Panxian Dadong Research Articles

Hominin diversity in East Asia during the Middle Pleistocene: A premolar endostructural perspective

Following the recent studies of East Asian mid-Middle to early Late Pleistocene hominin material, a large spectrum of morphological diversity has been recognized and the coexistence of archaic (‘Homo erectus-like’) and derived (‘modern-like’) dental morphological patterns has been highlighted. In fact, for most of these Chinese fossils, generally categorized as ‘archaic Homo sapiens’ or ‘post-H. erectus Homo’, the taxonomic attribution is a matter of contention. With the help of μCT techniques and a deformation-based 3D geometric morphometric approach, we focused on the morphological variation in the enamel–dentine junction (EDJ) of 18 upper and lower premolars from Chinese Middle Pleistocene hominins. We then compared our results with a number of fossil and modern human groups, including Early Pleistocene H. erectus from Sangiran; late Early Pleistocene hominins from Tighenif, Algeria; classic Neanderthals; and modern humans. Our results highlight an evolutionary/chronological trend of crown base reduction, elevation of EDJ topography, and EDJ surface simplification in the hominin groups studied here. Moreover, this study brings insights to the taxonomy/phylogeny of 6 late Middle Pleistocene specimens whose evolutionary placement has been debated for decades. Among these specimens, Changyang premolars show features that can be aligned with the Asian H. erectus hypodigm, whereas Panxian Dadong and Tongzi premolars are more similar to Late Pleistocene Homo. Compared with early to mid-Middle Pleistocene hominins in East Asia, late Middle Pleistocene hominins evince an enlarged morphological variation. A persistence of archaic morphotypes and possible admixture among populations during the late Middle Pleistocene are discussed.

Chronological problems in Chinese human fossil sites

Archeologists and chronologists have realized that dating age divergence exists in some human fossil sites. However, this problem has not been systematically elaborated and studied to date. This paper makes statistics and analysis on the dating results of 86 published Chinese human fossil sites and attempts to clarify this problem. We find that the U-series dating method has the largest proportion of application and occupies a prominent position in each dating method, 37 sites use one dating method, and 28 sites utilize more than two (including two) methods. Dating age divergence uses different methods in the same site, of which 17 sites are with large age divergence. We assume that the following are the reasons for the large dating age divergence in the same site: The taphonomy problems and the difference of the dating method itself. In summary, the problem of the dating age divergence in the same site is common. The taphonomy problems of human fossil sites must be discovered and corrected through multiple dating methods. The difference of the dating method itself also needs the combination of multiple dating methods for evaluation and judgment. We suggest the following multiple dating strategies: Early Pleistocene human fossil sites should mainly rely on paleomagnetic dating, and 26Al/10Be burial dating, climatic stratigraphy, and ESR dating methods should be combined to obtain a relatively accurate human fossil age. Middle Pleistocene sites should be based on paleomagnetic dating, climatic stratigraphy, 26Al/10Be burial dating, U series, ESR/U series, TT-OSL, and pIRIR dating methods. Three or more dating methods must be selected for cross-examination. Late Pleistocene site dating must be performed on the basis of U series, 14C, and OSL dating methods. 14C dating and DNA analysis can be cautiously conducted in Late Pleistocene sites. The use of multiple dating methods can avoid accidental errors caused by only one dating method, especially in the cave sites of Middle and Late Pleistocene. The summary of the dating results for 86 Chinese human fossil sites shows that some sites have applied multiple dating methods. After cross-checking, the following sites obtained reliable ages: Yuanmou, Zhoukoudian Localities, Bailong Cave, Dali, Panxian Dadong, Jinniushan, Xujiayao, Tianyuan Cave, Shuidonggou, and Xiaogushan. Certain sites should be further checked by adding dating methods, such as, Yunxian, Hualongdong, Maba, Changyang, Hexian, Ganqian Cave, Xinglong Cave, Luna Cave, Huanglong Cave, Fuyan Cave, Wuguidong Cave, Xianren Cave, Tongzi Cave, Mao-Mao-dong Cave, Chuandong, and Maludong. Twenty-one sites, such as, Meipu Longgu Cave, Jimuyan Cave, Baojiyan Cave, Guoshandong Cave, and Zhuzailong Cave, still have no dating research. We must make a detailed investigation and reinvestigation because the fossil discovery records of these sites may be unclear, or they may have unsuitable dating materials. Obtaining some ages from these sites is significant. The accurate age of human fossil is the basis for establishing the correct theory of human evolution in China. Multiple dating strategies should be adopted for the newly discovered human fossil sites. Such strategies should be used to check and evaluate the age of some important Chinese human fossil sites that have been previously discovered. Doing so can further improve the reliability of the dating results for Chinese human fossil sites.

