The Kromdraai early hominin-bearing site. A review of recent findings

The Kromdraai archaeological site is located in a fossiliferous paleokarst situated in the UNESCO World Heritage Site referred to as the “Cradle of Humankind” in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Kromdraai is noteworthy because it features among the three southern African early hominin-bearing sites considered to represent distinct temporal periods within the same stratigraphic succession. Kromdraai also yielded a partial skull and dentition (TM 1517) in 1938 that was designated as the holotype of a new genus and species, Paranthropus robustus. Although the hominin fossil assemblage collected from Kromdraai between 1938 and 2014 is rather paltry, morphometric and cladistic analyses of this material suggested that it represented a somewhat less-derived form of P. robustus than the considerably larger assemblage from the nearby site of Swartkrans. However, the geochronological and biotic relationships among the P. robustus-bearing sites in South Africa are not resolved. Since 2014, the previously unknown, albeit densely fossiliferous Unit P produced 51 individually catalogued hominin fossils (36 craniodental and 15 postcranial) that currently represent 13% of the faunal assemblage from this unit with a minimum number of 10 juvenile and 9 adult individuals. P. robustus and early Homo coexisted at the time of the accumulation of Unit P at Kromdraai, with a relative abundance of 89% and 11%, respectively. P. robustus and early Homo are associated with a highly diverse fauna that includes several water-dependent species, and a large variety of bovid and carnivore taxa. Biochronological data from Unit P and an interval of reversed polarity measured in younger deposits above it are interpreted in the context of the regional chronological framework to infer that it represents a deposit that was likely accumulated prior to 2 Ma.     

Stretching the time span of hominin evolution at Kromdraai (Gauteng,South Africa): Recent discoveries

The Plio-Pleistocene locality of Kromdraai B has yielded the type specimen of Paranthropus robustus, as well as 27 additional fossil hominin specimens. In a number of both cranial and dental features, the states shown by the Kromdraai Paranthropus are more conservative when compared to the more derived conditions displayed by both South African conspecifics and the post-2.3 Ma eastern African Paranthropus boisei. Since 2014, we excavated the earliest known infilling of the Kromdraai cave system in a previously unexplored area. This new locality provided as yet 2200 identifiable macrovertebrate fossils, including 22 hominins, all tied in the earliest part of the stratigraphic sequence, representing three distinct depositional periods. Since we report here, for the first time, the occurrence of fossil hominins in Members 1 and 2, our discoveries stretch the time span of hominin evolution at Kromdraai and contribute to a better understanding of the origin of Paranthropus in southern Africa.     

Wahlenbergia cordiformis sp. nov. (Campanulaceae: Campanuloideae), a new woody species from Western Cape,South Africa

Wahlenbergia cordiformis, a new species of the Lightfootia‐type is described and illustrated. It is currently only known from the farm Knolfontein, in the Swartruggens region, north east of Ceres in the Western Cape, South Africa. The closest relative of W. cordiformis is unclear, but it may be closely related to either W. tenella, W. nodosa, W. tenerrima, W. oligantha or W. neorigida. Wahlenbergia cordiformis is distinguished from them by its cordate, leaf‐like calyx lobes.     

A new pipoid frog (Anura,Pipimorpha) from the Paleogene of Patagonia. Paleobiogeographical implications

The aim of the present contribution is to describe a new genus and species of Pipoidea from the Huitrera Formation (Eocene) from Patagonia, Argentina. The new genus shows a unique combination of characters indicating that it is a valid taxon different from other pipimorphs, including the coeval Llankibatrachus truebae. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in the nesting of the new taxon within a previously unrecognized endemic clade of South American aglossans. This new clade turns out to be the sister-group of crown-group Pipidae. This phylogenetic proposal reinforces the hypothesis sustaining the dispersal of pipids between Africa and South America through an island chain or a continental bridge across the Atlantic Ocean by Early Tertiary times.     

Computed tomography and enamel thickness of maxillary molars of Plio-Pleistocene hominids from Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Kromdraai (South Africa): An exploratory study.

This paper is one in a series which explores the possibility of using the non-destructive CT technique to identify patterns in tooth enamel distribution and structure of hominid molars from Plio-Pleistocene sites in South Africa, notably Swartkrans, Sterkfontein, and Kromdraai. Whereas previous investigators have emphasised gross differences in absolute and relative or average enamel thickness between hominid taxa, the present study highlights differences in enamel thickness over functionally significant regions of the crown. Differences in the distribution of enamel in A. robustus, A. africanus, and Homo sp. are identified through the use of bivariate and multivariate analyses, and are interpreted in terms of dietary regimes.     

