南京汤山驼子洞洞穴堆积中鬣狗粪化石含有相对丰富的孢粉,推测草食性哺乳动物食用带有孢粉的植物后,经鬣狗的猎杀、摄食、消化和排泄,孢粉较好地保存在鬣狗粪中,形成粪化石,成为洞穴地层的组成部分。虽然鬣狗粪化石中的孢粉含量不及湖沼相地层中丰富,但有几种植物的花粉保存较好且相对集中,如Pinus,Tsuga,Quercus,Carpinus,Artemisia,Cyperaceae,Polygonum,Polypodiaceae出现的频率较高。孢粉组合揭示早更新世南京地区植被主要是草原或森林-草地,气候凉干或半干旱半湿润,可以和地层中脊椎动物群反映的自然环境相互印证。在研究洞穴古环境的代用指标中,堆积物中的鬣狗粪化石中包含的孢粉是比较好的研究对象,对环境有一定的指示意义。

Pollen analysis of hyaena coprolites presents relatively high pollen concentration from the Tuozi Cave at Tangshan, Nanjing. Although some coprolites were sterile, it is postulated that after hyaenas devouring plant-consuming prey, pollen were well preserved in the coprolites, and then deposited in the cave, formed hyaena coprolite fossils. Pollen spectra with higher frequencies of Pinus, Tsuga, Quercus, Carpinus, Artemisia, Cyperaceae, Polygonum and Polypodiaceae suggests that the vegetation was grassland or forest-grassland and the climate was humid or semi-humid in earlyPleistocene. This conclusion is consistent with the environmental interpretation derived from the associated fossil fauna found in the Tuozi Cave. This therefore demonstrates that the hyaena coprolites deposit is useful in studying the cave deposits, and reconstructing past vegetation and climate conditions.

Q913.84 Q981.42

教育部“长江学者”创新团队项目，国家自然基金项目(No.40671193)资助