Book contents
- Only in Africa
- Only in Africa
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Part I The Physical Cradle: Land Forms, Geology, Climate, Hydrology and Soils
- Part II The Savanna Garden: Grassy Vegetation and Plant Dynamics
- Part III The Big Mammal Menagerie: Herbivores, Carnivores and Their Ecosystem Impacts
- Chapter 10 Niche Distinctions: Resources Versus Risks
- Chapter 11 Big Fierce Carnivores: Hunting Versus Scavenging
- Chapter 12 Herbivore Abundance: Bottom-up and Top-down Influences
- Chapter 13 How Large Herbivores Transform Savanna Ecosystems
- Chapter 14 Paleo-faunas: Rise and Fall of the Biggest Grazers
- Part III Synthesis: Movers of Savanna Dynamics: Grazers, Elephants and Fires
- Part IV Evolutionary Transitions: From Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans
- Appendix Scientific Names of Extant Animal and Plant Species Mentioned in the Book Chapters (Ecologically Conservative with Regard to Species Recognition)
- Index
- References
Chapter 14 - Paleo-faunas: Rise and Fall of the Biggest Grazers
from Part III - The Big Mammal Menagerie: Herbivores, Carnivores and Their Ecosystem Impacts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 September 2021
Book contents
- Only in Africa
- Only in Africa
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Part I The Physical Cradle: Land Forms, Geology, Climate, Hydrology and Soils
- Part II The Savanna Garden: Grassy Vegetation and Plant Dynamics
- Part III The Big Mammal Menagerie: Herbivores, Carnivores and Their Ecosystem Impacts
- Chapter 10 Niche Distinctions: Resources Versus Risks
- Chapter 11 Big Fierce Carnivores: Hunting Versus Scavenging
- Chapter 12 Herbivore Abundance: Bottom-up and Top-down Influences
- Chapter 13 How Large Herbivores Transform Savanna Ecosystems
- Chapter 14 Paleo-faunas: Rise and Fall of the Biggest Grazers
- Part III Synthesis: Movers of Savanna Dynamics: Grazers, Elephants and Fires
- Part IV Evolutionary Transitions: From Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans
- Appendix Scientific Names of Extant Animal and Plant Species Mentioned in the Book Chapters (Ecologically Conservative with Regard to Species Recognition)
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter documents the fossil record obtained mainly from rift valley troughs in north-eastern Africa and limestone caves in South Africa. Early Miocene faunas dominated by very large herbivores gave way to the radiation of ruminants during the late Miocene as C4 grasslands spread. Grazing became prominent in all taxa. Modern genera had mostly appeared by the start of the Pleistocene, 2.6 Ma ago. Ungulate diversity declined through the Pleistocene, culminating in extinctions of several large grazers towards the end of this epoch. Large carnivore diversity also became halved. Subspecific diversity in morphology is a feature of some ruminant grazers. Other continents lack Africa’s richness in medium–large grazing ruminants.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Only in AfricaThe Ecology of Human Evolution, pp. 220 - 242Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
References
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