Ecker, Michaela ， Botha-Brink, Jennifer ， Lee-Thorp, Julia A ， Piuz, Andre ， Horwitz, Liora Kolska
2016-01-01 null null 33(卷), null(期), (null页)
The early/mid-Pleistocene sequence from Wonderwerk Cave offers a unique record with which to explore palaeoenvironmental proxies in the interior of South Africa, for a time period that is poorly represented in the regional record. This study applies a combination of stable light isotope analysis (delta O-18 and delta C-13), and examination of biometric parameters measured on ostrich eggshell recovered from Wonderwerk Cave spanning the period 1.96-0.78 Ma years. These complementary datasets gave concordant results that indicate a generally arid environment from ca. 1.96-1.78 Ma years, and at ca 1 Ma the onset of an even more arid environment. Ostrich diets remained largely C3, with generally modest contributions from C4 plants. The climatic changes follow those attested to in the phytolith record from the cave and larger-scale climatic changes that have been documented in southern and East Africa.
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