Sách Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli Human Evolution in Context - Terry Harrison

Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli: Human Evolution in Context
Volume 2: Fossil Hominins and the Associated Fauna
Edited by: Terry Harrison

Hardcover: 614 pages
Publisher: Springer; 2011 edition (January 21, 2011)
Language: English


Contents
1 Introduction: The Laetoli Hominins and Associated Fauna 1
Terry Harrison
2 Rodents 15
Christiane Denys
3 The Lower Third Premolar of Serengetilagus praecapensis
(Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Leporidae) from Laetoli, Tanzania 55
Alisa J. Winkler and Yukimitsu Tomida
4 Macroscelidea . 67
Alisa J. Winkler
5 Galagidae (Lorisoidea, Primates) . 75
Terry Harrison
6 Cercopithecids (Cercopithecidae, Primates) . 83
Terry Harrison
7 Hominins from the Upper Laetolil and Upper Ndolanya Beds,
Laetoli 141
Terry Harrison
8 Carnivora 189
Lars Werdelin and Reihaneh Dehghani
9 Proboscidea . 233
William J. Sanders
10 Orycteropodidae 263
Terry Harrison
11 Rhinocerotidae . 275
Elina Hernesniemi, Ioannis X. Giaourtsakis, Alistair R. Evans,
and Mikael Fortelius
12 Equidae . 295
Miranda Armour-Chelu and Raymond L. Bernor
13 Suidae 327
Laura C. Bishop
14 Giraffidae 339
Chris A. Robinson
15 Bovidae 363
Alan W. Gentry
16 Amphibia and Squamata . 467
Jean-Claude Rage and Salvador Bailon
17 Tortoises (Chelonii, Testudinidae) 479
Terry Harrison
18 Aves 505
Antoine Louchart
19 Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) 535
Frank-T. Krell and Wolfgang Schawaller
20 Lepidoptera, Insecta 549
Ian J. Kitching and S. Sadler
21 Trace Fossils Interpreted in Relation to the Extant Termite Fauna
at Laetoli, Tanzania 555
Johanna P.E.C. Darlington
22 Gastropoda . 567
Peter Tattersfield
Index 589





Preface
Laetoli in northern Tanzania is one of the most important paleontological and paleoanthropological
sites in Africa. It is renowned for the recovery of early hominin fossils belonging to
A. afarensis and for the discovery of remarkably well-preserved trails of footprints of hominins.
Given the significance of Laetoli for understanding and interpreting the evolutionary history of
early hominins the author initiated long-term geological and paleontological investigations at
Laetoli and at other fossil localities on the Eyasi Plateau. The overall objectives of the project
were to recover additional fossil hominin specimens and to obtain more detailed contextual
information on the paleontology, geology, dating, and paleoecology.
The field campaigns (1998–2005) have produced important original data on the fossil hominins,
their associated fauna, and the paleoecological and paleoenvironmental context. The
work presented here is the culmination of that research. It represents the combined effort of a
dedicated and experienced field crew who were responsible for collecting the fossils and samples
described and analyzed here, and subsequent research by a multidisciplinary team of
international specialists.
The present volume focuses on the morphology, systematics and paleobiology of the fossil
hominins and the associated invertebrate and vertebrate fauna. The companion volume provides
an interdisciplinary perspective on the geology, geochronology, paleoecology, taphonomy,
paleobotany, and modern-day Serengeti ecosystem. Together, these two volumes present
a comprehensive account of the geology, paleontology and paleoecology of Laetoli. It is hoped
that the research presented here will provide an important building block in a broader understanding
of early hominin evolution, faunal diversity and ecological change in East Africa
during the Pliocene, and provide the basis for analyzing early hominin adaptation within the
context of broader macroevolutionary models of speciation, diversification and extinction.
A special thanks goes to all of the dedicated team members who participated in the expeditions
to Laetoli that contributed to the recovery of the material discussed and analyzed here
(they are identified individually in the introductory chapter in Volume 1). I am especially
grateful to the graduate students (current and former) who participated in the project, often
under difficult conditions, and I fully acknowledge their significant contributions to the success
of the project. The students who accompanied me into the field were as follows: E. Baker,
S. Cooke, C. Fellmann, K. Kovarovic, A. Malyango, L. McHenry, K. McNulty, G. Mollel, C.P.
Msuya, T. Rein, C. Robinson, L. Rossouw, M. Seselj, D. Su, M. Tallman and S. Worthington.
Of my former graduate students, Denise Su deserves special recognition for taking on the
primary role of curating and cataloguing the Leakey and Harrison Laetoli collections at the
National Museum of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, as well as for her valuable assistance with
logistics at Laetoli and in Dar es Salaam.
I thank the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology and the Unit of Antiquities
in Dar es Salaam for permission to conduct research in Tanzania. Special thanks go to the late
Norbert Kayombo (Director General), Paul Msemwa (Director), Amandus Kweka and all of
the curators and staff at the National Museum of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam for their support and
assistance. I thank the regional, district and ward officers in Arusha Region for their support
and hospitality. I am grateful to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority for permission