Structural analysis of premolar roots in Middle Pleistocene hominins from China

This study investigates permanent maxillary and mandibular premolar root structural organization in East Asian Middle Pleistocene hominins. In addition to reporting and analyzing the linear and volumetric properties of the roots, we used a landmark-free approach to both qualify and quantify in 3D premolar root shape variation of Middle Pleistocene hominins in East Asia. Moreover, we focus on some mid-to late East Asian Middle Pleistocene hominin specimens whose taxonomic attribution is unclear. We find considerable cementum in this sample of hominins, similar to other fossil groups, but clearly different from modern humans which have a very small amount of cementum. Additionally, a smaller root pulp cavity is found in later Homo (Neanderthals and modern humans). Our analyses on the crown-root surface area ratio show that East Asian Middle Pleistocene Homo erectus as well as one late Middle Pleistocene Homo sp. specimen (PA 81 P4 from Changyang site) are distinguished from other fossil and extant groups by a relatively larger root surface, stout root branches and thick cementum deposits. This may represent a distinct East Asian H. erectus dental pattern. Geometric morphometric analyses on the external root surface reveal a general trend of shape simplification along the Homo lineage examined here, and distinguish Early Pleistocene Homo, Middle Pleistocene H. erectus, Neanderthals and modern human morphologies. The late Middle Pleistocene teeth from Changyang site (PA 76 P3 and PA 81 P4) are close to East Asian H. erectus and Neanderthals, while the mid-Middle Pleistocene P3 from Panxian Dadong falls within the modern human distribution. Combined with dental crown morphology and root number/form reported in previous studies, our results show that the external root shape can be considered a taxonomically relevant indicator. In general, an evolutionary tendency towards modern human morphology is observed in part of the East Asian Middle Pleistocene specimens, while a retention of primitive, H. erectus-like features is expressed in some late Middle Pleistocene specimens, supporting a multi-lineage and discontinuous scenario of human settlements in East Asia.

Hominin teeth from the Middle Pleistocene site of Yiyuan, Eastern China

In 1981–1982, some hominin fossils, including a relatively complete skull and seven isolated teeth, were recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Yiyuan in Eastern China. In the present study we provide a detailed metric and morphological comparison of the Yiyuan dental sample in order to characterize better the variability of the human populations that inhabited China during the Middle Pleistocene. Aside from taxonomic and phylogenetic questions, the lack of understanding and/or knowledge about the morphological variability of these populations have caused concern about the human versus non-human nature of some of the hominin dental remains found in East Asia during the Early and the Middle Pleistocene. Thus, our study aims to present a detailed description and comparison of the Yiyuan isolated teeth to 1) discuss and support their human nature and 2) to explore their taxonomic affinities with regard to other penecontemporaneous populations from Asia. Our results clearly differentiate the Yiyuan sample from Pongo specimens and support a human attribution for the Yiyuan material. Our analyses also suggest that the Yiyuan teeth form a morphologically coherent group together with samples from Zhoukoudian, Chaoxian and Hexian. They are different from the more derived specimens from Panxian Dadong, suggesting a pattern of biogeographic isolation and different evolutionary trends between northern and southern China during the Middle Pleistocene. In addition, and despite sharing a common morphological bauplan with Homo erectus sensu stricto (s.s.), the Yiyuan, Zhoukoudian and Hexian teeth are also different from the Indonesian Early Pleistocene samples. In particular, the expression of a highly crenulated or dendritic enamel-dentine surface could be unique to these groups. Our study supports the notion that the taxonomy of the Pleistocene hominins from Asia may have been oversimplified. Future studies should explore the variability of the Asian specimens and reconsider whether all the samples can be attributed to H. erectus s.s.

