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Jacopo Moggi-cecchi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Role of carnivores in the accumulation of the Sterkfontein Member 4 Hominid assemblage: a taphonomic reassessment of the complete Hominid Fossil sample (1936-1999).
American journal of physical anthropology, 2004Co-Authors: Travis Rayne Pickering, Ronald J. Clarke, Jacopo Moggi-cecchiAbstract:New taphonomic data on the Sterkfontein Member 4 (South Africa) Fossil Hominid assemblage are presented. The previous estimate of Hominid individuals represented in the deposit (45) is increased to 87. New minimum numbers of Hominid skeletal elements are provided, and incidences of bone surface damage inflicted by prehistoric biological agents are summarized. The Hominid sample from Member 4 is composed predominately of gnathic remains and has a paucity of postcrania. This dearth of postcrania limits, to some extent, inferences about the formation of the Sterkfontein assemblage. However, carnivore tooth marks on some Fossil specimens and an overall broad similarity in patterns of skeletal part representation between Sterkfontein and primate bone assemblages created by extant carnivores suggest that carnivores did have some involvement in the accumulation of the Fossil Hominid assemblage. Thus, this study provides support for the "carnivore-collecting hypothesis" of Brain (Brain [1981] The Hunters or the Hunted? Chicago: University of Chicago Press), which implicates large carnivores as prominent collecting agents of Hominid body parts in Sterkfontein Member 4. Evidence of bone surface damage is, however, too scant to make confident inferences about specific carnivore taxon/taxa involved in Hominid bone collection at the site.
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The elusive 'second species' in Sterkfontein Member 4: the dental metrical evidence
South African Journal of Science, 2003Co-Authors: Jacopo Moggi-cecchiAbstract:Although more than 700 Fossil Hominid dental specimens recovered from Member 4 of the Sterkfontein Formation have generally been assigned to Australopithecus africanus , it has been suggested that another taxon may be represented in the deposit. Coefficients of variation (CV) of both mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters of the combined dental sample from Sterkfontein (the 'Sts' and 'Stw' collections) have been compared with those of other Fossil Hominid species. For some teeth and some diameters, the Sterkfontein sample shows higher CV values than those of other samples, although no consistent pattern seems to be evident. Overall, the descriptive analysis of the CVs does not provide evidence for the existence of a 'second species' in the Sterkfontein Member 4 sample.
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The mixed dentition and associated skull fragments of a juvenile Fossil Hominid from Sterkfontein, South Africa.
American journal of physical anthropology, 1998Co-Authors: Jacopo Moggi-cecchi, Phillip V Tobias, Ad BeynonAbstract:In April-May 1983, the late A.R. Hughes and his field team recovered more than 40 bone fragments and teeth from a single solution pocket of the Sterkfontein Formation. After preparation and reconstruction by JMC, it was recognised that these fragments represent a single juvenile individual (Stw 151), consisting of more than 40 cranial and dental parts, with mixed dentition. It constitutes the most complete set of jaws and teeth of an early Hominid child since the Taung child was recovered in 1924. In this paper, the morphological and metrical features of the individual teeth are described. The other associated skull fragments (right ramus of the mandible, left petrous bone, right glenoid region) are also described. Comparisons are made with other South (and East) African Fossil Hominids. The beautiful preservation simultaneously of most of the deciduous teeth and of the permanent teeth exposed in their crypts allows an accurate analysis of the developmental sequence. A report on the dental developmental status of this juvenile is presented. On the basis of the microanatomical study of the developing permanent teeth, the estimated age at death is 5.2-5.3 years. Reconstructions of the maxillary and mandibular arcades are also offered. The morphological and metrical features of Stw 151 raise the possibility that it may represent a Hominid more derived towards an early Homo condition than the rest of the A. africanus sample from Member 4.
