the left and one on the right, belonging to the same adult.It has deep petrification, gray color and several cracks.
The research on the tooth fossils of Yuanmou Man shows that the crown of the tooth is well preserved, the end of the root of the tooth is incomplete, and there are small cracks on the surface filled with brown clay.These two teeth are very thick and shovel shaped, with relatively expanded incisal edges, flat lips, and complex patterns of tongue surfaces, which have obvious primitive properties.
The characteristics of Yuanmou people's incisors are as follows: the base of the crown is swollen and thick, the end is expanded, slightlytriangle。The tubercle at the bottom of the tongue is convex, with developed spade shapeDental fossa。Mid lingualconcaveRough, the central finger process is very long, and the finger processes are concentrated on the outer half.
The left incisor of Yuanmou people is 11.4 mm long, 8.1 mm wide and 11.2 mm high.The right door tooth is 11.5 mm long, 8.6 mm wide and 11.1 mm high.The cutting edge is worn before death.
Site discovery
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Ruins
Yuanmou Basin is located inJinsha RiverThe climate is dry and hotCentral YunnanThe famous "thermal dam".In early May 1965, geologists Qian Fang and Pu Qingyu led a delegation to YuanmouDanawu VillageOne left and one right central incisor, belonging to young men, were found in the early Pleistocene strata of the post Quaternary in Nabeng Village, the basin. Their morphological characteristics are similar to those of Beijingers, and their age is earlier than that of Beijingers.throughGeomagnetismAccording to instrument science, these two tooth fossils are owned by primitive humans 1.7 million years ago and belong to one species of Homo erectusNew subspecies——Homo erectus Yuanmou new subspecies.The discovery of Yuanmou people is of great significance for revealing the history of human evolution and development.
With the teeth of Yuanmou people unearthed, there are also 17 pieces of stone products. After research and identificationPaleolithic, whose types includeCuspidator、Scraperandchopper。A large number of carbon chips and some charred bones have also been found in the same stratum, and there are animal fossils in the places where there are carbon chips. There are more than 40 kinds of symbiotic mammal fossils, 1.7 million years ago, which is China and even ChinaAsiaThe earliest hominid fossil.This shows that Yuanmou people not only use their own tools to hunt andCollection activityThey also learned to use fire to roast their prey, and began to get rid of the era of blood and raw hair.
Yuanmou Man was earlier than "Lantian Man", "Peking Man", "mountaintop cave man" and other ape men, thus pushing forward the age of the earliest human fossils discovered in China by more than one million years.
Yuanmou Man SiteThe discovery of has great historical significance and scientific research value. China and some countries have written this discovery into textbooks.
Survival status
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Use of stone tools
In 1973, three stone tools were unearthed from the stratum where Yuanmou man fossils were found.In addition, three stone tools were collected at the same place. It is speculated that they were washed out of the ground by rain and were also regarded as stone tools of Yuanmou people.
The stone tools unearthed from the three strata arequartziteManufactured byScraper。One isTwo edge scraper, byFlakeIt was made. Judging from the manual processing marks on the stone tools, it may have been hit and repaired.The second isMultiple blade scraper, made of small stones, with processing traces on three sides, slightly rectangular, which should be processed in multiple directions.The third isEnd blade scraper, which is also made of small stones, and is also processed in multiple directions.
Among the three collected stone tools, one isStone core, fusiform, 90mm long, single table top.The second isFlake, the raw material isRed sandstone, the length is slightly less than the width,Hit pointCasual.The third isCuspidator, made of quartz rock slices, processed on one side on the left, processed on both sides on the right, intersected on the central axisPositive cusp。
It is difficult to infer the stone tool processing technology of Yuanmou people only from these stone tools.However, the following points can be learned: Yuanmou people would use hammering to manufacture and repair stone tools, and would manufacture scrapers and pointed tools, and the tools were not large in size.