Optical dating of flowstone and silty carbonate-rich sediments from Panxian Dadong Cave, Guizhou, southwestern China

Panxian Dadong Cave located in the western Guizhou is a very important Paleolithic site in China. At this site bone and stone artifacts, human teeth and mammalian fossils (known as Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna) were found, and the site was previously dated to 120–300 ka using ESR/uranium-series methods. In this study, we successfully extracted fine quartz grains from flowstone and silty carbonate-rich sediments in the excavated area. The quartz extracts displayed excellent luminescence properties, and satisfied the SAR (single-aliquot regenerative dose method) acceptance criteria. The sensitivity-corrected OSL signals are not saturated at a dose up to about 1400 Gy. The cultural unit was OSL dated to 190–300 ka, corresponding to MISs 7–8. The flowstone deposits overlying the cultural unit were determined to be 13–190 ka and the silty carbonate-rich sediments underlying the cultural unit to be 300–360 ka. The optical ages are in general agreement with the coupled ESR/U-series and U-series ages.

Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Longtan Cave, Hexian, China.

Excavations at the Longtan Cave, Hexian, Anhui Province of Eastern China, have yielded several hominin fossils including crania, mandibular fragments, and teeth currently dated to 412±25 ka. While previous studies have focused on the cranial remains, there are no detailed analyses of the dental evidence. In this study, we provide metric and morphological descriptions and comparisons of ten teeth recovered from Hexian, including microcomputed tomography analyses. Our results indicate that the Hexian teeth are metrically and morphologically primitive and overlap with H. ergaster and East Asian Early and mid-Middle Pleistocene hominins in their large dimensions and occlusal complexities. However, the Hexian teeth differ from H. ergaster in features such as conspicuous vertical grooves on the labial/buccal surfaces of the central incisor and the upper premolar, the crown outline shapes of upper and lower molars and the numbers, shapes, and divergences of the roots. Despite their close geological ages, the Hexian teeth are also more primitive than Zhoukoudian specimens, and resemble Sangiran Early Pleistocene teeth. In addition, no typical Neanderthal features have been identified in the Hexian sample. Our study highlights the metrical and morphological primitive status of the Hexian sample in comparison to contemporaneous or even earlier populations of Asia. Based on this finding, we suggest that the primitive-derived gradients of the Asian hominins cannot be satisfactorily fitted along a chronological sequence, suggesting complex evolutionary scenarios with the coexistence and/or survival of different lineages in Eurasia. Hexian could represent the persistence in time of a H. erectus group that would have retained primitive features that were lost in other Asian populations such as Zhoukoudian or Panxian Dadong. Our study expands the metrical and morphological variations known for the East Asian hominins before the mid-Middle Pleistocene and warns about the possibility that the Asian hominin variability may have been taxonomically oversimplified.

Late Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Panxian Dadong, South China

The hominin teeth and evidence of hominin activities recovered from 1991 to 2005 at the Panxian Dadong site in South China are dated to the late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 8–6 or ca. 130–300 ka), a period for which very little is known about the morphology of Asian populations. The present study provides the first detailed morphometric description and comparisons of four hominin teeth (I1, C1, P3 and P3) from this site. Our study shows that the Panxian Dadong teeth combine archaic and derived features that align them with Middle and Upper Pleistocene fossils from East and West Asia and Europe. These teeth do not display any typical Neanderthal features and they are generally more derived than other contemporaneous populations from Asia and Africa. However, the derived traits are not diagnostic enough to specifically link the Panxian Dadong teeth to Homo sapiens, a common problem when analyzing the Middle Pleistocene dental record from Africa and Asia. These findings are contextualized in the discussion of the evolutionary course of Asian Middle Pleistocene hominins, and they highlight the necessity of incorporating the Asian fossil record in the still open debate about the origin of H. sapiens.