Travis Rayne Pickering - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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role of carnivores in the accumulation of the sterkfontein member 4 Hominid assemblage a taphonomic reassessment of the complete Hominid Fossil sample 1936 1999
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2004Co-Authors: Ronald J. Clarke, Travis Rayne Pickering, Jacopo MoggicecchiAbstract:New taphonomic data on the Sterkfontein Member 4 (South Africa) Fossil Hominid assemblage are presented. The previous estimate of Hominid individuals represented in the deposit (45) is increased to 87. New minimum numbers of Hominid skeletal elements are provided, and incidences of bone surface damage inflicted by prehistoric biological agents are summarized. The Hominid sample from Member 4 is composed predominately of gnathic remains and has a paucity of postcrania. This dearth of postcrania limits, to some extent, inferences about the formation of the Sterkfontein assemblage. However, carnivore tooth marks on some Fossil specimens and an overall broad similarity in patterns of skeletal part representation between Sterkfontein and primate bone assemblages created by extant carnivores suggest that carnivores did have some involvement in the accumulation of the Fossil Hominid assemblage. Thus, this study provides support for the “carnivore-collecting hypothesis” of Brain (Brain [1981] The Hunters or the Hunted? Chicago: University of Chicago Press), which implicates large carnivores as prominent collecting agents of Hominid body parts in Sterkfontein Member 4. Evidence of bone surface damage is, however, too scant to make confident inferences about specific carnivore taxon/taxa involved in Hominid bone collection at the site. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Role of carnivores in the accumulation of the Sterkfontein Member 4 Hominid assemblage: a taphonomic reassessment of the complete Hominid Fossil sample (1936-1999).
American journal of physical anthropology, 2004Co-Authors: Travis Rayne Pickering, Ronald J. Clarke, Jacopo Moggi-cecchiAbstract:New taphonomic data on the Sterkfontein Member 4 (South Africa) Fossil Hominid assemblage are presented. The previous estimate of Hominid individuals represented in the deposit (45) is increased to 87. New minimum numbers of Hominid skeletal elements are provided, and incidences of bone surface damage inflicted by prehistoric biological agents are summarized. The Hominid sample from Member 4 is composed predominately of gnathic remains and has a paucity of postcrania. This dearth of postcrania limits, to some extent, inferences about the formation of the Sterkfontein assemblage. However, carnivore tooth marks on some Fossil specimens and an overall broad similarity in patterns of skeletal part representation between Sterkfontein and primate bone assemblages created by extant carnivores suggest that carnivores did have some involvement in the accumulation of the Fossil Hominid assemblage. Thus, this study provides support for the "carnivore-collecting hypothesis" of Brain (Brain [1981] The Hunters or the Hunted? Chicago: University of Chicago Press), which implicates large carnivores as prominent collecting agents of Hominid body parts in Sterkfontein Member 4. Evidence of bone surface damage is, however, too scant to make confident inferences about specific carnivore taxon/taxa involved in Hominid bone collection at the site.
Jacopo Moggicecchi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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role of carnivores in the accumulation of the sterkfontein member 4 Hominid assemblage a taphonomic reassessment of the complete Hominid Fossil sample 1936 1999
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2004Co-Authors: Ronald J. Clarke, Travis Rayne Pickering, Jacopo MoggicecchiAbstract:New taphonomic data on the Sterkfontein Member 4 (South Africa) Fossil Hominid assemblage are presented. The previous estimate of Hominid individuals represented in the deposit (45) is increased to 87. New minimum numbers of Hominid skeletal elements are provided, and incidences of bone surface damage inflicted by prehistoric biological agents are summarized. The Hominid sample from Member 4 is composed predominately of gnathic remains and has a paucity of postcrania. This dearth of postcrania limits, to some extent, inferences about the formation of the Sterkfontein assemblage. However, carnivore tooth marks on some Fossil specimens and an overall broad similarity in patterns of skeletal part representation between Sterkfontein and primate bone assemblages created by extant carnivores suggest that carnivores did have some involvement in the accumulation of the Fossil Hominid assemblage. Thus, this study provides support for the “carnivore-collecting hypothesis” of Brain (Brain [1981] The Hunters or the Hunted? Chicago: University of Chicago Press), which implicates large carnivores as prominent collecting agents of Hominid body parts in Sterkfontein Member 4. Evidence of bone surface damage is, however, too scant to make confident inferences about specific carnivore taxon/taxa involved in Hominid bone collection at the site. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Samuel Marquez - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Endocast of Sambungmacan 3 (Sm 3): A new Homo erectus from Indonesia
The Anatomical Record, 2001Co-Authors: Douglas C. Broadfield, Ralph L Holloway, Kenneth Mowbray, Adam R. Silvers, Michael S. Yuan, Samuel MarquezAbstract:A new Fossil calvaria, Sambungmacan 3 (Sm 3), described in New Fossil Hominid Calvaria From Indonesia—Sambungmacan 3 by Marquez et al., this volume, yields one of the most advanced and complete endocasts yet recovered from Java. This communication provides a thorough interpretation of the external anatomical landmarks observable on Sm 3. Using computer tomography (CT) and traditional morphological measurements, our comparative paleoneurological analyses show that while Sm 3 has a mosaic of features that are similar to both Indonesian and Chinese H. erectus, it also possesses significant characters reminiscent of later hominins. These include a greater degree of asymmetry characterized by a possible left-occipital, right-frontal petalial pattern, left-right volumetric cerebral asymmetry, and marked asymmetry in Broca's cap. Moreover, the frontal lobe offers a more rounded, shortened appearance in contrast to the flat, elongated appearance of other Indonesian Fossils (e.g., Sangiran 17). Another unique trait is exhibited in the transverse plane where the widest breadth of Sm 3 occurs more superiorly than in other Indonesian H. erectus. Thus, the endocast of Sm 3 presents a unique morphology not seen previously in the hominin Fossil record. While the strong modern human characteristics in this endocast may not represent a particular ancestry, they do allow us to recognize a new dimension of the remarkable variation in Indonesian Homo erectus. Anat Rec 262:369–379, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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New Fossil Hominid calvaria from Indonesia--Sambungmacan 3.
