秦岭北坡的陕西省洛南县南洛河北岸发育高度不同的6层溶蚀洞穴，其中5层溶蚀洞穴中发现沉积物和古生物化石。对这些洞穴进行了考察和发掘并研究了洞穴内沉积物的化石。另外对洞穴外的河流阶地进行了高程测量和对比分析用选频光释光法测定各洞穴底部沉积物和洞穴外河流阶地沉积物的年龄确定了各洞穴大致的形成时代，并首次得到秦岭中更新世以来的抬升资料。其抬升过程中速度不均一性、时代越新抬升速率越强的总趋势等状况与青藏高原相似。

陕西旬邑下墙剖面化学组成的系统测试资料、年均温度与年均降水量的定量计算揭示出：该区红土堆积时的气候总体上比第四纪黄土堆积时的要暖湿，在暖湿背景下，早期相对较凉干，中期最暖湿，晚期较暖湿。进入第四纪后，气候突然变冷变干。如更进一步细分，新近系红土段自下向上存在着由相对凉干-相对暖湿的四个百万年级气候旋回，其中第二、三旋回之间，即第17与第16层组之间，有气候较明显降温变干现象，它有可能主要是北极冰盖形成的影响所致。进入第四纪的突然明显变冷变干可能主要受控于当时青藏高原剧烈隆升作用。剖面上化学组成的变化在地层划分上有重要意义，从旬邑剖面的地化资料出发，并参考岩性、磁化率等将第四系底划在第13层组项，上新统底划在第17层组与第18层组之间。

Some limb bone fossils of a small sized bird were discovered from the brown-red sandy clay of the Early-Middle Paleocene Fangou Formation at Shimen region, Luonan County, Shaanxi Province, China. Its leg is straight, long and slender. Digit III is the longest digit but shorter than the tarsometatarsus. Hypotarsus with two narrow sulci. It is not clear whether such features as: tarsometatarsns without a foramen vasculare distale, metatarsi incompletely fused, represent primitive conditions or a juvenile stage of the bird. Therefore it is impossible to define its systematic position. It is named here Qinornis paleocenica n. gen. n. spec., incertae sedis.

Chalicotherium wuduensis, n. sp., from the late Miocene of Gansu Province, China, is based on two mandibles, one an adult and the other a juvenile. This species of Chalicotherium has a relatively long diastema, short premolar row, and narrow lower molars. Canines are present, but incisors are completely lacking. The jaw is very robust with a long, thick symphysis. C. wuduensis is closest to C. goldfussi, Nestoritherium sivalense, and N. sinensebut is clearly different from all three. It is distinct from C. brevirostris, a medial Miocene Chinese species with an abbreviated snout. Differences between Chalicotheriurn and Nestoritherium seem to be part of a continuum and may not warrant generic distinction.

研究陕西旬邑下墙完整的晚新生代红土-黄土剖面后证实，磁化率也可以作为分析红土气候特征的一个替代性指标，但最好的办法是以磁化率为主，同时参考粒度、地球化学等资料进行综合分析。本区新近系红土的磁化率曲线特点是高频率、低幅度、短周期，第四系黄土-古土壤的则是低频率、长周期。结合岩性、古生物、粒度及地球化学等资料得出，新近纪的气候在总体暖湿背景下有凉干-暖湿的交替，而第四纪的气候则是在总体冷干背景下的冷干-暖湿的交替。进入第四纪的气候突变及之后的气候亚突变，主导因素是该时期青藏高原的剧烈隆升，北极冰盖的形成与扩大也起着重要的作用。