1In May, 976, China Academy of Sciences organized an "exotic animal expedition team in northwest Hubei" to go deep into the original forest area of Shennongjia to explore the footprints of "savage". The feces, hair and other physical objects of the savage were collected, and the footprints of the savage were investigated. After preliminary identification, "savage" is a kind of advanced primate close to human beings. In recent years, many explorers and tourists have witnessed the existence of "savage". But so far, no living "savage" has been captured, so Shennongjia "savage" is still a mystery.
Are there any savages in Shennongjia?
"Savage" is one of the "four mysteries" in the world today. Whether there is a "savage" in Shennongjia has become a worldwide concern. This year (here refers to 1995, because this article was published in 1995. Author's Note) In February, a comprehensive investigation team consisting of 15 people was trained in Beijing, and it is planned to conduct a comprehensive investigation of two units of static "savage" in Shennongjia forest area in Hubei for nearly half a year in April and September, with a view to unveiling the mystery of China's "savage".
Before this scientific mystery is solved, how should we treat Shennongjia's "savage"? The story told by Mr. Yin, a popular science writer of Shennongjia Forest Culture Bureau, may open readers' eyes.
First of all, a bizarre legend
In A.D. 19 15 (4 years of the Republic of China), there was a man named Wang Laozhong who lived by hunting in Fangxian County on the edge of Shennongjia. One day, Wang Laozhong went hunting in the mountains, ate dry food at noon and rested under a big tree with a shotgun. Soon, he fell asleep in a daze In the dim light, he heard a strange cry. When he opened his eyes, he saw a monster more than 2 meters high and covered in red hair. His beloved hound has long been torn to pieces. Wang Laozhong raised his shotgun in horror. ...
I didn't expect the red monster to be faster. He took a big step forward in an instant, grabbed the shotgun and smashed it on the rock. Then, I smiled and held Wang Laozhong in my arms. ...
In a daze, Wang Laozhong only felt that there was wind in his ear. I guess the redhead flew with himself in his arms. I don't know how many dangerous peaks and mountains they climbed, and finally they climbed into a deep hole on a cliff. Wang Laozhong woke up gradually, only to see two gourd-sized breasts on the red-haired monster's chest. He immediately understood that this monster turned out to be a female "savage".
During the day, the female "savage" goes out to look for food. When she left, she moved a boulder to block the hole. In the evening, the female "savage" sleeps with Wang Laozhong.
A year later, the mother "savage" gave birth to a little "savage". This little savage is similar to an ordinary child, except that he is covered with red hair. The little "savage" grows very fast, tall and strong, and can already be blocked by kinetic energy.
The boulder at the mouth of the cave. Because Wang Laozhong missed his parents, wife and children in his hometown, he always wanted to go home secretly, but the boulder blocked his way out. Therefore, when the little "savage" has the strength, he consciously trains the little "savage" to move stones and climb mountains. One day, the mother "savage" went out to look for food again. Wang Laozhong used gestures to let the little "savage" move the boulder blocked in the cave, climbed down the cliff by himself, waded through a swift river and flew to his hometown. Just then, the female "savage" returned to the cave and found that Wang Laozhong was not in the cave. She quickly climbed to the top of the cliff and howled. When the little savage heard the cry, he became wild and ran back while howling. Because the little savage didn't know the depth of the river, he was swept away by the rapids at once. The female "savage" gave a miserable cry and jumped into the water from the top of the cliff, and also went with the rapids.
Wang Laozhong, who is no longer human, fled home, and his family was too scared to recognize him. It turns out that he has been missing for more than ten years, and his family thought he was dead.
This bizarre legend tells us that "savage" and modern smart people can get married, which shows that they have a certain blood relationship. Unfortunately, the descendants of Wang Laozhong and the red-haired girl "Savage" did not stay in the world, which cannot be used as direct evidence to investigate "Savage".
Second, the story of "Monkey Child"
Coincidentally. A similar story is circulating in Wushan County near Shennongjia.