Large mammal exploitation in Late Middle Pleistocene China

This paper examines how studies of faunal assemblages from a hominin cave site, in conjunction with ecological data on extant taxa and comparisons with palaeontological localities and other hominin sites, can take our understanding from basic presence/absence lists to investigations of species-specific utilisation. The Rhinoceros sinensis and Stegodon orientalis components of the fauna from Panxian Dadong, a late Middle Pleistocene cave in the mountains of Guizhou Province, China, are relatively similar in their frequencies of skeletal elements represented, but the reconstructed age profiles are quite different. The S. orientalis remains are primarily from very young individuals while the R. sinensis elements are from prime age adults. These differences may be attributed to body size differences, transportability, and different uses of the two taxa for food and as sources of raw material.

Taphonomy, life history, and human exploitation of Rhinoceros sinensis at the Middle Pleistocene site of Panxian Dadong, Guizhou, China

AbstractRhinoceros remains are commonly found in Chinese Pleistocene archaeological localities. This study examines the characteristics of the Rhinoceros sinensis sample from Panxian Dadong, a karst cave in the mountains of western Guizhou province, with a mammalian fauna in association with stone artefacts and human remains from the late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 6‐8). The distribution of skeletal elements shows a predominance of foot (metapodial and phalanges) and lower limb (carpals and tarsals) bones, while the dental age‐at‐death profile, constructed using dental eruption and tooth wear data, is characterised by a high frequency of prime age adult teeth. There is little taphonomic evidence for the involvement of non‐human carnivores or natural agencies in the formation of the faunal assemblage. Instead, it appears that human activities were responsible for the unexpected prevalence of prime age adults. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Late Middle Pleistocene climate in southwestern China: inferences from the stratigraphic record of Panxian Dadong Cave, Guizhou

Panxian Dadong Cave, situated in the subtropical zone of southwestern China, preserves a fan-like sedimentary sequence close to its entrance that spans the period between MIS 8 and 5 (300–130 ka). The frequent alternation of flowstone formation, cementation, clastic deposition, and frost activity in the depositional sequence makes it ideal for reconstructing the environmental conditions prevailing during the later Middle Pleistocene on the Guizhou Plateau. Macroscopic and microscopic sedimentary analyses determine that clastic deposits were entering the cave in the form of intermittent cohesive debris flows and sheetflows during cold and relatively dry climatic conditions when vegetation cover was reduced. Interlayered impure flowstones were forming during wetter phases but still under glacial conditions. Seasonally freezing temperatures are deduced from the frequent occurrence of cycles of well-developed freeze–thaw features affecting both the clastic parts of the sequence and the flowstones as they were deposited. The described depositional processes were responsible for lateral redistribution on the fan surface of bone remains and lithic artifacts that were accumulating on the surface as a result of hominid activities. During the intervening interglacial stages (MIS 7 and possibly MIS 5) clastic deposition was considerably reduced and only thin flowstone caps and weathering manganese–iron crusts were forming. It is suggested that precipitation was much higher during glacial intervals than interglacials under a predominantly cold climate. Dadong Cave provides a good example of very cold and wet climatic conditions during glacials in the subtropics of East Asia.

