在陕西关中西安与咸阳地区间的河流阶地沉积剖面中采集到一批古菱齿象-披毛犀化石，在研究化石标本的基础上，作了14C年代测定及孢粉分析，研究结果揭示了该区末次冰期极盛期的气候环境特征及其演变过程：大约在距今20ka时，气候温凉偏湿，适于古菱齿象-披毛犀动物群的生存，稍后气候明显变干、变冷，许多动物难于适应而大量死亡。事实说明，末次冰期极盛期似乎存在气候环境的冷干、凉湿颤动其间的凉湿阶段似反映了北半球高纬地区Hennch事件在这一地区的记录，表明了黄土高原与极地、高纬地区的遥相关关系。

新近系/第四系界线在黄土高原大都以磁性M/Ga界线为界进行划分，它与岩性分界往往并不一致，后者都低或高于前者一小段距离。根据旬邑剖面的岩性、孢粉、古动物、磁化率、粒度及地化资料，并参考了其他一些剖面的岩性，认为以二者之间的过渡层底为界进行划分比较合理。

A new genus and species of primitive micropternodontid soricomorph insectivores, Prosarcodon lonanensis, is described from the Paleocene Fangou Formation, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Prosarcodon lonanensis sheds new light on the origin of the mammalian family Micropternodontidae, linking them to the Palaeoryctoidea and demonstrating an early Asian oc-currence of the micropternodontids prior to theirapparent restriction to North America. The pe-trosal bone of Prosarcodon is similar to that of Palaeoryetes puereensis from the North American Paleocene. Prosarcodon and Sarcodon were both specialized in the loss of a molar, unlike the younger genus Sinosinopa from Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol), PRC.

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.