A5063327795- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Historical and Archaeological Studies
- Geological formations and processes
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Archaeology and Rock Art Studies
- Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Child and Adolescent Health
- Linguistic research and analysis
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History
- Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Image Processing and 3D Reconstruction
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Medieval European History and Architecture
- Medical Education and Admissions
University of the Witwatersrand
2014-2025
University of Algarve
2023
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva
2016-2022
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
2009
We describe the geological, geochronological, geomorphological, and faunal context of Malapa site fossils Australopithecus sediba. The hominins occur with a macrofauna assemblage that existed in Africa between 2.36 1.50 million years ago (Ma). are encased water-laid, clastic sediments were deposited along lower parts what is now deeply eroded cave system, immediately above flowstone layer U-Pb date 2.026 +/- 0.021 Ma. has reversed paleomagnetic signature overlying hominin-bearing normal...
A new partial cranium (UW 88-886) of the Plio-Pleistocene baboon Papio angusticeps from Malapa is identified, described and discussed. UW 88-886 represents only non-hominin primate yet recovered important both in context evolution as well South African hominin site biochronology. The specimen may represent first appearance modern anatomy coincides almost perfectly with molecular divergence date estimates for origin P. hamadryas radiation. fact that dated between ~2.026–2.36 million years ago...
The Cooper's Cave System has produced a diverse fossil assemblage including the remains of Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938, and early Homo Linnaeus, 1758. majority faunal come from D, which dates to c. 1.5–1.4 Ma. Here we describe 158 craniodental postcranial felid fossils Dinofelis cf. aronoki. These indicate presence four large genera at D: Zdansky, 1924, Megantereon Croizet & Jobert, 1828, Panthera Oken, 1816 (two species) Acinonyx Brookes, plus two smaller taxa: Caracal Gray, 1843...
Dental microwear has proven to be a valuable tool for reconstructing diets of fossil vertebrates. However, recent studies have suggested that the pattern microscopic scratches and pits on teeth may more reflective environmental grit than food preferences. Could differences in dental between early hominins, example, therefore result dust level rather diet? We investigated this possibility using palaeocommunity approach. compared texture eastern southern African Hominini, along with...
SKW 18, a partial hominin cranium recovered from the site of Swartkrans, South Africa, in 1968 is described. It derived ex situ breccia Hanging Remnant Member 1, dated to approximately 1.5-1.8 Mya. Although partially encased breccia, it was refit facial fragment SK 52 (Clarke 1977 The Cranium Swartkrans Hominid 847 and Its Relevance Human Origins, Ph.D. dissertation, University Witwatersrand, Johannesburg), producing composite 18/SK 52. Subsequent preparation revealed most complete cranial...
The Cooper’s D deposit has been dated by U-Pb at a maximum age of 1.37 Ma ± 0.113 and yielded seven Hominini remains, six them are attributed to the Southern African endemic species Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938. However, taxonomic composition faunal assemblage recovered this site, especially ruminants, remains poorly understood. This paper updates previous palaeontological biochronological works provides first description paleoecological analysis whole bovid material from D. We propose...
Conventional methods for extracting fossilised bones from calcified clastic sediments, using air drills or chemical preparations, can damage specimens to the point of rendering them unidentifiable. As an alternative, we tested in silico approach that extended preparation and identification possibilities beyond those realisable physical methods, ultimately proving be crucial identifying a fragile fossil. Image data matrix-encased hemi-mandible micromammal was collected Plio-Pleistocene site...
ABSTRACT The Plio‐Pleistocene karstic sedimentary deposits of Sterkfontein Cave, South Africa, yielded numerous fossil primate specimens embedded in blocks indurated breccia, including the partial cercopithecoid cranium labelled STS 1039. Because surrounding matrix masks most its morphology, specimen remains taxonomically undetermined. While use X‐ray microtomography did not allow extracting any structural information about specimen, we experimented a new investigative technique based on...
ABSTRACTEnigmatic frog ilia were recovered from two geographically and temporally disparate fossil sites in South Africa, namely the Early Pliocene (5.1 Ma) site of Langebaanweg (south-western Cape), Cooper's Cave D (Northern province), which dates to around 1.38 Ma. The appear represent an extinct anuran genus that subsisted southern Africa over several million years, had a previously undocumented mode locomotion, possibly exceptional jumping ability. Relative extant anurans, show unique...
Bovids are usually the most common large mammal family encountered in archaeological accumulations from African sites. However, despite their dominant status bone assemblages, there proportionally very few taxonomic studies of southern material. Here, we provide first updated overview Southern Bovidae fossil record Miocene to Holocene. We used bovid faunal list 95 deposits comprising 65 species an biochronology based on assemblages. define six units ("Standard Bovid Units") that will help...
A new parrot species of the genus Agapornis (Aves, Psittaculidae), namely longipes nov. sp., is described from Plio-Pleistocene Kromdraai, Cooper's Cave, and Swartkrans in Cradle Humankind, South Africa. The represented by all major wing bones (humerus, ulna, carpometacarpus) tarsometatarsus, together with a fragmentary mandible coracoid. size indicates small an elongated proportionately longest known Agapornis. This lengthening legs might be related to feeding adaptation extinct species, as...