因演化速率快且富含环境指标信息，晚新生代长鼻类化石的研究一直倍受瞩目。近年在安徽繁昌、广西崇左和泰国北部第四纪地层中发现了中华乳齿象的头骨、下颌骨、牙齿及肢骨等新材料为厘定该属的系统分类将提供新机遇和新视角。中华乳齿象属于嵌齿象科，是迄今旧大陆发现的三棱齿象中唯一的短颌类代表。它以真象型的头骨和下颌、无下门齿、结构相对简单的丘型齿等特征区别于其他嵌齿象类，主要分布于东亚地区，其时代从早上新世延至中更新世。上新世的中华乳齿象主要发现于我国西北及西南地区；然而，第四纪以来该属化石分布仅限于东洋界，都归于扬子中华乳齿象一种，遭质疑。通过新材料的系统分类学研究，揭示该属的演化模式、成种事件与扩散过程，同时引入分支系统学、牙齿釉质微观结构及稳定同位素分析等新方法，验证属种的系统分类位置，探讨上新世-更新世转型时期古气候环境变迁与中华乳齿象扩散事件的耦合关系，为建立华南第四纪生物地层序列提供基础信息。

As the last terrestrial giant, Proboscidean fossils from Late Cenozoic have received a good deal of attention because of fast evolution rate and abundant environmental information. As a valid genus belonging to the family Gomphotheriidae, Sinomastodon is the only brevirostrine trilophodont gomphotheriid known from the Old World. With a brevirostrine, elephant-like skull, no lower tusks, and simple bunodont molars, Sinomastodon is distinct from other gomphotheres. Sinomastodon mainly occurs in East Asia especially China, ranging in age from early Pliocene to middle Pleistocene. The geographical distribution of Pliocene Sinomastodon ranges from northwest to southwest China, while the Pleistocene Sinomastodon is limited to the Oriental. It is questionable that all Sinomastodon remains from Quaternary have been identified as only one species S. yanziensis. Newly discovered Quaternary Sinomastodon finds, including skull, mandible, teeth and skeleton, from Anhui, Guangxi and north Thailand will provide new perspectives on revising the taxonomy of the genus. The systematic study based on the new materials is of great help in understanding the evolution pattern, speciation event and dispersal process of Sinomastodon. The comprehensive research, furnished by cladistic analysis, dental enamel microwear analysis and dental stable isotope analysis, is significant for discussing the correlations between the palaeoenvironmental changes and Sinomastodon dispersal event, and Quaternary biostratigraphy of South China.