1938, at an altitude of 1900 meters, there was a tree flat in Dangyang, Daba Mountain area. The mountains here are steep and there are dense virgin forests everywhere. On the edge of the forest, there is a lonely thatched cottage, where a woman named Taohuasao lives. That year, Taohua was 32 years old. One day, Sister-in-law Peach Blossom went up the mountain to give her husband a meal and never came back. After more than 30 days, she returned home in rags. In April of the following year, Sister Peach gave birth to a son who looked like a monkey. She has teeth for two months, which is very beneficial. She often bites her mother's nipples, and her fingertips are like claws. Only when she was five or six years old did she learn to walk unsteadily upright. She always laughs at everyone, can't talk, and occasionally "sip"! Besides! Oh, oh, oh! "Call. With the growth of age, wildness becomes more and more obvious. All the year round, I don't wear clothes, don't cover the quilt, tear my clothes into pieces, like climbing a ladder, as agile as a monkey, climb up and down, drill around, and sometimes slide down backwards, so I'm called "monkey boy".
In the early 1960s, "Monkey Boy" was in his twenties, with a height of more than 2 meters, a vertical bulge on his head, big ears, leaning towards his head and bent arms. Therefore, some people call him "monkey boy". "Ape boy" has a rough temperament. He pounced on the guests when they came home, scratching, climbing mountains and crossing ditches, eating only raw food, and rushing wildly when he saw the Woods. The family was afraid that he would make trouble, so they tied his hands and feet with ropes all day, and they were greatly depressed mentally. They are depressed all day. Once, they were accidentally injured by the fire in the brazier, and their bodies became weaker and weaker. Two days later, they died laughing with their mother. He died in the twelfth month of 1962 at the age of 23. f
The unique behavior and characteristics of "Monkey Child" are unique in his family. His two sisters, a brother and a younger brother are all normal. My brother is also a production captain. There is nothing unusual about their second and third generations. Whose offspring is the "monkey child"?
In the 1970s, Meng Lan, consultant of "Savage" expedition team, found the photos of "Monkey Boy" before his death from Wushan Cultural Center and dug up the bones of "Monkey Boy". Through analysis and research, it is considered that all the characteristics of "monkey cub" are in line with the characteristics of evolutionary transition from ape to human. In the late 1930s, a China woman with modern Homo sapiens gave birth to a boy, who was also an ape and a man. From the biological and medical point of view, it is impossible for people and monkeys to get pregnant because they are not the same species, and different kinds of creatures cannot reproduce. Therefore, the monkey baby's father is by no means a monkey. According to the fact that there are many "savage" activities nearby, the baby monkey is very similar to the offspring of modern civilized people and "savage". He looks like a man in less places and an ape in more places. He is more like a savage living in Shennongjia, northwest Hubei. This began to combine Ning Yeren's investigation with archaeological anthropology and experimental anthropology.
Third, go back to history.
The legend of "savage" in Shennongjia has a long history, which can be traced back to Shan Hai Jing, a work of the Warring States Period in the 4th-5th century BC. Shan Hai Jing and Zhong Ci Jiu Jing mentioned that there was an animal in Woong San (now Shennongjia in northwest Hubei), which was about ten feet high, with long hair and long hair, walking and laughing, or called "lamb" and "baboon". In Er Ya of the Western Han Dynasty, it was recorded that a "baboon" was long, with a black face and a lot of hair. If he turns his heel, he will smile at people. This kind of animal is what we call a "savage".
Earlier, it can even be traced back to 1024 BC, that is, 3000 years ago, our people captured a pair of "savages" and presented them to Zhou Chengwang.
During the Warring States Period, Qu Yuan (about 340 BC-about 278 BC), a famous poet of Chu State, was born in Zigui, Hubei Province near Shennongjia. He once wrote a poem with the theme of "savage" in "Nine Songs of Chu".
Shan Gui's poems:
If someone is a mountain,
He takes care of his daughter,
It's awkward and appropriate to write.
I want to be gentle and elegant.
The image of the "savage" described by Dr. Qu Yuan here is that he looks like a man, standing on a mountain ridge, wearing rattan and pine vines, suspicious, laughing and shy.
In the Jin Dynasty 400 years ago, there was also a record of "savage" in Fangxian County, Hubei Province (most of Shennongjia was originally under the jurisdiction of Fangxian County). For example, "Er Ya Yi" said: "Orangutans are like women, with fur, barefoot and knee-less, and live in groups. When you meet people, you cover your shape with your hands, so it is called' savage'. "
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China (420-589 AD), our people not only captured the "savage" and dedicated it to the emperor, but also painted it.
