Lothagam : the dawn of humanity in eastern Africa / edited by Meave G. Leakey and John M. Harris.

ISBN:

9780231507608

Title:

Author:

Leakey, Meave G.

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vi, 678 pages) : illustrations

Contents:

Stratigraphy and depositional history of the Lothagam sequence / Craig S. Feibel -- Miocene and Pliocene paleosols of Lothagam / Jonathan G. Wynn -- Numerical age control for the Miocene-Pliocene succession at Lothagam, a hominoid-bearing sequence in the northern Kenya Rift / Ian McDougall and Craig S. Feibel -- Fossil crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from Lothagam / Joel W. Martin and Sandra Trautwein -- Fossil fish remains from Mio-Pliocene deposits at Lothagam, Kenya / Kathlyn M. Stewart -- Fossil turtles from Lothagam / Roger C. Wood -- Late Miocene-early Pliocene crocodilian fauna of Lothagam, southwest Turkana Basin, Kenya / Glenn W. Storrs -- Lothagam birds / John M. Harris and Meave G. Leakey -- Rodents and lagomorphs from the Miocene and Pliocene of Lothagam, northern Kenya / Alisa J. Winkler -- Cercopithecidae from Lothagam / Meave G. Leakey, Mark F. Teaford and Carol V. Ward -- The Lothagam hominids / Meave G. Leakey and Alan C. Walker -- Mio-Pliocene Carnivora from Lothagam, Kenya / Lars Werdelin -- Elephantoidea from Lothagam / Pascal Tassy -- Deinotheres from the Lothagam succession / John M. Harris -- Fossil aardvarks from the Lothagam beds / Simon A.H. Milledge -- Lothagam Rhinocerotidae / John M. Harris and Meave G. Leakey -- Systematics and evolutionary biology of the late Miocene and early Pliocene hipparionine equids from Lothagam, Kenya / Raymond L. Bernor and John M. Harris -- Fossil Hippopotamidae from Lothagam / Eleanor M. Weston -- Lothagam Suidae / John M. Harris and Meave G. Leakey -- Lothagam giraffids / John M. Harris -- Bovidae from the Lothagam succession / John M. Harris -- Stable isotope ecology of northern Kenya, with emphasis on the Turkana Basin / Thure E. Cerling [and others].

Isotope paleoecology of the Nawata and Nachukui formations at Lothagam, Turkana Basin, Kenya / Thure E. Cerling, John M. Harris and Meave G. Leakey -- Lothagam : its significance and contributions / Meave G. Leakey and John M. Harris -- Appendix : Notes on the reconstructions of fossil vertebrates from Lothagam / Mauricio Antón.

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Vertebrates, Fossil -- Kenya -- Lothagam Site.

Paleontology -- Miocene.

Animals, Fossil -- Kenya -- Lothagam Site.

Geographic Term:

Lothagam Site (Kenya)

Added Author:

Leakey, Meave G.

Harris, John Michael.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2003

Publication Information:

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
566.0967627 22	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Located at the southwest corner of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, Lothagam represents one of the most important intervals in African prehistory. Early human remains are restricted in distribution to Africa and the acquisition of an upright bipedal striding gait, the hallmark of humanity, appears to be at least circumstantially linked to the reduction of equatorial forests and the spread of grasslands on that continent. The diverse Lothagam fauna documents the end-Miocene transition from forested to more open habitats that were exploited by grazing horses and antelopes, hippos, giant pigs, and true elephants. It also includes spectacularly complete fossil carnivore skeletons and some of the oldest human remains.

Author Notes

Meave Leakey, formerly head of the Division of Paleontology at the National Museums of Kenya, has recently been in the news as the leader of the team that discovered the new hominid Kenyanthropus platyops, dating from 3.2-3.5 million years ago.

