Abstract
Nearly 30 individual giant panda fossils have been found in Shuanghe Cave in Guizhou，the longest cave in Asia. The number is the largest as for the complete giant panda fossils that have been discovered in the world. At least 10 individual fossils accumulating below the shaft in one branch cave are taken as the research subjects. Based on the development and morphological characteristics of karst caves and fossil burial characteristics，the process in which these pandas fell from the shaft and died has been preliminarily analyzed and reconstructed . The research findings show that karst caves can provide a good habitat and fossil preservation environment for giant pandas. Meanwhile，the uranium dating of a sample of calcium carbonate depositing on the surface of a fossil indicates that the individual lived at least 51，000 years ago. AMS14C dating has been performed on the fossil teeth of another individual who was found to live about 25，000 years ago. Therefore，it is inferred that the pandas in this cave mainly lived in the late Pleistocene.
| Translated title of the contribution | High fossil aggregation and its significance of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in late Pleistocene in Shuanghe Cave, Guizhou Province |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Pages (from-to) | 1038-1045 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Carsologica Sinica |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2021 |