In the stratum where Yuanmou man fossils are found, many carbon fragments are also found, often associated with mammalian fossils.The larger one has a diameter of 15mm, and the smaller one is about 1mm.
In addition, two black bones were found, which may have been burned after identification.In addition, a large number of carbon chips were found.Some researchers believe that these are traces of human use of fire at that time.
After years of excavation, a total of 17 pieces of stone tools were unearthed, including 7 pieces from the stratum and 10 pieces from the surface.
environment
Contemporaneous animal and plant fossils
YuanmouenvironmentIt is inferred from the coexistence of animal and plant fossils.Generallyanimal fossilbe calledYuanmou fauna , which is believed to be a symbiotic animal with Yuanmou people.
About Yuanmou man fossilGeological ageThere are different views in academic circles from the absolute age.
One view is that it belongs to the early Pleistocene, about 1.7 million years ago.Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological SciencesThe paleomagnetic method was used to measure 1.7 million ± 100000 years ago.Electron spin resonance methodIt was determined as 1.6~1.1 million years ago.According to the research on the mammals associated with Yuanmou people and the comparison with the teeth of Peking people, it seems more primitive.
Another view is that in theMiddle Pleistocene。becausePaleomagnetismThe age should not exceed 730000 years. According to the fossil layer of Yuanmou Man, it may be 600000-500000 years ago or later.
The research on the discovered stone tools shows that the Yuanmou people lived inPaleolithic AgeEarly.
If we set the age of Yuanmou people as 1.7 million years ago, because this is the original age of Yuanmou people, some textbookspopular bookandencyclopediaThey all hold this view.If the age of Yuanmou people is about 600000 years, then the age of Yuanmou people will be later than that of Lantian people in Gongwangling.
Related disputes
"Where there is reticulated red soil, it must be 800000 years ago!"Humid hot climatePromote rock productionchemical reactionAnd weatheringYangtze RiverMany places to the south are still visible. "Huang WeiwenIt is said that the name "net pattern" is just a popular term. In fact, the pattern is layer by layer, and more accurately, it should be called "worm pattern", just like the meandering trace of insects."It has two most obvious characteristics, bright red and very clear reticulation. No other soil can have it at the same time."Reticulated lateriteIt will help to resolve the 40 year dispute over the age of Yuanmou people and testify for Yuanmou people.
Yuanmou People's Teeth
"The paleomagnetic dating method is based onGeomagnetism"To determine the age."China Academy of Atomic Energy SciencesResearcher Guo Shilun said that the earth itself is a big magnetic field, but the north and south poles are not permanent, on the contrary, they are constantly shifting, even every few hundred thousand yearsPossibleThe formation of rivers and lakes and the eruption of volcanoes on the earth can record the magnetic state of the earth at that time."However, the paleomagnetic method can not produce numerical age, but can only produce relative ageisotopeOnly when the law is combined can we measure the more accurate age, so some scholars question the age of Yuanmou people. "
Isn't there two tooth fossils?Why can't we do isotope measurement?Beijing Natural History MuseumcuratorZhou GuoxingExplain that:“Carbon14OfIsotope methodGenerally, it is only suitable to determine the age below 40000 to 50000 years, because the carbon in animal and plant remains will continue to decline over time. Once 40000 to 50000 years have passed, it can not be measured. "
Huang Weiwen told us that reticulated laterite is very acidic and cannot preserve animal remains, such asBose Basin Reticulation ofLaterite layerIt does not contain any animal fossils, so the tooth fossils of Yuanmou Man should be unearthed from the lower stratum.
"The geological conditions of Yuanmou people found on the site are just like that. The reticulated laterite layer just covers the river and lake strata containing Yuanmou people's fossils, stone tools and animal fossils. It is like a hat, which is fastened on the head of Yuanmou people. Therefore, the age of Yuanmou people is at least 800000 years ago. Based on other measurements, Yuanmou people lived 1.7 million years ago!"
