中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所机构知识库

广西崇左缺缺洞早更新世晚期堆积中出土的与巨猿伴生的哺乳动物里共有4种偶蹄类化石:裴氏猪(Sus peii)、广西巨羊(Megalovis guangxiensis)、山羊亚科属种未定(Caprinae gen.et sp.indet.)以及周氏水牛(Bubalus chowi)。缺缺洞的裴氏猪是这个种目前在地理分布上最靠南的记录。缺缺洞产出的广西巨羊下颌骨具有肿厚现象,与以储钙为主的大角鹿和容纳下犬齿的李氏野猪的下颌肿厚原因不同,而可能与广西巨羊以类似竹子和甘蔗之类的坚韧食物为食的食性有关。缺缺洞的周氏水牛是目前年代最早的水牛,可能是中更新世水牛的祖先。猪属和巨羊属在中国和西欧的早更新世地层中均有分布,指示自新近纪晚期以来欧亚大陆发生过动物群的迁徙或交流事件。缺缺洞动物群各个成员的生态习性指示在早更新世晚期缺缺洞一带生态环境为热带森林-林灌环境,周边有一些浅的水域。这种自然环境非常适宜巨猿以及相关的高等灵长类在那里生息繁衍。

Mammalian fossils associated with Gigantopithecus were unearthed mainly in 2007 from the late Early Pleistocene deposits inside the Queque Cave at Chongzuo Municipality of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.The identified artiodactyls total four taxa:Sus peii,Megalovis guangxiensis,Caprinae gen.et sp.indet.and Bubalus chowi.The Queque cave is the southernmost locality yielding Sus peii,marking the southern boundary of distribution of the species.The Megalovis guangxiensis from the Queque Cave is characterized by the enigmatic pachyostosis of lower jaws.Since Megalovis does not need to store calcium in mandibular body for growing very large size of the antlers as Megacerini,nor for holding massive lower canines as in Sus lydekkeri.Its pachyostosis is likely related to its diets on tough food such as small bamboo or sugarcane-like monocotyledons for supporting hard chewing.Bubalus chowi from the Queque Cave is the earliest buffalo.It is likely the ancestor of the Middle Pleistocene water buffaloes.The presence of Megalovis in the Lower Pleistocene of southern China and western Europe,the close relationship between Sus peii and S.strozzii imply the possible faunal exchanges or migrations events between Asia and Europe since the Late Neogene.The artiodactyls as well as other members of the fauna from the Queque Cave indicate the tropic bushy and forestry environment favorable for habitation of high primates such as Gigantopithecus.