Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xfwgj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T15:57:24.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Middle Pleistocene climate and habitat change at Zhoukoudian, China, from the carbon and oxygen isotopic record from herbivore tooth enamel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Mabry Gaboardi ,
Tao Deng  and
Yang Wang
Mabry Gaboardi*
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, 108 Carraway Building, Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4100, USA
Tao Deng
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing 100044, China
Yang Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, 108 Carraway Building, Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4100, USA
*
⁎Corresponding author.E-mail address:gaboardi@gly.fsu.edu (M. Gaboardi).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Pleistocene deposits at Zhoukoudian, often referred to as the “Peking Man” site, contain dental remains from a diverse group of herbivores, including Equus sanmeniensis, Cervus elaphus, Cervus nippon, Megaloceros pachyosteus, Sus lydekkeri, and Dicerorhinus choukoutienensis. The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of structural carbonate within the enamel of these teeth are used to reconstruct the paleodiet and paleoenvironment of the mammals. The δ13C values of enamel from Zhoukoudian range from −2.3‰ to −13.0‰, indicating that these mammals consumed between ∼25% and 100% C3 plants. The presence of significant amounts of C4 plants in the diets of some herbivore species indicates that at the onset of the Middle Pleistocene local habitats included mixed C3/C4 vegetation. By approximately 470,000 yr ago, C3 plants dominated the diets of herbivores studied, suggesting that the abundance of C4 flora had decreased in the area. For all deer analyzed in this study, the values of δ13C and δ18O decrease substantially from about 720,000 to 470,000 yr ago. This trend may be due to a strengthening of the winter monsoon during the Middle Pleistocene.

Keywords

ZhoukoudianPleistoceneCarbon isotopesOxygen isotopesHomo erectusPaleomonsoonPaleoecology
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , May 2005 , pp. 329 - 338
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Black, D., Teilhard de Chardin, P., Young, C.C., Pei, W.C., (1933). Fossil man in China: the Choukoutien cave deposits with a synopsis of our present knowledge of the Late Cenozoic in China. Geological Society of China, Beijing.Google Scholar
Boaz, N.T., Ciochon, R., (2004). Dragon Bone Hill. Oxford Univ. Press, New York.Google Scholar
Cerling, T.E., Harris, J.M., (1999). Carbon isotope fractionation between bioapatite in ungulate mammals and implications for ecological and paleoecological studies. Oecologia 120, 347–363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, T., Hedges, R.E.M., Yuan, Z., (1992). The second batch of accelerator radiocarbon dates for the Upper Cave site of Zhoukoudian. Acta Anthropologica Sinica 11, 112–116.Google Scholar
Chia, L.P., Chao, T.K., Li, Y.S., (1959). Some new fossil localities in the Choukoutien region. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 1, 47–51.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W., (1964). Stable isotopes in precipitation. Tellus 16, 436–438.Google Scholar
Fogel, M.L., Cifuentes, L.A., (1993). Isotope fractionation during primary production. Engel, M.H., Macko, S.A., Organic Geochemistry Plenum, New York., 73–98.Google Scholar
Goldberg, P., Weiner, S., Bar-Yosef, O., Xu, Q., Liu, J., (2001). Site formation processes at Zhoukoudian. Journal of Human Evolution 41, 483–530.Google Scholar
Grun, R., Huang, P.H., Wu, X., Stringer, C., Thorne, A.G., McCulloch, M., (1997). ESR analysis of teeth from the paleoanthropological site of Zhoukoudian, China. Journal of Human Evolution 32, 83–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, S.L., Liu, S.S., Sun, S.F., Zhang, F., Shou, S.H., Hao, X.H., Mang, W., Shang, F., Lui, J.F., (1991). Fission track dating of the 4th layer of the Peking Man Site. Acta Anthropologica Sinica 10, 73–77.Google Scholar
Heslop, D., Dekkers, M.J., Langereis, C.G., (2002). Timing and structure of the mid-Pleistocene transition: records from the loess deposits of northern China. Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 185, 133–143.Google Scholar
