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Analysis of 124 rounded fossils, potential bone tools, from the 2.04–1.95 Ma early hominin-bearing Drimolen Main Quarry palaeocave deposits in South Africa were subject to comparative analysis of fossil and bone collections with known taphonomic accumulator/s, actualistic experiments, and comparative analysis relative to published data in the taphonomic literature. From this sample, 51 specimens were identified as bone tools. The inclusion of these specimens raises the number of bone tools identified at Drimolen Main Quarry to 65. The bone tools have a rounded tip and an associated use-wear pattern that is restricted to, and radiates from, this rounded tip. Diaphyseal fragments were the most common raw material selected for tool use. We hypothesise that the raw material was collected from both carnivore kill and natural death sites. The striation patterns, identified though visual comparisons, present on the bone tools comprise parallel, subparallel and diagonal striations which suggests that the tools may have had a multi-use application. The place of bone technology within the South African Earlier Stone Age is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven hominin ichnosites in aeolianites on the Cape south coast of South Africa have been dated using Optically Stimulated Luminescence, yielding age estimates from Marine Isotope 6 through Marine Isotope Stage 4. All rock outcrops containing these sites are situated on the modern coastline. The new ages are consistent with geomorphological expectations, and with other numerical dating results from the wider southern Cape coastline. Seen in a global ichnological context, the cluster of South African sites (including two previously dated sites) contains nine of the twenty-three sites older than 70 ka from which hominin tracks have been reported. With a single exception they are also the only sites older than 40 ka that have been attributed to Homo sapiens, and include the oldest tracks (153 ± 10 ka) thus far attributed to our species. The South African coastline contains an archaeological and palaeoanthropological record of global significance, to which the hominin ichnological record, preserved on aeolianite palaeosurfaces and now chronologically constrained, can make a substantial contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Drimolen Palaeocave site is situated within the UNESCO Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa World Heritage Area and has yielded numerous hominin fossils since its discovery in 1992. Most of these fossils are represented by isolated dental elements, which have been attributed to either of two distinct hominin genera, Paranthropus and Homo. This paper provides morphological descriptions for a further 19 specimens that have been recovered from the ∼2.04–1.95 Ma Drimolen Main Quarry (DMQ) deposits since 2008. This paper also discusses the two primary hypotheses used to explain Paranthropus robustus variation: sexual dimorphism, and micro-evolution within a lineage. These 19 fossils are represented by 47 dental elements and expand the sample of DMQ early Homo from 13 to 15, and the sample of Paranthropus robustus from 69 to 84. The evidence presented in this paper was found to be inconsistent with the sexual dimorphism hypothesis. Some support was found for the micro-evolution hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several post-cranial bones of small birds collected from Early Miocene deposits at Grillental in the Sperrgebiet, Namibia, are attributed to three groups, a small parrot-like species (Psittaculidae), a songbird (Passeriformes) and a gamebird (Galliformes). All three are among the earliest records of their respective groups in Africa. The lovebird specimens, in particular, greatly extend the fossil record of the family in the continent from the previous earliest record at Langebaanweg, South Africa (ca 6-5 Ma) to the Early Miocene (ca 20-19 Ma). The material is an interesting source of information about palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimate and, as an assemblage, it indicates that the locality was more humid than it is today, and that it lay within the summer rainfall belt, in contrast to the hyper-arid conditions with winter rainfall that prevail in this part of the continent at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Homo naledi is represented by abundant remains from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa. While pelvic elements from the Dinaledi Chamber of the cave are fragmentary, a relatively complete ilium (U.W. 102a–138) was recovered from the Lesedi Chamber. We reconstructed and analyzed the Lesedi ilium, providing qualitative descriptions and quantitative assessment of its morphology and developmental state. Materials and Methods: We compared the Lesedi ilium to remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, other South African hominin fossils, and an ontogenetic series of human ilia. We used the Dinaledi adults as a guide for reconstructing the Lesedi ilium. To assess development of the Lesedi ilium, we compared immature/mature proportional ilium height for fossils and humans. We used 3D geometric morphometrics (GMs) to examine size and shape variation among this sample. Results: The Lesedi ilium showed incipient development of features expressed in adult H. naledi ilia. The proportional height of the Lesedi ilium was within the range of human juveniles between 4–11 years of age. GM analyses showed that the Lesedi ilium had an iliac blade shape similar to those of australopiths and an expanded auricular surface more similar to humans. Conclusions: The reconstructed Lesedi specimen represents the best preserved ilium of H. naledi, confirming the australopith‐like iliac blade morphology first hypothesized in adult specimens, and establishing that this anatomy was present early in this species' ontogeny. In contrast to australopiths, the Lesedi ilium displays an enlarged sacroiliac joint, the significance of which requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most fossil hominin species are sampled with spatial, temporal or anatomical biases that can hinder assessments of their paleodiversity, and may not yield genuine evolutionary signals. We use new fossils from the Kromdraai (Unit P) and Drimolen sites (South Africa) to provide insights into the paleodiversity of the Lower Pleistocene robust australopith, Paranthropus robustus. Our focus is the morphology of the temporal bone and the relationships between size and shape (allometry) of the semi-circular canals (SCC), an aspect that has not yet been investigated among southern African australopiths. We find significant size and shape SCC differences between P. robustus from Kromdraai, Drimolen and Swartkrans. This site-related variation is consistent with other differences observed on the temporal bone. P. robustus from Kromdraai Unit P is distinctive because of its smaller temporal bone and SCC, and its proportionally less developed posterior SCC, independently of age and sex. We emphasize the importance of allometry to interpret paleodiversity in P. robustus as either the consequence of differences in body size, or as yet unknown factors. Some features of the inner ear of P. robustus represent directional selection soon after its origin, whereas the size and shape variations described here may result from evolutionary changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cooper's D deposit has been dated by U-Pb at a maximum age of 1.37 Ma ± 0.113 and has yielded seven Hominini remains, six of them are attributed to the Southern African endemic species Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938. However, the taxonomic composition of the faunal assemblage recovered at this site, especially ruminants, remains poorly understood. This paper updates the previous palaeontological and biochronological works and provides the first taxonomic description and paleoecological analysis of the whole bovid material from Cooper's D. We propose a minimum age of 1.0 Ma for the Cooper's D bone accumulation. Thus, we conclude that the assemblage accumulated between 1.375 ± 0.113 and 1.0 Ma based on the complementary results obtained from radiometric dates and biochronology. The paleoecological analysis suggests that Cooper's D is likewise dominated by grassland with sparse covered habitat and probable water sources in the vicinity. Finally, we show a strong statistically significant negative correlation between the presence of grassland-adapted bovid species and P. robustus. This result indicates that P. robustus was more likely to be an eurytopic species and dietary generalist than an exclusive grazer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the potential risk of Mining Influenced Water (MIW) contaminating the "Cradle of Humankind" Unesco World Heritage site ("Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa"), flow measurements were conducted in the Tweelopiespruit, a stream influenced by treated mine water from abandoned gold mines in the Witwatersrand gold fields (South Africa). A possible negative influence of the caves by MIW infiltrating into the dolostone aquifer was investigated by conducting flow measurements at different stream locations between June 2014 and February 2019 using the salt dilution method via sudden injection ('gulp method'). Both logging approaches, the manual method using a multi-meter and the automatic device using probes connected to a data-logger, show reasonable and comparable results in the turbulent flow regime. The general flow increases along the course of the Tweelopiespruit rivulet and only minor localized discharge losses can be observed. An immediate danger for the caves of the "Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa" from infiltrating polluted mine water cannot be postulated, though smaller amounts of the stream water seem to infiltrate into the dolomitic aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa and East Africa each have a rich palaeoanthropological heritage, but the taxonomy of fossil hominins from these regions is controversial. In this study, two morphometric methods related to the quantification of variability in morphology have been applied to pairwise comparisons of linear measurements of hominoid crania and mandibles. The log-transformed standard error of the m-coefficient ('log sem') is calculated from linear regressions. Like Procrustes Distances (PD), log sem statistics can serve to quantify variation in the shape of a cranium or mandible in the context of a constellation of landmarks. In this study, PD and log sem statistics are integrated and standardised using Z-scores, and applied probabilistically to Plio-Pleistocene hominins. As a test case, OH 7 and OH 24 as reference specimens of Homo habilis are compared to fossils representing other taxa. There is a wide spectrum of variation in Z-scores for specimens attributed to early Homo dated within the period between circa 1.8 Ma and 2 Ma. In terms of morphometric variation predating 1.8 Ma, Z-scores (Z<2) for Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus and Homo habilis display a small range of variability. This study serves as a demonstration of a method whereby log sem and PD can be used together to facilitate an objective assessment of morphological variability, applicable in palaeontological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human treatment of the dead is one of the most visible and important aspects of our behavioural evolution. Until recently, the deliberate movement of corpses to specific places in the landscape and their deposition there was thought to emerge very late in human evolution, perhaps with the advent of burial by Homo sapiens and the Neanderthals. The remains of Homo naledi in South Africa's Rising Star Cave system potentially revolutionalises that belief: did a small-bodied, small-brained hominin drag parts of corpses into the depths of the cave, and if so, what does this reveal about their cognition? How convincing is the case? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about transformation can be defined as a complete change from the current state with a context-based, open-ended notion which signifies change of form from an original state. It mentions about transformation in post-1994 democratic South Africa includes the goal of eradicating the socio-economic inequalities inherent within the apartheid system with ideological requirements for transformation with targeted interventions to broad-spectrum modification of the field.

The Fremouw Formation (Transantarctic Basin) of Antarctica preserves an exceptional fossil record of tetrapods from the beginning of the Mesozoic at high paleolatitude. Many of these fossils can be identified to species that also occur in the much richer Lystrosaurus declivis Assemblage Zone of South Africa's Karoo Basin, but endemic species also occur. A third category of Antarctic fossils includes those that can only be broadly classified or lack sufficient diagnostic features for a synapomorphy-based identification. Therocephalians are a prime example of the last category, with Akidognathidae indet., Baurioidea indet., and cf. Ericiolacerta parva, currently recognized from the lower Fremouw Formation. Here we describe the most complete skull for an Antarctic therocephalian discovered to date. Notictoides absens, gen. et sp. nov., preserves a unique dental formula, a large intranarial portion of the septomaxilla, two bony excrescences along the rostral margin of the lacrimal, and a complete secondary palate formed by the maxilla. These features, in combination with a sagittal crest with a slit-like parietal foramen, a long, low dentary, and reduced upper and lower antecanine tooth count, suggest a relatively derived position for N. absens within baurioids. Indeed, the results of an updated cladistic analysis unite N. absens with the clade including Nothogomphodon, Ordosiodon, and Bauriidae. More broadly, the discovery of a third endemic species in the Lower Triassic rocks of the Fremouw Formation suggests that diversification in the wake of the Permian–Triassic mass extinction was likely more geographically complex than currently appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Salpeterkop volcano forms part of what has been referred to as the Upper Cretaceous Sutherland Suite of alkaline rocks, an igneous province composed of olivine melilitites, carbonatites, trachytes and ultramafic lamprophyres. Salpeterkop is a remnant of the summit tuff ring structure that surrounds a crater which is almost 1 km in diameter and is filled with epiclastic strata. Five pieces of silicified wood were collected from the crater filled sediments, sectioned and identified as a new species of Cupressinoxylon, C. widdringtonioides. This is the first example of the fossil genus in South Africa. Only one member of the Cupressaceae s.l. occurs in southern Africa today. From the wide and indistinct growth rings in the fossil wood it can be deduced that the local climate was warm and humid with little or no seasonality, in support of global records of a warm Late Cretaceous. The preservation of the crater further signifies the low level of erosion the region has experienced since its emplacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A report on the skeletons of two individuals from the Malapa cave site in South Africa attributes them both to a new hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. However, our analysis of the specimens' mandibles indicates that Australopithecus sediba is not a 'Homo-like australopith', a transitional species between Australopithecus africanus and Homo. According to our results, the specimens represent two separate genera: Australopithecus and Homo. These genera are known to have jointly occupied sites, as seen in several early South African caves, so one cannot rule out the possibility that Malapa also contains remains of the two taxa. Our results lead us to additionally conclude that all the Australopithecus species on which the relevant mandibular anatomy is preserved (not only the 'robust' australopiths but also the 'gracile' - more generalised - ones) are too specialised to constitute an evolutionary ancestor of Homo sapiens. Furthermore, given that the Malapa site contains representatives of two hominin branches, one of which appears to be Homo, we must seek evidence of our origins much earlier than the date assigned to Malapa, approximately 2 million years before present. Support for this claim can be found in Ethiopian fossils attributed to the genus Homo and dated at 2.4 and 2.8 million years before present. Significance: • The proposed hominin species Australopithecus sediba, from the Malapa Cave in South Africa, seems to actually consist of two species, each of which represents a different hominin genus: Homo and Australopithecus. If, indeed, this is the case, Homo must have originated prior to the Malapa remains, contrary to the scenario suggested in the original report on Au. sediba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hondeklip Bay is a Zanclean, early Pliocene, locality in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Cetacean fauna from Hondeklip Bay includes the mysticetes: Balaenopteridae indet. (sp. 1), cf. Eschrichtius sp., Balaenopteridae indet., cf. Plesiobalaenoptera, Balaenidae indet., and the odontocetes: Physeteroidea indet, cf. Livyatan, and an unidentified neonate delphinid. Hondeklip shares a seal and cetacean taxon with Langebaanweg, which is 430 km to the south. Cf. Eschrichtius sp. from Hondeklip Bay is the first description of the taxon from South Africa and it also has the first balaenid described from South Africa. Its cetacean fauna also strengthens the links of