학술논문
Carbon isotope ratios of Sterkfontein fossils indicate a marked shift to open environments c. 1.7 Myr ago.
Document Type
Article
Author
Source
Subject
*ARCHAEOLOGICAL human remains
*FOSSIL hominids
*CLIMATE change
*ARCHAEOLOGY
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Language
ISSN
0038-2353
Abstract
Sterkfontein straddles a period in the Plio-Pleistocene in which the effects of global-scale climate shifts on continental environments and biota are not yet well understood. Reconstructions based on faunal indicators have suggested incremental shifts from relatively closed, mesic landscapes to open, arid environments at this time. We examined environmental shifts from ∼2.5 to 1.7 million years ago (Myr) using a C[sub 3]/C[sub 4] index derived from [sup 13]C[sup 12]C data on bovid fossils from Sterkfontein. Data for Member 4 and the Member 5 East infill indicate persistence of a wooded to moderately wooded environment until about 2.0-1.8 Myr. Data indicating a marked shift to open environments are observed only for the younger Member 5 West infill. We conclude that the major shift to open environments occurred near 1.7 Myr rather than at c. 2.5 Myr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]