【作者】 祁国琴；

【Author】 QI Guoqin;Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology,Chinese Academy of Sciences;

【机构】 中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所；

【摘要】 通过对台湾澎湖海沟古菱齿象化石的研究以及对我国已报道的同类象化石的重新观察,提出更新世期间我国只有以淮河诺氏古菱齿象(Palaeoloxodon naumanni huaihoensis)为代表的一种古菱齿象。建议将淮河诺氏古菱齿象从亚种提升为种并给名淮河象(P.huaihoensis);纳玛象、淮河象和诺氏象是古菱齿象在亚洲的三个支系;不同意将古菱齿象属从真象亚科中取消、或将其提升为亚科,其分类位置仍应保持属级水平。作为一个属,Palaeoloxodon应包括亚洲的纳玛象、淮河象、诺氏象,欧洲的古象以及地中海岛屿上的几个种。更多还原

【Abstract】 Since 1920 s more than a hundred pieces of the fossil Palaeoloxodon specimens have been found in China.They were referred to P.namadicus,P.naumanni and P.tokunagai respectively.In spite of fair numbers of reports on their records and morphology by some paleontologists,our knowledge of this kind of elephant is far from complete and is rather confused.The main reason for this situation is:these specimens were collected from various areas and most of them are isolated even broken teeth without clear locality and horizon,therefore some incorrect identification and classfication occurred in the previous reports.The late paleontologist Zhou Mingzhen pointed out that only a small part of the Palaeoloxodon elephant specimens from the Changjiang and Huaihe drainage belong to "Typical P.namadicus" of India,their age is mainly middle Pleistocene and that the rest from the vast Palaearctic areas could be referred to P.tokunagai of the early to middle Pleistocene and P.naumanni of the late Pleistocene.However,some new discovories including quite complete skulls,premaxillas,mandibles and skeletons since 1970 s indicate that Zhou’s idea is not likely in accordance with the actual situation.Based on the study of a large number of fossil Palaeoloxodon specimens from a concentrate area of the Penghu Channel,Taiwan Strait and review of some reported specimens from Nihewan,Anhui and IVPP collection,the following preliminary conclusions can be obtained:1) By means of observation of a great quantity of teeth,the author recognized that the distinction between species or subspecies regarded by the previous reporters is actually the variation produced by the difference of position,order number,development stage and degree of abrasion of the tooth as well as individuality even sexual dimorphism.Therefore the author considered that only one species of Palaeoloxodon elephant lived in China during the Pleistocene.Through the comparison of skull,premaxilla,mandible,tooth data and tooth formula,the author knew that the morphological characters of this species are similar to that of P.namadicus and P.naumanni but also different from both of them in some respects.The Palaeoloxodon naumanni huaihoensis named by Liu Jialong can be regarded as its representative.The author suggests that the subspecies can be promoted to a species and named Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis.The species and P.namadicus as well as P.naumanni are the three branches of the Palaeoloxodon elephant in Asia.2) The author agrees neither with Maglio’s nor with Zhang’s opinions.The former canceled the genus Palaeoloxodon(and Archidiskodon) from the subfamily Elephantinae and made the genus Elephas an allembracing hodgepodge.The latter promoted the genus Palaeoloxodon to a subfamily that included almost all the members of the subfamily Elephantinae in China except the Mammuthus.3) It is possible that Palaeoloxodon elephant originated from a branch of African(?) recki of the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene,then spread to Eurasia during the middle Pleistocene.As a genus,Palaeoloxodon should include the following species:Large sized:Tusks long and thin——P.antiquus(Europe)Tusks short and thick Symphysis greatly protruded——P.namadicus(India)Symphysis less greatly protruded Broad tooth crown——P.huaihoensis(China)Narrow tooth crown——P.naumanni(Japan)Small sized:Normal skull type——P.mnaidriensis(the islands in the Mediterranean Sea)Dwarf type——P.Falconeri(the islands in the Mediterranean Sea)更多还原