Harrison Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli: Human Evolution in Context

Volume 1: Geology, Geochronology, Paleoecology and Paleoenvironment
2011
ISBN: 978-90-481-9955-6
Verlag: Springer Netherlands

Harrison Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli: Human Evolution in Context

This volume 1 and its companion volume 2 present the results of new investigations into the geology, paleontology and paleoecology of the early hominin site of Laetoli in northern Tanzania. The site is one of the most important paleontological and paleoanthropological sites in Africa, worldrenowned for the discovery of fossils of the early hominin Australopithecus afarensis, as well as remarkable trails of its footprints. The first volume provides new evidence on the geology, geochronology, ecology, ecomorphology and taphonomy of the site. The second volume describes newly discovered fossil hominins from Laetoli, belonging to Australopithecus afarensis and Paranthropus aethiopicus, and presents detailed information on the systematics and paleobiology of the diverse associated fauna. Together, these contributions provide one of the most comprehensive accounts of a fossil hominin site, and they offer important new insights into the early stages of human evolution and its context.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Harrison, Terry

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Evolutionsbiologie
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläozoologie
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläobotanik
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Humanbiologie Frühmenschen, Hominiden
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläontologie, Taphonomie
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläoökologie
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Historische Geologie, Geochronologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Laetoli revisited: Renewed paleontological and geological investigations at localities on the Eyasi Plateau in northern Tanzania.Terry Harrison2 Paleontological localities on the Eyasi Plateau, including LaetoliTerry Harrison and Amandus Kweka3 Sedimentology, lithostratigraphy and depositional history of the Laetoli areaPeter Ditchfield and Terry Harrison4 40Ar/39Ar dating of Laetoli, TanzaniaAlan L. Deino5 Petrology, geochemistry and age of Satiman, Lemagurut and Oldeani: sources of the volcanic deposits of the Laetoli areaGodwin. F. Mollel, Carl C. Swisher III, Mark. D. Feigenson and Michael. J. Carr6 Geochemistry and mineralogy of Laetoli area tuffs: Lower Laetolil through Naibadad BedsLindsay J. McHenry7 Geochemical and mineralogic characterization of Middle Stone Age tools of Laetoli, Tanzania, and comparisons with possible source materialsKatherine A. Adelsberger, Karl R. Wirth, Audax Z.P. Mabulla and Daniel C. Bowman8 The ecology and biogeography of the Endulen-Laetoli area in northern TanzaniaPeter Andrews, Marion Bamford, Efrem-Fred Njau and Godson Leliyo9 Phytoliths and pollen, the microscopic plant remains in Pliocene volcanic sediments around Laetoli, TanzaniaLloyd Rossouw and Louis Scott10 Fossil woodsMarion K. Bamford11 Fossil leaves, fruits and seedsMarion K. Bamford12 Serengeti micromammal communities and the paleoecology of Laetoli, TanzaniaDenné N. Reed13 The taphonomy and paleoenvironmental implications of the Laetoli micromammalsDenné N. Reed and Christiane Denys14 Coprolites: Taphonomic and paleoecological implicationsTerry Harrison15 Stable isotopic analyses of Laetoli fossil herbivoresJohn D. Kingston16 Feeding ecology and niche partitioning of the Laetoli ungulate faunasThomas M. Kaiser17 Paleoenvironments of Laetoli, Tanzania as determined by antelope habitat preferencesLaura C. Bishop, Thomas. W. Plummer, Fritz Hertel and Kris Kovarovic18 Environmental change within the Laetoli fossiliferous sequence: vegetation catenas and bovid ecomorphologyKris Kovarovic and Peter Andrews19 Large mammal evidence for the paleoenvironment of the Upper Laetolil and Upper Ndolanya Beds of Laetoli, TanzaniaDenise F. Su