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，此前采样充分的南非遗址受到地理条件的限制(大多数位于3公里半径内)，早期采集技术偏向于某些骨骼元素和灵长类标本。因此，很难对化石遗骸融入洞穴沉积的方式进行建模，也很难准确地重建遗址的古环境。1979年，在比勒陀利亚西北35公里处的洞穴遗址贡多林进行的挖掘，为南非的一个洞穴沉积物发现了一个不同寻常的化石组合：尽管保存得很好，并进行了广泛的采样，但它是这个时期南非唯一一个没有灵长类动物或早期人类标本的遗址。这特别耐人寻味，因为对化石所做的初步工作表明，遗址形成时的合并过程和环境与其他有大量灵长类遗骸的类似年代的遗址所建议的相似。1997年在贡多林的发掘使该遗址的解释变得更加复杂，因为第一批早期人类标本的发现，但来自贡多林洞穴沉积物中的一个区域的采样一直很差。这项研究将进一步挖掘和比较贡多林的化石组合，试图澄清哪些过程有利于(或不有利于)将灵长类动物和早期人类标本纳入南非洞穴遗址。至少，这项研究将为恢复的原始人标本提供更好的背景。作为一个从地理范围以外的地点进行充分采样的遗址，这项研究将开始扩大出土的南非组合的范围。作为一个更大的研究目标，这项研究将通过现场间的比较，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，以更好地了解影响南非洞穴组合中早期人类标本的因素范围。随着国家和国际社会对南非古生物学的兴趣与日俱增，部分原因是最近将斯特克方丹山谷和周围的洞穴遗址命名为世界遗产，对贡多林洞穴遗址的进一步挖掘和材料分析将首次对指定的世界遗产区域内最不为人所知的洞穴遗址之一进行详细研究。该网站的开发为当地学生提供了参与古生物研究的机会。最后，这项研究将重新引起外国研究人员和南非人民对继续探索南部非洲人类进化的兴趣。

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.