South Africa's west coast with the Atlantic of Europe and North America, and eastern North and South Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coombs Hill, a new fossil locality in the Witpoort Formation (Witteberg Group) of South Africa, preserves a record of Famennian (Late Devonian) life in Gondwana. Fossil plants collected at Coombs Hill are preliminarily assigned to several classes. Shelly invertebrates include a variety of bivalve mollusc forms, some of which appear to be preserved in life position. Biodiversity at Coombs Hill is comparable to that of the well-known Waterloo Farm lagerstätte in ordinal diversity, but exhibits differences in species composition. Ongoing taxonomic analysis will provide a rare window into the ecology of high-latitude environments during this pivotal stage of Earth history, which immediately preceded the end-Devonian extinction. Sandstone dominated sedimentary facies at Coombs Hill suggest a high-energy coastal marine setting, with brackish back-barrier estuarine/lagoonally derived fossiliferous mudstones. Exact stratigraphic placement within the Witpoort Formation is hampered by structural deformation, and precise age comparisons with Waterloo Farm are currently tenuous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 3000 seabed prehistoric sites globally have been discovered by archaeologists. Sites submerged by deglaciating rise of the sea and showing hominin remains of various dates have been found off the coasts of China, Japan, South Africa, throughout the Mediterranean, off the coasts of all European countries, and off American coasts. The age range is from 5000 years to over 300,000 years. Most sites date from the post-glacial 20,000 years. The majority of submerged sites were found by chance and then studied by academic researchers. The archaeology of finds and stratified deposits has been integrated into geophysical and sedimentary mapping of the shelf, including paleo-environmental landscapes. The development of marine-based diets and exploitation of coastal marine resources at dates earlier than 5000 BP can only be studied at submerged prehistoric sites. Seabed sites can preserve organics such as wood, bone, and textiles. The evidence for coastwise migration or diffusion of populations has been considered on submerged shelves such as the southern Red Sea, SE Asia, and Beringia. Most known deposits, especially stratified deposits, are on broad low gradient continental shelves, usually where the terrain is undulating, or in large coastal inlets, marginal seas, ria valleys, and in the shelter of islands or archipelagos. No sites have been found in the global tropical zone. Research in some countries has been promoted by collaboration between marine geoscience institutions and archaeological institutes and university departments. Priorities of research targets in Europe are human response to sea level change, origins of marine resource exploitation, migration routes on the continental shelf, early seafaring, earliest phases of coastal sedentism, and paleo-landscapes. Research on the seabed has proved that a wide range of fundamental questions related to archaeology and paleo-anthropology can already be studied efficiently underwater with valuable academic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This classroom exercise utilizes a free mobile virtual reality app to introduce students to (1) the process by which paleoanthropologists find and interpret fossils, (2) the importance of two recent hominin fossil finds in the Cradle of Humankind of South Africa, and (3) the variety of science careers that contribute to paleoanthropological research. Before their virtual field trip, learners are introduced to the Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba discoveries and to some of the researchers from the team through a collection of online resources. In the app, learners explore and find fossils in the Dinaledi Chamber of Rising Star Cave in South Africa, where the first fossils of H. naledi were found. Postexploration analysis and reflection prompts encourage learners to consider how researchers decide how and where to excavate, which skills are needed to study our human origins, and why this research is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two probable tracks have been identified on the ceiling of a small overhang in the Pleistocene Langebaan Formation on South Africa's west coast. They may have been made by a hominin trackmaker. They appear to have been registered at walking speed on a level, sandy dune substrate. Three tracks, attributed to Homo sapiens, were previously identified near Langebaan in 1995, and were popularly labelled 'Eve's Footprints'. The new identification of possible hominin tracks near Langebaan is the second from South Africa's west coast. This discovery adds to the sparse but growing global record of possible hominin tracks preserved in aeolianites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil wood is described from the Late Permian Middleton Formation, Adelaide Subgroup, Beaufort Group of the Karoo Supergroup in the Easter Cape Province, South Africa. The wood consists of in situ tree trunks up to 9 m long, partially enclosed in fine-grained sandstone surrounded by argillaceous mudstone and siltstone. The strata are poorly exposed due to the eroded and denuded land surface. All are lying horizontally and none are in upright growth positions. Comparisons of the study site lithologies with known surrounding Middleton Formation lithostratigraphy supports the interpretation that the palaeoenvironment responsible for the transport and deposition of the fossil wood was fluvial, with sandstone representing in-channel deposits and the mudstone-siltstone flood plain sequences where the trees were originally located before being uprooted and transported within the channels. Thin sections of twentynine wood samples revealed the presence of four existing taxa, Agathoxylon africanum, Agathoxylon karooensis, Australoxylon natalense and Australoxylon teixeirae. Growth rings of all the samples show a wide range of ring width from 1 mm to 11 mm, indicating growth under suitable climatic regimes with adequate water supply interspersed by very wet and warm periods. Crushed earlywood, s-shaped cell walls and torn cell walls suggest felling of trees during storm and/or flood events followed by sedimentary transport in palaeochannels prior deposition within the channel sands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new Pleistocene hominin tracksites have been identified on the Cape south coast of South Africa, one in the Garden Route National Park and two in the Goukamma Nature Reserve, probably dating to Marine Isotope Stage 5. As a result, southern Africa now boasts six hominin tracksites, which are collectively the oldest sites in the world that are attributed to Homo sapiens. The tracks were registered on dune surfaces, now preserved in aeolianites. Tracks of varying size were present at two sites, indicating the presence of more than one trackmaker, and raising the possibility of family groups. A total of 18 and 32 tracks were recorded at these two sites, respectively. Ammoglyphs were present at one site. Although track quality was not optimal, and large aeolianite surface exposures are rare in the region, these sites prove the capacity of coastal aeolianites to yield such discoveries, and they contribute to what remains a sparse global hominin track record. It is evident that hominin tracks are more common in southern Africa than was previously supposed. Significance: * Three new Pleistocene hominin trackways have been identified on the Cape south coast, bringing the number of known fossil hominin tracksites in southern Africa to six. * The tracks were all registered on dune surfaces, now preserved as aeolianites. * These are the six oldest tracksites in the world that are attributed to Homo sapiens. * Hominin tracks are more common in southern Africa than was previously supposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unconsolidated mud clast breccia facies in the hominin‐bearing (Homo naledi) Rising Star Cave, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, are interpreted to have formed through a process termed sedimentary autobrecciation in this study. This process, by which most of the angular mud clast breccia deposits are thought to have formed autochthonously to para‐autochthonously via a combination of erosion, desiccation, diagenesis and microbial alteration of laminated mud deposits, is thought to have taken place under relatively dry (i.e. non‐flooded) conditions inside the cave. Subsequently, gravitational slumping and collapse was the dominant mechanism that produced the mud clast breccia deposits, which commonly accumulate into debris aprons. The mud clast breccia is typically associated with (micro) mammal fossils and is a common facies throughout