RUcore: Rutgers University Community Repository
Ecological and behavioral implications of new archaeological occurrences from Upper burgi exposures at Koobi Fora, Kenya
Descriptive
TypeOfResource
Text
TitleInfo
(ID = T-1)
Title
Ecological and behavioral implications of new archaeological occurrences from Upper burgi exposures at Koobi Fora, Kenya
SubTitle
PartName
PartNumber
NonSort
Identifier
ETD_1465
Identifier
(type = hdl)
http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.000051049
Language
(objectPart = )
LanguageTerm
(authority = ISO639-2);
(type = code)
eng
Genre
(authority = marcgt)
theses
Subject
(ID = SBJ-1);
(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Anthropology
Subject
(ID = SBJ-2);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Paleontology--Kenya--Koobi Fora Formation
Subject
(ID = SBJ-3);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Paleoanthropology--Kenya
Subject
(ID = SBJ-4);
(authority = lcsh/lcnaf)
Geographic
Kenya--Antiquities
Abstract
The appearance of the genus Homo is a landmark event in human evolution. While extensive research has been conducted regarding the physical evolution of this genus, there has been little research into evolving behaviors that may have differentiated Homo from the earlier hominins. Australopithecines were present in East Africa from about 4.4 million years ago to perhaps 0.7 million years ago, but there is presently no evidence of tool use (stone tools or modified bone) prior to 2.5 million years ago. The introduction of significant amounts of meat into the diet coupled with the use of stone tools near the end of the Pliocene may represent early behaviors that define the genus Homo. The exposed sediments of the Upper Burgi Member at Koobi Fora provide a unique opportunity to study the factors that drove the onset of this behavior. Koobi Fora has yielded a continuous paleontological record of hominin evolution that extends back over 4 million years, including early Homo fossil skulls KNM-ER-1470 and KNM-ER-1813. However, there has been no systematic archaeological research conducted in the time interval prior to 1.9 million years ago when the Upper Burgi Member sediments were deposited.
This research addresses that void through a systematic ecological, geological, and archaeological study of specific Upper Burgi exposures. Surface survey and excavation produced fossil flora and fauna from these ancient sediments enabling detailed reconstruction of animal communities and hominin habitat. Fossil bones of animals exploited for food preserve unequivocal evidence of hominin modification during butchery and these modified bones are the archaeological traces that this research utilized to identify hominin presence on the landscape and associated habitat utilization. This study focuses on evolving behavior defined by these new archaeological traces to make meaningful inferences about changing diet and foraging strategies at geographically widespread locations across the ancient Upper Burgi landscape. Utilizing the data developed in this research together with published data from other late Pliocene sites in Kenya and Ethiopia, a model of this unique behavior is hypothesized for this specific region of East Africa.
This research addresses that void through a systematic ecological, geological, and archaeological study of specific Upper Burgi exposures. Surface survey and excavation produced fossil flora and fauna from these ancient sediments enabling detailed reconstruction of animal communities and hominin habitat. Fossil bones of animals exploited for food preserve unequivocal evidence of hominin modification during butchery and these modified bones are the archaeological traces that this research utilized to identify hominin presence on the landscape and associated habitat utilization. This study focuses on evolving behavior defined by these new archaeological traces to make meaningful inferences about changing diet and foraging strategies at geographically widespread locations across the ancient Upper Burgi landscape. Utilizing the data developed in this research together with published data from other late Pliocene sites in Kenya and Ethiopia, a model of this unique behavior is hypothesized for this specific region of East Africa.
PhysicalDescription
Form
(authority = gmd)
electronic resource
Extent
xiii, 306 p. : ill.
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Note
(type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note
(type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references (p. 292-305)
Note
(type = statement of responsibility)
by Jack Thomas McCoy
Name
(ID = NAME-1);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
McCoy
NamePart
(type = given)
Jack Thomas
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
author
DisplayForm
Jack Thomas McCoy
Name
(ID = NAME-2);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Harris
NamePart
(type = given)
John
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
chair
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
John W. K. Harris
Name
(ID = NAME-3);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Blumenschine
NamePart
(type = given)
Robert
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Robert J. Blumenschine
Name
(ID = NAME-4);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Feibel
NamePart
(type = given)
Craig
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Craig S. Feibel
Name
(ID = NAME-5);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Bobe
NamePart
(type = given)
Rene
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
outside member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Rene Bobe
Name
(ID = NAME-1);
(type = corporate)
NamePart
Rutgers University
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
degree grantor
Name
(ID = NAME-2);
(type = corporate)
NamePart
Graduate School - New Brunswick
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB);
(type = )
school
OriginInfo
DateCreated
(point = );
(qualifier = exact)
2009
DateOther
(qualifier = exact);
(type = degree)
2009-01
Location
PhysicalLocation
(authority = marcorg)
NjNbRU
RelatedItem
(type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier
(type = RULIB)
ETD
RelatedItem
(type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier
(type = local)
rucore19991600001
Identifier
(type = doi)
doi:10.7282/T31V5F60
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
Back to the top
Rights
RightsDeclaration
(AUTHORITY = GS);
(ID = rulibRdec0006)
The author owns the copyright to this work.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
RightsEvent
(AUTHORITY = rulib);
(ID = 1)
Type
Permission or license
Detail
Non-exclusive ETD license
AssociatedObject
(AUTHORITY = rulib);
(ID = 1)
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
Back to the top
Technical
ContentModel
ETD
MimeType
(TYPE = file)
application/pdf
MimeType
(TYPE = container)
application/x-tar
FileSize
(UNIT = bytes)
17602560
Checksum
(METHOD = SHA1)
091360c7a45603369992d29b9554dac164f56465
Back to the top
Statistical Profile