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Pascual-Garrido A, Carvalho S, Almeida-Warren K. Primate archaeology 3.0. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24835. [PMID: 37671610 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The new field of primate archaeology investigates the technological behavior and material record of nonhuman primates, providing valuable comparative data on our understanding of human technological evolution. Yet, paralleling hominin archaeology, the field is largely biased toward the analysis of lithic artifacts. While valuable comparative data have been gained through an examination of extant nonhuman primate tool use and its archaeological record, focusing on this one single aspect provides limited insights. It is therefore necessary to explore to what extent other non-technological activities, such as non-tool aided feeding, traveling, social behaviors or ritual displays, leave traces that could be detected in the archaeological record. Here we propose four new areas of investigation which we believe have been largely overlooked by primate archaeology and that are crucial to uncovering the full archaeological potential of the primate behavioral repertoire, including that of our own: (1) Plant technology; (2) Archaeology beyond technology; (3) Landscape archaeology; and (4) Primate cultural heritage. We discuss each theme in the context of the latest developments and challenges, as well as propose future directions. Developing a more "inclusive" primate archaeology will not only benefit the study of primate evolution in its own right but will aid conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of changes in primate-environment interactions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Pascual-Garrido
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Katarina Almeida-Warren
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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2
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Boës X, Van Bocxlaer B, Prat S, Feibel C, Lewis J, Arrighi V, Taylor N, Harmand S. Aridity, availability of drinking water and freshwater foods, and hominin and archeological sites during the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene in the western region of the Turkana Basin (Kenya): A review. J Hum Evol 2024; 186:103466. [PMID: 38134581 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Although the Turkana Basin is one of the driest regions of the East African Rift, its Plio-Pleistocene sediments are rich in freshwater vertebrates and invertebrates, providing evidence that freshwater resources were available to hominins in this region during the Plio-Pleistocene (4.2-0.7 Ma). Here we provide an overview of the hydroconnectivity of the Turkana Basin. We then review the period during which freshwater river and lake systems expanded into the western region of the Turkana Basin, where hominin and archeological sites have been discovered in sediments dating back to the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene. Freshwater conditions are reconstructed from river and lake sediments and the flora and micro- and macofauna they contain. Data synthesis suggests that drinking water and freshwater foods prevailed in the western region of the Turkana Basin at 4.20-3.98 Ma, 3.70-3.10 Ma, 2.53-2.22 Ma, then between 2.10 and 1.30 Ma and intermittently from 1.27 to 0.75 Ma. Milestones in hominin evolution occurred in this context, such as the first occurrence of Australopithecus anamensis (4.20-4.10 Ma) and Kenyanthropus platyops (3.50 Ma and 3.30-3.20 Ma), the presence of Paranthropus aethiopicus (2.53-2.45 Ma), early Homo (2.33 Ma), Paranthropus boisei (2.25 Ma and 1.77-1.72 Ma) and Homo ergaster/Homo erectus (1.75 Ma, 1.47-1.42 Ma and 1.10-0.90 Ma). Developments in hominin behavior also occurred during this timeframe, including the first known stone tools (3.30 Ma), the oldest Oldowan sites (2.34 Ma and 2.25 Ma) in the Turkana Basin, the earliest known evidence for the emergence of bifacial shaping in eastern Africa (1.80 Ma), and the first known Acheulean site (1.76 Ma). Our synthesis suggests that, diachronic variation in hydroconnectivity played a role on the amount of drinking water and freshwater foods available in the western region of the Turkana Basin, despite regional aridity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Boës
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (INRAP), 140 Avenue Du Maréchal Leclerc, 33323 Bordeaux-Bègles, France; CNRS/MNHN/UPVD, Alliance Sorbonne Université, UMR 7194, Musée de L'Homme, Palais Chaillot, 17 Place Du Trocadéro, 75116 Paris Cedex 16, France; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | | | - Sandrine Prat
- CNRS/MNHN/UPVD, Alliance Sorbonne Université, UMR 7194, Musée de L'Homme, Palais Chaillot, 17 Place Du Trocadéro, 75116 Paris Cedex 16, France
| | - Craig Feibel
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Jason Lewis
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Chronicle Heritage, 319 E Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Vincent Arrighi
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (INRAP), 13 Rue Du Négoce, 31650 Orens de Gameville, France
| | - Nicholas Taylor