the cave system, occurring in lithified and unlithified form. This facies has not been described from other cave localities in the Cradle of Humankind. Additionally, sedimentary autobrecciation took place during the deposition of some of the fossils within the Rising Star Cave, including the abundant Homo naledi skeletal remains found in the Dinaledi Subsystem. Reworking of the mud clast breccia deposits occurs in some chambers as they slump towards floor drains, resulting in the repositioning of fossils embedded in the breccias as evidenced by cross‐cutting manganese staining lines on some Homo naledi fossil remains. The formation of the unlithified mud clast breccia deposits is a slow process, with first order formation rates estimated to be ca 8 × 10−4 mm year−1. The slow formation of the unlithified mud clast breccia facies sediments and lack of laminated mud facies within these deposits, indicates that conditions in the Dinaledi Chamber were probably stable and dry for at least the last ca 300 ka, meaning that this study excludes Homo naledi being actively transported by fluvial mechanisms during the time their remains entered the cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the initial discovery of Paranthropus robustus at the site of Kromdraai in 1938, the hypodigm of this species has been expanded by subsequent work at the localities of Swartkrans and Drimolen, with a few fossils also known from Cooper's D, Gondolin and Sterkfontein Member 5. Beginning in 2014, systematic excavations at Kromdraai uncovered a large and previously unknown fossiliferous area, shedding light on Units O and P in the earliest part of the site's stratigraphic sequence. The aim of this paper is to provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of 30 P. robustus craniodental specimens recovered between 2014 and 2017 within the Unit P deposits at Kromdraai. This new sample predates all prior conspecific specimens found at this site (including the holotype of P. robustus from Kromdraai, TM 1517). Its basic dental morphology dimensions and cranial features are compared in a preliminary analysis with other P. robustus samples. The P. robustus sample from Kromdraai Unit P documents previously unknown portions of the P. robustus juvenile cranium. The new dental and cranial remains aid in the exploration of potential morphological distinctions between site-specific P. robustus samples and are compared favorably in size and morphology with the small P. robustus specimens from Drimolen (e.g., DNH 7). These findings do not support the hypothesis that the specimens from Drimolen belong to a different taxonomic group. Instead, they reinforce the presence of a significant degree of sexual dimorphism within P. robustus. The Kromdraai Unit P specimens also contribute to the biodemographic profile of P. robustus. The notable prevalence of infants (i.e., juvenile individuals before the emergence of their first permanent molars) mirrors the natural mortality profiles observed in wild chimpanzees. This suggests a closer resemblance in the processes of accumulation in Kromdraai Unit P and Drimolen than at Swartkrans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New fossil lungfish remains comprising two parasphenoids, tooth plates and scales from the Famennian Witpoort Formation of South Africa are described. From the parasphenoid material, which bears similarity to Oervigia and Sagenodus but is nevertheless unique, a new genus, Isityumzi mlomomde gen. et sp. nov. is erected. Tooth plates and scales from the same locality may be conspecific but are not yet assigned until further material becomes available. The tooth plates closely resemble those of some taxa in the Carboniferous genus Ctenodus. The new taxon is significant as only the second Devonian lungfish described from the African continent, and for hailing from the high-latitude (polar) Waterloo Farm environment situated close to 70° south during the Famennian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ cosmogenic nuclides are an important tool for quantifying landscape evolution and dating fossil‐bearing deposits in the Cradle of Humankind (CoH), South Africa. This technique mainly employs cosmogenic 10‐Beryllium (10Be) in river sediments to estimate denudation rates and the ratio of 26‐Aluminium (26Al) to 10Be (26Al/10Be), to constrain ages of sediment burial. Here, we use 10Be and 26Al concentrations in bedrock and soil above the Rising Star Cave (the discovery site of Homo naledi) to constrain the denudation rate and the exposure history of soil on the surface. Apparent 10Be‐derived denudation rates obtained from pebble‐ to cobble‐sized clasts and coarse‐sand in soil (on average 3.59 ± 0.27 m/Ma and 3.05 ± 0.25 m/Ma, respectively) are 2‐3 times lower than the bedrock denudation rates (on average 9.46 ± 0.68 m/Ma). In addition, soil samples yield an average 26Al/10Be ratio (5.12 ± 0.27) that is significantly lower than the surface production ratio of 6.75, which suggests complex exposure histories. These results are consistent with prolonged surface residence of up to 1.5 Ma in vertically mixed soils that are up to 3 m thick. We conclude that the 10Be concentrations accumulated in soils during the long near‐surface residence times can potentially cause underestimation of single‐nuclide (10Be) catchment‐wide denudation rates in the CoH. Further, burial ages of cave sediment samples that consist of an amalgamation of sand‐size quartz grains could be overestimated if a pre‐burial 26Al/10Be ratio calculated from the surface production is assumed. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 130 late Pleistocene trackway sites from the coastal eolianites and beach deposits of the Cape south coast, South Africa, have previously mostly yielded tracks of large mammals and birds. However, two sites east of Still Bay, and a third near Garden Route National Park, yield distinctive trackways of hatchling sea turtles, made during the short posthatching (postemergence) interval when the trackmakers headed for the sea. One assemblage of approximately parallel trackways indicates smaller loggerhead turtle hatchlings, with alternating gaits, and contrasts with a wider trackway indicating a leatherback turtle hatchling. These are the world's first reports of fossil traces that document this brief "run-for the-sea" phenomenon. They help delineate late Pleistocene sea turtle breeding ranges and indicate climatic conditions along the Cape south coast. Ichnotaxonomically defined swim tracks of large adult sea turtles are known from a few Mesozoic sites. Likewise, walking and swim traces of terrestrial freshwater turtles are also known from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. However, as no ichnotaxonomy exists for these diagnostic hatchling trails, we assign the trackways of the inferred loggerheads to the new ichnotaxon Australochelichnus agulhasii ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., and the inferred leatherback trackway to Marinerichnus latus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone reactivity offers a potential way to record local physical–chemical conditions prevailing in fossilization environments and archaeological sites. In the present study, a series of fossil bone samples from the karstic environments of the Bolt's Farm cave system (Cradle of Humankind, South Africa) and from fluvio‐lacustrine environments of the Tugen Hills (Gregory Rift, Kenya) is analysed. The chemical composition and infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic properties of fossil samples point to a transformation of the biogenic apatite and formation of secondary apatite. Depending on the sample, the secondary apatite corresponds to a carbonate‐bearing hydroxy‐ or fluor‐apatite. The maximum fraction of secondary apatite is close to 60%, coinciding with previous observations in experimental alteration of bone in aqueous solutions and suggesting that a fraction of pristine biological apatite is likely to be preserved. The present results also suggest that the acetic acid treatment of fossil samples moderately increases their average crystallinity but may dissolve carbonate‐rich domains of secondary apatite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Drimolen Palaeocave System in the 'Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa' UNESCO World Heritage Site is well known for numerous remains of early hominins such as Paranthropus robustus and early Homo. These hominin fossils, along with bone tools and notably diverse accumulation of non-hominin primates and fauna, have all been excavated from the 'Main Quarry' area of the site where extensive lime-mining took place. Here we report the first radiometric age of 1.712 ± 0.269 Ma for hominin bearing deposits associated with the DNH7 Paranthropus robustus cranium in the Main Quarry area of the site, which is consistent with recent biochronological estimates. This age is similar to recent estimates for Swartkrans Member 1 Hanging Remnant (somewhere between 2.3 and 1.8 Ma) which also contains Paranthropus and early Homo. Simultaneously, we integrate the newly radiometrically dated Main Quarry deposits with a new fossil deposit, the Drimolen Makondo, discovered in 2013, that is situated some 50 m up the hill to the west from the Main Quarry. It has experienced only limited disturbance from mining but much more extensive erosion. Preliminary excavations and analysis have revealed that the Makondo infill is older than the Main Quarry, dating to 2.706 ± 0.428 Ma. Its greater age is confirmed by biochronology. The Makondo thus overlap with the suggested end of deposition of Australopithecus bearing Sterkfontein deposits, although it is yet to yield any hominin remains. These new dates for the two Drimolen Palaeocave System deposits indicates that, contrary to prior age estimates, the Drimolen site as a whole records the critical hominin and faunal turnover in South African palaeocommunities that occurred around 2.3–1.7 Ma. Finally, as the Drimolen Makondo represents a rare example of a pre-2 Ma fossil bearing deposit in the Gauteng exposures of the Malmani dolomite, we also integrate our results into the greater South African record of palaeodeposit formation (most of which occur between ∼2.0 and 1.0 Ma). An analysis of the age of palaeocave infillings across the Malmani dolomite suggests that, as is classically the case with karst, the height within the dolomite is broadly correlated to their age, although with some notable exceptions that are likely related to localised geological features. Our analysis also indicates that most caves have undergone some form of secondary karstification related to a younger phase of cave formation, contrasting with models that suggest the cavities all formed at the same time and that infill is related to erosion and the opening up of cave passages. As such, the reason that few pre-2 Ma deposits have been identified in the Gauteng exposures of the Malmani dolomite is probably because these older caves have been eroded away. Identifying such early caves is critical in understanding whether earlier hominins may have once existed in South Africa or if erosion of older deposits (or an absence of speleogenesis at this time) has made such early periods absent from the geological record. • The first radiometric age (∼ <2.0->1.4Ma) for the DNH7 Paranthropus robustus cranium. • Describes a new older fossil deposit (∼<3.1->2.3 Ma) from Drimolen. • An age for the first documented overlap of two species of Dinofelis in S. Africa. • A new model for cave formation in the Cradle of Humankind (S. Africa). • A model for understanding geological bias in the S. African hominin record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abundant femoral assemblage of Homo naledi found in the Dinaledi Chamber provides a unique opportunity to test hypotheses regarding the taxonomy, locomotion, and loading patterns of this species. Here we describe neck and shaft cross-sectional structure of all the femoral fossils recovered in the Dinaledi Chamber and compare them to a broad sample of fossil hominins, recent humans, and extant apes. Cross-sectional geometric (CSG) properties from the femoral neck (base of neck and midneck) and diaphysis (subtrochanteric region and midshaft) were obtained through CT scans for H. naledi and through CT scans or from the literature for the comparative sample. The comparison of CSG properties of H. naledi and the comparative samples shows that H. naledi femoral neck is quite derived with low superoinferior cortical thickness ratio and high relative cortical area. The neck appears superoinferiorly elongated because of two bony pilasters on its superior surface. Homo naledi femoral shaft shows a relatively thick cortex compared to the other hominins. The subtrochanteric region of the diaphysis is mediolaterally elongated resembling early hominins while the midshaft is anteroposteriorly elongated, indicating high mobility levels. In term of diaphyseal robusticity, the H. naledi femur is more gracile that other hominins and most apes. Homo naledi shows a unique combination of characteristics in its femur that undoubtedly indicate a species committed to terrestrial bipedalism but with a unique loading pattern of the femur possibly consequence of the unique postcranial anatomy of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sterkfontein Caves is currently the world's richest Australopithecus -bearing site. Included in Sterkfontein's hominin assemblage is StW 573 ('Little Foot'), a near-complete Australopithecus skeleton discovered in Member 2 in the Silberberg Grotto. Because of its importance to the fossil hominin record, the geological age of StW 573 has been the subject of significant debate. Three main hypotheses have been proposed regarding the formation and age of Member 2 and by association StW 573. The first proposes that Member 2 (as originally defined in the type section in the Silberberg Grotto) started to accumulate at around 2.58 Ma and that the unit is contained within the Silberberg Grotto. The second proposes that Member 2 started forming before 3.67 ± 0.16 Ma and that the deposit extends into the Milner Hall and close to the base of the cave system. The third proposes a 'two-stage burial scenario', in which some sediments and StW 573 represent a secondary and mixed-age accumulation reworked from a higher cave. The stratigraphic and sedimentological implications of these hypotheses are tested here through the application of a multiscale investigation of Member 2, with reference to the taphonomy of the StW 573 skeleton. The complete infilling sequence of Member 2 is described across all exposures of the deposit in the Silberberg Grotto and into the Milner Hall. Sediments are generally stratified and conformably deposited in a sequence of silty sands eroded from well-developed lateritic soils on the landscape surface. Voids, clasts and bioclasts are organized consistently across and through Member 2 conforming with the underlying deposit geometry, indicating gradual deposit accretion with no distinct collapse facies evident and only localized intra-unit postdepositional modification. The stratigraphy and sedimentology of Member 2 support a simple single-stage accumulation process of Member 2 and a primary association between the sediments of Member 2 and the StW 573 'Little Foot' skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavations in the Lesedi Chamber (U.W. 102) of the Rising Star cave system from 2013 to 2015 resulted in the recovery of 131 fossils representing at least three individuals attributed to Homo naledi. Hominin fossils were recovered from three collection areas within the Lesedi Chamber. A partial skull with near complete dentition (LES1) and an associated partial skeleton were recovered from Area 102a, while craniodental remains from two other individuals were recovered from Areas 102b and 102c. Here we present detailed anatomical descriptions and metrical comparisons of the Lesedi Chamber H. naledi craniodental remains that preserve diagnostic morphology. The LES1 skull is a presumed male that is slightly larger in size, and shows greater development of ectocranial structures compared to other H. naledi specimens from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave system. Otherwise the Lesedi fossils are notably similar to the Dinaledi fossils in shape and morphology. The Lesedi fossils also preserve the delicate nasal and lacrimal bones that are otherwise unrecorded in the Dinaledi sample. Limited morphological differences between the Dinaledi and Lesedi Chamber hominin samples provides support for the hypothesis that these two assemblages share a close phyletic relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract New pollen evidence and a review of past palynological research at the Pleistocene Florisbad thermal spring mound, which produced faunal, hominin and archaeological remains, allow a reconstruction of past conditions in the central Free State grassland, South Africa. Pollen sequences at the spring consist of alternating pollen-rich organic peaty horizons interrupted by hiatuses or pollen-poor layers of sandy and clayey deposits. The paleoclimatic interpretation of pollen sequences in springs like Florisbad, which contain a mixture of local and regional pollen and are influenced by spring mound cycles and changes in swamp configuration, requires consideration of taphonomy and site geomorphology to separate local from regional influences. By correlating the pollen stratigraphy in different parts of the site we suggest that the lower layers containing the Florisbad hominin (dated to 259 ka) and its associated Middle Pleistocene fauna, experienced cool moist and grassy conditions. Dating of some of the overlying Middle Stone Age layers suggest that they encompass the Last Interglacial period (MIS 5e; ca. 124–119 ka). In these levels the pollen evidence of upland fynbos shrubs unexpectedly suggests that cool conditions prevailed. This raises questions about the taphonomy, precision of the age estimate of occupation or the way we interpret pollen spectra. Highlights • Review palynology of rare hominin bearing spring mound in South Africa. • Reconcile contradictory palynological and geomorphological evidence from a spring site. • Investigate the relation between pollen taphonomy and spring topography. • Reconstruct environments of Middle Stone Age tools and fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Late Miocene, Africa experienced a number of ecological transitions including the spread of C 4 grasslands, the expansion of the Sahara Desert, the Messinian Salinity Crisis and a number of mammalian migrations and expansions, including the origin of the hominin clade. A detailed understanding of the relationship between environmental change and hominin evolution is hampered by the paucity of data available from terrestrial localities, especially in southern Africa. Here, we present a stable isotope and trace element record from a speleothem from the South African cave site of Hoogland. Uranium-lead dating and magnetostratigraphy places the speleothem within the Messinian Age (7.25–5.33 Ma) of the Late Miocene, making it the oldest known cave deposit from the region near the UNESCO Fossil Hominids of South Africa World Heritage Site (locally known as the "Cradle of Humankind"). Low carbon isotope values indicate a predominantly C 3 vegetation in the vicinity of the cave throughout the period of speleothem growth. It is not possible to determine if this represents a C 3 grassland or a C 3 woodland, but it is clear that an equivalent C 3 -rich environment has yet to be found during the Messinian of east Africa. We conclude that the C 4 grass expansion occurred millions of years later in South Africa than it did in eastern Africa, and that this vegetation shift should be considered when comparing African vegetation change with the late Miocene hominin fossil record. • Speleothem from South Africa dated to late Messinian age, using U–Pb methods. • Carbon isotopes indicate a predominantly C 3 vegetation at this time. • First savannah grasslands in southern Africa occur later than in eastern Africa. • Implications for early hominin environments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The craniomandibular morphology of Homo naledi shows variable resemblances with species across Homo , which confounds an easy assessment of its phylogenetic position. In terms of skull shape, H. naledi has its closest affinities with Homo erectus , while mandibular shape places it closer to early Homo. From a tooth crown perspective, the smaller molars of H. naledi make it distinct from early Homo and H. erectus. Here, we compare the mandibular molar root morphology of six H. naledi individuals from the Dinaledi Chamber to those of African and Eurasian Plio-Pleistocene fossil hominins (totalling 183 mandibular first, second and third molars). The analysis of five root metric variables (cervical plane area, root length, root cervix volume, root branch volume, and root surface area) derived from microCT reconstructions reveals that the molar roots of H. naledi are smaller than those of Homo habilis , Homo rudolfensis , and H. erectus , but that they resemble those of three Homo sp. specimens from Swartkrans and Koobi Fora in size and overall appearance. Moreover, though H. naledi molar roots are similar in absolute size to Pleistocene Homo sapiens , they differ from H. sapiens in having a larger root volume for a given cervical plane area and less taurodont roots; the root cervix-to-branch proportions of H. naledi are comparable to those of Australopithecus africanus and species of Paranthropus. H. naledi also shares a metameric root volume pattern (M 2 > M 3 > M 1) with Australopithecus and Paranthropus but not with any of the other Homo species (M 2 > M 1 > M 3). Our findings therefore concur with previous studies that found that H. naledi shares plesiomorphic features with early Homo , Australopithecus , and Paranthropus. While absolute molar root size aligns H. naledi with Homo from North and South Africa, it is distinguishable from these in terms of root volumetric proportions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Prevalence, location, size and structure of enamel pearls in recent humans reviewed. • Enamel pearl documented in 259,000 year-old fossil from Florisbad, South Africa. • Fossil is early Homo sapiens or member of evolutionary line ancestral to humans. • Florisbad pearl is the earliest evidence of this anomaly in the human fossil record. • Location, size and structure of fossil pearl consistent with these in recent humans. To document and describe the occurrence of an enamel pearl on the distal root surface of the maxillary M3 of the fossil hominin specimen from Florisbad, South Africa that is dated to ca. 259,000 years B.P., and is an early representative of Homo sapiens or as a member of the evolutionary line that was directly ancestral to modern humans. The molar was examined macroscopically and by micro-computed tomography (μ CT) to enable accurate measurement and visualization of the structure of the enamel pearl. The single pearl has a diameter of 0.97 mm; it is a Type 2 "composite" pearl comprising an enamel cap and dentine core without pulp chamber involvement. The size of the Florisbad pearl falls within or just below the size ranges of this anomaly in modern human samples. Type 2 pearls are most commonly encountered in recent human populations, and the location of the pearl on the distal root surface of the Florisbad M3 is consistent with its most frequent location in recent humans. Pearls in recent human populations affect between 0.2–4.8% of individuals, and 1.7–6.8% of permanent molars. Pearls have been documented in several prehistoric human dentitions, and all examples are less than 4000 years old. Enamel pearls have been associated with periodontal disease, but it is not possible to relate its presence to the advanced periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss in the Florisbad fossil. Florisbad presents the earliest evidence of this anomaly in the fossil record pertaining to modern humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bolt's Farm is a Plio-Pleistocene fossil site located within the southwestern corner of the UNESCO Hominid Fossil Sites of South Africa World Heritage Site. The site is a complex of active caves and more than 20 palaeokarst deposits or pits, many of which were exposed through the action of lime mining in the early 20th century. The pits represent heavily eroded cave systems, and as such associating the palaeocave sediments within and between the pits is difficult, especially as little geochronological data exists. These pits and the associated lime miner's rubble were first explored by palaeoanthropologists in the late 1930s, but as yet no hominin material has been recovered. The first systematic mapping was undertaken by Frank Peabody as part of the University of California Africa Expedition (UCAE) in 1947-1948. A redrawn version of the map was not published until 1991 by Basil Cooke and this has subsequently been used and modified by recent researchers. Renewed work in the 2000s used Cooke's map to try and relocate the original fossil deposits. However, Peabody's map does not include all the pits and caves, and thus in some cases this was successful, while in others previously sampled pits were inadvertently given new names. This was compounded by the fact that new fossil bearing deposits were discovered in this new phase, causing confusion in associating the 1940s fossils with the deposits from which they originated; as well as associating them with the recently excavated material. To address this, we have used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to compare Peabody's original map with subsequently published maps. This highlighted transcription errors between maps, most notably the location of Pit 23, an important palaeontological deposit given the recovery of well-preserved primate crania (Parapapio, Cercopithecoides) and partial skeletons of the extinct felid Dinofelis. We conducted the first drone and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey of Bolt's Farm. Using legacy data, highresolution aerial imagery, accurate DGPS survey and GIS, we relocate the original fossil deposits and propose a definitive and transparent naming strategy for Bolt's Farm, based on the original UCAE Pit numbers. We provide datum points and a new comprehensive, georectified map to facilitate spatially accurate fossil collection for all future work. Additionally, we have collated recently published faunal data with historic fossil data to evaluate the