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Xihoudu
Xihoudu () is an archeological site located in the Shanxi Province of China. The site dates to the Paleolithic Age. In total 32 stone implements were found at the site. Discovery In 1929, Chinese prehistoric archaeologist and paleontologist Professor Pei Wenzhong discovered the skull fossil of the "Peking Man" 500,000 years ago at the Zhoukoudian site in Beijing. However, the Paleolithic archaeologist Wang Jian(王建) inferred that there must have been more primitive humans before the "Peking Man". This inference was affirmed by the paleoanthropologist Professor Jia Lanpo(贾兰坡). In order to prove their theoretical inference, Jia Lanpo, Wang Jian and others analyzed from the aspects of paleogeography and paleoclimate, and began to search for human remains in the Nihewan stratum. In 1959, archaeologists discovered the site on a terrace 170 meters above the river surface on the east bank of the Yellow River in Xihoudu Village, Ruicheng County. Three excavations were carrie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shanxi
Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi and Datong. Its one-character abbreviation is (), after the Jin (Chinese state), state of Jin that existed there during the Spring and Autumn period (). The name ''Shanxi'' means 'west of the mountains', a reference to its location west of the Taihang Mountains. Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west and Inner Mongolia to the north. Shanxi's terrain is characterised by a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. Shanxi's culture is largely dominated by the ethnic Han Chinese, Han majority, who make up over 99% of its population. Jin Chinese is considered by some linguists to be a distinct language from Mandarin and its geographical range covers most of Shanxi. Both Jin and Mandarin are spoken in Shanxi. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds. Two living species are recognised, the common ostrich, native to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Somali ostrich, native to the Horn of Africa. They are the heaviest and largest living birds, with adult common ostriches weighing anywhere between 63.5 and 145 kilograms and laying the largest eggs of any living land animal.Del Hoyo, Josep, et al. Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 1. No. 8. Barcelona: Lynx edicions, 1992. With the ability to run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph), they are the fastest birds on land. They are farmed worldwide, with significant industries in the Philippines and in Namibia. South Africa produces about 70% of global ostrich products, with the industry largely centered around the town of Oudtshoorn. Ostrich leather is a lucrative commodity, and the large feathers are used as plumes for the decoration of ceremonial headgear. Ostrich eggs and meat have been used by humans for millennia. Ostrich ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eucladoceros
''Eucladoceros'' (Greek language, Greek for "well-branched antler") is an extinct genus of large deer whose fossils have been discovered across Eurasia, from Europe to China, spanning from the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene. It is noted for its unusual comb-like or branching antlers. Description Species of ''Eucladoceros'' were large-sized deer. European species like ''E. dicranios'' and ''E. ctenoides'' are suggested to have reached a body mass of , while East Asian ''E. boulei'' is suggested to have reached body masses of . Body size of European species increased over time. ''E. giulii'' has been estimated to have had a shoulder height of while ''E. senezensis'' has an estimated shoulder height of . Species of ''Eucladoceros'' are noted for their branching antlers, with a large number of Antler, tines projecting from the front part of the main antler beam. In many species like ''Eucladoceros ctenoides'' the antlers have a comb-like branching pattern, while those of the typ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leptobos
''Leptobos'' is an extinct genus of large bovine, known from the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene of Eurasia. Distribution The range of ''Leptobos'' extended from the Iberian Peninsula to northern China. ''L. merlai'' is known from the Early Pleistocene of central Italy. Description Species of ''Leptobos'' weighed on average . Evolution The first appearance of ''Leptobos'' in Europe around 3.6-3.5 million years ago is considered to define the beginning of the Villafranchian European faunal stage. ''Leptobos'' is considered to be closely related to the insular genus '' Epileptobos'' from the Pleistocene of Java'''', and is considered to be ancestral to ''Bison''. ''Leptobos'' became extinct after being replaced by their descendant ''Bison'' during the Early Pleistocene, after a period of temporal overlap. "''Leptobos" syrticus'' from Libya likely belongs in a different genus. Species * ''Leptobos brevicornis'' (China) * ''Leptobos crassus'' (China) * ''Leptobos falc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippotherium
''Hippotherium'' is an Extinction, extinct genus of Equidae, horse that lived during the Miocene through Pliocene ~13.65—6.7 Mya (unit), Mya, existing for . The last known surviving ''Hippotherium'' was ''H. malpassii'', found in Italy. Species The type species, ''H. primigenium'', is known from Miocene deposits in Europe (e.g., the Hegau region in southern Germany) and the Middle East, while the species ''H. koenigswaldi'' and ''H. catalaunicum'' have been found in Miocene deposits in Spain. The Asian hipparionin ''"Hipparion" weihoense'' from early Late Miocene deposits in northern China has also been referred to the genus. Diet ''H. primigenium'' was a Generalist and specialist species, generalist feeder which frequently browsed but could also exploit grasses. The dental mesowear of ''H. primigenium'' reveals that it lived in both open environments such as reed flats and closed environments such as mesophytic forests. Fossil distribution *Doue-la-Fontaine Franc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elasmotherium
''Elasmotherium'' is an extinct genus of large rhinoceros that lived in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and East Asia during Late Miocene through to the Late Pleistocene, with the youngest reliable dates of at least 39,000 years ago. It was the last surviving member of Elasmotheriinae, a distinctive group of rhinoceroses separate from the group that contains living rhinoceros (Rhinocerotinae). Five species are recognised. The genus first appeared in the Late Miocene in present-day China, likely having evolved from '' Sinotherium'', before spreading to the Pontic–Caspian steppe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The best known ''Elasmotherium'' species, ''E. sibiricum'', sometimes called the Siberian unicorn, was among the largest known rhinoceroses, with an estimated body mass of around , comparable to an elephant, and is often conjectured to have borne a single very large horn. However, no horn has ever been found, and other authors have conjectured that the horn was likely ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elephas Planifrons
''Elephas planifrons'' is an extinct species of elephant, known from the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene of the Indian subcontinent and probably South East Asia (Java, Indonesia). Description The number of lamellae on the third molars is typically in the range of 11 to 15. Members of the species retained permanent premolars, unlike living Asian elephants. Ecology Isotopic evidence suggests that the species had a grazing based diet. Evolution ''Elephas planifrons'' represents one of the earliest dispersals of elephants outside of Africa, first arriving on the Indian subcontinent around 3.6 million years ago (though some authors have suggested a much earlier age over 5 million years ago). The date of the last record of the species is highly uncertain, with estimates ranging from 2.5 million to 800,000 years ago. While only definitively reported from the Indian subcontinent, possible ''E. planifrons'' remains have been reported from Indonesia, and the species may be closely relat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Axis (genus)
''Axis'' is a genus of deer occurring in South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. As presently defined by most authorities, four species are placed in the genus. Three of the four species are called hog deer. The genus name is a word mentioned in Pliny the Elder's ''Natural History (Pliny), Natural History''. Species Following the third edition of ''Mammal Species of the World'' from 2005, which is also followed by the American Society of Mammalogists, four species are placed in ''Axis''. These four species are divided into two subgenera; ''Axis'' containing the chital, and ''Hyelaphus'' containing the 3 others. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q783065 Axis Cervines Mammal genera Taxa named by Charles Hamilton Smith ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Père David's Deer
The Père David's deer (''Elaphurus davidianus''), also known as the ''milu'' () or elaphure, is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China. It grazes mainly on grass and aquatic plants. It is the only extant member of the genus '' Elaphurus''. Some experts suggest demoting ''Elaphurus'' to a subgenus of ''Cervus''. Based on genetic comparisons, Père David's deer is closely related to Eld's deer. Père David's deer were hunted almost to extinction in their native China by the late 19th century, but a number were taken to zoos in France and Germany and the deer was bred successfully in captivity. In the early 20th century, the British nobleman and politician Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford, acquired a few Père David's deer from the Berlin Zoo and built up a large herd on his estate at Woburn Abbey. In the 1980s, the duke's great-grandson Robin Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford, donated several dozen deer to the Chinese government for reintroducin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are '' Oryctolagus'' and '' Sylvilagus''. The former, ''Oryctolagus'', includes the European rabbit, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'', which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica. The latter, ''Sylvilagus'', includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis. Wild rabbits not included in ''Oryctolagus'' and ''Sylvilagus'' include several species of limited distribution, including the pygmy rabbit, volcano rabbit, and Sumatran striped rabbit. Rabbits are a paraphyletic grouping, and do not constitute a clade, as ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. However, the extinct genus '' Amphechinus'' was once present in North America. Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews (family Soricidae), with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life. Their spiny protection resembles that of porcupines, which are rodents, and echidnas, a type of monotreme. Etymology The name ''hedgehog'' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the Middle English , from , , because it frequents hedgerows, and , , from its piglike snout. Other names that are used are ''urchin' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