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Turkana University College, Lodwar Rd., Lodwar, Kenya
| | - Sonia Harmand
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Laboratoire TRACES-UMR 5608, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Maison de La Recherche, 5 Allée Antonio Machado, 31058 Toulouse, France; Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique (IFRA), UMIFRE, USR 3336, CNRS, Laikipia Road, Kileleshwa, Nairobi, Kenya
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3
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Wynn JG, Dumouchel L, Drapeau MSM. Paleoenvironments represented by the sediments of the Early Pliocene Mursi Formation, Omo Valley, Ethiopia. J Hum Evol 2023; 181:103410. [PMID: 37454604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
While our understanding of human origins has been enriched by extensive efforts to reconstruct the ancient environmental context of early hominins using information from hominin-bearing localities, comparatively little effort has been focused on contemporaneous fossil localities with abundant vertebrate fossils, but lacking hominins. We report here on new paleoenvironmental reconstructions of the Mursi Formation, Ethiopia, from which strata dated to >4 Ma preserve an abundant vertebrate fossil record lacking any known hominins, despite being part of a contiguous sedimentary basin known for its rich hominin fossil record. We combine new stratigraphic and sedimentological observations with data from paleosols preserved in the sedimentary sequence, along with isotopic data from pedogenic carbonate, paleosol organic matter, and sulfur minerals preserved in the sediments (gypsum, native sulfur). Paleosol features and carbon isotopic composition of fossil organic matter and pedogenic carbonate complement data from the mammalian fauna, the sum of which provide evidence of closed woodland to forest vegetation. Sedimentological data indicate that these wooded terrestrial habitats occurred near aquatic settings characterized by stagnant shallow waters of a freshwater lake, providing a reconstruction of unique habitats in contrast with hominin localities >4 Ma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Wynn
- Division of Earth Sciences, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA.
| | - Laurence Dumouchel
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Science and Engineering Hall, 800 22nd St. NW, Ste 6000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Michelle S M Drapeau
- Département d'anthropologie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
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Villaseñor A, Uno KT, Kinyanjui RN, Behrensmeyer AK, Bobe R, Advokaat EL, Bamford M, Carvalho SC, Hammond AS, Palcu DV, Sier MJ, Ward CV, Braun DR. Pliocene hominins from East Turkana were associated with mesic environments in a semiarid basin. J Hum Evol 2023; 180:103385. [PMID: 37229946 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
During the middle Pliocene (∼3.8-3.2 Ma), both Australopithecus afarensis and Kenyanthropus platyops are known from the Turkana Basin, but between 3.60 and 3.44 Ma, most hominin fossils are found on the west side of Lake Turkana. Here, we describe a new hominin locality (ET03-166/168, Area 129) from the east side of the lake, in the Lokochot Member of the Koobi Fora Formation (3.60-3.44 Ma). To reconstruct the paleoecology of the locality and its surroundings, we combine information from sedimentology, the relative abundance of associated mammalian fauna, phytoliths, and stable isotopes from plant wax biomarkers, pedogenic carbonates, and fossil tooth enamel. The combined evidence provides a detailed view of the local paleoenvironment occupied by these Pliocene hominins, where a biodiverse community of primates, including hominins, and other mammals inhabited humid, grassy woodlands in a fluvial floodplain setting. Between <3.596 and 3.44 Ma, increases in woody vegetation were, at times, associated with increases in arid-adapted grasses. This suggests that Pliocene vegetation included woody species that were resilient to periods of prolonged aridity, resembling vegetation structure in the Turkana Basin today, where arid-adapted woody plants are a significant component of the ecosystem. Pedogenic carbonates indicate more woody vegetation than other vegetation proxies, possibly due to differences in temporospatial scale and ecological biases in preservation that should be accounted for in future studies. These new hominin fossils and associated multiproxy paleoenvironmental indicators from a single locale through time suggest that early hominin species occupied a wide range of habitats, possibly including wetlands within semiarid landscapes. Local-scale paleoecological evidence from East Turkana supports regional evidence that middle Pliocene eastern Africa may have experienced large-scale, climate-driven periods of aridity. This information extends our understanding of hominin environments beyond the limits of simple wooded, grassy, or mosaic environmental descriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Villaseñor
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Arkansas, 330 Old Main, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.
