Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa
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 co...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2020-09-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156 |
| _version_ | 1828430176886718464 |
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| author | Charles W. Helm Martin G. Lockley Hayley C. Cawthra Jan C. De Vynck Mark G. Dixon Carina J.Z. Helm Guy H.H. Thesen |
| author_facet | Charles W. Helm Martin G. Lockley Hayley C. Cawthra Jan C. De Vynck Mark G. Dixon Carina J.Z. Helm Guy H.H. Thesen |
| author_sort | Charles W. Helm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:44:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82967b5820da4f3389af363db2226fdd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:44:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-82967b5820da4f3389af363db2226fdd2022-12-22T01:39:17ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892020-09-011169/1010.17159/sajs.2020/8156Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South AfricaCharles W. Helm0Martin G. Lockley1Hayley C. Cawthra2Jan C. De Vynck3Mark G. Dixon4Carina J.Z. Helm5Guy H.H. Thesen6African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South AfricaDinosaur Trackers Research Group, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA1.African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; 2.Geophysics and Remote Sensing Unit, Council for Geoscience, Cape Town, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South AfricaThree 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.https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156Homo sapiensfossil tracksaeolianitessouthern AfricaPleistocene |
| spellingShingle | Charles W. Helm Martin G. Lockley Hayley C. Cawthra Jan C. De Vynck Mark G. Dixon Carina J.Z. Helm Guy H.H. Thesen Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa South African Journal of Science Homo sapiens fossil tracks aeolianites southern Africa Pleistocene |
| title | Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa |
| title_full | Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa |
| title_short | Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa |
| title_sort | newly identified hominin trackways from the cape south coast of south africa |
| topic | Homo sapiens fossil tracks aeolianites southern Africa Pleistocene |
| url | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156 |
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