灵井许昌人遗址鬣狗粪化石的孢粉和真菌孢子研究
摘要
Coprolites, or fossilized excrement, are a useful material to study past environments and diet. The inclusions in coprolites, in particular the refractory remains preserved in them, are a good approach to gather information on paleoenvironments and ancient dietary habits. The recently excavated Xuchang Man site in Lingjing, Henan Province, Central China is an important paleolithic site. This paper describes the botanic remains preserved in Hyaenid coprolites excavated from Xuchang Man. The sporo-pollen assemblages and fungi spores show that the character of the paleoenvironment matches the fauna of the Xuchang Man site. Furthermore, because of the hyena's carnivorous diet, the pollen and fungi spores found in the Hyaenid coprolites most likely originated from the prey or carrion consumed by the hyena.