1935 and 1937, Li Yueyan went to work in Lushi, and found nose titan and fossil in Paleogene strata, which confirmed the existence of Paleogene Eocene strata in this area. During the period of 1957, Zhou Mingzhen and Xu Yuxuan of vertebrate paleontology Institute of China Academy of Sciences excavated a considerable number of mammalian fossils considered to belong to the Late Eocene in Mengjiapo, west of Lushi City. Since then, it has attracted the attention of many domestic experts, and some scholars' scientific research achievements have come out one after another, with increasing influence. The Lushi vertebrate paleontology first appeared in the Lushi period of the Middle Eocene, and its members are: Uintatherium Insperatus, Lophialetes, Eudinoceras? In China Zodiaceae, the fossils of genera and species cannot be identified. This vertebrate paleontology Group can be regarded as the early fauna of Lushi vertebrate paleontology Group and the pioneer of Lushi vertebrate paleontology Group. Lushi vertebrate paleontology flourished in the Yuanqu period of the Middle Eocene, and its composition is as follows:
Figure 4. 16 1 Lushi Zhou in Qinling Mountains (according to Zhouming Town 196 1)
* * * Vertebrates: 12 orders, 25 families, 32 genera, 39 species.
Reptiles: 2 orders, 3 families, 3 genera and 3 species.
Turtle turtle
Tortoiseshell family Trionychidae
Sub-circular plate with claw
Squamous animal
Chameleon escape group
Lushi lizard, a healthy lizard of Lushi.
Gecko family
Shield-tailed dragon (similar species)
Mammals 9 orders 2 1 family 27 genera 34 species.
Primates, primates
Tenebrionidae
Lushi monkey in Qinling Mountains, a Lushi monkey in Qinling Mountains (Figure 4. 16 1).
Rodentia
A grouper of the family Grouper.
Young's Qinling mouse
Yumysp (undetermined species).
Rabbiniformes, an order of rabbits
Rabbinidae
Luhe Lushi rabbit
Carnivore, carnivore
Microodontidae
Lew's fine tooth animal.
Canidae
Fairy dog (undetermined)
Cats, such as the sword tiger (undetermined)
Dentistry,
? Graptolite beast? Columnar algae
Ankle joint plan
Sea urchin family
Henan tiger, a three-headed animal in Henan Province.
Great ape, a huge three-pointed animal.
Oribatidae; oribatidae
Megalodon, an animal with giant teeth in central Henan Province.
Hebetis, a blunt-toothed wild animal in Henan.
Lushi Luohe beast Lushi Luohe beast.
Proximal toe of Chiroptera
Thunderbird family
Small Lei Shou (undetermined) microtodont wasp
Yielding yuan tooth beast
Head bat family
Gromwell, a Lei Shou nose giant with a long nose.
Square-toothed beast, a kind of square-toothed claw animal
In major, the great claw beast
Eimeria minuta
Yang Ji under the moon, the south paw of Shi Yang Road.
Dai family's net stinkbug branch
Tapirs.
Chironomidae; Chironomidae.
Spinach tapeworm (undetermined)
Taenia microphylla
Amphibian rhinotidae
Henan Xi Xi Xi 'an Xixia Nuotang Henan
Lushi rhinoceros in Mengjiapo
New species of rhinoceros (undetermined species)
Hinokoko
Freund's disease of rhinoceros (undetermined)
Prorocentrum species.
Artiodactyls of the order Artiodactyla
Bidentate family
Bifidobacterium sp (undetermined)
Porcupine family
Oriental goby, pig and beast in the East Gobi
A stout Gobi beast
hyperprolactinemia
Archaeopteryx of Xiyue Ancient Elk
Anthrax family
Anthracnose.
Pantongta with blunt feet
Corydalis dentata
Eudinoflagellate.
Carnivorous Cremastodon
Transparent tooth shark family
Transparent algae.
Throughout the Lushi vertebrate paleontology, we can see the following characteristics:
1) Reptiles are very rare, with only 2 orders, 3 families, 3 genera and 3 species, accounting for 8% of the population, and each family has only 1 genus 1 species.
2) Chiroptera is dominant in mammals, with 7 families 13 genera 15 species, including Sarcopodidae, Protoptera, Chiroptera, Diptera, Amphibia and Rhinopteridae.
3) The population diversity of the whole fauna is not high, with only 3 genera 1 family at most. Most other families belong to one genus and species, or a few families contain two genera and species.
4) Endemic population accounts for a large proportion, accounting for about 40% of the species.
5) The primate Qinling monkey contained in this fauna is the earliest primate found in Asia. Luohe Lushi rabbit and young Qinling mouse are the most primitive representatives of Asian rabbit family and prerabbit family. See Eusmilus sp is the first representative in the world.
6) The molecules of Lushi vertebrate paleontology can be basically divided into two ecological types: forest animals and amphibians. Amphibious rhinoceros is the representative of amphibians, and most of the rest are forests.
It is worth mentioning that after the prosperity of Lushi vertebrate paleontology, three species, Richthofen Ⅰ, Tridactylus skinfold and Tridactylus flatfoot (Figure 4. 162, Figure 4. 163) appeared in the Miocene Baode period; Chilean yeast. Icfitherium sp., gazelle, Shangxin pig. , newborn wax cicada, oriole, muntjac, muntjac, dog breed. This vertebrate fauna is temporarily regarded as the late fauna of Lushi vertebrate paleontology.
To sum up, the species number of Lushi vertebrate paleontology group is 5 1, which is quite rich. There are the earliest primates in Asia, and Lushi rabbit and Qinling mouse are the most primitive representatives in Asia. Among them, 9 species of mammals have been listed in the Dictionary of Earth Sciences (2006). All fossils have clear horizons and definite ages, which have high scientific research value, corresponding scientific popularization value and ornamental value. It is suggested that it should be protected as a national paleontological relic resource to ensure that its scientific and economic value will not be destroyed and lost.