"In fact, as early as 2000, the United StatesPaleoanthropologyExperts in the world once commented that according to the determination of reticulated laterite, Chinese scholars said thatPaleoanthropology FossilFor example, Yuanmou people are credible. "
Subsequent findings
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New achievements
The investigation and excavation of China's "earliest human" and its close relatives.Conduct in-depth research on the collected fossils to solve the early stageThe origin of mankindAnd the evolution process, so as to clarify the currentHuman originThe battle between time and place makes our contribution.
Yuanmou, Yunnan is the key working area of this climbing project.Previous preliminary studies by relevant scholars have shown that YuanmouAncient apeIt seems that there are two types of teeth, big and small.And whether these two types represent twoBiological speciesThe differences between them, or just the gender differences, are not very clear.This has greatly hindered the understanding of the overall characteristics of Yuanmou ancient apes, and even the position of Yunnan ancient apes in evolutionary classification and early stageHuman origin and evolutionThe role of understanding.After the launch of the climbing project, a batch of new fossil materials were obtained in the field excavation.Found in Yuanmouape fossil Medium,Tooth fossilThe majority.On the basis of these discoveries, the research on the teeth of Yuanmou ancient apes organized by the special organization has also madeSubstantiveProgress.1999《Scientific Bulletin》23 issues publishedLiu WuThe teeth of Yuanmou Ancient Ape were measured andstatistical analysisResearch results.
The research materials of this new achievement include 1266 tooth fossils excavated and collected in Yuanmou Basin from the first discovery of ancient ape fossils in 1986 to the end of 1998.Due to the large number of samples, it can accurately reflect the data distribution range of each measurement item.Liu Wu and others adoptedhistogramAnd normal curve analysis, bivariate two-dimensional coordinate distributionfactor analysis、Coefficient of variationAnalysis, canine tooth areaScale factorAnalysis and other statistical analysis methodsTooth sizeSize distribution, Yuanmou apes, living great apes andKaiyuan、Lufeng Ancient ApeThe relationship between.This is the first systematic and standardized tooth measurement and statistical analysis since the discovery of Yuanmou fossil for more than ten years.Histogram, two-dimensional coordinate distribution and factor analysis found that the tooth size of Yuanmou ape had a large variation distribution range, and most teeth showed obvious size and two size types.However, whether this variation in tooth size of Yuanmou ancient apes exceeds the variation range within the single species of Kaiyuan, Lufeng ancient apes and living great apes is a question that needs further clarification.This question concerns whether the ancient ape fossils found in Yuanmou represent one species or two species.Therefore, coefficient of variation analysis method is used to compare the tooth size of Yuanmou Ancient ApeVariation degreeAnd othersMioceneThe difference of tooth variation between ancient apes and living great apes.On the calculated Yuanmou apesmandibleAmong the coefficient of variation of all teeth, except for the high coefficient of variation of upper and lower canines, the coefficient of variation of other tooth sizes of Yuanmou apes are located in or close to the distribution range of the coefficient of variation of tooth sizes of Lufeng apes and living great apes.Because the academia basically tends to think that the Lufeng apes discovered by 1987 represent a species（Wu RukangTherefore, the comparative analysis of coefficient of variation in this paper strongly suggests that the variation of tooth size of Yuanmou apes may not reach the range of interspecific variation.
ape fossil
Discovered in Kaiyuan, Yunnan since 1956DryopithecusSince tooth fossilsLufengAncient ape fossils were found in Yuanmou and Baoshan.These ancient apes are evolutionarilyClassified statusAnd the relationship between them has always been concerned by the academic community.Yuanmou Ancient Ape Teethmeasured data With the published LufengheKaiyuan Ancient ApeThe tooth measurement data were compared in an attempt to provide some evidence of tooth size for solving this problem.From the distribution comparison of tooth area data of Yuanmou, Lufeng and Kaiyuan apes, it can be seen that the tooth size of the ancient apes found in these three locations in Yunnan is very close, and Yuanmou and Kaiyuan apes are more close to each other in tooth data.The tooth size of Lufeng was slightly larger than that of Yuanmou and Kaiyuan.