1977, in the ancient tomb of the Western Han Dynasty excavated by the Gaobei Brigade in Fangxian County, there was a portrait of a "savage" on a copper cash cow lamp buried with him. Left us precious information about the "savage".
In the book Yunyang County Records compiled by Wang in the ninth year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty (AD 1870), it is recorded that "Fangshan Mountain is 40 miles south of the city, which is dangerous and remote, surrounded by caves like houses, hairy people and hairy bodies, and sometimes bites people, chickens and dogs." During the period from 1925 to 1942, there were many records of arresting and killing "savage" in Fangxian County. After being captured alive, he was tied up and displayed in Fangxian Street.
Zhai, the former vice president of Hubei Water Conservancy Design Institute, recalled: "I worked in the 359 Brigade at 1944 and left Yan 'an in autumn. 1946 autumn, the fifth division broke through. Before the Spring Festival, when we walked to the junction of Xingshan County and Fangxian County (now Jiuhuping in Shennongjia Forest Area), we found two' savages' standing on the edge of the forest on the slope, looking up. He is taller than ordinary people and quite big. The tall one is a woman with big breasts and leaves around her lower body. At that time, we were about 20 meters away from the' savage'. Because of strict military discipline, none of us noticed them, but the whole army saw them with their own eyes. "
Feng, director of the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of the former forest region, said: "I have seen such a thing as a savage before. It was 1960, and I was working in Panlong Center. One day at noon, I saw a' savage' on the opposite mountain. His hair is long and red, and the hair in front is purple. The five production team cadres who stood with me at that time saw it. " They gave a roar, and then' Savage' got up and walked into the ancient forest.
Throughout history, exotic animals known as "savages" have grown and bred in Shennongjia for thousands of years.
Fourth, encounter "savage"
History can only explain the past. So, what is the fate of contemporary people and "savages"?
1 974 May1day, Yin Hongfa, deputy head of Qingxi Brigade of Fangxian Qiaoshang Commune, cut firewood on the hillside. He suddenly looked up and found a furry monster climbing up from the mountain. The monster soon came to him and reached for Yin Hongfa. At this point, it was too late for Yin Hongfa to escape. Yin Hongfa immediately grabbed the monster's hair with his left hand, raised his sickle with his right hand, and cut off the monster's left arm. The monster was in unbearable pain, screaming and trying to escape from Yin Hongfa. But a pinch of red hair was pulled out by Yin Hongfa, who still has more than 30 "savage" red hair in his hand.
1976 In the spring, Zhu Guoqiang, a native of Donghuangping, was herding cattle with a shotgun on his back and herding cattle up the mountain. At noon, Zhu Guoqiang was so tired that he sat on a stone and dozed off with a shotgun. A strange cry woke him from his dream. When he opened his eyes, alas! In front of him stood a guy with red hair who looked like a man. He grinned grimly and held out his big hairy hand. With the other hand, he grabbed Zhu Guoqiang's shotgun and Zhu Guoqiang's cotton-padded jacket. Zhu Guoqiang grabbed the gun in despair. Due to excessive force, both sides fell to the ground and rolled down the hillside. At this critical juncture, a big ox, which was carefully raised by Zhu Guoqiang at ordinary times, suddenly rushed up and ran into a monster. Surprised, the red monster turned and fled to the forest. When Zhu Guoqiang saw that the monster had escaped, he didn't even take his shotgun and cotton-padded jacket, and ran home, too scared to speak for a long time.
In Bangzi Commune, Xingshan County, at the southern end of Shennongjia, there is a young member named Gan. One day in May, he met a "hairy man", 1975. This "hairy man" is about 2 meters tall and looks at each other with a bright face. He was scared out of his wits and just shouted "help". But the "long-haired man" ignored it, grabbed the stick in Gan's hand, put his foot on Gan's left foot, and squinted and laughed. Gan Zhiming struggled desperately. After a while, he found his left foot loose, so he threw away the stick and ran. When I entered the village, I tripped and fell far away. The man who came to save him helped Gan back. As soon as he got home, he fell ill and could not work in the fields for half a month.
Five, the forest party committee met a "savage"
If the people who met the "savage" above are ordinary people, let's talk about the story of the forest party Committee meeting the "savage"!