| | - Kevin T Uno
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Division of Biology and Paleo Environment, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA
| | - Rahab N Kinyanjui
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, 40658-00100, Kenya; Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, 07745, Jena, Germany; Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, MRC 121, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Anna K Behrensmeyer
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, MRC 121, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - René Bobe
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PN, UK; Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Eldert L Advokaat
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marion Bamford
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, P Bag 3, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Susana C Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PN, UK; Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique; Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), New York, NY, 10024, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology at AMNH, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Dan V Palcu
- Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo, Brazil; Paleomagnetic Laboratory 'Fort Hoofddijk', Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 17, 3584 CD, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mark J Sier
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3AN, Oxford, UK; Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carol V Ward
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - David R Braun
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Anthropology Department, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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Alemseged Z. Reappraising the palaeobiology of Australopithecus. Nature 2023; 617:45-54. [PMID: 37138108 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05957-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The naming of Australopithecus africanus in 1925, based on the Taung Child, heralded a new era in human evolutionary studies and turned the attention of the then Eurasian-centric palaeoanthropologists to Africa, albeit with reluctance. Almost one hundred years later, Africa is recognized as the cradle of humanity, where the entire evolutionary history of our lineage prior to two million years ago took place-after the Homo-Pan split. This Review examines data from diverse sources and offers a revised depiction of the genus and characterizes its role in human evolution. For a long time, our knowledge of Australopithecus came from both A. africanus and Australopithecus afarensis, and the members of this genus were portrayed as bipedal creatures that did not use stone tools, with a largely chimpanzee-like cranium, a prognathic face and a brain slightly larger than that of chimpanzees. Subsequent field and laboratory discoveries, however, have altered this portrayal, showing that Australopithecus species were habitual bipeds but also practised arboreality; that they occasionally used stone tools to supplement their diet with animal resources; and that their infants probably depended on adults to a greater extent than what is seen in apes. The genus gave rise to several taxa, including Homo, but its direct ancestor remains elusive. In sum, Australopithecus had a pivotal bridging role in our evolutionary history owing to its morphological, behavioural and temporal placement between the earliest archaic putative hominins and later hominins-including the genus Homo.