to conduct research in the conservation area. Emin Korcelik and Naphisa Jahazi of Hertz
International in Dar es Salaam arranged the field transportation, and H. Meghji and A. Esmail
helped with logistical support in Dar es Salaam.
Research at Laetoli benefited from the advice, discussion, help and support from numerous
individuals, especially the following: P. Andrews, R. Blumenschine, E. Delson, A. Deino,
P. Ditchfield, C. Feibel, S. Frost, C. Harrison, T.S. Harrison, D. M. K. Kamamba, O. Kileo,
J. Kingston, A. Kweka, J. LeClair, M. G. Leakey, S. Mataro, G. Ole Moita, E. Mbua, L. McHenry,
C. P. Msuya, C. S. Msuya, G. Mollel, M. Muungu, O. Mwebi, J. Pareso, C. Peters, M. Pickford,
K. Reed, C. Saanane, W. Sanders, C. Swisher, and S. Waane. Bill Sanders deserves special
mention for applying his exceptional talents to preparing and casting some of the Laetoli
specimens, as does Jen LeClair for her tireless efforts in helping to organize the collections and
entering data in the catalogue.
I thank the curators and staff at the various museums and repositories for allowing me
access to archival materials, fossils and comparative specimens in their care. These include:
National Museums of Tanzania, Kenya National Museum, American Museum of Natural
History, Natural History Museum in London, Humboldt-Universität Museum für Naturkunde
in Berlin, Eberhard-Karls Universitat Tübingen Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und
Archäologie des Mittelalters and Institut und Museum für Geologie and Paläontologie.
The following individuals provided critical comments and advice about the research presented
in this volume and its companion: A. Alexandre, P. Andrews, M. Anton, M. Avery, M. Bamford,
F. Bibi, L. Bishop, R, Bobe, R. Bonnefille, F, Brown, P. Butler, C. Crumly, A. Deino, P. Ditchfield,
P. Duringer, M. Erbajeva, R. Evander, C. Feibel, Y. Fernandez-Jalvo, B. Fine-Jacobs, L. Flynn,
S. Frost, T, Furman, J. Genise, A. Gentry, D. Geraads, H. Gilbert, U. Goehlich, J.H. Harris,
K. Heissig, A. Hill, P. Holroyd, D. Iwan, N. Jablonski, J. Kappelman, T. Kaiser, R. Kay,
J. Kingdon, J. Kingston, W. Kimbel, J. Knott, K. Kovarovic, N. Kristensen, O. Kullmer, F. de
Lapparent de Broin, M. Lewis, N. Lopez-Martinez, S. Manchester, I. MacDougall, L. McHenry,
S. McNaughton, K. Metzger, P. Meylan, C. Mourer-Chauviré, R. Oberprieler, E. O’Brien,
D. Parmley, M. Pavia, C. Peters, M. Pickford, I. Poole, B. Ratcliffe, D. Reed, K. Reed,
W.J. Sanders, M. Sponheimer, D. Su, Z. Szyndlar, R. Tabuce, P. Tassy, B. Tiffney, J. van der
Made, A. Vincens, C. Ward, H. Wesselman, E. Wheeler, and A. Winkler. Special thanks go to
Terri Harrison, Chris Harrison and Leahanne Sarlo for their assistance with many aspects of
the editorial process. I thank Eric Delson, Eric Sargis and the Editorial and Production team at
Springer, especially Tamara Welschot and Judith Terpos. Fieldwork at Laetoli and subsequent
research was supported by grants from the National Geographic Society, the Leakey Foundation,
and the National Science Foundation (Grants BCS-0216683 and BCS-0309513).
New York ,Terry Harrison