The Quantougou(QTG) Fauna in central Lanzhou Basin is an important late Mid-Miocene fauna on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau margin,but its numerical age remains a matter of debate.Here,we present a new magnetostratigraphic record for a fluvio-lacustrine section to further constrain the age of the QTG Fauna.Results suggest that the studied section spans from polarity chrons C5Cn.2n to C5 n.2n or C5 An.1n,with ages of ca.16.5 Ma to 10 Ma or 16.5 Ma to 12 Ma.The QTG Fauna is located at the top of polarity chron C5r.3 r or C5 Ar.2 r,which corresponds to an age of 11.7 Ma or 12.8 Ma for the fauna.Accordingly,the associated Myocricetodontinae(a subfamily of Gerbillidae,Rodentia) is suggested to have appeared in the Lanzhou Basin at 11.7 Ma or 12.8 Ma,which is the oldest Myocricetodontinae in East Asia but is still much younger than the ~20 Ma appearance of this subfamily in West and South Asia.Our age data support the interpretation that East Asian Myocricetodontinae originated from South Asia.The QTG fauna further suggest a dry and open grassland environment,which is consistent with global cooling after the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum.
于家沟遗址作为泥河湾盆地中唯一具有新旧石器工业过渡的典型遗址,为研究东亚旧石器向新石器时代过渡提供了理想的场所。本文通过于家沟遗址剖面沉积物(厚约550 cm)的加速器质谱法(AMS-^(14)C)年代测定,确定了于家沟剖面的年代跨度为16.19?—?2.43 ka BP,其中旧石器向新石器时代的转化时限为9.35 ka BP。该遗址中发现的最早陶器经同层位地层推测,其年代为13.60 ka BP,是目前中国北方发现的最早陶器。陶器的使用可能改善了古人类的生活条件;大量细石器反映出泥河湾盆地中采猎经济高度繁荣。因此,在晚更新世末期气候开始变暖的背景下陶器和细石器的出现一定程度推动了中国北方旧石器时代向新石器时代的转变。