1 976 may 14 am1pm, a jeep is winding on the chunshuya highway at the junction of fangxian county and Shennongjia. Sitting on the bus are five leading cadres of Shennongjia Forest District Committee, who have just returned from a meeting in Yunyang area. Just as the car turned a corner, Master Cai, the driver who was concentrating on driving, suddenly found that under the illumination of the open headlights, an animal on the road was coming to meet the car with a bow. Master Cai woke up the dozing person loudly: "Attention! Look ahead. " He stepped on the gas pedal and rushed at the animal at high speed. But just a dozen meters away from it, this guy suddenly flashed to the side of the road and climbed to the hillside on the side of the road in a panic. The speeding car suddenly braked and almost hit it. Because of the steep slope of the pine tree, the monster failed to climb the hillside and slipped down the steep slope. It landed on its forelimbs, raised its head, and stared at the headlights with two eyes, forming a posture of low front and high back, like a lying person.
At this time, Master Cai slammed the horn and turned on the headlights. The other five people quickly got off the bus and surrounded the monster in two ways. At this time, it is only 1.2 meters away from the monster. They were surprised to find that lying in front of them was a strange animal that they had never seen before. It looked like a human being.
Ren, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the forest region who was present at that time, said afterwards: "I have worked in the mountains for decades and have never seen such an animal." Shu Guo Jia, deputy director of the Forest Revolution Committee, said, "I have loved hunting since I was a child. I have seen many animals, but I have never seen such an animal with red hair. I don't know its power and dare not touch it. " Yu, member of the Standing Committee of the Forest Party Committee and director of the Finance and Trade Political Department, said: "I was right in front, and I could grab its leg as soon as I reached out." Unfortunately, no one was armed at that time, and there was no sharp weapon to strike at that time. Only Zhou Zhongyi, director of the Agriculture Bureau, touched a stone on the ground and smashed it on his ass. The strange animal turned around, slowly went down the ditch, then turned left, climbed the slope, entered the forest and disappeared into the darkness.
Later, according to the memories of six witnesses, it was agreed that the animal was definitely not a bear, let alone an animal like a monkey or an antelope, but a very strange animal that had never been seen before. Its coat color is reddish brown, soft, its face is hemp, its feet are black, and its back is covered with dark purple hair. The hair hanging from the arm is about 4 inches long. Thick limbs, thick thighs with rice bowls and thin calves; Forelimbs are shorter than hind limbs, feet are soft palms, and walking is silent. Fat ass, fat body, as if pregnant, slow movement, clumsy walking. Its eyes are like people, and it doesn't reflect light at night; The face is long, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom; Mouth slightly protruding; Ears are bigger than people; Hair hanging from the forehead; No tail.
The next day, the Party Committee of the forest region reported the situation to the Propaganda Department of the prefectural party committee by telephone, and then reported it to the Institute of vertebrate paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences by express telegram. The news of the urgent telegram quickly caused a sensation in Hubei, China and even the world, and attracted the attention of experts at home and abroad to the "savage" in Shennongjia, Hubei. 1977, the largest "savage" investigation activity in history began in Shennongjia.
Six, collect evidence of "savage"
1977 under the leadership of Hubei provincial party Committee and Chinese academy of sciences, the largest "savage" expedition was organized since the founding of the people's Republic of China. The team members come from scientific research institutions, universities, museums and zoos in Beijing, Shanghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hubei and other provinces and cities. The 33700 troops of Wuhan Army sent reconnaissance teams, and Fangxian and Shennongjia forest areas sent cadres and guides who were familiar with the situation. The office is located in Shennongjia Forest Cultural Center. The expedition lasted 140 days. With the enthusiastic support of the local people, the team members climbed dangerous peaks, climbed cliffs, lived in caves and kept company with wild animals. They traveled all over Shennongjia and its surrounding Fiona Fang, walked through the deep mountain canyon of 1500 square kilometers, and exchanged a lot of information with hard sweat.