Middle to Late Pleistocene herpetofauna from Scladina and Sous-Saint-Paul caves (Namur,Belgium)

For the first time, the fossil herpetofauna from the Middle and Late Pleistocene of Scladina and Sous-Saint-Paul caves (Sclayn, Belgium) is described. The amphibians and squamate reptiles are represented by one salamander (Salamandra salamandra), three anurans (Pelodytes punctatus, Bufo bufo and Rana temporaria), two lizards (Lacerta cf. agilis and Anguis fragilis) and two snakes (Zamenis longissimus and Vipera cf. berus). The occurrence of the Parsley Frog (Pelodytes punctatus) and the Aesculapian Snake (Zamenis longissimus), which are not currently represented in Belgium, is of particular interest. Scladina also represents one of the northernmost fossil mentions for the Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) although it is within its current distribution in Europe. Finally, the presence of the Adder (Vipera cf. berus) is very probably attested in Scladina whereas today this snake is infrequent and classified as endangered in Belgium.     

Biogeography and chronology of the Eurasian extinct rhinoceros Stephanorhinus etruscus (Mammalia,Rhinocerotidae)

Stephanorhinus etruscus is one of the most abundantly recorded and better known Eurasian Early Pleistocene rhinoceroses. Nevertheless, the first and last appearances of this species, as well as its paleogeographic distribution, are controversial and debated in literature. S. etruscus is documented since the latest Pliocene in Spain (Las Higueruelas), Italy (Montopoli and Castelnuovo di Barardenga), France (Perrier–Les Étouaires) and Romania (Iar??–Cariera Veche). During the Early Pleistocene, S. etruscus occurred in several Spanish, French and Italian localities, as well as in The Netherlands (e.g., Tegelen), Germany (e.g., Thiede), Greece (e.g., Aivaliki) and Israel (e.g., Ubeidiya). The last appearance of S. etruscus in Eurasia is debatable. Etruscan rhino populations survived till the Jaramillo subchrone (around 1.1 Ma) in France (Bois-de-Riquet), Romania (Betfia XII) and Hungary (Osztramos 2 and 8), and close to the early–middle Pleistocene transition in Spain (Cueva Victoria, Huéscar 1, Atapuerca TD4, TD6 and TD8), and Italy (Monte delle Piche).     

Microcostatus schoemanii sp. nov., M. cholnokyi sp. nov. and M. angloensis sp. nov. three new terrestrial diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) from South Africa

The terrestrial diatom Microcostatus schoemanii sp. nov. is described from dry soils of the Faan Meintjies Nature Reserve (North‐West Province, South Africa). Microcostatus cholnokyi sp. nov. and Microcostatus angloensis sp. nov. are described from sandy soils at a colliery near the town of Kriel (Mpumalanga Province, South Africa). The morphology of these taxa is examined using both light and scanning electron microscopy and new taxa are compared with similar species. In M. schoemanii the density of the striae combined with the valve outline and the distance between the central raphe endings are the main distinguishing morphological features. M. cholnokyi is differentiated by the presence of a conopeum and the distinct structure of the microcostae. M. angloensis is similar to M. schoemanii but differentiated by the shape of the cell and the apices, the angle of striation and the distance in between the proximal raphe endings.     

Canis accitanus nov. sp., a new small dog (Canidae, Carnivora, Mammalia) from the Fonelas P-1 Plio-Pleistocene site (Guadix basin, Granada, Spain)

This paper reports a new species of dog (Canis accitanus nov. sp.) from the Fonelas P-1 site (dated close to the Plio-Pleistocene boundary) in Granada, Spain. This new taxon shows cranial features more similar to coyote-like dogs (C. lepophagus, C. priscolatrans, C. arnensis or C. latrans) than to wolf-like dogs (C. etruscus, C. mosbachensis or C. lupus), such as a long and narrow muzzle, a little-developed sagittal crest and frontal bones raised only a little above the rostrum. However, it also shows a series of autapomorphic characteristics in its upper dentition, essentially in the first upper molar, which reflects a trophic adaptation towards a more abrasive diet than that eaten by other species of its genus. This new dog is the smallest representative of the genus Canis ever recorded for the European Pliocene or Pleistocene.     

Fauna,environment and human presence during MIS5 in the North of Spain: The new site of Valdavara 3

Valdavara 3 is a new early late Pleistocene paleontological and archeological cave site in northwestern Iberia. Over 1400 fossils have been collected, representing about 40 species. The fauna is of interglacial aspect and is in accordance with the OSL dates from the fossiliferous layer, which indicate an age of 103–113 ka. The great taxonomical diversity indicates a varied landscape. A small collection of lithic artifacts was found associated with the fossils, demostrating presence of humans and suggesting short non-residential visits to the cave. The fossiliferous site was predominantly formed by natural processes. Many fossil localities have short or biased faunal lists, but the fossil fauna recovered from Valdavara 3 is remarkably diverse and may reflect the fauna which once lived there.     

