Age profiles of rhinoceros from the Yanliang Cave, Fusui County, Guangxi, South China

The Gigantopithecus fauna recently discovered in the Yanliang Cave, Fusui County, Chongzuo Municipality, Guangxi Autonomous Region, South China, consists of abundant Gigantopithecus remains including mandibles and a large variety of fossil mammals. The most conspicuous large mammalian remains include 146 complete isolated teeth and a dozen postcrania of Rhinocerotidae, belonging to Rhinoceros fusuiensis based on morphological analysis. The Yanliang Gigantopithecus fauna is characterized by the presence of several Neogene relic taxa such as Megantereon, Hesperotherium and "Dicoryphochoerus", and many primitive species from the Quaternary such as Pachycrocuta licenti, Ailuropoda microta, Tapirus sanyuanensis, Typhlomys intermedius, Niviventer preconfucianus and Leopoldamys edwardsioides. The geological age is estimated to be Early Pleistocene based on fauna and stratigraphic correlation. Age profiles of these Rhinoceros remains were determined on the basis of tooth attrition analysis and checking the exposure of enamel and dentine. Results show that there are at least five adults and five sub-adult individuals, which were the dominant elements in the fossil assemblage suggesting their death was due to disaster.