biochronological potential of the various deposits. This suggests that the palaeocave deposits in different pits formed at different times with the occurrence of Equus in some pits implying ages of <2.3 Ma, whereas more primitive suids (Metridiochoerus) hint at a terminal Pliocene age for other deposits. This study highlights that Bolt's Farm contains rare South African terminal Pliocene fossil deposits and creates a framework for future studies of the deposits and previously excavated material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Haasgat fossil-bearing karstic system is situated within the Skurweberg Mountain range in the northeastern portion of the Fossil Hominids of South Africa UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa. As is the case for the nearby Gondolin hominin locality, Haasgat occurs in an area of substantial modern topographic relief that contrasts with the low-relief landscape of the southwestern extent of the World Heritage Site surrounding the Blauubank Stream Valley sites (e.g., Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, Bolt's Farm). This suggests differential landscape formation processes during the Neogene and potentially novel palaeoecosystems and taphonomic processes governing karstic fossil assemblage composition across even a small geographic region. This is particularly critical given the overall paucity of taphonomic data from the region, the substantial cercopithecoid primate assemblage that is uniquely dominated by the basal baboon species Papio angusticeps, and the recent announcement of the first hominin specimen from Haasgat. Here we provide the first comprehensive taphonomic analysis of the Haasgat HGD faunal assemblage that was developed from ex situ calcified sediment blocks in the 1990s. There is direct evidence for biotic activity (e.g., large-bodied carnivores and porcupines) mediating the formation of parts of the HGD faunal assemblage, including at least part of the primate craniodental and postcranial sample. There is minimal evidence for pre-depositional element UV exposure and weathering or winnowing of the assemblage, but there is abiotic distortion and crushing of elements. Our analysis has equally found that taphonomic data from the HGD assemblage is compromised by a modern 'overprint' of damage through mechanical preparation and a lack of documentation generated during sampling, processing, and initial curation. Nearly half the cortical surfaces and many dental specimens in the assemblage exhibit evidence of substantial preparation damage rendering many purported biotic modifications ambiguous or suspect. Element proportions may be artificially skewed towards craniodental specimens and more reflective of block selection and/or selective processing rather than original deposition composition. As a result, the Haasgat HGD sample provides only limited data on the depositional processes mediating karstic assemblage formation in the region, and ultimately serves as a cautionary tale of the impacts of palaeontological sampling strategies on subsequent analysis and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An apparently unique part of the Earlier Stone Age record of Africa are a series of bone tools dated to between ∼2 and ∼1 Ma from the sites of Olduvai in East Africa, and Swartkrans, Drimolen and Sterkfontein in South Africa. The South and East African bone tools are quite different, with the South African tools having a number of distinct characters formed through utilisation, whereas the East African tools are flaked tools that in some cases mirror stone tool production. The South African bone tools currently consists of 108 specimens from the three sites above. They have been interpreted as being used for digging into homogenous grained soil to access high quality food resources, or as a multi-purpose tools. It has generally been assumed that they were made by Paranthropus robustus , as this species is most often associated with bone tool bearing deposits, especially when high numbers occur. However, early Homo is also found at these sites. Here we report on two fossils from the Paranthopus robustus site of Kromdraai B, which has only yielded one stone tool to date, that have the same characteristic wear patterns as the bone tools identified at other sites. We also describe a small collection (N = 6) of the first stone tools recovered from the bone tool and Paranthropus and early Homo bearing site of Drimolen Main Quarry. These discoveries further increase the association between bone and stone tool technologies in the South African Earlier Stone Age. However, there remains no direct correlation between the occurrence of bone or stone tools and a particular species being found at the different sites. We then review the place of these bone tools within the South African archaeological record. They appear to be a consistent part of the South African record for around a million years or so between <∼2.3 and >∼0.8 Ma. While they change little over this time, they occur with both Oldowan and Acheulian assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gondolin palaeokarstic system, located in the UNESCO Fossil Hominids of South Africa World Heritage Site, has been sporadically excavated since the 1970s. Sampling of ex situ dumpsites in 1997 recovered the only two fossil hominin specimens recovered thus far from Gondolin. While one partial mandibular molar (GA 1) remains unattributed, the complete mandibular second molar (GA 2) represents the largest Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938 tooth identified to date. While subsequent excavations and research at Gondolin has clarified the geological, temporal, taphonomic, and palaeoecologic context for the in situ deposits, this paper presents the first comprehensive description of the fossil assemblage 'associated' with the two ex situ hominins. Analysis of 42 calcified sediment blocks and naturally decalcified sediments excavated from three cubic metres of the Dump A deposits reinforce that the dump contains a heterogeneous aggregation of materials from across the Gondolin sedimentary deposits. A total of 15,250 individual fossil specimens were processed (via sifting or acetic-acid mediated processing of calcified sediment blocks), yielding a faunal record that largely mirrors that described from either (or both) the GD 1 and GD 2 in situ assemblages but includes representatives of four novel mammal groups (Families Cercopithecidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Giraffidae) not recorded in either in situ sample. While basic assemblage characteristics including primary taphonomic data is presented, analysis and interpretation is limited by the ex situ origin of the sample. Ultimately, these results reinforce that the substantial mining-mediated obliteration of palaeokarstic deposits at Gondolin continue to obscure a clear association between the Gondolin Dump A hominins and any of the sampled and dated in situ deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-known South African mid-Pleistocene site of Elandsfontein has yielded an abundance of fossil fauna and artifacts (ca. 1 to 0.6 million years ago) and has produced hominin fossils, specifically a calvarium and mandibular fragment often assigned to the species Homo heidelbergensis . Elandsfontein is located within the Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, in an area that is today dry, hot, and covered by marine-derived sand dunes. It is primarily vegetated by woody shrubs and sedges of the fynbos biome with minimal amounts of grass. In contrast, the Elandsfontein faunal assemblage from the mid-Pleistocene is rich in large mammalian grazing herbivores, indicating that past environment and ecology was substantially different from that of today. It is unknown whether these animals survived on local vegetation, suggesting a substantially different landscape and ecology from today, or if they migrated to nonlocal, nutrient-rich areas to obtain food, such as to the shale substrates ~ 20 to 30 km inland from Elandsfontein, where palatable grass and shrubs grow today. The strontium isotope ratios ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) of fossil teeth provide insights into the ranges of the animals recovered from Elandsfontein because they reflect the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of plants consumed by these animals, which in turn reflect the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of the substrates (or soils) in which those plants grew. We measured 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in 24 fossilized teeth (158 measurements) from Elandsfontein and compared these ratios with the bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr from major substrates in the region to determine if the large mammalian herbivores obtained sufficient resources locally (i.e., teeth reflect local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) or if they traveled inland to find food. The distribution of bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for coastal marine sands range from 0.709380 to 0.711690; most of this range is lower than the bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for granite, sandstone, and shale substrates in the region which range from 0.711421 to 0.723563. 