The Anatomical record, 2001Co-Authors: Samuel Marquez, Kenneth Mowbray, Teuku Jacob, G. J. Sawyer, Adam R. SilversAbstract:A morphologically distinct partial calvaria of Homo cf. erectus from Java, Indonesia is described. The Fossil Hominid Sambungmacan 3 (Sm 3) was first discovered in 1977 from the banks of the Solo River near the village of Poloyo, Sambungmacan district, in central Java. It was later recovered in a New York City natural history establishment in 1999 and quickly returned to the Indonesian authorities. Examination of Sm 3 shows that the calvaria is well preserved with only portions of the cranial base missing. The most striking characteristics of Sm 3 include: the presence of a vertically rising forehead, more open occipital/nuchal and frontal angles, a more globular vault, and a cranial capacity within the Homo erectus range. Most notably absent in Sm 3 are a number of the classic characters attributed to Homo erectus, such as a strongly expressed angular torus and a continuous supratoral sulcus. The absence of such characters would normally place the calvaria outside the range of Homo erectus (sensu stricto), however, overall quantitative and qualitative morphological assessments of Sm 3 place it within the Homo erectus spectrum. The combination of the morphological characters in Sm 3 may be interpreted in several ways: 1.) the known cranial variation of H. erectus from Indonesia and China is extended; 2.) this calvaria shows evidence of evolutionary change within H. erectus; or 3.) more than one species of Homo existed in the (presumed) Middle Pleistocene of Java.)
Lucinda Backwell - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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erratum to investigation of chemical changes in bone material from south african Fossil Hominid deposits j archaeol sci 37 2010 107 115
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2010Co-Authors: Andrzej Kuczumow, E Cukrowska, A Stachniuk, R Gaweda, R Mroczka, W Paszkowicz, K Skrzypiec, R Falkenberg, Lucinda BackwellAbstract:0305-4403/$ e see front matter 2010 Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.03.014 L. Backwell Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa Unfortunately I was not informed that this paper was submitted, and was not shown galley proofs, so could not correct the following before publication:
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investigation of chemical changes in bone material from south african Fossil Hominid deposits
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2010Co-Authors: Andrzej Kuczumow, E Cukrowska, A Stachniuk, R Gaweda, R Mroczka, W Paszkowicz, K Skrzypiec, R Falkenberg, Lucinda BackwellAbstract:Abstract The bone fragments of the Australopithecus Africanus from the dolomitic cave in the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa have been studied by the use of several spectral techniques. The aim was to establish their degree of preservation and possibilities of inferring the life conditions from them. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the transformation of the mineral components partially into fluoroapatite form with addition of goethite, birnessite and quartz phases and with surprisingly well preserved collagen remains. Several important chemical elements were detected by using the electron (EPMA) and synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microprobes. Among them, Sr and Zn were distributed in a way following the distribution of Ca, the main element of the bones. We suspect the immanent crystallographic substitution of Ca in this case in native bone. Iron followed the distribution of Sr but while Sr is distributed in a continuous way in more rigid locations, iron occurs mainly in the edge zones of the bones and in spot-like inclusions inside. Some part of the spots located in a very edge of bone is also filled with Mn and Cu. It suggests that the porosity and fracture of bones plays a more significant role in the localization of Fe, Mn and Cu. They also form a rigid thin layer (100–250 μm) avoiding further penetration. As (as AsO43−?) distribution pattern is unique and seems to occur in those locations where the concentrations of Sr are small. The conditions for bone penetration as determined from Eh-pH diagrams suggest that is rather impossible to preserve the organic matter in locations of Mn and also that Mn and Fe hardly can meet in the same spots.