Carnivoran remains from the Malapa hominin site, South Africa.

dc.contributor.authorKuhn, B.F.
dc.contributor.authorWerdelin, L.
dc.contributor.authorHartstone-Rose, A.
dc.contributor.authorLacruz, R.S.
dc.contributor.authorBerger, L.R.
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-12T09:33:02Z
dc.date.available2016-09-12T09:33:02Z
dc.date.issued2011-11-03
dc.description.abstractRecent discoveries at the new hominin-bearing deposits of Malapa, South Africa, have yielded a rich faunal assemblage associated with the newly described hominin taxon Australopithecus sediba. Dating of this deposit using U-Pb and palaeomagnetic methods has provided an age of 1.977 Ma, being one of the most accurately dated, time constrained deposits in the Plio-Pleistocene of southern Africa. To date, 81 carnivoran specimens have been identified at this site including members of the families Canidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae, Hyaenidae and Felidae. Of note is the presence of the extinct taxon Dinofelis cf. D. barlowi that may represent the last appearance date for this species. Extant large carnivores are represented by specimens of leopard (Panthera pardus) and brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea). Smaller carnivores are also represented, and include the genera Atilax and Genetta, as well as Vulpes cf. V. chama. Malapa may also represent the first appearance date for Felis nigripes (Black-footed cat). The geochronological age of Malapa and the associated hominin taxa and carnivoran remains provide a window of research into mammalian evolution during a relatively unknown period in South Africa and elsewhere. In particular, the fauna represented at Malapa has the potential to elucidate aspects of the evolution of Dinofelis and may help resolve competing hypotheses about faunal exchange between East and Southern Africa during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene.en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipResearch by LW is funded by the Swedish Research Council. AHR is supported by the Pennsylvania State University. The South African Department of Science and Technology, the South African National Research Foundation, the Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST), the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Africa Array Program, the United States Diplomatic Mission to South Africa, Duke University, the Ray A. Rothrock Fellowship of Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M Program to Enhance Scholarly and Creative Activities, the University of Zurich 2009 Field School, and Sir Richard Branson all provided substantial funding for the excavations and research conducted at Malapa.en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKuhn, B.F. et al. 2011. Carnivoran remains from the Malapa hominin site, South Africa. PLoS ONE 6 (11): e26940.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/21015
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_ZA
dc.subjectaccuracyen_ZA
dc.subjectAcinonyx jubatusen_ZA
dc.subjectarticleen_ZA
dc.subjectAtilaxen_ZA
dc.subjectCanidaeen_ZA
dc.subjectCarnivoraen_ZA
dc.subjectCrocuta crocutaen_ZA
dc.subjectdentitionen_ZA
dc.subjectDinofelisen_ZA
dc.subjectDinofelis barlowien_ZA
dc.subjectDinofelis piveteauien_ZA
dc.subjectFelidaeen_ZA
dc.subjectFelis margaritaen_ZA
dc.subjectFelis nigripesen_ZA
dc.subjectFelis silvestrisen_ZA
dc.subjectfossil homininen_ZA
dc.subjectGenettaen_ZA
dc.subjectgenusen_ZA
dc.subjectmandibleen_ZA
dc.subjectmeasurementen_ZA
dc.subjectMegantereon cultridensen_ZA
dc.subjectMegantereon whiteien_ZA
dc.subjectmorphologyen_ZA
dc.subjectnonhumanen_ZA
dc.subjectPanthera pardusen_ZA
dc.subjectParahyaena brunneaen_ZA
dc.subjectradiometric datingen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_ZA
dc.subjecttaxonomyen_ZA
dc.subjectVulpesen_ZA
dc.subjectanimalen_ZA
dc.subjectCarnivoraen_ZA
dc.subjectclassificationen_ZA
dc.subjectfossilen_ZA
dc.subjectspecies differenceen_ZA
dc.titleCarnivoran remains from the Malapa hominin site, South Africa.en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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