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• Elaphodus cephalophus (tufted deer)

• Capricornus sumatraensis qinlingensis (goat)

III. Taxa not at Zhoukoudian, but still existing:

• Scaptochirus moschatus (musk mole)

• Ailuropoda melanolueca fovealis (giant panda)

• Cervus rusa (axis deer)

• Ochotona (steppe pika)

IV. Taxa unique to Gongwangling in all of China:

Dicerorhinus lantienensis (Lantian ancient rhino)

Leptobos brevicornus (early bison)

V. Taxa typical of middle Middle and later Pleistocene (i.e., same age as Zhoukoudian Locality 1 or younger):

Dicerorhinus merki (early rhinoceros)

Rhinoceros sinensis (Chinese rhinoceros)

Arvicola terrarubrae (water vole)

Bahomys hypsodonta (a rodent first discovered at Lantian)

VI. Leptobos sp. (early bison)

VII. Taxa which had genus or species changed in some lists:

Acinonyx pleistocaenicus -> Siva panthera pleistocaenicus (cheetah) (Gongwangling form changed to an earlier one)

• Ursus thibetanus (bear) or Ursus thibetanus kokeni (present at Zhoukoudian) -> Ursus etruscus (Early Pleistocene)

Ochotonoides -> Ochotona (Zhoukoudian form changed to a modern one)

One way to interpret this evidence is that the Gongwangling site represents an older and warmer interglacial period than that represented by Zhoukoudian. But there is another possible interpretation—that Gongwangling, about 500 miles southwest of Zhoukoudian, is the same age as Zhoukoudian, but has southern forms because of its warmer weather. This possibility is admitted by Aigner, who said of the southern forms: “Their presence at Kungwangling . . . may be due to the more southerly location of the site” (Aigner and Laughlin

1973, p. 102).

Zhou Mingzhen, the Chinese scientist who did the initial faunal studies at Gongwangling, compared the site with others in northern China, such as Zhoukoudian: “The presence of these forms at Konwanling . . . may be interpreted as due to the more southern geographical location of the Lantian district, or to the difference in geological age of this fauna with the others, or to the insufficiency of our knowledge on the distribution of Pleistocene mammals in China in general. Probably all three of these factors are involved in this particular case” (Zhou, M. et al. 1965, p. 1044). As can be seen, there is wide latitude for manipulation of the Gongwangling faunal evidence in accordance with the leanings of a particular researcher and the requirements of evolutionary doctrine.

Is there any strong justification for attributing the presence of the southern forms at Gongwangling to temporal rather than geographical differences from Zhoukoudian? Specifically, are the Gongwangling southern species characteristic of pre-Zhoukoudian times? This does not appear to be the case. Of the 7 southern taxa, 4 are either recent or living forms. These comprise (1) Capricornis suma trensis, the goat-antelope, or serow; (2) Tapirus sp.; (3) Tapirus sinensis, which some authorities consider a subspecies of the living Tapirus indicus (Zhou, M. et al. 1965, p. 1042); and (4) Elaphodus cephalophus, the tufted deer. Because they are recent or living, they cannot be used to establish an earlier dating for Gongwangling. The giant tapir Megatapirus augustus, according to Aigner (1981, p. 325), occurs in middle Middle Pleistocene assemblages and would thus be contemporary with the Zhoukoudian site. Aigner (1981, p. 289) also states that Stegodon orientalis survives through the late Middle Pleistocene.

The only southern form suggesting a pre-Zhoukoudian date for Gongwangling is Nestoritherium sinensis, an extinct three-clawed mammal that appears in Pliocene faunal assemblages. Aigner (1981, p. 289) suggested that Nestoritherium survived only to the Early Pleistocene in China, although she admitted this dating was open to question. Elwyn L. Simons and Peter C. Ettel (1970, p. 84) reported Nestoritherium at Gigantopithecus sites in South China, which they placed in the Middle Pleistocene. Nestoritherium also turned up in the Yenchingkuo fissures in Szechuan province, where, according to