Dissertation Research: Modern Analog Study of Landscape Vegetation Contexts across the Lowermost Bed II Olduvai Basin

论文研究：奥杜瓦伊盆地最低层 II 景观植被环境的现代模拟研究

• 批准号: 9728984
• 负责人: Robert Blumenschine
• 金额: $ 1.15万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1998
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1998-02-01 至 1999-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9728984&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Modern; Analog; Study

Under the direction of Dr. Robert Blumenschine, MS Sandi Copeland will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. Her ultimate goal is the reconstruct the vegetation patterns at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania during a time interval ca. 1.7 million years ago. A large scale archaeological project directed by Dr. Blumenschine has focused on broadly exposed sediments which date to this time horizon. The group has collected large samples of both faunal and artifact remains which have the potential to provide insight into how early hominids utilized the landscape. However to understand early human behavior it is necessary to project these data on a detailed landscape reconstruction because only when one understands the distributions of trees, open grassland and potentially edible food species is it possible to reconstruct subsistence strategy. Although some data such as soil carbonate samples are available, these are not sufficient to accomplish the desired goal. With an innovative research design MS Copeland will examine modern analog landscapes. Based on geological similarity with Olduvai, she has located three regions in Tanzania which share essential characteristics with different parts of the paleo-landscape. She shall conduct careful vegetation analyses of these present day environments using sampling techniques. She will focus on resources such as potential plant foods and sleeping trees of presumed importance to early hominids to determine their density, distribution and association. She will also collect geological data which will allow her to `pin` the detailed modern patterns on the Olduvai landscape. This research is important for several reasons. It will help to develop a methodological tool which may be applied in many environments in many parts of the world. It will shed new light on early hominid behavior at a classic African site. It will also assist in training a promising young scientist.

在Robert Blumenschine博士的指导下，MS Sandi Copeland将为她的博士论文收集数据。她的最终目标是重建大约170万年前坦桑尼亚奥杜瓦伊峡谷的植被模式。Blumenschine博士领导的一个大型考古项目集中在这个时间范围内广泛暴露的沉积物上。该小组收集了大量动物和人工制品遗骸样本，这些样本有可能为了解早期原始人如何利用这一景观提供线索。然而，为了理解早期人类的行为，有必要将这些数据投射到详细的景观重建中，因为只有当人们了解树木、开阔草地和潜在可食用食物物种的分布时，才有可能重建生存策略。虽然有一些数据，如土壤碳酸盐样品，但这些数据不足以实现预期的目标。通过创新的研究设计，MS科普兰将研究现代模拟景观。基于与Olduvai的地质相似性，她确定了坦桑尼亚的三个地区，这些地区与古景观的不同部分具有共同的基本特征。她将使用采样技术对这些现代环境进行仔细的植被分析。她将专注于潜在的植物食物和睡眠树木等资源，以确定它们的密度、分布和联系，这些资源被认为对早期原始人很重要。她还将收集地质数据，这将使她能够“确定”奥杜瓦伊景观的详细现代模式。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将有助于发展一种可在世界许多地区的许多环境中应用的方法工具。这将为一个经典的非洲遗址的早期人类行为提供新的线索。它还将帮助培训一名有前途的年轻科学家。