Micromammal and macromammal stable isotopes from a MIS 6 fossil hyena den (Pinnacle Point site 30, south coast, South Africa) reveal differences in relative contribution of C4 grasses to local and regional palaeovegetation on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain

Williams, Hope M.; Lee‐Thorp, Julia A.; Matthews, Thalassa; Marean, Curtis W.

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106201

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The paleoenvironmental records of the GCFR sites covering at least part of the last glaciation are varied and detailed. They include stable carbon and oxygen isotope records of speleothems (Talma and Vogel, 1992;Bar-Matthews et al, 2010;Braun et al, 2019Braun et al, , 2020, stable isotopes from hyrax middens (Chase et al, 2011(Chase et al, , 2012(Chase et al, , 2017(Chase et al, , 2019, mammal bone assemblages (Klein, 1983;Avery, 1982;Cruz-Uribe, 2016, 2000;Nel and Henshilwood, 2016;Nel et al, 2018;Forrest et al, 2018), microwear patterns and stable isotopes of fossil teeth (Copeland et al, 2016;Sealy et al, 2016Sealy et al, , 2020Hodgkins et al, 2020;Williams et al, 2020), charcoal (Cartwright and Parkington, 1997;Cowling et al, 1999;Cartwright, 2013;Parkington et al, 2000), phytoliths (Esteban et al, 2018(Esteban et al, , 2020, and pollen (Meadows and Sudgen, 1991;Chase and Meadows, 2007;Scott and Woodborne, 2007a, b;Meadows et al, 2010;Quick et al, 2011Quick et al, , 2015Quick et al, , 2016Valsecchi et al, 2013;Chase and Quick, 2018;Scott and Neumann, 2018). The list is by no means comprehensive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous vegetation record of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) covering the past 300 000 years (IODP U1479)

et al. 2022

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Abstract. The Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance, and its archeological record has substantially contributed to the understanding of modern human origins. For both reasons, the climate and vegetation history of southwestern South Africa is of interest to numerous fields. Currently known paleoenvironmental records cover the Holocene, the last glacial–interglacial transition and parts of the last glaciation but do not encompass a full glacial–interglacial cycle. To obtain a continuous vegetation record of the last Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles, we studied pollen, spores and micro-charcoal of deep-sea sediments from IODP Site U1479 retrieved from SW of Cape Town. We compare our palynological results of the Pleistocene with previously published results of Pliocene material from the same site. We find that the vegetation of the GCFR, in particular fynbos and afrotemperate forest, responds to precessional forcing of climate. The micro-charcoal record confirms the importance of fires in the fynbos vegetation. Ericaceae-rich and Asteraceae-rich types of fynbos could extend on the western part of the Paleo-Agulhas Plain (PAP), which emerged during periods of low sea level of the Pleistocene.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous vegetation record of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) covering the past 300 000 years (IODP U1479)

et al. 2022

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“…A timely question is whether the presence of specialist species, such as Acomys subspinosus, may be underplayed as the generalist species dominate the assemblages and thus blur the nuances of variations in the relative abundance of specialist species. Nevertheless, the stable isotope analysis of these generalist/common species in the archaeological assemblages may yield palaeoenvironmental insights (Leichliter et al, 2016(Leichliter et al, , 2017Williams et al, 2020). Carbon and oxygen isotopes can reflect vegetation composition and humid/arid events, but this analysis is yet to be understood for most of the micromammal species in South Africa's archaeological assemblages.…”

Section: Taxonomic Distribution Patterns and Palaeoenvironmental Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This issue is discussed further in this article. Simultaneously, new analytical developments are in the early stages of exploration, such as analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of micromammal tooth enamel from archaeological contexts in South Africa (e.g., Leichliter et al, 2016Leichliter et al, , 2017Williams et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 100,000–77,000-Year Old Middle Stone Age Micromammal Sequence from Blombos Cave, South Africa: Local Climatic Stability or a Tale of Predator Bias?