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6
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Negash EW, Barr WA. Relative abundance of grazing and browsing herbivores is not a direct reflection of vegetation structure: Implications for hominin paleoenvironmental reconstruction. J Hum Evol 2023; 177:103328. [PMID: 36857987 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The diet of fossil herbivores inferred from enamel stable carbon isotopes is often used to make paleoenvironmental reconstructions. While many studies have focused on using environmental indicator taxa to make paleoenvironmental reconstructions, community-based approaches are considered to provide a more complete picture of paleolandscapes. These studies assume that the diet and relative abundance of herbivores are related to the areal extent of different vegetation types on the landscape. Here, we quantitatively test this assumption in 16 modern ecosystems in eastern and southern Africa with a wide range of woody vegetation cover. We conducted a landscape-level spatial analysis of vegetation patterns using a published land cover data set and computed landscape metrics. We compiled data on relative abundance and diet of herbivores inferred from carbon isotope studies for all large herbivores in these ecosystems. We found that despite differences in the total areal extent of different vegetation types, numerous sizable patches of each vegetation type are available in most ecosystems. However, despite variation across the ecosystems examined, grazers are typically the most abundant herbivores even in sites that have a higher proportion of forest and shrub cover. This indicates that the diet and relative abundance of herbivores is not a simple reflection of the total areal extent of vegetation types available on the landscape. The higher proportion of grazers observed in these ecosystems is a result of multiple factors including habitat heterogeneity, differences in biomass turnover rate between grasses and woody vegetation, resource partitioning, and the advantages of group living in open environments. Comparison of diet and relative abundance of herbivores in modern ecosystems to fossil herbivore assemblages shows that very different vegetation regimes can support similar herbivore assemblages. This study has significant implications for paleolandscape reconstructions and cautions against a simplistic wooded vs. grassland paleoenvironmental interpretations based on fossil herbivore assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enquye W Negash
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, 800 22nd Street, Northwest, Washington D.C. 20052, USA.
| | - W Andrew Barr
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, 800 22nd Street, Northwest, Washington D.C. 20052, USA
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King GE. Baboon perspectives on the ecology and behavior of early human ancestors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2116182119. [PMID: 36279425 PMCID: PMC9659385 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116182119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For more than 70 y researchers have looked to baboons (monkeys of the genus Papio) as a source of hypotheses about the ecology and behavior of early hominins (early human ancestors and their close relatives). This approach has undergone a resurgence in the last decade as a result of rapidly increasing knowledge from experimental and field studies of baboons and from archeological and paleontological studies of hominins. The result is a rich array of analogies, scenarios, and other stimuli to thought about the ecology and behavior of early hominins. The main intent here is to illustrate baboon perspectives on early hominins, with emphasis on recent developments. This begins with a discussion of baboons and hominins as we know them currently and explains the reasons for drawing comparisons between them. These include occupation of diverse environments, combination of arboreal and terrestrial capabilities, relatively large body size, and sexual dimorphism. The remainder of the paper illustrates the main points with a small number of examples drawn from diverse areas of interest: diet (grasses and fish), danger (leopards and crocodiles), social organization (troops and multilevel societies), social relationships (male-male, male-female, female-female), communication (possible foundations of language), cognition (use of social information, comparison of self to others), and bipedalism (a speculative developmental hypothesis about the neurological basis). The conclusion is optimistic about the future of baboon perspectives on early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn E. King
- Department of History and Anthropology, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
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8
