Doctoral Dissertation Research: Taphonomic and Paleoenvironmental Factors Influencing Hominid Incorporation at Gondolin and Other South African Cave Sites

自从大约80年前在南非的洞穴沉积物中首次发现早期人类祖先的遗骸以来，人类学家一直试图确定这些遗骸被纳入化石记录的过程。然而，先前取样良好的南非遗址在地理上受到限制（大多数位于3公里半径内），早期的收集技术使化石组合偏向于某些骨骼元素和灵长类动物标本。因此，很难模拟化石残骸与洞穴沉积物结合的方式，也很难准确地重建这些遗址的古环境。1979年，在比勒陀利亚西北35公里处的贡多林洞穴遗址的挖掘中，发现了一个不同寻常的南非洞穴沉积物化石组合：尽管保存完好，采样广泛，但这是南非在这一时期唯一一个没有灵长类动物或早期人类标本的遗址。这是特别有趣的，因为对化石进行的初步研究表明，遗址形成时的结合过程和环境与其他具有大量灵长类遗骸的类似年代的遗址相似。1997年在贡多林进行的挖掘工作使对该遗址的解释变得更加复杂，因为发现了第一批早期人类标本，但这些标本来自贡多林洞穴沉积物内的一个取样不足的区域。这项研究将进一步挖掘和比较贡多林的化石组合，试图澄清南非洞穴遗址中有利于（或不有利于）灵长类动物和早期人类标本合并的过程。至少，这项研究将为恢复的原始人类标本提供更好的背景。作为一个来自地理范围之外的地点，这项研究将开始扩大挖掘南非组合的范围。作为一个更大的研究目标，通过遗址间比较，本研究将试图确定用于重建沉积过程和古代环境的特定变量之间的模式，以提供更大的分辨率，以了解影响南非洞穴组合中早期人类标本合并的因素范围。随着国内和国际对南非古生物学的兴趣日益浓厚，部分原因是最近Sterkfontein山谷和周围的洞穴遗址被命名为世界遗产，对贡多林的进一步挖掘和材料分析将为指定的世界遗产区域内最不为人所知的洞穴遗址之一提供第一次详细的检查。该遗址的开发为当地学生提供了参与古生物学研究的机会。最后，这项研究将重新引起外国研究人员和南非人民对南部非洲人类进化的持续探索的兴趣。

Since the initial recovery of the remains of early human ancestors from cave deposits in South Africa roughly eighty years ago, anthropologists have attempted to identify the processes by which those remains became incorporated into the fossil record. However, the previously well-sampled South African sites are geographically constrained (most lie within a 3km-radius) and early collection techniques biased fossil assemblages in favor of certain skeletal elements and primate specimens. As such, it is difficult to model the means by which the fossil remains became incorporated within cave deposits or to reconstruct accurately the paleoenvironment of the sites. In 1979, excavation at Gondolin, a cave site 35km northwest of Pretoria, yielded an unusual fossil assemblage for a South African cave deposit: despite excellent preservation and extensive sampling, it is the only site from South Africa in this time period without a single primate or early human specimen. This is particularly intriguing as initial work done with the fossils indicates that the processes of incorporation and the environment at the time of site formation are similar to those suggested for other sites of similar age that have substantial primate remains. Excavation at Gondolin in 1997 has made interpretations of the site more complicated with the recovery of the first early human specimens, but from an area within the Gondolin cave deposits that have been poorly sampled.This research will further excavate and compare fossil assemblages from Gondolin in an attempt to clarify the processes that were (or were not) conducive for the incorporation of primate and early human specimens within the South African cave sites. Minimally, this research will provide a better context for the recovered hominid specimens. As a site from outside the geographic range of well-sampled sites, this research will begin to expand the range of excavated South African assemblages. As a larger research objective, through inter-site comparisons, this research will attempt to identify patterns among specific variables used in reconstructing processes of deposition and ancient environments to provide greater resolution in understanding the range of factors that influenced the incorporation of early human specimens within South African cave assemblages. With increased national and international interest in South African paleontology, due in part to the recent naming of the Sterkfontein Valley and surrounding cave sites as a World Heritage Site, further excavation and analysis of materials from Gondolin will provide the first detailed examination of one of the most poorly understood cave sites within the designated World Heritage Site region. Development of the site provides local students the opportunity to participate in paleontological research. Finally, this research will renew interest among both foreign researchers and the South African people in the continued exploration of human evolution in southern Africa.