Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory.
The emergence of lithic technology by ≈ 2.6 million years ago (Ma) is often interpreted as a correlate of increasingly recurrent hominin acquisition and consumption of animal remains. Associated faunal evidence, however, is poorly preserved prior to ≈ 1.8 Ma, limiting our understanding of early arch...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3636145?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818657937769365504 |
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| author | Joseph V Ferraro Thomas W Plummer Briana L Pobiner James S Oliver Laura C Bishop David R Braun Peter W Ditchfield John W Seaman Katie M Binetti John W Seaman Fritz Hertel Richard Potts |
| author_facet | Joseph V Ferraro Thomas W Plummer Briana L Pobiner James S Oliver Laura C Bishop David R Braun Peter W Ditchfield John W Seaman Katie M Binetti John W Seaman Fritz Hertel Richard Potts |
| author_sort | Joseph V Ferraro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of lithic technology by ≈ 2.6 million years ago (Ma) is often interpreted as a correlate of increasingly recurrent hominin acquisition and consumption of animal remains. Associated faunal evidence, however, is poorly preserved prior to ≈ 1.8 Ma, limiting our understanding of early archaeological (Oldowan) hominin carnivory. Here, we detail three large well-preserved zooarchaeological assemblages from Kanjera South, Kenya. The assemblages date to 2.0 Ma, pre-dating all previously published archaeofaunas of appreciable size. At Kanjera, there is clear evidence that Oldowan hominins acquired and processed numerous, relatively complete, small ungulate carcasses. Moreover, they had at least occasional access to the fleshed remains of larger, wildebeest-sized animals. The overall record of hominin activities is consistent through the stratified sequence - spanning hundreds to thousands of years - and provides the earliest archaeological evidence of sustained hominin involvement with fleshed animal remains (i.e., persistent carnivory), a foraging adaptation central to many models of hominin evolution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:49:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ecf2b80c088409083f6d8435e4f6656 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:49:25Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ecf2b80c088409083f6d8435e4f66562022-12-21T22:04:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0184e6217410.1371/journal.pone.0062174Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory.Joseph V FerraroThomas W PlummerBriana L PobinerJames S OliverLaura C BishopDavid R BraunPeter W DitchfieldJohn W SeamanKatie M BinettiJohn W SeamanFritz HertelRichard PottsThe emergence of lithic technology by ≈ 2.6 million years ago (Ma) is often interpreted as a correlate of increasingly recurrent hominin acquisition and consumption of animal remains. Associated faunal evidence, however, is poorly preserved prior to ≈ 1.8 Ma, limiting our understanding of early archaeological (Oldowan) hominin carnivory. Here, we detail three large well-preserved zooarchaeological assemblages from Kanjera South, Kenya. The assemblages date to 2.0 Ma, pre-dating all previously published archaeofaunas of appreciable size. At Kanjera, there is clear evidence that Oldowan hominins acquired and processed numerous, relatively complete, small ungulate carcasses. Moreover, they had at least occasional access to the fleshed remains of larger, wildebeest-sized animals. The overall record of hominin activities is consistent through the stratified sequence - spanning hundreds to thousands of years - and provides the earliest archaeological evidence of sustained hominin involvement with fleshed animal remains (i.e., persistent carnivory), a foraging adaptation central to many models of hominin evolution.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3636145?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Joseph V Ferraro Thomas W Plummer Briana L Pobiner James S Oliver Laura C Bishop David R Braun Peter W Ditchfield John W Seaman Katie M Binetti John W Seaman Fritz Hertel Richard Potts Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory. PLoS ONE |
| title | Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory. |
| title_full | Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory. |
| title_fullStr | Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory. |
| title_short | Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory. |
| title_sort | earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3636145?pdf=render |
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