Hoppe, K., A., , Amundson, R., (2001). Interpreting the significance of stable isotopic variations within mammalian teeth: evaluating the influence of biological vs. environmental factors. Geological Society of America A113–A114.Google Scholar
Huang, P.H., Jin, S.Z., Liang, R.Y., Lu, Z.J., Zheng, L.Z., Yuan, Z.X., Chai, B.X., (1991). Study of ESR dating for the burial age of the first skull of Peking Man and chronological scale of the site. Chinese Science Bulletin 36, 1457–1461.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Huang, P.H., Jin, S.Z., Peng, Z.C., Liang, R.Y., Lu, Z.J., Wang, Z.R., Chen, J.B., Yuan, Z.X., (1993). ESR dating of tooth enamel: a comparison with U-Series, FT and TL dating at the Peking Man Site. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 44, 239–242.Google Scholar
Jia, L., (1980). Early Man in China. Foreign Languages Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
Johnson, K., Ingram, B., (2004). Spatial and temporal variability in the stable isotope systematics of modern precipitation in China: implications for paleoclimate reconstructions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 220, 365–377.Google Scholar
Koch, P.L., Fogel, M.L., Tuross, N., (1994). Tracing the diets of fossil animals using stable isotopes. Lajtha, K., Michener, B., Stable isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science Blackwell, Oxford., 63–92.Google Scholar
Kohn, M.J., Schoeninger, M.J., Valley, J.W., (1998). Variability in oxygen isotope compositions of herbivore teeth: reflections of seasonality or developmental physiology?. Chemical Geology 152, 97–112.Google Scholar
Kong, Z., Du, L., Wu, Y., Yu, Q., Yi, M., Ren, Z., (1985). Vegetational and climatic changes since Paleogene at Zhoukoudian and its adjacent regions. Wu, R.K., Ren, M.E., Zhu, X.M., Yang, Z.G., Hu, C.K., Kong, Z.C., Xie, Y.Y., Zhao, S.S., Multi-Disciplinary Study of the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Science Press, Beijing., 119–154.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Kreuger, H.W., Sullivan, C.H., (1984). Models for carbon isotope fractionation between diet and bone. Turland, J.F., Johnson, P.E., Stable Isotopes in Nutrition ACS Symposium Series American Chemical Society, 205–222.Google Scholar
Lee-Thorp, J., van der Merwe, N.J., (1987). Carbon isotope analysis of fossil bone apatite. South African Journal of Science 83, 712–715.Google Scholar
Lee-Thorp, J., van der Merwe, N.J., (1991). Aspects of the chemistry of modern and fossil biological apatites. Journal of Archaeological Science 18, 343–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee-Thorp, J., Sealy, J.C., van der Merwe, N.J., (1989). Stable carbon isotope ratio differences between bone collagen and bone apatite and their relationship to diet. Journal of Archaeological Science 16, 585–599.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, S., (1994). “Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site.” Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology.Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing., .Google Scholar
Liu, Z.C., (1985). Sequence of sediments at Locality 1 in Zhoukoudian and correlation with loess stratigraphy in Northern China and with the chronology of the deep-sea cores. Quaternary Research 23, 139–153.Google Scholar
Liu, T.S., Ding, Z., (1998). Chinese loess and the paleomonsoon. Annual Review of Earth Planetary Science 26, 111–145.Google Scholar
Longinelli, A., (1984). Oxygen isotopes in mammal bone phosphate: a new tool for paleohydrological and paleoclimatological research?. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 48, 385–390.Google Scholar
Luz, B., Kolodony, Y., (1985). Oxygen isotope variation in phosphate of biogenic apatites, IV. Mammal teeth and bones. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 75, 29–36.Google Scholar
Luz, B., Kolodny, Y., (1989). Oxygen isotope variation in bone phosphate. Applied Geochemistry 4, 317–323.Google Scholar
O'Leary, M.H., (1988). Carbon isotopes in photosynthesis. Bioscience 38, 328–336.Google Scholar
