Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology

Beyond replication: Technological transmission and adaptive organization of modern human populations during the terminal Pleistocene at Fenghuangling, North China

How technological knowledge is transmitted and transformed remains a central topic in human evolution and behavioral ecology. During the Last Glacial Maximum and the subsequent deglaciation, climatic instability and associated demographic shifts provide an ideal window for unders...

Phenotypic evolution of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) in ancient Turpan, Xinjiang, China

Broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum L.) is a typical dryland cereal and one of the oldest cultivated crops. Unraveling its phenotypic changes during dispersal is crucial for understanding the adaptive evolution of broomcorn millet across different agricultural environments. In t...

Mammalian turnover across the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition: New evidence from the ∼3.0 Ma Dongyancun Fauna, North China

The latest Pliocene (∼3.0–2.5 Ma) large mammals were poorly documented in China. Here we report the Dongyancun Fauna from the Sanmenxia Basin, North China, which provides crucial fossil evidence for this interval. We describe new proboscidean and artiodactyl remains, including St...

Ancient proteins identify various Denisovan remains from Southwest China

More than a decade of multidisciplinary research has identified a collection of cranial, facial and dental remains of Denisovans from across Asia, providing insight into their cranial capacity, appearance, diet and evolutionary history. However, our understanding of their spatiot...

Postcranial osteology of the giant oviraptorosaur Gigantoraptor erlianensis

Gigantoraptor erlianensis is an unexpectedly large-bodied oviraptorosaurian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China. Exhibiting a bizarre body plan, G. erlianensis is key to revealing the high morphological disparity and complex evolutionary history near the tr...

Tradition of wrapping grains in funerary rituals 2200 years ago

Fan Yang, Yong Ge, Ling Fang, Haiyan Wang, Shuzhi Wang, Jiajun Wang, Zhiguo Zhang; Tradition of wrapping grains in funerary rituals 2200 years ago, Nationa