Dissertation Research: A Taphonomic Investigation of Reptiles and Their Significance to Early Hominid Ecology

论文研究：爬行动物的埋藏学研究及其对早期原始人类生态学的意义

• 批准号: 9002901
• 金额: $ 0.77万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1990
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1990-06-15 至 1991-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9002901&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Taphonomic; Investigation; Reptiles

Under the direction of Dr. Eugene Giles, Ms. Jolee West, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana, will conduct research for her doctoral dissertation. She will combine field and laboratory work to study the distribution of reptilian remains - crocodile and turtle - on the East African landscape and determine the causal factors of the patterns observed. In particular, she wishes to learn how humanly derived assemblages may be identified. To accomplish this, she will first focus her attention on areas located on the Eastern shore of Lake Turkana, Kenya which are not inhabited by people. She will establish transects which extend away from water sources and collect reptilian remains along them. This will provide data on "natural" or non-human patterning. She will then work with traditional peoples who live near the lake margin and hunt and butcher these same species. A comparison of these samples should permit identification of uniquely human signatures. Ms. West will also examine reptile remains from hyena lairs, study bone weathering, and conduct flume experiments to show the differential effects of water movement. This basic research will provide archaeologists with extremely valuable data. Crocodile and turtle remains are often recovered during the excavation of early hominid sites in East Africa. However, it is extremely difficult to determine the derivation of these remains which also occur naturally as a scatter across African landscapes. It is not possible therefore to tell whether such species formed part of early hominid diet or whether the association of these bones occurs by chance. Ms. West's project will provide the key for such interpretation. This project is important for several reasons. First, it will provide a tool of use in a wide range of archaeological situations. Secondly, it will assist in the training of an extremely promising young scientist.

在尤金贾尔斯博士的指导下， 伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳分校的研究生， 为她的博士论文进行研究。 她会把联合收割机 研究爬行动物分布的野外和实验室工作 鳄鱼和海龟的遗骸-在东非景观 并确定所观察到的模式的因果因素。 在 特别是，她希望了解人类如何衍生组合 可以识别。 为了做到这一点，她将首先集中她的 注意位于图尔卡纳湖东海岸的地区， 肯尼亚没有人居住。 她将建立 远离水源的样带， 沿着着爬行动物的遗骸。 这将提供数据， “自然”或非人类模式。 她将与 居住在湖边的传统民族， 屠杀同一物种 这些样本的比较应 允许识别唯一的人类签名。 West女士 还将检查鬣狗巢穴中的爬行动物遗骸， 风化，并进行水槽实验，以显示 水运动的不同影响。 这项基础研究将为考古学家提供 有价值的数据 鳄鱼和海龟的遗骸经常被发现 在东非早期人类遗址的挖掘过程中。 然而，要确定 这些遗骸也是自然形成的， 非洲风景 因此，无法判断是否 这些物种构成了早期原始人类饮食的一部分， 这些骨骼的结合是偶然发生的。 韦斯特女士的项目 将为这种解释提供关键。 这个项目之所以重要，有几个原因。 一是 提供了一个工具，用于广泛的考古 situations. 其次，它将协助培训一名 非常有前途的年轻科学家