Palaeoreas,Majoreas, and Stryfnotherium gen. nov. (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Bovidae) from the Late Miocene of Greece

A new comparative study of the two crania, LGPUT RZO-03 and LGPUT RZO-68 attributed to Palaeoreas zouavei Bouvrain, 1980 from the Late Miocene of Axios Valley, Greece reveals great morphological and metric differences between them, which require the exclusion of LGPUT RZO-68 from this species and even from Palaeoreas Gaudry, 1861. This decision leaves unsupported many diagnostic features of P. zouavei applied by previous authors and along with recent data from Bulgaria put in doubt the validity of P. zouavei as a whole. As a result, the genus Palaeoreas is re-defined as monotypic and the cranial morphometric changes of P. lindermayeri (Wagner, 1848) are discussed on a temporal basis. An updated taxonomic analysis confirms the presence of P. lindermayeri in the Late Turolian mammal assemblage of Dytiko-1 (Axios Valley, Greece) but rejects its occurrence at Dytiko-2. Instead, a re-examination of old cranial specimens and a study of new ones suggest the presence in both sites of Majoreas Kostopoulos, 2004 a Late Miocene taxon previously mostly known from the eastern banks of the Aegean Sea. A reassessment of the LGPUT RZO-68 cranium, and its comparison with Palaeoreas and Criotherium Forsyth-Major, 1891, suggests that it deserves taxonomic distinction at genus and species levels: Stryfnotherium exophthalmon.     

Fossil bats from the Late Pleistocene site of the Aguilón P7 Cave (Zaragoza,Spain)

Bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) are a valuable and independent source of palaeoenvironmental information in Quaternary sites because bat assemblages are not necessarily produced by the same processes as those of other small mammals. Here, we report a small collection of bats (MNI 15) from a cave infill of the Aguilón P7 (AGP-7) site (Zaragoza, Spain) dated Late Pleistocene (MIS 3). This is one of the rare localities south of the Ebro River (right bank) with Neanderthal tracks; therefore, the palaeoenvironmental data provided here may help us to understand Neanderthal history. Nine bat taxa were identified, viz. Rhinolophus ferumequinum, R. hipposideros, Myotis gr. myotis/blythii, M. cf. bechsteinii, M. emarginatus, M. daubentonii, Plecotus gr. auritus/austriacus, Hipsugo savii vel. Pipistrellus kuhlii/nathusii, and Miniopterus schreibersii. The presence of a high number of yearlings of the former four species suggests the presence of breeding colonies. The surprisingly high diversity of the sample indicates a variegated vegetation cover and relatively high humidity for the MIS 3 stage in the region.     

Porphyra aeodis sp. nov. (Bangiales,Rhodophyta), an epiphyte of Aeodes orbitosa from South Africa

A new species of Porphyra is described from the south western Cape, South Africa. The gametophyte of Porphyra aeodis sp. nov. grows epiphytically on Aeodes orbitosa (Suhr) Schmitz, and has a seasonal life history that matches that of its host. Although P. aeodis has been confused with P. capensis Kützing in the past, P. aeodis is more similar to the sympatric but epilithic P. saldanhae Stegenga, Bolton et Anderson. There is considerable morphological overlap between P. aeodis and P. saldanhae, although they may be distinguished using a combination of morphological and ecological characters. The taxonomic separation of P. aeodis and P. saldanhae was confirmed using isozyme electrophoresis.     

Orycteropus (Tubulidentata, Mammalia) from Langebaanweg and Baard's Quarry, Early Pliocene of South Africa

Fossil teeth and bones of aardvarks are relatively common at Langebaanweg, an Early Pliocene site in western Cape Province, South Africa. The remains are compatible in size and most details of morphology to extant Orycteropus afer, and are the earliest fossils attributed to this species. Other Late Miocene to Early Pliocene localities in Africa have yielded smaller species of aardvarks, suggesting that the extant lineage evolved in southern Africa. Morphologically the genus Orycteropus has been remarkably conservative since at least the Early Miocene but it witnessed an overall increase in size through the Neogene. The species O. afer has been morphometrically stable since the Early Pliocene. These observations indicate that the evolutionary process in aardvarks is extremely bradytelic. To cite this article: M. Pickford, C. R. Palevol 4 (2005).     

Partial hindlimb of Blikanasaurus cromptoni n. gen. and n. sp.,representing a new family of prosauropod dinosaurs from the upper triassic of South Africa

The holotype of the prosauropod dinosaur Blikanasaurus cromptoni n. gen. and n. sp., a partial hindlimb, is described from the lower Elliot Formation (= Red Beds) (upper Carnian or lower Norian; Upper Triassic) of Herschel district, Transkei, South Africa. The new prosauropod family Blikanasauridae is characterized by a hindlimb that is extremely stocky, especially the metatarsus, with the distal tarsals medially situated. Blikanasaurus was an early experiment in the direction of heavily-built, quadrupedal saurischians, but it was not on the evolutionary line that gave rise to the Sauropoda.     

Hippopotamus incognitus nov. sp., un hippopotame (Mammalia,Artiodactyla) du Pléistocène d'Europe occidentale

The new species Hippopotamus incognitus is recognized for the first time in the Middle and Upper Pleistocene of Western Europe. It was confused either with the Lower Middle Pleistocene H. major or the recent H. amphibius. H. incognitus is quite different from H. major with a lesser size, a lower skull, more slender limb bones and lenghtened metapodials. The size is bigger, the cheek teeth more bulky and the proportions of the limb bones different than in H. amphibius. These three species correspond to three distinct phylogenetical lineages originating in the same african tetraprotodont Pleistocene stock.     

Comparative observations on some middle and upper miocenehyaenids,Genera: PercrocutaKretzoi, AllohyaenaKretzoi, AdcrocutaKretzoi (Mammalia,Carnivora, Hyaenidae)

This study deals with the «percrocutoid hyaenids,present in Eurasia and in Africa in faunas of late Middle Miocene (Astaracian) to terminal Miocene (Vallesian, Turolian) age. These hyaenid species are characterized by certain dental apomorphies (loss of M^2/2, specialization of the carnassials P⁴/M₁, tendency for the hypertrophy of the anterior premolars) which differentiate them from other hyaenids with which they are found associated. In recent literature, these hyaenids have been attributed to the genera PercrocutaKretzoi and AdcrocutaKretzoi, the latter of which is monospecific. In fact some should be removed from the genus Percrocuta and assigned to the genus AllohyaenaKretzoi, itself subdivided into the two subgenera, AllohyaenaKretzoi and DinocrocutaSchmidt-Kittler. The genus Adcrocuta is retained and the characters which distinguish this genus from HyaenictisGaudry are discussed.This study is based on revision of all, or nearly allsuch specimens, described and figured or in collections, of which certain among them have been hardly or poorly known. Particular attention has been given to their geologic age and their distribution in Neogene mammalian faunas (Mein's zones). Their apomorphies, considered in relation to their temporal distributions, permit an interpretation of the phylogenetic relationships of their several lineages which is consistant with the proposed systematic revision of the group.The radiation of «percrocutoid hyaenids would appear to have occurred in three phases. At the beginning of the Astaracian, after the dispersal of Anchitherium, the genus Percrocuta appeared with several species of relatively small size; in Eurasia this genus does not seem to have persisted after the middle Astaracian, although it did so in the sub-Himalayan Siwaliks. At the end of the Astaracian it was apparently succeeded by the genus Allohyaena, and resulting in gigantic forms (subgenus Dinocrocuta) coincident in Eurasia and in Africa with the extension of Hipparion. The third phase of the radiation is represented by the genus Adcrocuta, which unlike the others, was monospecific. This single species, A. eximia, occurs initially, and very rarely in the upper Vallesian; however, in the middle Turolian it is common and widespread throughout Eurasia where it, perhaps, limited the expansion of Dinocrocuta.     

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Early Pleistocene site of Quibas (SE Spain) using a rodent assemblage

In this paper we analyze the rodent assemblage from the Early Pleistocene site of Gruta1 (Quibas karstic complex, Murcia, SE Spain), providing taphonomic comments and paleoecological and paleoclimatic data. The studied assemblage includes 209 identified rodent teeth corresponding to at least four taxa. The karstic source of the site and the low presence of digested remains suggest that the accumulation is scatological in origin, with the influence of predators such as owls; the accumulation also shows certain evidence of slight hydrodynamic sorting. For the area around Quibas/Gruta1 the paleoecological study indicates a predominance of rocky areas (31.7%), forested environments (31.7%) and open dry meadows or shrublands (29.7%), which would indicate a mosaic forest environment, and to a lesser extent the presence of open humid land (5.4%) and areas along streams or ponds (1.5%). The distribution of the bioclimatic spectra yields the highest percentage for a Mediterranean climate (37.5%), while the climatic parameters calculated (MAT = 15 °C, MTW = 25.7 °C, MTC = 4.3 °C, MAP = 390 mm) suggest colder and slightly more humid conditions than today at the time of the deposition of the remains. The data also point to a relative decrease in temperature within the phase in which the site was produced, which possibly occurred during a relative cold period between MIS 36 and MIS 40 according to the age.