A Conversation with Huang Weiwen: Reflections on Asian Paleolithic Research

A Conversation with Huang Weiwen:Reflections on Asian Paleolithic Research Sari Miller-Antonio and Lynne A. Schepartz Huang Weiwen is professor of Paleolithic Archaeology at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Academia Sinica, Beijing. He was born in 1937 in Guangdong Province, China. As an early student of the preeminent archaeologist Jia Lanpo, Huang was one of the first to be trained specifically in Paleolithic archaeology in the PRC. The discoverer of Lantian Man (Homo erectus) from Gongwangling, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province, he is one of the foremost Paleolithic archaeologists in China. He directed the fieldwork station at Zhoukoudian from 1974 to 1979. From 1992 to 1996, he was the director of the Laboratory for Paleolithic Archaeology at the IVPP. He has worked in all regions of China and has traveled extensively to research comparative collections and visit archaeological sites in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Among Huang's notable publications are The Story of Peking Man (1990) (coauthored with Jia Lanpo), Bifaces in China (1987), Middle Pleistocene Acheulean-like Stone Technology of Bose Basin, South China (2000), Archaeological Evidence for the First Human Colonisation of East Asia (1997), and Excavations at Panxian Dadong, Guizhou Province, Southern China (1995). He is currently the senior Chinese director of both the Panxian Dadong and Bose Basin collaborative projects. This interview took place in Beijing in June 2002. How did you first become interested in archaeology? I grew up near Guangzhou City in the south. I was preparing to take my exams to finish middle school in 1954. It was usual for teachers to give students suggestions about what to study—I was interested in geography, but the headmaster said, "We suggest archaeology." Did he give this suggestion to other students? [End Page 197] Click for larger view View full resolution Fig. 1. Huang Weiwen and Sari Miller-Antonio. No, only me. He said, " We suggest you study archaeology because your thinking is creative." But I think he suggested that because my work in chemistry and physics was not as good. So where were you sent to study? At that time in China, only one university had archaeology—Peking University. However, they only selected students from North China in 1954, so I went to Zhongshan University near my hometown in Guangdong Province to study history. There was no paleolithic archaeology program of study at Zhongshan, only Neolithic and Dynastic. Pei Wenzhong, discoverer of the first skull of Peking Man, and Jia Lanpo, co-researcher of the Zhoukoudian Project since 1931, invited me to the IVPP in Beijing for training, with the plan that I could return to Zhongshan University and start a program of Paleolithic archaeology there. I went up to Beijing in 1960. I was only supposed to stay two years, but at that time, social and economic conditions in China were very difficult. Zhongshan University had to stop some proposed programs including Paleolithic archaeology. Pei and Jia allowed me to stay for four years during these very hard times. I spent most of my time [three years] studying geology and geography! I liked geology and geography because they involved fieldwork and the ability to travel widely and work in many regions. This was what I wanted for my career—not to confine my research to one place—and Paleolithic archaeology was the one area of archaeology that allowed you to do this kind of travel. How did you meet Jia Lanpo? In December 1959 I was selected to attend the thirtieth anniversary of the discovery of the first skull of Peking Man at the Zhoukoudian site near Beijing. I [End Page 198] was already a teacher in history then at Zhongshan University. I went to the meeting with my teacher, Professor Liang Chaotao. He was an anthropologist who promoted my chances to learn at the IVPP and he also introduced me to Jia. What was your impression when first meeting Jia? Jia was very famous. I was just a young man. Later that year, Jia went to northern Guangdong Province. He was coming to confirm several Paleolithic and Neolithic sites so we continued to meet before I went to Beijing. I thought "he looks very plain and...

Taxonomic Abundance at Panxian Dadong, a Middle Pleistocene Cave in South China

The faunal assemblage from the site of Panxian Dadong provides evidence for a general continuity in species representation throughout a period of approximately 120 kya. Taxonomically, faunal material from Dadong includes classic taxa of the Middle Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stegodon faunal complex of South China. Taxonomic abundance measures document a sample that is rich in large ungulate species including rhinoceros, stegodonts, and large bovids. These data are further examined in light of assemblage formation processes, temporal distribution, and environmental context. Taphonomic data that demonstrate the presence and activities of bonecollecting species (including porcupines, hominids, and large and small carnivores) suggest that Dadong Cave was an attractive shelter that saw many uses during the period analyzed. These include hominid foraging, porcupine bone collecting, and carnivore scavenging and hunting.

Panxian Dadong, South China: Establishing a Record of Middle Pleistocene Climatic Changes

Broad-based reconstructions of the Middle Pleistocene Asian environment are valuable sources of information that can augment our understanding of prehistoric human adaptations and expansion into East Asia. The sediments, speleothems, and geochronology of Panxian Dadong Cave serve as an example of the possible integration of this broader paleoenvironmental information with more fine-grained archaeological data. The current U-series and ESR dating results for Dadong suggest that the early human activity in the cave began at least 260 kya and continued until around 142 kya. This period correlates with Oxygen Isotope Stages 7 through 6. The lower part of the breccia (Layer 2) contains very strongly weathered dark deposits, suggesting a relatively warm climatic period from 260–180 kya that corresponds to OIS 7, followed by a cooler phase with less speleothem formation corresponding to OIS 6. The Middle Pleistocene stratigraphic sequence in the Dadong cave deposits documents fluctuating and rapid changes in temperature and humidity that are also detected in general Asian, as well as South China, paleoclimatic studies based on diverse data ranging from microstratigraphic and geochemical sediment analyses to mollusk species representation.