Nel

Henshilwood

2021

Afr Archaeol Rev

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In this paper, we present a case study of the micromammal sequence from Marine Isotope Stage 5 (130,000–71,000 YBP) at Blombos Cave on the southern Cape coast of South Africa. Our analyses of the micromammal assemblage from 100,000 to 76,000 YBP shed light on micromammal taxonomic distributions, local palaeoenvironments, and site formation processes at this renowned Middle Stone Age site. Taphonomic analyses indicate that spotted eagle owls (Bubo africanus) were the main predator species responsible for accumulating the micromammals, but with contributions from barn owls (Tyto alba). In addition, the micromammal bones have been subjected to a range of post-depositional processes, some of which are associated with microbial actions likely resulting from human or animal activities in the cave. We have recorded three species in the archaeological assemblage that do not occur in the Blombos area today. These are the Hottentot golden mole (Amblysomus hottentotus), Duthie’s golden mole (Chlorotalpa duthieae), and Laminate vlei rat (Otomys laminatus). The biodiversity indices based on micromammal species suggest that local vegetation consisted of different habitats that could sustain a diverse small mammal population. During MIS 5c/5b, the diversity of species declined, but there was still a mosaic of vegetation habitats present in the local area. On a larger temporal scale, climate conditions were slightly more humid than at present, and winter rainfall was seemingly greater. The amount of winter rainfall would have been similar to locations currently c. 50–150 km further west of Blombos Cave. However, based on micromammal proxies, there were seemingly no major fluctuations visible in climate or vegetation composition during the entire 24,000-year period. We suggest that the explanation could be multifaceted, two potential factors being predator bias derived from the owls’ preference for generalist micromammal species or an actual reflection of local stable climatic and environmental conditions in the Blombos area.

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“…South coast sites dating from MIS 6 onwards (e.g., Blombos Cave, Die Kelders Cave, Klasies River, Nelson Bay Cave, Pinnacle Point) frequently include extinct or extralimital grazers (e.g., Klein, 1972Klein, , 1976Klein, , 1983Klein and Cruz-Uribe, 2000;Henshilwood et al 2001;Rector and Reed, 2010), with very high abundances of grazers often observed during the LGM and late glacial (Klein, 1972(Klein, , 1978(Klein, , 1983Faith, 2013). Stable isotope evidence (δ13C) from ungulate grazers at Boomplaas Cave indicate consumption of primarily C3 grasses during the LGM (Sealy et al, 2016), as is also the case at Nelson Bay Cave (Sealy et al 2020). Williams et al (2020 measured stable isotopes on teeth of micromammals and macromammals from a hyena den found at Pinnacle Point and dated to MIS 6 (penultimate glaciation).…”

Section: Open Grasslands In the South-western Cape?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CC BY 4.0 License. 2012;2019), mammal bone assemblages (Klein, 1983;Avery, 1982;Faith, 2013;Cruz-Uribe, 2016, 2000;Nel and Henshilwood, 2016;Nel et al, 2018;Forrest et al, 2018), microwear patterns and stable isotopes of fossil teeth (Copeland et al, 2016;Sealy et al, 2016;2020;Hodgkins et al, 2020;Williams et al, 2020), charcoal (Cartwright and Parkington, 1997;Cowling et al, 1999;Cartwright, 2013;Parkington et al, 2000), phytoliths (Esteban et al, 2018;2020) and pollen (Meadows and Sudgen, 1991;Chase and Meadows, 2007;Scott and Woodborne, 2007a;2007b;Meadows et al, 2010;Quick et al, 2011;Valsecchi et al, 2013;Chase and Quick, 2018;Scott and Neumann, 2018). The list is by no means comprehensive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous vegetation record of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) covering the past 300 thousand years (IODP U1479)

Dupont

Zhao

Charles

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Abstract. The flora of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance, and its archaeological record has contributed substantially to the understanding of modern human origins. For both reasons, the climate and vegetation history of south-western South Africa is of interest to numerous fields. Currently known paleo-environmental records cover the Holocene, the last glacial-interglacial transition and parts of the last glaciation but do not encompass a full glacial-interglacial cycle. To obtain a continuous vegetation record of the last Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles, we studied pollen, spores and micro-charcoal of deep-sea sediments from IODP Site U1479 retrieved from SW of Cape Town. We compare our palynological results of the Pleistocene with previously published results of Pliocene material from the same site. We find that the vegetation of the GCFR, in particular Fynbos and Afrotemperate forest, respond to precessional forcing of climate. The micro-charcoal record confirms the importance of fires in the Fynbos vegetation. Ericaceae-rich and Asteraceae-rich types of Fynbos could extend on the western part of the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain (PAP), which emerged during periods of low sea-level of the Pleistocene.

show abstract

Micromammal and macromammal stable isotopes from a MIS 6 fossil hyena den (Pinnacle Point site 30, south coast, South Africa) reveal differences in relative contribution of C4 grasses to local and regional palaeovegetation on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain

Cited by 11 publications

References 47 publications

Continuous vegetation record of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) covering the past 300 000 years (IODP U1479)

Continuous vegetation record of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) covering the past 300 000 years (IODP U1479)

The 100,000–77,000-Year Old Middle Stone Age Micromammal Sequence from Blombos Cave, South Africa: Local Climatic Stability or a Tale of Predator Bias?

Continuous vegetation record of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) covering the past 300 thousand years (IODP U1479)

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