Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia
(Artiodactyla) from southern Africa: Biochronology and palaeoenvironments
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21264093 |
|---|---|
| Authors | R Hanon (0000-0003-2934-2912, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, corresponding author), Christine Steininger (0000-0002-9082-0672, University of the Witwatersrand) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 100010 |
| Publication date | 2024-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Quaternary Environments and Humans (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2950-2365 • E-ISSN: 2950-2365 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100010 |
| OpenAlex | W4396701556 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 67 |
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
Archaeology · Biochronology · Biostratigraphy · Bovidae · Geography · Bat Biology and Ecology Studies · Evolution and Paleontology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology
Faunal Dating of the Late Cenozoic of Southern Africa, with Special Reference to the Carnivora
The diets of ungulates from the hominid fossil-bearing site of Elandsfontein, Western Cape, South Africa
The Mammals of the Southern African Sub-region
Faunal evidence for mid- and late Quaternary environmental change in southern Africa
Lower Pliocene Hominid Remains from Sterkfontein
Some evidence of chronology and palaeoecology of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai from the fossil Bovidae
A method for inferring paleohabitats from the functional morphology of bovid astragali
Methods for inferring paleohabitats from discrete traits of the bovid postcranial skeleton
Evolution of the Plio-Pleistocene African Suidae
Faunal Subdivision of the Quaternary in Southern Africa
Mammifères, datations et paléoenvironnements en préhistoire [Wild mammals and prehistory]
Quantitative morphological analysis of bovid teeth and implications for paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Plovers Lake, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Habitat preference of extant African bovids based on astragalus morphology
Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli
Faunal assemblage seriation of southern African Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil deposits
Revised age estimates of Australopithecus ‐bearing deposits at Sterkfontein, South Africa
Alternating high and low climate variability
An integrated approach to taphonomy and faunal change in the Shungura Formation (Ethiopia) and its implication for hominid evolution
Paleoecological patterns at the Hadar hominin site, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia
Bovid postcranial ecomorphological survey of the Laetoli paleoenvironment
New Australopithecus robustus fossils and associated U-Pb dates from Cooper's Cave (Gauteng, South Africa)
Faunal dating of the Taung hominid fossil deposit
Bovids as indicators of Plio-Pleistocene paleoenvironments in East Africa
Taxonomic and geographic diversity in robust australopithecines and other African Plio-Pleistocene larger mammals
Indications of habitat association of Australopithecus robustus in the Bloubank Valley, South Africa
Early hominid evolution and ecological change through the African Plio-Pleistocene
Combining isotopic and ecomorphological data to refine bovid paleodietary reconstruction
Early Pleistocene hominin subsistence behaviors in South Africa
Ecomorphological analysis of bovid mandibles from Laetoli Tanzania using 3D geometric morphometrics
Bovid ecomorphology and hominin paleoenvironments of the Shungura Formation, lower Omo River Valley, Ethiopia
Testing the 'shift in the balance of power' hypothesis at Swartkrans, South Africa
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |