Crocodylian and mammalian carnivore feeding traces on hominid fossils from FLK 22 and FLK NN 3, Plio-Pleistocene, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
Crocodylian and mammalian carnivore feeding traces on hominid fossils from FLK 22 and FLK NN 3, Plio-Pleistocene, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.008
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发表时间：
2012-08-01
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Blumenschine, Robert J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Njau, Jackson K.;Blumenschine, Robert J.
对奥杜瓦伊峡谷中床 I 的 FIX NN 3 层的奥杜瓦伊原始人 (OH) 8 左脚和 FLK 22 层（Zinjanthropus 层）的 OH 35 左腿进行的埋藏学分析表明，两者都被鳄鱼喂食。两者都带有广泛的牙齿标记，包括诊断鳄鱼进食的二等分齿痕。胫骨远端和距骨上的一分为二的齿痕位置表明鳄鱼使足部离断。胫骨和腓骨的近端断裂更典型地是由类豹食肉动物进食，OH 7 下颌骨和顶骨的损坏也是如此，它们与 OH 8 相关且可能源自同一个体。之前的工作显示足部和腿部的紧密关节已被用来表明这两个标本属于同一个体，尽管它们来自相距 200 m 的地点，并且根据之前的地层水平略有不同工作。牙齿标记的位置和作用以及严重损伤的性质并不能反驳这一假设，但距骨和远端胫骨上的刺孔在大小和锐度上有所不同。最近的研究表明，OH 8 和 OH 35 之间的地层差异比之前认为的要大，驳斥了单一个体的假设。尽管看似不太可能，但这表明两种以罕见的腿和脚元素为代表的原始人类在 6000 年的时间间隔内都在附近地点被鳄鱼失去了左脚。我们无法确定原始人类是否被鳄鱼或哺乳动物食肉动物捕食。然而，食肉动物对它们和相关动物遗骸的破坏表明，高捕食风险限制了原始人类的活动，包括丢弃在这些地点发现的石制品。这一发现与这些地点作为家庭基地或生活楼层的解释不一致。由爱思唯尔有限公司出版
Taphonomic analysis of the Olduvai Hominid (OH) 8 left foot from FIX NN Level 3 and the OH 35 left leg from FLK Level 22 (Zinjanthropus level) in Middle Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, indicates that both were fed upon by crocodiles. Both bear extensive tooth marking, including bisected tooth marks diagnostic of crocodylian feeding. The location of the bisected tooth marks on the distal tibia and the talus indicates disarticulation of the foot by crocodiles. The broken proximal ends of the tibia and fibula are more typical of feeding by a leopard-like carnivore, as is damage to the OH 7 mandible and parietals that are associated with and may derive from the same individual as OH 8. Previous work showing a close articulation of the foot and the leg has been used to suggest that the two specimens belong to the same individual despite deriving from sites separated by 200 m and slightly different stratigraphic levels according to previous work. The location and agent of tooth marking and the nature of gross damage do not refute this hypothesis, but the punctures on the talus and distal tibia differ in size and sharpness. Recent work shows that the stratigraphic discrepancy between OH 8 and OH 35 is greater than previously thought, refuting the single-individual hypothesis. Although seemingly unlikely, this denotes that two hominids represented by rarely found leg and foot elements both lost their left foot to crocodiles at nearby sites within a 6,000 year interval. We cannot determine if the hominids were preyed upon by crocodiles or mammalian carnivores. However, the carnivore damage to them and associated faunal remains suggests that high predation risk constrained hominid activities involving discard of the stone artifacts found at these sites. This finding is inconsistent with the interpretation of the sites as home bases or living floors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.