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Pérez-García A. A lower Pliocene Erymnochelyini turtle (Pleurodira, Podocnemididae) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 306:1396-1410. [PMID: 36151595 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The presence of a pleurodiran turtle putatively attributable to Erymnochelys madagascariensis (i.e., the only representative of Erymnochelyini that is part of the current biodiversity) or to a closely related form was recognized, in the early 1990s, for the Lower Pliocene record of the Sinda-Mohari region (Democratic Republic of Congo). The material attributable to it was restricted to postcranial remains. Although some elements of the anterior region of the skull were subsequently found, this taxon had not been analyzed in detail until now. Knowledge about Erymnochelyini has increased remarkably since the 1990s and, especially, during the 21st century. The taxon from the Democratic Republic of Congo is here analyzed in detail, not only considering current knowledge about the lineage but also incorporating new material into this study, highlighting several partial skulls. Thus, it corresponds to one of the members of this lineage represented by a greater number of skulls. It is attributed to a new taxon, Mokelemys mbembe gen. et sp. nov., being the only representative of Erymnochelyini currently known for the Pliocene record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adán Pérez-García
- Grupo de Biología Evolutiva, Dpto. de Física Matemática y de Fluidos, Facultad de Ciencias, UNED, Madrid, Spain
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Hammond P, Lewis‐Bevan L, Biro D, Carvalho S. Risk perception and terrestriality in primates: A quasi‐experiment through habituation of chacma baboons (
Papio ursinus
) in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9540627 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Habituation is a common pre‐requisite for studying noncaptive primates. Details and quantitative reporting on this process are often overlooked but are useful for measuring human impact on animal behavior, especially when comparing studies across time or sites. During habituation, perceived risk of a stimulus—human observers—is assumed to decline with repeated exposure to that stimulus. We use habituation as a quasi‐experiment to study the landscape of fear, exploring relationships between actual risk, perceived risk, mediating environmental variables, and behavioral correlates. Materials and Methods We recorded vocalizations and observer‐directed vigilance as indicators of perceived risk during habituation of two troops of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Here, we model changes in these variables as a function of habituation time, troop, time of day, and habitat features. We also model the relationship between each of the anti‐predator behaviors and ground‐use, exploring whether they predict greater terrestriality in the baboons. Results In both troops, vocalization rates and observer‐directed vigilance declined with cumulative exposure to observers, but were heightened later in the day and in denser habitat types. We found that terrestrial activity was negatively related to levels of both vocalizations and observer‐directed vigilance. Discussion This study provides a quantitative assessment of the impact of human observation on primate behavior and highlights environmental variables that influence anti‐predator behaviors, perhaps indicating heightened perception of risk. The relationship between perceived risk and terrestriality is significant for understanding the evolution of this rare trait in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa Hammond
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences University of Rochester Rochester New York USA
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Paleo‐Primate Project Gorongosa National Park Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB) Universidade do Algarve Faro Portugal
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10
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A nonanalog Pliocene ungulate community at Laetoli with implications for the paleoecology of Australopithecus afarensis. J Hum Evol 2022; 167:103182. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Mosaic habitats at Woranso-Mille (Ethiopia) during the Pliocene and implications for Australopithecus paleoecology and taxonomic diversity. J Hum Evol 2022; 163:103076. [PMID: 34998271 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Many important Pliocene hominin specimens have been recovered from Woranso-Mille, a paleontological research area in the Afar region of Ethiopia, including the complete cranium of Australopithecus anamensis, a partial skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis, mandibular and maxillary elements representing a new species, Australopithecus deyiremeda, and a partial foot of an as-yet-unnamed species. Woranso-Mille is the only site, so far, to have reported the co-existence of more than one early hominin species between 3.8 and 3.3 Ma and the temporal overlap between A. anamensis and A. afarensis. Thus, the site has important implications for our understanding of the paleoecology and taxonomic diversity of early hominins and their ecological niche. This paper explores the paleohabitats of Woranso-Mille through its faunal community ecological structure and taxonomic composition using correspondence analysis and Forbes modified similarity index. The results suggest that Pliocene Woranso-Mille was a mosaic of different habitat types, with riparian woodland and floodplain grassland along rivers draining into a lake, along with less mesic habitats such as woodland, grassland, and shrubland. The apparent high level of vegetation heterogeneity may have promoted dietary specializations and niche differentiation among the different Australopithecus species at Woranso-Mille and allowed for their co-existence at the site.
