A5070275802- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Marine animal studies overview
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Marine and environmental studies
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Animal Diversity and Health Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Plant Ecology and Taxonomy Studies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Paleopathology and ancient diseases
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
Harvard University
2023-2025
University of Utah
2010-2025
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
2015-2024
Evolutionary Genomics (United States)
2023-2024
Columbia University
2015-2024
Harvard University Press
2023
Government of Ethiopia
2022
Institute of Paleoprimatology Human Paleontology Evolution and Paleoenvironments
2020-2022
Académie de Paris
2022
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
2022
The East African hominin Paranthropus boisei was characterized by a suite of craniodental features that have been widely interpreted as adaptations to diet consisted hard objects required powerful peak masticatory loads. These morphological represent the culmination an evolutionary trend began in earlier taxa such Australopithecus afarensis , and presumably facilitated utilization open habitats Plio-Pleistocene. Here, we use stable isotopes show P. had dominated C 4 biomass grasses or...
Significance Stable carbon isotopes give diet information for both modern and fossil mammals can be used to classify diets as C 4 grazers, 3 –C mixed, or browsers. We show that of some major African herbivore lineages have significantly changed over the past million years by comparing fossils from Turkana Basin in Kenya with East Central Africa. Some assemblages no analogues Africa, suggesting different ecological functions compared their counterparts. The development tropical grassland...
The geological record encodes the relationship between climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) over long short timescales, as well potential drivers of evolutionary transitions. However, reconstructing CO beyond direct measurements requires use paleoproxies herein lies challenge, proxies differ in their assumptions, degree understanding, even reconstructed values. In this study, we critically evaluated, categorized, integrated available to create a high-fidelity transparently...
Hominin fossil evidence in the Turkana Basin Kenya from ca. 4.1 to 1.4 Ma samples two archaic early hominin genera and records some of evolutionary history Paranthropus Homo. Stable carbon isotopes tooth enamel are used estimate fraction diet derived C3 or C4 resources these taxa. The earliest species Basin, Australopithecus anamensis, nearly all its resources. Subsequently, by 3.3 Ma, later Kenyanthropus platyops had a very wide dietary range--from virtually purely resource-based one...
Stable isotope and molecular data suggest that C 4 grasses first appeared globally in the Oligocene. In East Africa, stable from pedogenic carbonate fossil tooth enamel a appearance between 15–10 Ma subsequent expansion during Plio-Pleistocene. The record has potential to provide detailed information about rates of dietary adaptation this new resource among different herbivore lineages. We present carbon 452 teeth differential diet change 3 mixed /C or diets African families at seven time...
The evolution of C 4 grassland ecosystems in eastern Africa has been intensely studied because the potential influence vegetation on mammalian evolution, including that our own lineage, hominins. Although a handful sparse records exists from middle and early Miocene terrestrial fossil sites, there is no comprehensive record through Neogene. Here we present spanning Neogene Quaternary Periods documents appearance subsequent expansion grasslands Africa. Carbon isotope ratios plant wax...
Although climate change is considered to have been a large-scale driver of African human evolution, landscape-scale shifts in ecological resources that may shaped novel hominin adaptations are rarely investigated. We use well-dated, high-resolution, drill-core datasets understand dynamics associated with major adaptive transition the archeological record ~24 km from coring site. Outcrops preserve evidence replacement Acheulean by Middle Stone Age (MSA) technological, cognitive, and social...
The assembly of Africa's iconic C4 grassland ecosystems is central to evolutionary interpretations many mammal lineages, including hominins. grasses are thought have become ecologically dominant in Africa only after 10 million years ago (Ma). However, paleobotanical records older than Ma sparse, limiting assessment the timing and nature biomass expansion. This study uses a multiproxy design document vegetation structure from nine Early Miocene site complexes across eastern Africa. Results...
Above-ground thermonuclear weapons testing from 1952 through 1962 nearly doubled the concentration of radiocarbon ( 14 C) in atmosphere. As a result, organic material formed during or after this period may be radiocarbon-dated using abrupt rise and steady fall atmospheric C known as bomb-curve. We test accuracy accelerator mass spectrometry dating 29 herbivore plant tissues collected on dates between 1905 2008 East Africa. Herbivore samples include teeth, tusks, soft tissue, hair, horn....
