Taphonomy, Life History, and Human Exploitation of Rhinoceros sinensis at the Middle Pleistocene Site of Panxian Dadong, Guizhou, China

摘要

Rhinoceros remains are commonly found in Chinese Pleistocene archaeological localities.This study examines the characteristics of the Rhinoceros sinensis sample from PanxianDadong, a karst cave in the mountains of western Guizhou province, with a mammalian faunain association with stone artefacts and human remains from the late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 6-8). The distribution of skeletal elements shows a predominance of foot (metapodial andphalanges) and lower limb (carpals and tarsals) bones, while the dental age-at-death profile,constructed using dental eruption and tooth wear data, is characterised by a high frequency ofprime age adult teeth. There is little taphonomic evidence for the involvement of non-humancarnivores or natural agencies in the formation of the faunal assemblage. Instead, it appearsthat human activities were responsible for the unexpected prevalence of prime age adults.