The early pleistocene deposits and mammalian fauna from renzidong, fanchang, anhui province, China

Abstract

The Renzidong site is located at 118°5′46″E and 31°5′23″N, in Fanchang County, Anhui Province, China. Two cave-fissure filling deposits were discovered here in 1998. During two years′ excavations, some stone artifacts, bone artifacts, and a great variety of vertebrate fossils, including Procynocephalus, were found in situ. Based on a preliminary identification, the vertebrate fossils from Renzidong include turtles, birds and 67 mammal species that are similar to those of the Early pleistocene faunas from other parts of China. The mammal assemblage shows some primitive characters. It consists mainly of extinct forms. The Tertiary relic forms are also numerous such as Homotherium, Sinomastodon, Nestoritherium etc. Micromammals include Beremendia, Hypolagus, Mimomys, Kowaskia, Brachyrhizomys shansius. The large mammals include Pachycrocuta licenti, Equus sanmenensis, Muntiacus nanus, Metacervulus capreolinus, Cervavitus ultimus, Cervus cf. phyilisi etc.