Challenging the antiquity of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa: Geochronological evidence restricts the age of Eurotomys bolti and Parapapio to less than 2.3 Ma at Waypoint 160, Bolt's Farm.
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| Title: | Challenging the antiquity of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa: Geochronological evidence restricts the age of Eurotomys bolti and Parapapio to less than 2.3 Ma at Waypoint 160, Bolt's Farm. |
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| Authors: | Edwards, Tara R.1,2 (AUTHOR) tara.edwards@uct.ac.za, Pickering, Robyn1,2 (AUTHOR), Mallett, Tom L.3 (AUTHOR), Herries, Andy I.R.3,4 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Human Evolution. May2023, Vol. 178, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. |
| Subjects: | Human beings, Age, Farms, Pliocene Epoch, Petrology, Facies |
| Geographic Terms: | South Africa, Gauteng (South Africa) |
| Abstract: | Waypoint 160 is a paleocave at Bolt's Farm in the 'Cradle of Humankind,' South Africa. It is known for the novel murid taxa Eurotomys bolti, argued to be morphologically intermediate between Eurotomys pelomyoides from Langebaanweg (∼5.1 Ma) and the earliest Otomyinae from Makapansgat Limeworks (∼3.0–2.6 Ma). Based on the presence of this specimen, an age of ∼4.5 Ma was inferred for Waypoint 160, making it far older than other Cradle sites. This biochronological age was used to argue that Parapapio and Cercopithecoides fossils from Waypoint 160 were the oldest in the region. Here, we provide a detailed sedimentological context for the in-situ deposits at Waypoint 160. We have identified interior cave deposits, in contrast to other sites at Bolt's Farm. Petrography confirms that one unit (facies D) contains in-situ microfaunal fossils, indicating the likely provenience of the E. bolti specimen. Palaeomagnetic analysis shows four periods of magnetic polarity in the sequence. Using U–Pb ages as chronological pins, we argue that the upper part of the sequence records a polarity change at the end of the Olduvai subChron (1.78 Ma). The lower part of the sequence records a polarity shift from normal to reversed that likely relates to the Feni subChron (2.16–2.12 Ma), based on a basal flowstone U–Pb age of 2.269 ± 0.075 Ma. Together this points to a depositional window of ∼500 ka, with the Parapapio and E. bolti tentatively attributed to the micromammal fossil-bearing layers dating to ∼2.27–2.07 Ma. This has significant implications for other biochronological dates in South Africa, as E. bolti is now less than ∼2.27 Ma, younger than the oldest Otomyinae at Makapansgat Limeworks and thus not ancestral to them. This chronology for Waypoint 160 challenges the presence of older, early to mid-Pliocene deposits >3.20 Ma in the Gauteng portion of the Cradle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Human Evolution is the property of Academic Press Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Challenging the antiquity of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa: Geochronological evidence restricts the age of Eurotomys bolti and Parapapio to less than 2.3 Ma at Waypoint 160, Bolt's Farm. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Edwards%2C+Tara+R%2E%22">Edwards, Tara R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> tara.edwards@uct.ac.za</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pickering%2C+Robyn%22">Pickering, Robyn</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mallett%2C+Tom+L%2E%22">Mallett, Tom L.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Herries%2C+Andy+I%2ER%2E%22">Herries, Andy I.R.</searchLink><relatesTo>3,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Human+Evolution%22">Journal of Human Evolution</searchLink>. May2023, Vol. 178, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+beings%22">Human beings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age%22">Age</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Farms%22">Farms</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pliocene+Epoch%22">Pliocene Epoch</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Petrology%22">Petrology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Facies%22">Facies</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gauteng+%28South+Africa%29%22">Gauteng (South Africa)</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Waypoint 160 is a paleocave at Bolt's Farm in the 'Cradle of Humankind,' South Africa. It is known for the novel murid taxa Eurotomys bolti, argued to be morphologically intermediate between Eurotomys pelomyoides from Langebaanweg (∼5.1 Ma) and the earliest Otomyinae from Makapansgat Limeworks (∼3.0–2.6 Ma). Based on the presence of this specimen, an age of ∼4.5 Ma was inferred for Waypoint 160, making it far older than other Cradle sites. This biochronological age was used to argue that Parapapio and Cercopithecoides fossils from Waypoint 160 were the oldest in the region. Here, we provide a detailed sedimentological context for the in-situ deposits at Waypoint 160. We have identified interior cave deposits, in contrast to other sites at Bolt's Farm. Petrography confirms that one unit (facies D) contains in-situ microfaunal fossils, indicating the likely provenience of the E. bolti specimen. Palaeomagnetic analysis shows four periods of magnetic polarity in the sequence. Using U–Pb ages as chronological pins, we argue that the upper part of the sequence records a polarity change at the end of the Olduvai subChron (1.78 Ma). The lower part of the sequence records a polarity shift from normal to reversed that likely relates to the Feni subChron (2.16–2.12 Ma), based on a basal flowstone U–Pb age of 2.269 ± 0.075 Ma. Together this points to a depositional window of ∼500 ka, with the Parapapio and E. bolti tentatively attributed to the micromammal fossil-bearing layers dating to ∼2.27–2.07 Ma. This has significant implications for other biochronological dates in South Africa, as E. bolti is now less than ∼2.27 Ma, younger than the oldest Otomyinae at Makapansgat Limeworks and thus not ancestral to them. This chronology for Waypoint 160 challenges the presence of older, early to mid-Pliocene deposits >3.20 Ma in the Gauteng portion of the Cradle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Human Evolution is the property of Academic Press Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103334 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 1 StartPage: N.PAG Subjects: – SubjectFull: Human beings Type: general – SubjectFull: Age Type: general – SubjectFull: Farms Type: general – SubjectFull: Pliocene Epoch Type: general – SubjectFull: Petrology Type: general – SubjectFull: Facies Type: general – SubjectFull: South Africa Type: general – SubjectFull: Gauteng (South Africa) Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Challenging the antiquity of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa: Geochronological evidence restricts the age of Eurotomys bolti and Parapapio to less than 2.3 Ma at Waypoint 160, Bolt's Farm. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Edwards, Tara R. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Pickering, Robyn – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mallett, Tom L. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Herries, Andy I.R. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 05 Text: May2023 Type: published Y: 2023 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00472484 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 178 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Human Evolution Type: main |
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