臺灣更新世晚期及中國古菱齒象化石的系統分類

Systematic Description and Classification of Late Pleistocene Palaeoloxodon

何傳坤(Chuan-Kun Ho) ； 祈國琴(Guo-Qin Qi) ； 張鈞翔(Chung-Hsiang Chang)

《國立臺灣博物館年刊》 43卷 (2000/12) Pp. 49-105

https://doi.org/10.6548/ANTM.200012_43.0003

摘要

本研究通過對臺灣澎湖海溝古菱齒象化石以及對中國大陸已報導的同類象化石重新做觀察，提出臺灣澎湖海溝的古菱齒象化石，和諾氏古菱齒象比較相似，但體型更大，作者將其描述為諾氏古菱齒象的新亞種－澎湖諾氏古菱齒象（Palaeoloxodon naumanni penghuensis）。更新世期間中國只有以淮河諾氏古菱齒象（Palaeoloxodon naumanni huaihoensis）為代表的一種古菱齒象。另建議將淮河諾氏古菱齒象從亞種提升為種，並命名為淮河象（P. huaihoensis）；納馬象、淮河象和諾氏象是古菱齒象在亞洲的三個支系；不同意將古菱齒象屬從真象亞科中取消、或將其提升為亞科，其分類位置仍應保持在屬這一級。古菱齒象屬（Palaeoloxodon）應包括亞洲的納馬象、淮河象、諾氏象，歐洲以及地中海島嶼上古象的幾個種。

關鍵字

中國 ； 臺灣 ； 澎湖海溝 ； 澎湖諾氏古菱齒象 ； 第四紀 ； 古菱齒象 ； 淮河象

並列摘要

Since the 1920s more than a hundred pieces of fossil Palaeoloxodon specimens have been found in China. They were referred to as Palaeoloxodon namadicus, P. naumanni and P. tokunagai, respectively. In spite of a fair number of reports on their records and morphology by paleontologysts, our knowledge of these elephants is far from complete and is rather confused. The main reason for this situation is that these specimen were collected from various areas, and most of them isolated, and included broken teeth without clear locality or horizon. Therefore, some incorrect identification and classification occurred in previous reports. The late paleontologist Zhou Ming Zhen pointed out that only a few of the Palaeoloxodon elephant specimens from the Changjiang and Huaihe belong to ＂Typical P. namadicus＂ of India. Their age is mainly middle Pleistocene. The rest, from vast Palaearctic areas, could be referred to as P. tokunagai of the early to middle Pleistocene and P. naumanni of the late Pleistocene. However, since the 1970s, some new discoveries including quite complete skulls, premaxillas, mandibles and skeletons 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 concentrated area of the Penghu Channel, Taiwan Strait and a review of some reported specimens from Nihewan, Anhui and IVPP collection, the following preliminary conclusions can be made: 1. Due to the fossil, Palacoloxodon specimens of Penghu Channel are similar to P naumanni, but with bigger size, we describe them as a new subspecies, i. e. P. naumanni penghuensis 2. From observation of a great quantity of teeth, the authors recognized that the distinction between species or subspecies proposed by previous researchers is actually the variation produced by the differences in position, order number, developmental stage and degree of abrasion of the tooth, as well as individuality and even sexual dimorphism. Therefore the authors considered that only one species of Palaeoloxodon elephant lived in China during the Pleistocene. Throgh the comparisons of skulls, premaxillae, mandibles, tooth data and tooth formulas, the authors found that the morphological characters of this species are similar to those of P. namadicus and P. naumanni, but differ from both of these species in some respects. Palaeoloxodon naumanni huaihoensis named by Liu Jia Long can be regared as its representative. The authors suggest that the subspecies can be promoted to a species and named Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis. This species, and P. namadicus and P. naumanni are the three branches of the Palaeoloxodon elephant in Asia. 3. The Authors do not agree with either Maglio or Zhang's opinions. The former canceled the genus Palaeoloxodon (and Archidiskodon) from the subfamily Elephantinac and made the genus Elephas an all-embracing hodgepodge. The latter promoted the genus Palaeoloxodon to a subfamily that included almost all of the members of the subfamily Elephantinae in China except Mammuthus. 4. 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: Lage sized: Tusks long and thin - P. antiquus (Europe) Tusks short and think Symphysis greatly protruded - P. namadicus (India) Symphysis less protruded Broad tooth crown - P. huaihoensis (China) Narrow tooth crown - P. naumanni (Japan) Small-sized: Normal skull type - P. maidriensis (the islands in the Mediterranean Sea) Dwarf type-P. falconeri (the islands in the Mediterranean Sea)

並列關鍵字

China ； Taiwan ； Penghu Channel ； Palaeoloxodon naumanni penghuensis ； Pleistocene ； Palaeoloxodon ； Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis