Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments
Bovids are usually the most common large mammal family encountered in archaeological accumulations from African sites. However, despite their dominant status in bone assemblages, there are proportionally very few taxonomic studies of the southern African material. Here, we provide the first updated...
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Elsevier
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Quaternary Environments and Humans |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950236524000082 |
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| author | Raphaël Hanon Christine Steininger |
| author_facet | Raphaël Hanon Christine Steininger |
| author_sort | Raphaël Hanon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bovids are usually the most common large mammal family encountered in archaeological accumulations from African sites. However, despite their dominant status in bone assemblages, there are proportionally very few taxonomic studies of the southern African material. Here, we provide the first updated overview of the Southern African Bovidae fossil record from the Miocene to the Holocene. We used the bovid faunal list from 95 deposits comprising 65 species to provide an updated biochronology based on bovid assemblages. We define six bovid units (“Standard Bovid Units”) that will help to estimate the geological age of future deposits. Interestingly, the refined biochronology based on bovid assemblages does not fundamentally change from previous large mammal biochronological systems provided for the Cenozoic of Southern Africa. This strengthens the fact that bovids are a powerful proxy for biochronology that are still relevant today and incredibly stable over time. Unsurprisingly, the palaeoecological analysis based on bovid assemblages confirms the global aridification of the African continent throughout the Quaternary. Moreover, we identified an important gap in the fossil record between 5.1 and 2.6 Ma, highlighting a need to pursue effort on fieldwork and to provide detailed taxonomic analysis of bovid bone assemblages systematically. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0f3390dcf5248b1b40886923fc3a9a0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2950-2365 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quaternary Environments and Humans |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0f3390dcf5248b1b40886923fc3a9a02025-08-20T02:46:50ZengElsevierQuaternary Environments and Humans2950-23652024-06-012310001010.1016/j.qeh.2024.100010Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironmentsRaphaël Hanon0Christine Steininger1Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; UMR 7194 (HNHP), MNHN/CNRS/UPVD, Alliance Sorbonne Université, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, Paris 75013, France; Corresponding author at: Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; GENUS: Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South AfricaBovids are usually the most common large mammal family encountered in archaeological accumulations from African sites. However, despite their dominant status in bone assemblages, there are proportionally very few taxonomic studies of the southern African material. Here, we provide the first updated overview of the Southern African Bovidae fossil record from the Miocene to the Holocene. We used the bovid faunal list from 95 deposits comprising 65 species to provide an updated biochronology based on bovid assemblages. We define six bovid units (“Standard Bovid Units”) that will help to estimate the geological age of future deposits. Interestingly, the refined biochronology based on bovid assemblages does not fundamentally change from previous large mammal biochronological systems provided for the Cenozoic of Southern Africa. This strengthens the fact that bovids are a powerful proxy for biochronology that are still relevant today and incredibly stable over time. Unsurprisingly, the palaeoecological analysis based on bovid assemblages confirms the global aridification of the African continent throughout the Quaternary. Moreover, we identified an important gap in the fossil record between 5.1 and 2.6 Ma, highlighting a need to pursue effort on fieldwork and to provide detailed taxonomic analysis of bovid bone assemblages systematically.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950236524000082PalaeontologyTaxonomyEnvironmentBiochronologyTaphonomy |
| spellingShingle | Raphaël Hanon Christine Steininger Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments Quaternary Environments and Humans Palaeontology Taxonomy Environment Biochronology Taphonomy |
| title | Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments |
| title_full | Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments |
| title_fullStr | Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments |
| title_short | Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments |
| title_sort | fossil bovidae mammalia artiodactyla from southern africa biochronology and palaeoenvironments |
| topic | Palaeontology Taxonomy Environment Biochronology Taphonomy |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950236524000082 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT raphaelhanon fossilbovidaemammaliaartiodactylafromsouthernafricabiochronologyandpalaeoenvironments AT christinesteininger fossilbovidaemammaliaartiodactylafromsouthernafricabiochronologyandpalaeoenvironments |