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African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) occupy an ecological niche characterized by hypercarnivory and cursorial hunting. Previous interpretations drawn from a limited, mostly Eurasian fossil record suggest that the evolutionary shift to cursorial hunting preceded the emergence of hypercarnivory in the Lycaon lineage. Here we describe 1.9—1.0 ma fossils from two South African sites representing a putative ancestor of the wild dog. the holotype is a nearly complete maxilla from Coopers Cave, and another specimen tentatively assigned to the new taxon, from Gladysvale, is the most nearly complete mammalian skeleton ever described from the Sterkfontein Valley, Gauteng, South Africa. the canid represented by these fossils is larger and more robust than are any of the other fossil or extant sub-Saharan canids. Unlike other purported L. pictus ancestors, it has distinct accessory cusps on its premolars and anterior accessory cuspids on its lower premolars—a trait unique to Lycaon among living canids. However, another hallmark autapomorphy of L. pictus, the tetradactyl manus, is not found in the new species; the Gladysvale skeleton includes a large first metacarpal. Thus, the anatomy of this new early member of the Lycaon branch suggests that, contrary to previous hypotheses, dietary specialization appears to have preceded cursorial hunting in the evolution of the Lycaon lineage. We assign these specimens to the taxon Lycaon sekowei n. sp.
It is generally accepted that archaic humans
Abstract
Excavations of poorly known or previously understudied sites within the Sterkfontein region over the past several years have revealed an abundance of new information concerning the mode and tempo of hominin evolution and culture, faunal variability and faunal change through time, and the chronology of sites. They have also increased our understanding of cave formation processes, which have a bearing on the taphonomy of fossil assemblages. As excavations have extended, it has become clear that early hominin cultural remains are more prevalent than has been previously hypothesised and the presence or absence of cultural remains appears to be more closely related to the excavations’ proximity to cave entrances than to other factors. Additionally, the increased diversity of work has offered considerable insight into supposedly rare faunal forms and the frequency of their occurrence in the South African assemblages. The extension of research into these ‘new’ sites has also yielded information about the chronological ‘windows’ preserved in the region. The application of new technologies, in particular GIS, promises to allow greater understanding of these assemblages.
Résumé
Des fouilles dans des sites peu connus ou qui n'avaient pas fait l'objets d'analyses systématiques dans la région de Sterkfontein ont révélé au cours des dernières années des nouvelles informations sur les populations d'hominidés qui ont vécu dans cette région, sur leurs cultures, sur la variabilité et les changements des faunes et sur la chronologie des sites. Ils nous ont également permis d'accroître notre compréhension du mode de formation des cavités et des dépôts, fait crucial pour comprendre la taphonomie des assemblages fossiles. En élargissant les surfaces fouillées est apparue une abondance insoupçonné de restes et la concentration de ceux-ci à l'entrée des cavités.
Ces nouvelles fouilles ont également produit des nouvelles informations sur la présence et fréquence de certains taxons dans les assemblages fauniques sud-africains et sur la chronologie des gisements. L'application de techniques SIG offre une nouvelle clef pour la compréhension de ces gisements.
Introduction
Within the Sterkfontein valley area – now designated the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site by UNESCO – cave sites bearing stone tools have been considered rare.
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