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12
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Haile-Selassie Y. From Trees to the Ground: The Significance of Australopithecus anamensis in Human Evolution. JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1086/716743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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13
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Bobe R, Wood B. Estimating origination times from the early hominin fossil record. Evol Anthropol 2021; 31:92-102. [PMID: 34662482 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The age of the earliest recovered fossil evidence of a hominin taxon is all too often equated with that taxon's origination. However, the earliest known fossil record nearly always postdates, sometimes by a substantial period of time, the true origination of a taxon. Here we evaluate the first appearance records of the earliest potential hominins (Sahelanthropus, Ardipithecus, Orrorin), as well as of the genera Australopithecus, Homo, and Paranthropus, to illustrate the considerable uncertainty regarding the actual timing of origin of these taxa. By placing confidence intervals on the first appearance records of early hominin taxa, we can better evaluate patterns of hominin diversity, turnover, and potential correlations with climatic and environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Bobe
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique.,Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Bernard Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Du A, Rowan J, Wang SC, Wood BA, Alemseged Z. On fossil recovery potential in the Australopithecus anamensis-Australopithecus afarensis lineage: A reply to. J Hum Evol 2021; 157:103025. [PMID: 34139622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Du
- Department of Anthropology and Geography, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - John Rowan
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Steve C Wang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Bernard A Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Zeresenay Alemseged
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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15
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Faith JT, Du A, Behrensmeyer AK, Davies B, Patterson DB, Rowan J, Wood B. Rethinking the ecological drivers of hominin evolution. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:797-807. [PMID: 34059368 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A central goal of paleoanthropology is understanding the role of ecological change in hominin evolution. Over the past several decades researchers have expanded the hominin fossil record and assembled detailed late Cenozoic paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental, and paleoecological archives. However, effective use of these data is precluded by the limitations of pattern-matching strategies for inferring causal relationships between ecological and evolutionary change. We examine several obstacles that have hindered progress, and highlight recent research that is addressing them by (i) confronting an incomplete fossil record, (ii) contending with datasets spanning varied spatiotemporal scales, and (iii) using theoretical frameworks to build stronger inferences. Expanding on this work promises to transform challenges into opportunities and set the stage for a new phase of paleoanthropological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Tyler Faith
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Andrew Du
- Department of Anthropology and Geography, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Anna K Behrensmeyer
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - David B Patterson
- Department of Biology, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597, USA
| | - John Rowan
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Bernard Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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16
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Dumouchel L, Bobe R, Wynn JG, Barr WA. The environments of Australopithecus anamensis at Allia Bay, Kenya: A multiproxy analysis of early Pliocene Bovidae. J Hum Evol 2021; 151:102928. [PMID: 33453510 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Australopithecus anamensis, among the earliest fully bipedal hominin species, lived in eastern Africa around 4 Ma. Much of what is currently known about the paleoecology of A. anamensis comes from the type locality, Kanapoi, Kenya. Here, we extend knowledge of the range of environments occupied by A. anamensis by presenting the first multiproxy paleoecological analysis focusing on Bovidae excavated from another important locality where A. anamensis was recovered, locality 261-1 (ca. 3.97 Ma) at Allia Bay, East Turkana, Kenya. Paleoenvironments are reconstructed using astragalar ecomorphology, mesowear, hypsodonty index, and oxygen and carbon isotopes from dental enamel. We compare our results to those obtained from Kanapoi. Our results show that the bovid community composition is similar between the two fossil assemblages. Allia Bay and Kanapoi bovid astragalar ecomorphology spans the spectrum of modern morphologies indicative of grassland, woodland, and even forest-adapted forms. Dietary reconstructions based on stable isotopes, mesowear, and hypsodonty reveal that these bovids' diet encompassed the full C3 to C4 dietary spectrum and overlap in the two data sets. Our results allow us to confidently extend our reconstructions of the paleoenvironments of A. anamensis at Kanapoi to Allia Bay, where this pivotal hominin species is associated with heterogeneous settings including habitats with varying degrees of tree cover, including grasslands, bushlands, and woodlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Dumouchel
- Department of Anthropology, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, KS 67260, USA.
| | - René Bobe
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Cognitive & Evolutionary Anthropology, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Rd, Park Town, Oxford, OX2 6PN, UK; Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique; Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade Do Algarve, Campus de Penha, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Jonathan G Wynn
- Division of Earth Sciences, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - W Andrew Barr
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, 800 22(nd)Street Northwest, Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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17
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Bobe R, Martínez FI, Carvalho S. Primate adaptations and evolution in the Southern African Rift Valley. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:94-101. [PMID: 32154961 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- René Bobe
- Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique.,Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Felipe I Martínez
- Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Anthropology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique.,Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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