Significance C-14 dating methods can be used to determine the time of death wildlife products. We evaluate poaching patterns elephants in Africa by using 14 C lag between elephant and recovery ivory law enforcement officials. Most recent seizures has times less than 3 y. Lag for originating East are shorter, on average, Tridom region (Cameroon–Gabon–Congo). The data show little or no evidence that large-scale shipments contained stockpiled over long periods. Little, if any, “old” (i.e.,...
Living hominoids are distinguished by upright torsos and versatile locomotion. It is hypothesized that these features evolved for feeding on fruit from terminal branches in forests. To investigate the evolutionary context of hominoid adaptive origins, we analyzed multiple paleoenvironmental proxies conjunction with fossils Moroto II site Uganda. The data indicate seasonally dry woodlands earliest evidence abundant C4 grasses Africa based a confirmed age 21 million years ago (Ma). We...
Reconstructing vegetation at hominin fossil sites provides us critical information about palaeoenvironments and the potential role of climate in their evolution. Here we reconstruct from carbon isotopes plant wax biomarkers sediments Nachukui Formation Turkana Basin. Plant were extracted samples a wide range lithologies that include fluvial-lacustrine palaeosols, therefore provide record diverse depositional environments. Carbon isotope ratios indicate highly dynamic structure (ca 5-100% C4...
Dietary analyses of herbivorous mammals are important for paleoecological reconstruction. Several methods applicable to fossil teeth have been developed lately. The mesowear method based on wear-induced occlusal shape and relief ungulate molars has proven be a robust dietary analysis. In its original form it can only used selenodont, plagiolophodont, ectolophodont molars, but the principle extended other kinds tooth morphology. We introduce new analysis proboscideans similar method, angle...
Eastern African geochemical and paleovegetation records hint at the presence of C4 photosynthesis in Early Miocene (~21 Ma), long before origin diversification hominins, during a period relative global climatic stability. Evidence proliferation its impact on faunal behavior ecosystem structure, however, is lacking from stable isotope mammalian tooth enamel, one most abundant resilient archives past diet ecological change. We present novel published enamel oxygen carbon 22 eastern fossil...
Late Pliocene climate changes have long been implicated in environmental and mammalian evolution Africa, but high-resolution examinations of the fossil climatic records hampered by poor sampling. By using fossils from well-dated Shungura Formation (lower Omo Valley, northern Turkana Basin, southern Ethiopia), we investigate palaeodietary one bovid suid lineage 3 to 2 Ma stable isotope analysis tooth enamel. Results show unexpectedly large increases C(4) dietary intake around 2.8 both suid,...
Abstract The KNM-ER 2598 occipital is among the oldest fossils attributed to Homo erectus but questions have been raised about whether it may derive from a younger horizon. Here we report on efforts relocate locality and investigate its paleontological geological context. Although located in different East Turkana collection area (Area 13) than initially reported, stratigraphically positioned below KBS Tuff outcrops show no evidence of deflation unit, supporting an age >1.855 Ma. Newly...
Stable carbon isotope analysis in tooth enamel is a well-established approach to infer C3 and C4 dietary composition fossil mammals. The bulk of past work has been conducted on large herbivorous One important finding that their habits mammals track the late Miocene ecological shift from forest woodland savannah. However, few studies isotopes small exist due limitations imposed by size rodent teeth, isotopic behaviors climate change remain unknown. Here we evaluate impact fine-scale...
Abstract How animals respond to seasonal resource availability has profound implications for their dietary flexibility and realized ecological niches. We sought understand niche partitioning in extant African suids using intra-tooth stable isotope analysis of enamel. collected enamel samples from canines red river hogs/bushpigs (Potamochoerus spp.) third molars warthogs (Phacochoerus 3 different regions central eastern Africa. analyzed multiple each tooth used variations carbon oxygen ratios...