Dissertation Research: Late Miocene and Pliocene Hominoid Paleoecology, Tugen Hills, Kenya

东非大裂谷的巴林戈盆地一直是 世界上最多产的地区之一 4-14万年重要时期的类人猿化石 前（mya）。 重建这一时期的古环境， 这与确定开放式系统的发展 景观应被视为一个关键的驱动机制， 在人类历史的这一时期。 古生境重建 可以为分歧和随后的分歧提供直接原因， 人科的辐射。 特别是晚中新世和 上新世沉积物沿着吐根河东侧出露 巴林戈湖以西的山丘上化石 包括11个明确的人科动物中的6个 在这个时间范围内已知的非洲标本。 该等风险 提供了一个独特的机会，建立一个详细的 环境生态背景下，人类化石的变化 时间可以评估。 初步的同位素数据和 先前对化石动物群的分析表明， 图根山栖息地之间的6百万和9百万年。 这项研究将 提供高分辨率的地层、地球化学和 2- 1200万年前从地层中收集的古生物学数据 将用于重建的方面的间隔 古生境和古群落，并更精确地确定 巴林戈环境变化的时间和性质 盆地

The Baringo Basin in the Rift Valley of East Africa has been one of the most productive areas in the world for finding hominoid fossils from the important period of 4-14 million years ago (mya). Reconstructing paleoenvironments for this period is highly relevant to determining whether development of open landscapes should be considered a pivotal driving mechanism during this period in human history. Paleohabitat reconstruction can provide proximate causes for divergence and subsequent radiation of the Hominidae. In particular, Late Miocene and Pliocene sediments exposed along the eastern flanks of the Tugen Hills, west of Lake Baringo, have yielded extensive fossil vertebrate assemblages including 6 of the 11 unequivocal hominoid specimens known from Africa in this time range. These exposures provide a unique opportunity to establish a detailed environmental-ecological context in which change in human fossils over time may be assessed. Preliminary isotopic data and previous analyses of fossil fauna suggest major alteration of the Tugen Hills habitat between 6 mya and 9 mya. This research will provide high resolution stratigraphic, geochemical, and paleontologic data collected from horizons in the 2-12 mya interval which will be used to reconstruct aspects of paleohabitat and paleocommunity and to determine more precisely the timing and nature of environmental change in the Baringo Basin.