元谋古猿生活时期的自然环境是森林草原或疏林-草原,还是茂密的森林?气候是凉干还是温暖潮湿?本文试图从云南6个最具代表性中新世沉积盆地取得的丰富植物大化石和孢粉资料分析,论证了中新世时期云南曾广泛分布热带或亚热带常绿阔叶林或落叶阔叶和常绿阔叶混交林。气候温暖湿润。至中新世最晚期,落叶阔叶林和针叶林分布面积扩大,气候变得凉干。与元谋古猿相邻的禄丰古猿生活时期及其前后正是经历了相同的环境变迁过程。由此推论元谋古猿生活时期的自然环境为茂密的森林,气候温暖湿润。最后,就《元谋古猿》专著对古猿生活时期的自然环境分析存在的问题进行了讨论。
Was the living environment of the Yuanmou hominoid forest grassland,savanna or dense forest? Was the climate cool and dry,or was it warm and humid? This article analyzes the abundant data on plant fossils and palynology in six representative Miocene sedimentary basins.The results indicate that during Miocene Epoch there was widespread distribution of tropical or subtropical evergreen broad-leaf forest or mixed deciduous-evergreen broad-leaf forest in Yunnan.The climate during that time was warm and humid.During the period of the latest Miocene,the distribution areas of deciduous broad-leaf forest and conifer forest expanded at which time the climate became cool and dry.The Lufeng hominoid,a neighboring locality of the Yuanmou hominoid,experienced the same environmental change.Therefore,the living environment of the Yuanmou hominoid was a dense forest with a warm and humid climate.Other issues regarding this environmental analysis can be found in the book Yuanmou Hominoid.