Journal of the Anthropological Society of Nippon
Online ISSN : 1884-765X
Print ISSN : 0003-5505
ISSN-L : 0003-5505
Fossil Deer from the Yamashita-cho Cave No. 1
Fuyuji TAKAL
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1975 Volume 83 Issue 3 Pages 280-293

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Abstract

Cervine fossils, excavated from the deposits of Yamashita-cho cave no. 1, have been studied. Among more than three thousands specimens, 794 specimens were nearly complete and decided their own positions by their osteological characters. They are as follows:
It becomes clear that the antlers and teeth are morphologically identical with those of Metacervulus astylodon (MATSUMOTO) from the Okinawa Island and her belonging islet, Ie-island. These fossils were unearthed from the Layers 4, 5, and 6 and among these three the main fossiliferous layers seem to be the Layers 5 and 6. According to the carbon-14 dating for the cave deposits, the Layer 5 is dated 32100±1000 years BP (TK-31). It is true that this species must lived at the Okinawa Island during the Late Pleistocene. It should be concluded that they become to be extinct at the end of Pleistocene and that also have no chance to migrate into Kyushu and further.

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