On the evening of June 1977, Li Jian, former deputy director of the Propaganda Department of Yunyang District Committee of Hubei Province, received an urgent call to report that Gong Yulan, a female member of Li Qun Brigade of Fangxian Qiaoshang Commune, and her 4-year-old son Yang Mingan met Lu Yu's "savage" in the pool, and Huang Shibo, an exhausted "field test" member, and others rushed to the scene immediately. Under the guidance of Gong Yulan, we found the big pine tree tickled by the savage and took dozens of brown hairs from it. Hair was found on the trunk of 1.3 meters to 1.8 meters ... from the shape and thickness, it looks like human hair. After that, it was observed by the scientific research departments in Wuhan and Beijing with a microscope, and compared with the hair of primates-macaques, golden monkeys, white-browed gibbons, gorillas, chimpanzees and modern people. The results show that the main morphological and structural characteristics of "savage" hair are obviously different from those of the above primates. Later, seven "savage" hairs were found in seven places, all of which were the same.
This is the first time to adopt the micro-level experimental method, which indicates that the research on the mystery of "savage" in China has begun to progress from the primitive primary stage such as myths and legends and witness testimony to the scientific investigation stage.
1in mid-June, 1977, members of the "wild test" climbed the main peak with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters along the Yuyin River in the no-man's land in 100. On the residual snow, Liu Dagen, a migrant worker of the scientific research team, found a clear line of footprints, arranged left and right. The span of each step is about 65,438+0 meters, the footprint is 25 cm long and the radian is 30 degrees. The big toe is separated from the other four toes, and the front of the sole is wide and narrow. It's obviously the toes of a biped. Under the slate of Shennongjia, more than 100 footprints were found at one time, and the largest footprint was 42 cm long. The expedition made five plaster models for the first time. Appraised by the technical personnel of the public security department, it is judged that it is not the footprints of people or other animals, but the footprints of a "savage". This "savage" should be about 2 meters tall and weigh about 150 kg.
On August 30th, 1977, Xiao Xingyang, a young worker, found a short "hairy man" in Longdonggou, Panshui commune in the forest area. The hairy man walked upright on his feet. After learning this situation, the investigation team immediately set off for the scene. Although it didn't catch the long-haired man, it found his footprints and feces, took photos and cast a plaster model of the footprints. Footprints are 24.5 cm long, wide at the front and narrow at the back. The big toe is separated from the other four toes, lacking the arch of the foot, and the sole of the foot is slightly bent inward. This footprint is definitely not a bear's, but belongs to a primate, which seems to have the characteristics of both humans and apes.
At 1980, the "field survey" team found nearly a thousand footprints of "savage". The maximum footprint is 48 cm long and the maximum stride is 2.2 meters. Liu Min Zhuang, executive president of China Savage Research Association and associate professor of biology at East China Normal University, asserted that footprints were indirect evidence of savages, which proved that Shennongjia was the lair of savages and there were a group of savages.
As circumstantial evidence, there are three discoveries about the "savage" nest. The similarity is that several bamboo bundles are twisted into a sofa. 1In early June, 980, in the bamboo forest at an altitude of 2,680 meters on the southwest slope of Hongyanzi, the team members found a nest made of arrow bamboo, and each bundle of about seven or eight bamboos was woven into a sofa chair. It is about 89 cm long and 1 m high. On June 5 of the same year, the team members also found a nest woven with bamboo in Gundao Mountain. They twisted 90 bamboos together and pressed them together to form a round chair, which is 1.5 meters long. At a distance of 50 meters, 42 cm long "savage" footprints were found. This kind of nest can't be made up without starting work. I don't have that much strength. At that time, they thought it was the masterpiece of "savage" with infinite power.
As another powerful evidence, it is to test the feces of "savage". 1976, 1 1 months ago, many people found the "savage" in this place on the east side of Caiziwa in Fangxian County near Shennongjia. The expedition team conducted a field search here and found six piles of "savage" feces on the top of a steep cliff on the hillside, all of which were dry. It is observed that there are many undigested peels, wild chestnut peels and other residues in the feces found in the place where Xiao Xingyang found the "savage", and there are a large number of insect pupa skins with a diameter of 2.5 cm. These droppings are different from those of bears, monkeys and orangutans, and also different from those of people. People don't eat insects and wild peels. 1980, the expedition found the excrement of "savage" many times. After analysis, there are undigested bamboo shoots, acorns and hair bones of small animals in the feces. The feces are disc-shaped and located between two splayed footprints, which is obviously different from the feces of other animals, but similar to human beings.