NSF Award
2419597
The evolution of humans and their ancestors is characterized by important events including the changes between different species of Australopithecines, and those involved in the emergence of the genus Homo. But understanding what selective forces led to these changes requires a detailed and fine knowledge of the environmental conditions in which these species lived and how they exploited their environment. To achieve this goal, this study collects environmental and dietary information to unveil the small-scale ecology where these Australopithecine and Homo species lived and the diet they consumed. Ecological information is compared with that obtained from localities where no Australopithecines or Homo species lived. Dietary information is compared to assess whether these species consumed different diets. The study trains students in geological and paleontological methods and analyses. The results are shared with the scientific community, as well as museums, and K-12 students. <br/><br/>This study combines paleontological and geological investigations, focusing on known hominin and non-hominin localities to address landscape variation, niche differentiation, habitat diversity, and mammal community structure in a region where hominin species shared resources and habitats. Investigators directly assess hominin divergence in diet through microwear analysis of molar teeth and dental nitrogen analysis in the different genera to ascertain meat eating, as well as possible differences in levels of C3 and C4 isotopes among the species. Investigators: (1) survey for hominin and faunal fossils, including microfauna, (2) reconstruct 3D sedimentary and structural architecture of encasing sedimentary rocks, and (3) analyze biomarkers including phytoliths, paleosol isotopes, leaf waxes, and invertebrates. This research contributes to the debate regarding which hominins belong to the genus Homo through understanding behavioral and morphological differences among hominin species that lived in the same localities. Results are published and made available through open access online databases.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
