Examination of the Florisbad microvertebrates
Keywords:
Pleistocene, palaeoenvironment, microfauna, Otomyinae, Gerbillinae, Bitis
Abstract
Florisbad is a Middle Stone Age locality in the Free State Province, South Africa, well known for an archaic Homo sapiens cranium discovered there in 1932. Whilst substantial work has been accomplished on the materials excavated from this site, there is still more to be learned about the palaeoenvironment from the microvertebrates. In broader terms, the make-up and distribution of the Plio-Pleistocene small animal fauna of the Free State Province is underrepresented relative to other provinces, which negatively impacts our understanding of geographic and temporal ranges of many Plio-Pleistocene taxa. Much of the Florisbad small vertebrate material is fragmentary, with diagnostic elements primarily limited to isolated molars. Analysis of this material found a small but diverse assemblage including springhares, rabbits, rodents and reptiles. The small mammal fauna is dominated by springhares, lagomorphs and otomyine and gerbilline rodents. In agreement with previous research on sediments and large mammal fauna, the small animal fauna described here is consistent with an open, treeless grassland.References
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2. Brink JS. The archaeozoology of Florisbad, Orange Free State. Mem Nat Mus Bloemfontein. 1987;24:1–151.
3. Brink JS. The evolution of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, and modern large mammal faunas in Central Southern Africa. DPhil dissertation, Stellenbosch, University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
4. Kuman K, Clarke RJ. Florisbad – New investigations at a Middle Stone Age hominid site in South Africa. Geoarchaeology. 1986;1:103–125. doi:10.1002/gea.3340010201
5. Skinner JD, Chimimba T. The mammals of the southern African subregion. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Cambridge University Press; 2005.
6. Wilson DE, Reeder DM, editors. Mammal species of the world. A taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press; 2005.
7. Henshilwood CS, Sealy JC, Yates R, et al. Blombos Cave, Southern Cape, South Africa: Preliminary report on the 1992–1999 excavations of the Middle Stone Age levels. J Archaeol Sci. 2001;28:421–448. doi:10.1006/jasc.2000.0638
8. Klein RG. The mammalian fauna from the Middle and Later Stone Age (Later Pleistocene) levels of Border Cave, Natal Province, South Africa. S Afr Archaeol Bull. 1977;32(125):14–27. doi:10.2307/3887843
9. Klein RG. Middle Stone Age man-animal relationships in southern Africa: Evidence from Die Kelders and Klasies River Mouth. Science. 1975;190(4211):265–267.
10. Klein RG, Cruz-Uribe K. Middle and Later Stone Age large mammal and tortoise remains from Die Kelders, Cave 1, Western Cape Province, South Africa. J Hum Evol. 2000;38:169–195. doi:10.1006/jhev.1999.0355, PMid:10627402
11. Klein RG. Environment and subsistence of prehistoric man in the Southern Cape Province, South Africa. World Archaeol. 1974;5(3):249–284. doi:10.1080/00438243.1974.9979574, PMid:16468222
12. Klein RG. The mammalian fauna of the Klasies River Mouth sites, Southern Cape Province, South Africa. S Afr Archaeol Bull. 1976;31(123/124):75–98. doi:10.2307/3887730
13. Plug I, Engela R. The macrofaunal remains from recent excavations at Rose Cottage Cave, Orange Free State. S Afr Archaeol Bull. 1992;47(155):16–25. doi:10.2307/3888988
14. Clark JL, Plug I. Animal exploitation strategies during the South African Middle Stone Age: Howiesons Poort and post-Howiesons Poort fauna from Sibudu Cave. J Hum Evol. 2008;54:886–898. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.12.004, PMid:18234284
15. Ellerman JR. The families and genera of living rodents. Vol. 4. London: British Museum (Natural History); 1941.
16. De Graaff G. The rodents of southern Africa. Durban: Butterworth; 1981.
17. De Ruiter DJ, Brophy JK, Lewis PJ, Churchill SE, Berger LR. Faunal assemblage composition and paleoenvironments of Plovers Lake, a Middle Stone Age locality in Gauteng Province, South Africa. J Hum Evol. 2008;55:1102–1117. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.07.011, PMid:18954892
18. Cooke HBS. Some fossils in the South African Museum collections. S Afr Archaeol Bull. 1952;26:59–69. doi:10.2307/3887445
19. Cooke HBS. Pleistocene mammal faunas of Africa, with particular reference to southern Africa. In: Bishop WW, Clark JD, editors. Background to evolution in Africa. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964; p. 175–184.
20. Dreyer TF, Lyle A. New fossil mammals and man from South Africa. Bloemfontein: Nasionale Pers; 1931.
21. Zeally AEV. A breccia of mammalian bones at Bulawayo Waterworks Reserve. Proc Rhod Sci Assoc. 1916;15:5–16.
22. Apps P, editor. Smithers’ mammals of southern Africa: A field guide. Cape Town: Struik; 2000.
23. Roberts A. The mammals of South Africa. Johannesburg: The Mammals of South Africa Book Fund; 1951.
24. Rage JC. Serpentes, part 11, encyclopedia of paleoherpetology. Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer; 1984.
25. Ikeda T. A comparative morphological study of the vertebrae of snakes occurring in Japan and adjacent regions. Curr Herpetol. 2007;26:13–34. doi:10.3105/1345-5834(2007)26[13:ACMSOT]2.0.CO;2
26. Branch B. Field guide to snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik; 1998.
27. Alexander G, Marais J. A guide to the reptiles of southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik; 2007.
28. Brink JS, Lee-Thorp JA. The feeding niche of an extinct springbok, Antidorcas bondi (Antilopini, Bovidae), and its palaeoenvironmental meaning. S Afr J Sci. 1992;88:227–229.
29. Codron D, Brink JS, Rossouw L, et al. Functional differentiation of African grazing ruminants: An example of specialized adaptations to very small changes in diet. Biol J Linn Soc Lond. 2008;94:755–764. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01028.x
Published
2011-07-18
Section
Research Letters