Pei, J., (1985). Thermoluminescence of the Peking Man Site and other caves. Wu, R.K., Ren, M.E., Zhu, X.M., Yang, Z.G., Hu, C.K., Kong, Z.C., Xie, Y.Y., Zhao, S.S., Multi-Disciplinary Study of the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Science Press, Beijing., 258–260.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Porter, S.C., (2001). Chinese loess record of monsoon climate during the last glacial–interglacial cycle. Earth-Science Reviews 54, 115–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qian, F., Zhang, J.X., Yin, W.D., (1985). Magnetic stratigraphy from the sediment of the west wall and test pit of Locality 1 at Zhoukoudian. Wu, R.K., Ren, M.E., Zhu, X.M., Yang, Z.G., Hu, C.K., Kong, Z.C., Xie, Y.Y., Zhao, S.S., Multi-Disciplinary Study of the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Science Press, Beijing., 251–254.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Rutter, N., Ding, Z.L., Lui, T.S., (1991). Comparison of isotope stages 1–61 with the Baoji-type pedostratigraphic section of north-central China. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 28, 985–990.Google Scholar
Shen, G., Jin, L., (1991). Restudy of the upper age limit of Peking Man Site. Acta Anthropopogica Sinica 10, 273–277.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Shen, G., Gu, D., Gahleb, B., Yuan, Z., Chai, B., (1996). Preliminary results on U-series dating of Peking Man site with high precision TIMS. Acta Anthropopogica Sinica 15, 210–217.Google Scholar
Smith, B., Epstein, S., (1971). Two categories of 12C/13C ratios for higher plants. Plant Physiology 47, 380–384.Google Scholar
Spell, T.L., McDougall, I., (1992). Revision to the age of the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary and the Pleistocene geomagnetic polarity time scale. Geophysical Research Letters 19, 1181–1184.Google Scholar
Teilhard de Chardin, P., (1941). Early Man in China. Institute of Geo-Biology, Peking.Google Scholar
Vidic, N.J., Montañez, I.P., (2004). Climatically driven glacial–interglacial variations in the C3 and C4 plant proportions on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Geology 32, 337–340.Google Scholar
Wang, Y., Cerling, T.E., MacFadden, B.J., (1994). Fossil horses and carbon isotopes: new evidence for Cenozoic dietary, habitat, and ecosystem changes in North America. Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 107, 269–279.Google Scholar
Williams, D.F., Thunell, R.C., Tappa, E., Tio, D., Raffi, I., (1988). Chronology of the Pleistocene oxygen isotope record: 0–1.88 m.y. B.P.. Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 64, 221–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, X., Poirier, F., (1995). Human Evolution in China: A Metric Description of the Fossils and A Review of the Sites. Oxford Univ. Press, New York.Google Scholar
Wu, R.K., Ren, M.E., Zhu, X.M., Yang, Z.G., Hu, C.K., Kong, Z.C., Xie, Y.Y., Zhao, S.S., (1985). Multi-disciplinary study of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian. Science Press, Beijing., (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Xie, Y., Xing, H., Xu, J., Zhou, B., Huang, Y., Liu, Y., Yang, J., Qu, Z., (1985). The sedimentary environment of the Peking Man Period. Wu, R.K., Ren, M.E., Zhu, X.M., Yang, Z.G., Hu, C.K., Kong, Z.C., Xie, Y.Y., Zhao, S.S., Multi-disciplinary Study of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian Science Press, Beijing., 185–215.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Xu, Q., Jin, C., Tong, H., Dong, W., Liu, J., Cai, B., (1997). Three glacial cycles during Peking Man's time. Tong, Y., Essays in Honor of Professor Chungchien Young on the Hundredth Anniversary of his Birth China Ocean Press, Beijing., 213–226.Google Scholar
Yuan, S.X., Chen, T.N., (1980). Uranium-series dating of bones at Zhoukoudian. Acta Anthropologica Sinica 10, 189–193.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z.H., Zhao, M., Lu, H., Faiia, A.M., (2003). Lower temperature as the main cause of C4 plant declines during the glacial periods on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 214, 467–481.Google Scholar
Zhao, S.S., Xia, M., Zhang, Z.H., Liu, M.L., Wang, S.X., Wu, Q.F., Ma, Z.B., (1985). Uranium-series dating of the Peking Man Site. Wu, R.K., Ren, M.E., Zhu, X.M., Yang, Z.G., Hu, C.K., Kong, Z.C., Xie, Y.Y., Zhao, S.S., Multi-disciplinary Study of the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Science Press, Beijing., 246–250.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Zhou, C., Lui, Z., Wang, Y., (2000). Climatic cycles investigated by sediment analysis in Peking Man's Cave, Zhoukoudian, China. Journal of Archaeological Science 27, 101–109.Google Scholar
Zhu, Y., Zhou, M., (1994). The Asian monsoon variation and the habituation environment of fossil man in Northern China. Catena 22, 121–131.Google Scholar