Majuangou 3, Nihewan Basin: Early/Lower Pleistocene, China

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia - Struthioniformes - Struthionidae
Struthio sp. Linnaeus 1758
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Elephas sp. Linnaeus 1758
majority of fossils are Elephas.
Mammalia - Carnivora
Carnivora indet. Bowdich 1821
Mammalia - Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Pachycrocuta sp. Kretzoi 1938
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach 1799)
Mammalia - Cervidae
Cervus sp. Linnaeus 1758
Mammalia - Bovidae
Gazella sp. Blaineville 1816
Angiospermae - Myrtales - Trapaceae
Trapa sp. Linnaeus 1753
see common names

Geography
Country:China
Coordinates: 40.2° North, 114.7° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:40.2° North, 114.3° East
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Time
Period:Quaternary Epoch:Pleistocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
Key time interval:Early/Lower Pleistocene
Age range of interval:2.58000 - 0.77400 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Local section:Majuangou Local bed:3
Local order:top to bottom
Stratigraphy comments: Thjere are 4 artefactual layers in this section - Banshan (44.3-45.0m), MJG-1 (65.0-65.5m), MJG-2 (73.2-73.56m) and MJG-3 (75.0-75.4). Only the faunal list for the latter (MJG-3) is given in this paper. Fauna is late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene, and dates for the MJG levels have been estimated by correlation with another section (Haojiatai) which is 1.5km away and has been dated using palaeomagnetism. MJG-3 therefore estimated to date to 1.66Ma.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:black silty claystone
Lithology description: Greyish black silty clay.
Environment:lacustrine indet.
Geology comments: 'It is a lacustrine sequence with brief intervals of wetland and lake-margin sediments, and consists mainly of greyish-yellow and greyish-green clay, silty clay and silt. It is underlain by red Jurassic volcanic breccia. Loess seidments at the top of the section have been subjected to erosion.' (P. 559).
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:anthropogenic
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Feeding/predation traces:fractures
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some macrofossils
Collection methods:bulk,field collection
Collection size:1014 specimens
Reason for describing collection:archaeological analysis
Collection method comments: 85m2 excavated to 50cm depth and 443 artefacts were found in MJG 3. Average density of in situ artefacts was 10.4 artefacts per m2, but concentrations in some areas were much higher.
Taxonomic list comments:Contains leaves and fruits of aquatic plants (not all listed in text).
Metadata
Also known as:MJG III
Database number:51471
Authorizer:A. Turner Enterer:H. O'Regan
Modifier:J. Alroy Research group:PACED
Created:2005-06-06 03:26:41 Last modified:2010-01-28 17:34:50
Access level:the public Released:2005-06-06 03:26:41
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
13687.PACED R. X. Zhu, R. Potts, F. Xie, K. A. Hoffman, C. L. Deng, C. D. Shi, Y. X. Pan, H. Q. Wang, R. P. Shi, Y. C. Wang, G. H. Shi and N. Q. Wu. 2004. New evidence on the earliest human presence at high northern latitudes in northeast Asia. Nature 431:559-562 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]