DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.07.010
论文题名: Stable isotope dietary reconstructions of herbivore enamel reveal heterogeneous savanna ecosystems in the Plio-Pleistocene Malawi Rift
作者: Lüdecke T. ; Mulch A. ; Kullmer O. ; Sandrock O. ; Thiemeyer H. ; Fiebig J. ; Schrenk F.
刊名: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
ISSN: 0031-0182
出版年: 2016
卷: 459 起始页码: 170
结束页码: 181
语种: 英语
英文关键词: East Africa
; Herbivore diet
; Hominin evolution
; Malawi
; Paleoecology
; Plio-Pleistocene
英文摘要: The Plio-Pleistocene expansion of Eastern Africa savanna ecosystems was a major driver for morphological and behavioral innovations in hominin evolution. Most evidence for hominin ecosystem reconstructions originates from the Eastern Rift in today's Somali-Masai Endemic Zone. We provide stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope data from 22 bovid, equid, suid, hippopotamid and elephant teeth from the southern part of the East African Rift and supplement these by δ18O values of present-day meteoric water. This region (Karonga Basin, Malawi) hosts remains of Homo rudolfensis and Paranthropus boisei. It is situated between hominin-bearing sites in Eastern and Southern Africa and therefore fills an important geographical gap for hominin evolution. Tooth enamel δ13C and δ18O data of 14 large-bodied mammalian herbivore species from Units 2 and 3 (ca. 4.3 to 0.6 Ma) in the Chiwondo Beds provide information about foraging strategies and vegetation patterns. Our stable isotope data reflect C3-dominated ecosystems that permitted access to open C4-environments for migratory mammals. Many analyzed taxa show evidence for mixed diets with high abundances of C3-biomass consumption; only selected bovids were specialized grazers. δ18O of present-day meteoric water reflects rainfall amount and seasonality, elevation, and lake evaporation. δ18O values of Karonga Basin herbivore enamel are generally low and cover values similar to present-day drinking water, indicating both, evaporated and freshwater sources. Comparison of δ13C values from the Karonga Basin with other Eastern African herbivore communities reveals significant differences in dietary patterns with much more generalized mixed C3/C4, and pure C3 feeding behaviors in the Malawi Rift. Similarly, enamel δ18O values are lower than in most Plio-Pleistocene Eastern African herbivores, suggesting more humid conditions. Collectively, our data support models in which early hominin foraging activity included access to C3-dominated biomes, complicating traditional interpretations linking early human evolutionary innovations to a shift towards savanna habitats. © 2016 Citation statistics:
资源类型: 期刊论文
标识符: http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/68303
Appears in Collections: 过去全球变化的重建
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作者单位: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt, Germany; Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, Frankfurt, Germany; Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt, Germany; Institute of Physical Geography, Goethe University Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, Frankfurt, Germany; Earth- and Life History, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Friedensplatz 1, Darmstadt, Germany
Recommended Citation:
Lüdecke T.,Mulch A.,Kullmer O.,et al. Stable isotope dietary reconstructions of herbivore enamel reveal heterogeneous savanna ecosystems in the Plio-Pleistocene Malawi Rift[J]. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology,2016-01-01,459