Through the above analysis, it can be seen that this study reveals the distribution law of tooth size of Yuanmou Ancient Ape, and also reveals some specific characteristics of Lufeng Ancient Ape, Kaiyuan Ancient Ape and living Great Ape found in YunnanApesA comparison was made.
Other findings
（1） It is confirmed that the ancient ape found in Yuanmou represents a biological species
In the study of early humans and fossil higher primates, especially Tertiary apes, one of the focuses of controversy is whether the differences and variations in morphological characteristics and measurement data of fossil materials found in the same place are classified differences or gender differences.In the early stage of the study of Lufeng ancient ape fossils, it was proposed that the fossils found in Lufeng might represent two species.In subsequent studies, most scholars gradually tend to supportLufeng Ancient ApeIt is due to the high degree of morphological characteristicssex differenceIn this process, the analysis and research of tooth measurement data played an important role.At the early stage of the research on Yuanmou fossil, we have noticed that the tooth fossils of Yuanmou can be divided into two types according to size and shape, and put forward that these two types are respectively similar to the male and female of Lufeng, but also pointed out that there are obvious differences between the large and small types of Yuanmou, some of which cannot be explained by gender differences,It may represent two different types of ancient apes (Pilbeam, 1997).The analysis of the tooth measurement data of Yuanmou Ancient Ape shows that most of the teeth are of two sizesBimodal distributionThe variation range of tooth data is large.The comparison results of coefficient of variation also showed that the coefficient of variation of most Yuanmou ancient ape tooth measurement data was located in or close to the distribution range of the coefficient of variation of tooth size of Lufeng ancient ape and living great ape, which represented a single biological species.Therefore, the author proposes that the ancient apes found in Yuanmou represent a biological species, and the variation of tooth size is genderBistateIt shows that the ancient apes living in Yuanmou area at that time were composed of a population with significant gender differences in morphological characteristics.
（2） The relationship between Yuanmou ancient apes and living great apes, Kaiyuan and Lufeng ancient apes is discussed
In Yunnan since 1956KaiyuanSince the discovery of ancient ape tooth fossils in XiaolongtanYunnanLufeng, Yuanmou and Baoshan discoveredape fossil 。The relationship between these ancient apes, their systematic position in evolution, and their role in the origin of early humans have always been the focus of attention of academic circles both inside and outside China.Yuanmou ape is the most abundant Tertiary ape fossil material found in China and even Asia after Lufeng.In the past ten years, relevant scholars have done some research on these materials and discussed the above issues.However, up to now, many problems related to the classification and evolutionary status of Yuanmou apes are not very clear, and a lot of basic research work needs to be done to clarify and solve these problems.In 1999, Liu Wu and others compared the tooth size of the ancient apes found in Yuanmou with that of the living great apes, Kaiyuan and Lufeng, and tried to discuss the relationship between Yuanmou ancient apes and living great apes, Kaiyuan and Lufeng ancient apes.The results suggest that Yuanmou apeSystem classificationIt is close to Kaiyuan and Lufeng ancient apes, andgorilla、chimpanzee, orangutans and other living great apes are far away.Yuanmou Ancient Ape and KaiyuanheLufeng Ancient ApeThe analysis of the relationship suggests that the size of the teeth of three ancient apes in Yuanmou, Lufeng and Kaiyuan is relatively close, and Yuanmou and Kaiyuan are more close.Based on the statistical analysis and comparison of the tooth measurement data of Yuanmou ancient apes, Liu Wu and others believe that the Miocene ancient apes living in different regions of Yunnan may be closer in systematic classification.
This research is the most comprehensive and detailed basic research carried out since Yuanmou Ancient Ape was discovered more than ten years agoData accumulationWork.This work will undoubtedly play an important role in further research to thoroughly clarify the systematic status of the ancient apes found in Yunnan, China and their role in the origin of early humans.
