Evolving landscapes of our early South African ancestors

  • Herries, Andy I.R. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
  • Adams, Justin (Chief Investigator (CI))
  • Strait, David S. (Partner Investigator (PI))
  • Fink, David (Partner Investigator (PI))
  • Joannes-Boyau, Renaud (Chief Investigator (CI))
  • Menter, Colin G (Partner Investigator (PI))
  • Birkett-Rees, Jessie (Chief Investigator (CI))

Project: Research

Project Details

Project Description

This project aims to use a range of novel techniques to excavate, reconstruct and visualize the fossil and archaeological bearing cave sites of Drimolen, Haasgat and Bolt's Farm as well as the changing karst landscape and environment that surrounds them over the period between 2.6 and 1.8 million years. This time is marked by major faunal and environmental change with the extinction of more apelike human ancestors (Australopithecus) and the speciation of a very specialised human genus, Paranthropus as well as the origin of our own genus, Homo. We will use isotopic analysis to model changing dietary patterns and landscape use by these hominins, including the oldest known specimen of Homo eragster in the world, recently excavated at Drimolen.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date6/10/1731/12/20