87 Sr /86 Sr of fossil teeth of carnivores, large herbivores, and rodents from Elandsfontein fall within the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range of the marine sands. Our results indicate localized habitation patterns for a diversity of large African mammals, including communities of grazing herbivores, and a resource-rich environment that made mid-Pleistocene Elandsfontein and coastal southwestern South Africa attractive to hominins for which there is no modern analogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 150 hominin teeth, dated to ∼330–241 thousand years ago, were recovered during the 2013–2015 excavations of the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave system, South Africa. These fossils comprise the first large single-site sample of hominin teeth from the Middle Pleistocene of Africa. Though scattered remains attributable to Homo sapiens , or their possible lineal ancestors, are known from older and younger sites across the continent, the distinctive morphological feature set of the Dinaledi teeth supports the recognition of a novel hominin species, Homo naledi. This material provides evidence of African Homo lineage diversity that lasts until at least the Middle Pleistocene. Here, a catalog, anatomical descriptions, and details of preservation and taphonomic alteration are provided for the Dinaledi teeth. Where possible, provisional associations among teeth are also proposed. To facilitate future research, we also provide access to a catalog of surface files of the Rising Star jaws and teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millipede fossils of late Permian to Early Triassic age are exceptionally rare worldwide. Two specimens of Triassic millipedes, both associated with multitaxic tetrapod aggregations, have previously been reported from the South African Karoo Basin. Taxa associated with millipede fossils include the cynodont Galesaurus planiceps and the parareptile Saurodektes kitchingorum (previously Owenetta kitchingorum). Here we report and briefly describe three new millipede- tetrapod associations from the Early Triassic Lystrosaurus declivis Assemblage Zone. The first includes two millipedes associated with an articulated small therocephalian Scaloposaurus constrictus , the second comprises an articulated skeleton of the dicynodont Lystrosaurus murrayi with a single millipede, and the third contains an articulated Lystrosaurus sp. specimen, also with a single millipede. In all specimens the high degree of skeletal articulation which, coupled with in-situ preservation of delicate bones and millipede exoskeletons, suggest rapid burial soon after death, and likely that they died in a place protected from weathering and agents of dispersal. Possible hypotheses to explain the presence of millipedes closely associated with articulated tetrapod skeletons include: shelter sharing, predator-prey accumulations, and postmortem scavenging by the millipedes. Of these, our taphonomic interpretation favours the latter. Within the Karoo Supergroup, the appearance of millipede fossils in the uppermost Balfour and lower Katberg formations suggests that the scarcity of plant detritus on the Karoo floodplains in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event may have contributed to millipedes switching to a more scavenging feeding strategy. • We report three new Lower Triassic tetrapod-millipede associations from South Africa. • This brings the number of reported Karoo tetrapod-millipede associations to five. • Associated tetrapod genera are Saurodektes , Galesaurus , Scaloposaurus and Lystrosaurus. • Our taphonomic interpretation favours postmortem scavenging by the millipedes. • Scarcity of plants in the Early Triassic led to millipedes changing food sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine early Homo sapiens fossils from the Late Pleistocene site of Klasies River Main Site, South Africa for evidence of hypercementosis. The specimens represent seven adult individuals dated to between 119,000 and 58,000 years ago. These observations are contextualized in relation to the incidences of hypercementosis among recent human populations and fossil human samples and the potential etiologies of hypercementosis. The fossils were investigated utilizing micro-CT and nano-CT scanning to visualize and measure cementum apposition on permanent incisor, premolar and molar roots. Cementum thickness was measured at mid-root level, and the volume of the cementum sleeve was calculated for the two fossil specimens that display marked hypercementosis. Two of the fossils display no evidence of cementum hypertrophy. Three exhibit moderate cementum thickening, barely attaining the quantitative threshold for hypercementosis. Two evince marked hypercementosis. One of the Klasies specimens with marked hypercementosis is judged to be an older individual with periapical abscessing. The second specimen is a younger adult, and seemingly similar in age to other Klasies fossils that exhibit only minimal cementum apposition. However, this second specimen exhibits dento-alveolar ankylosis of the premolar and molars. These two fossils from Klasies River Main Site provide the earliest manifestation of hypercementosis in Homo sapiens. • Early Homo sapiens fossils from South Africa were examined for hypercementosis. • Two of seven specimens from Klasies River Main Site exhibited marked hypercementosis. • One of these had periapical abscesses; the other had dento-alveolar ankylosis. • This is the earliest evidence to date for hypercementosis in Homo sapiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the recovery of Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system, the Middle Pleistocene fossil record in Africa was particularly sparse. With the large sample size now available from Dinaledi, the opportunity exists to reassess taxonomically ambiguous teeth unearthed at the nearby site of Sterkfontein. Teeth recovered from Lincoln Cave South and area L/63 at Sterkfontein have been considered 'most probably Homo ergaster' and 'perhaps Archaic Homo sapiens', respectively. Given the similarities shared between Lincoln Cave, area L/63, and the Dinaledi Chamber with regard to climatic/geologic depositional context and age, two teeth from the former sites, StW 592 and StW 585 respectively, were compared with corresponding tooth types of H. naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber. The results of our study indicate that the Lincoln Cave and area L/63 teeth are morphologically inconsistent with the variation recognised in the H. naledi teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homo naledi is a recently discovered species of fossil hominin from South Africa. A considerable amount is already known about H. naledi but some important questions remain unanswered. Here we report a study that addressed two of them: “Where does H. naledi fit in the hominin evolutionary tree?” and “How old is it?” We used a large supermatrix of craniodental characters for both early and late hominin species and Bayesian phylogenetic techniques to carry out three analyses. First, we performed a dated Bayesian analysis to generate estimates of the evolutionary relationships of fossil hominins including H. naledi . Then we employed Bayes factor tests to compare the strength of support for hypotheses about the relationships of H. naledi suggested by the best-estimate trees. Lastly, we carried out a resampling analysis to assess the accuracy of the age estimate for H. naledi yielded by the dated Bayesian analysis. The analyses strongly supported the hypothesis that H. naledi forms a clade with the other Homo species and Australopithecus sediba . The analyses were more ambiguous regarding the position of H. naledi within the ( Homo , Au. sediba ) clade. A number of hypotheses were rejected, but several others were not. Based on the available craniodental data, Homo antecessor , Asian Homo erectus , Homo habilis , Homo floresiensis , Homo sapiens , and Au. sediba could all be the sister taxon of H. naledi . According to the dated Bayesian analysis, the most likely age for H. naledi is 912 ka. This age estimate was supported by the resampling analysis. Our findings have a number of implications. Most notably, they support the assignment of the new specimens to Homo , cast doubt on the claim that H. naledi is simply a variant of H. erectus , and suggest H. naledi is younger than has been previously proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]