Pictures of Yuanmou People's Collections in China Geological Museum
Picture description: These are two tooth fossils named by Yuanmou peopleYuanmou man fossilOnly two specimens.This fossil was discovered by geologist Qian Fang and others in 1965 in Yuanmou, YunnanNabeng VillageNearby, and by the China Geological MuseumpaleontologistHu ChengzhiMr. Liu was named in 1973, and his scientific name isHomo erectus。Yuanmou subspecies (Homo erectus yuan mouensis), referred to as Yuanmou Homo erectus or "Yuanmou Man" or "Yuanmou Ape Man" for short.According to the unearthed horizon and association of tooth fossilsanimal fossilResearch andPaleomagnetic methodIt is measured that the life time of Yuanmou people isEarly PleistoceneIn the late period, about 1.7 million years agoAsiaThe oldest human fossil ever found on the mainland.Only one left and one right upper and middle incisors were found in Yuanmou man fossils, which may belong to young male individuals.The teeth are very strong, and the lip surface is relatively flat,Lingual surfaceThe mode is complex.
international repercussions
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February 22, 1972
President of the United StatesNixon's visit to ChinaOn the special day of, Xinhua News Agency released the major news of the discovery of "Yuanmou Man" to the world. The People's Daily reported: "This is another important discovery after the discovery of Peking Man and Lantian Man in northern China, which is important for further research on ancient humans and ChinaSouthwest ChinaQuaternary geology, with importantScientific value。”This important discovery has aroused widespread concern in academic circles at home and abroad.
As early as 1903
There are records of mammal fossils found in Yuanmou in books written by Japanese scholar Yokoyama Yujilang;From the winter of 1926 to the beginning of 1927,American Museum of NatureCentral AsiaThe investigation team investigated in Yunnan. Mr. Grange found horses, elephantsrhinocerosAccording to the fossilsfaunaAnd the age of the fossil production stratum is in the early Pleistocene, and it is predicted that the remains of early human fossils may be preserved.
In "CommemorationEngels《The Role of Labor in the Transformation from Ape to Man》At the 100th Anniversary Report Writing Conference,Qian Fang、Ma XinghuarepresentativeInstitute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological SciencesIt is announced that the age of Yuanmou people measured by paleomagnetic method is 1.7 ± 100000 years;Cheng Guoliang, on behalf of the Geological Institute, announced that the survival age of Yuanmou people was 1.63-1.64 million years by the same method;Liu DongshengSpeaking on behalf of Guiyang Institute of Geochemistry: The data of Yuanmou people's living years measured by the Institute are basically the same as those of the above units.At the end of July of the same year, Xinhua News Agency《People's Daily》The discovery of "Yuanmou People" has pushed forward the human history of China by more than 1 million years, which shows thatYangtze river basinYunnan isHuman originThe key and core areas of human origin and development have strongly challenged the theory of African centrism of human origin and provided strong scientific support for the multi centrism of human origin and development. "Yuanmou people", as the first chapter of Chinese human history, has been written on the front page of Chinese history textbooks.
Site protection
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In February 1982, the State Council announced that Yuanmou Man Site was the second batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Yuanmouren Exhibition Hallbe locatedYuanmou CountyLongchuan Street7 kilometers away from Yuanmou County.Covering an area of 4000 square meters, it was started in 1985 and completed in 1987.The exhibition hall of the exhibition hall introduces the tooth fossils of Yuanmou people and has a collection of more than 1000 cultural relics. The exhibition hall is divided into three parts: "the origin of human beings", "Yuanmou ancient apes", and "Yuanmou prehistoric culture", revealing a brief history of human origin and development, and systematically showing the evolution of primitive humans.
There is a monument at the Yuanmou Man Site and a museum not far away. The museum displays the specimens of Yuanmou Man's tooth fossils, paleontological fossils and other related objects and materials.
In 2009, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China announced that the exhibition hall of Yuanmouren wasNational tertiary museum。
