现代人在中国出现与扩散的化石证据

The origin and evolution of modern humans have been the key issue of the research and debates in paleoanthropology studies. For the past decade, pronounced progresses have been achieved in the field of modern human emergence and evolution in China. The discovery and studies of human fossils from the Zhiren Cave and Huanglong Cave in Guangxi and Hubei respectively have confirmed that the early modern humans already appeared in some regions of China 100 ka. The study of the newly found human teeth in Daoxian of Hunan Province further reveals that the fully modern humans emerged in Southern China 80-120 ka. The recent studies also found that the human fossils from the time period of the late Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene exhibit pronounced morphological variations with mosaic pattern of both primitive and modern features. In addition, complicated and diversified health condition and living adaptation activities have been found from human fossils of this time period. However, owing to the lack of enough key fossil evidence and detailed studies of complicated fossil features, the real patterns of the emergence and dispersals of the modern humans in China are still not clear; no detailed studies have been conducted on the possible influence factors; there have been different opinions on the issue of gene flows of fossil humans between China and Europe. To the most important issue that the earliest modern humans in China came from Africa or descended from the local archaic humans, the hot debates still exist. ..In the proposed project, Middle and Late Pleistocene human fossils in China will be used as our main research materials. Our studies will focus on fossil morphology and variation, the extraction and analysis of ancient DNA and comparison of genetic markers in modern populations. We will also analyze data on growth and development, health and traumatic injuries, and skeletal indicators of behavior. By using high resolution CT, 3D laser scanning, geometric morphometric and other methods, multiple aspects of information from the human fossils will be collected and analyzed, including the morphological change, growth and development, tooth wear and use, morphology and function, as well as pathology and trauma. Further comparisons with European, African and Chinese human fossils will be carried out to identify morphological characters that can be used to distinguish the ancient regional populations. ..With all these data from human fossil, ancient DNA and modern human population studies in the present project, it is expected to reveal the evolution and variations of fossil morphologies during the formation of the modern humans in China, related health and living adaptation activities. These proposed studies and analyses will also clarify whether there were gene flows between the ancient populations in China and European Neanderthals. We will further evaluate the possible influences on the modern human emergence in China caused by the gene flows. .With all these research data and evidence, breakthrough can be achieved on the origin and dispersal routes of the modern Chinese, and the relationship with the archaic humans from local and other parts of the world

近10年，对现代人在中国起源与演化的研究取得重要进展。对智人洞和黄龙洞人类化石的研究证实早期现代人10万年前在中国已经出现；湖南道县人类化石的发现与研究显示具有完全现代形态的人类8-12万年前出现在华南地区。由于关键化石证据有限以及对复杂化石特征变异缺乏深入研究，目前对现代人在中国出现与扩散规律及影响因素还不清楚、对中国与欧洲古人类基因交流有不同认识、对现代中国人是否起源于非洲仍充满争议。本项目通过对现代人在中国出现与演化过程中形态变异、生长发育、健康状况、生存活动以及人群特异性遗传基因在化石上的证据的细致研究，汇总并分析上述各类信息。通过项目研究，有望阐明现代人在中国形成过程中形态特征与变异、健康与生存适应活动以及是否存在与欧洲古人类基因交流。在此基础上，有望在现代中国人来源、扩散路线以及与当地及其它地区古老人类之间的关系等方面取得突破。

人类化石发现显示现代人10-12万年前出现在华南地区。由于化石有限以及对化石特征变异缺乏深入了解，对现代人在中国出现与扩散过程及影响因素还不清楚。项目通过对现代人在中国出现与扩散过程的细致研究，寻找现代人在中国形成过程中形态变异、DNA、生存适应活动以及与欧洲古人类基因交流的证据。五年来，项目组开展了野外调查与发掘、实验室测试分析、以及相关专题研究，取得了重要进展。在华龙洞发现3枚人类牙齿、2件股骨；对许昌人头骨的研究发现混合性特征及欧洲尼安德特人特征，对许家窑人颅容量的研究发现中更新世脑容量最大的“大头人”，表明中更新世晚期生存有多种古人类成员，相互之间有基因交流；对华龙洞人头骨的研究揭示现代人特征在30万年前东亚大陆人类已经出现；对16-22万年前许家窑人牙齿生长模式的研究发现已经具有现代人的牙齿生长发育模式，提示东亚地区人类牙齿生长发育的现代人模式出现时间早于现代形态特征的出现时间；对4万年前周口店田园洞人基因组分析进一步证实现代人在中国演化过程中与其它古人类之间的基因交流；化石形态及DNA研究揭示了更新世末期人类演化的复杂性及现代人群分化与扩散的过程。基因组分析显示中国南北人群9500年前已经分化；牙齿形态及DNA分析发现更新世末期西南地区存在古老人群。在与现代人出现相关的生存适应活动及环境因素、关键性特征在中国古人类化石出现情况、更新世中、晚期人类肢骨形态与功能、古人类头骨面貌复原等方面也开展了大量研究。这些研究发现使得学术界对现代人在中国出现与演化过程有了新的认识：古老型人类向早期现代人的演化过渡在30万年前就已经发生；中更新世晚期人类演化复杂多样，可能生存有不同古人类成员；在现代人出现过程中，中国与欧洲古人类之间发生过基因交流；环境因素以及人类生存活动对现代人演化产生一定的影响。项目研究积累了一大批研究标本和数据资料，参加项目的研究生和年轻人员得到提高，有力地推动了中国古人类学研究与发展。