Student Number : 0001944J -
PhD thesis -
School of Geography, Archaeoloy nd Environmental Studies and School of Anatomical Science -
Faculty of Science / The site of Sterkfontein is rich in fossil deposits spanning different time periods from
as early as 4 million years to as recent as 116, 000 years. Stratigraphy, taxonomy,
taphonomy, archaeology and palaeoenvironmental analysis from various infills have been
under constant review as new materials are recovered from the ongoing excavations. It is the
recovery of numerous new fossils that prompted a need for a review into earlier hypotheses,
interpretations and conclusions arrived at by earlier researchers on the Member 4 and the
Jacovec Cavern infills.
New data indicates that the two infills, though spanning different time periods, share
similarities but also display marked differences in taxonomy, taphonomy and
palaeoenvironment. Taxonomically, the most striking difference between the two deposits is
the higher frequency of taxa and species diversity within the Member 4 faunal assemblage
than in the Jacovec Cavern faunal assemblage. There are nine bovid tribes represented in five
subfamilies within Member 4 and six bovid tribes in three subfamilies within Jacovec
Cavern. At least five primate species have been recovered from Member 4 while three
primate species have been recovered from the Jacovec Cavern. Twelve carnivore species are
represented in Member 4 while eleven are represented in Jacovec Cavern. Some categories of
other fauna are limited to the Member 4 infill while others are limited to the Jacovec Cavern
infill.
Taphonomically, both assemblages are characterized by low frequencies of bone
modification. These low frequencies are a result of a culmination of various agents of
accumulation and varieties and intensities of postdepositional processes that impacted on the
original deposited assemblage prior to recovery. The faunal assemblage in Member 4 was
accumulated into the cave through a combination of voiding carnivores, “death trap” and natural death within the cave. The Jacovec Cavern fauna on the other hand was accumulated
by carnivores, not in the cavern but on the surface above and within the vicinity of the cave
entrance. Eventually fluvial action incorporated the surface materials, including faunal
remains into the Jacovec Cavern.
Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction indicates a correlation of climatic conditions
similar to that derived from analysis of terrigenous sediments off the coast of Africa. For
Member 4, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction indicates the existence of a mix of forest and
open savannah with more emphasis on woodland, while a mosaic of open grassland and
dense forest, equivalent to today’s tropical forest in Africa is suggested for the Jacovec
Cavern.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/1735 |
| Date | 15 November 2006 |
| Creators | Kibii, Job Munuhe |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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