Lithic Raw Material Use at the Late Middle Pleistocene Site of Panxian Dadong

The possibility of selective use of lithic raw material in the Middle Pleistocene cave deposits of Panxian Dadong is examined in order to evaluate hominid strategies of resource management. Limestone, chert, and basalt, available in or nearby the cave, were differentially used for the production of tools and unretouched flakes. Limestone was predominantly used to produce expedient tools, unretouched flakes were most commonly made of basalt, and chert was most frequently used to produce retouched flakes and tools. Patterns in the reduction sequence for each raw material also indicate that these lithic resources were selectively used. The early stages of core reduction are clearly represented in basalt flakes, whereas chert artifacts exhibit the later stages of tool production and the greatest degree of resharpening. When the selection of raw material is examined through time, over a span of more than 100,000 years, two patterns are clear. The proportion of chert and basalt and the overall frequency of artifacts increases. These changes in the frequency and selection of raw material occur without a techno-typological change. The major shifts in raw material usage correlate with a colder climatic regime and may relate to the intensified use of the cave for animal carcass processing and shelter.

Stegodon orientalis from Panxian Dadong, a Middle Pleistocene archaeological site in Guizhou, South China: taphonomy, population structure and evidence for human interactions

Panxian Dadong is a large karstic cave in the mountains of western Guizhou province. Archaeological excavations at Dadong have yielded a rich Ailuropoda-Stegodon faunal sample in association with stone artifacts and human remains dating to 130–300 ka. Stegodon orientalis is an important component of the faunal sample, which is dominated by large-bodied mammals. This study describes the sample of stegodont dental and skeletal material, provides an age at death profile for the stegodont sample, and evaluates the results in terms of taphonomy, site formation processes, and comparisons with other Middle Pleistocene archaeological sites with evidence for human use of proboscideans. The Dadong stegodont sample consists primarily of dental remains of young individuals less than 12 years of age with a minimum of 12 stegodonts represented. Based on the available archaeological, faunal and taphonomic data, the stegodont faunal assemblage at Dadong is probably a result of hominid activities (either hunting or scavenging) and the natural accumulation of young stegodonts from accidental deaths. This study supports the results of other analyses (Schepartz et al., 2003) that suggest humans played an important role in the formation of the Dadong faunal assemblage.

Coupled electron spin resonance (ESR)/uranium-series dating of mammalian tooth enamel at Panxian Dadong, Guizhou Province, China

Panxian Dadong (Guizhou province, southwestern China) is an archaeological cave site within an elaborate multi-genesis karst system that contains three stacked caves. Collaborative Sino-American archaeological excavation and multi-disciplinary studies have been in progress since 1996. An Ailuropoda–Stegodon faunal assemblage along with lithics and human teeth has been recovered from the deeply stratified deposits. The represented taxa are generally indicative of a Middle Pleistocene biostratigraphic age. Fifteen mammalian fossil teeth were collected during the 1998–2000 excavations. The enamel was dated by conventional ESR and coupled ESR/U-series dating techniques. The ESR early uptake (EU) and linear uptake (LU) model ages range from 120–300 ka. Uranium–thorium results from four dentine samples depict a variety of uptake histories the samples have undergone throughout the entire 6-m depth of the excavation units. The coupled ages suggest that samples at Panxian Dadong demonstrate linear uptake model behavior and indicate the true burial ages for the tooth samples. The upper and lower unit has mean LU ESR ages of 156±17 ka and 258±47 ka, respectively.

Excavations at Panxian Dadong, Guizhou Province, Southern China

Les campagnes de fouilles 1992-1993 de la grotte paleolithique de Dadong (Chine) ont permis de mettre au jour plusieurs depots contenant un materiel du Pleistocene moyen et superieur, constitue des restes fragmentaires fossilises de plus de 40 especes de mammiferes, de plus de 2000 objets de pierre, des temoins de l'utilisation du feu (charbons, os brules et cendres), et des fragments d'une dent d'hominide