John M. Harris, also formerly head of the Division of Paleontology at the National Museums of Kenya, is Chief Curator and Head of Vertebrate Programs at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Reviews (1)

Choice Review

Lothagam, southwest of Lake Turkana, has been known for some 30 years as one of the oldest fossil localities in East Africa yielding remains of early humans. After the work of Harvard's Bryan Patterson in the 1960s, several teams from the National Museums of Kenya collected additional fossils into the mid-1990s. In this volume, some 20 authors from the US, Europe, and Africa report their findings on the geology, age, paleoenvironment (including stable isotopic analyses), and fossil fauna (especially mammals) of the several horizons distinguished in the area. Although sediments at Lothagam range in age from c.14-1.8 million years ago (Mya), most of the fossils derive from levels dated 7.5-5.2 Mya, with some from the 5-2 Mya horizons. Unfortunately, very few hominins (human relatives) were recovered. More complete remains from older localities (in the 8-5 Mya range) have recently eclipsed the importance of these fossils, but the volume has great value for researchers as a standard of comparison for collections of this age. Excellent editors' summary of fauna, environments, and comparisons with contemporaneous assemblages across Africa and Eurasia; beautiful and scholarly reconstructions of individual species and landscapes by Mauricio Anton. For paleontological collections. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate students; faculty. E. Delson CUNY Herbert H. Lehman College

Meave G. LeakeyCraig S. FeibelJonathan G. WynnIan McDougall and Craig S. FeibelJoel W. Martin and Sandra TrautweinKathyln M. StewartRoger C. WoodGlenn W. StorrsJohn M. Harris and Meave G. LeakeyAlisa J. WinklerMeave G. Leakey and Mark F. Teaford and Carol V. WardMeave G. Leakey and Alan C. WalkerLars WerdelinPascal TassyJohn M. HarrisSimon A. H. MilledgeJohn M. Harris and Meave G. LeakeyRaymond L. Bernor and John M. HarrisEleanor M. WestonJohn M. Harris and Meave G. LeakeyJohn M. HarrisJohn M. HarrisThure E. Cerling and John M. Harris and Meave G. Leakey and Nina MudidaThure E. Cerling and John M. Harris and Meave G. LeakeyMeave G. Leakey and John M. HarrisMauricio Anton

1 Introduction	p. 1
2 Geology, Paleosols, and Dating
2.1 Stratigraphy and Depositional History of the Lothagam Sequence	p. 17
2.2 Miocene and Pliocene Paleosols of Lothagam	p. 31
2.3 Numerical Age Control for the Miocene-Pliocene Succession at Lothagam, a Hominoid-bearing Sequence in the Northern Kenya Rift	p. 43
3 Crustacea and Pisces
3.1 Fossil Crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from Lothagam	p. 67
3.2 Fossil Fish Remains from Mio-Policene Deposits at Lothagam, Kenya	p. 75
4 Reptilia and Aves
4.1 Fossil Turtles from Lothagam	p. 115
4.2 Late Miocene-Early Pliocene Crocodilian Fauna of Lothagam, Southwest Turkana Basin, Kenya	p. 137
4.3 Lothagam Birds	p. 161
5 Lagomorpha and Rodentia
Rodents and Lagomorphs from the Miocene and Pliocene of Lothagam, Northern Kenya	p. 169
6 Primates
6.1 Cercopithecidae from Lothagam	p. 201
6.2 The Lothagam Hominids	p. 249
7 Carnivora
Mio-Pliocene Carnivora from Lothagam, Kenya	p. 261
8 Proboscidea and Tubulidentata
8.1 Elephantoidea from Lothagam	p. 331
8.2 Deinotheres from the Logatham Succession	p. 359
8.3 Fossil Aardvarks from the Lothagam Beds	p. 363
9 Perissodactyla
9.1 Lothagam Rhinocerotidae	p. 371
9.2 Systematics and Evolutionary Biology of the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene Hipparionine Equids from Lothagam, Kenya	p. 387
10 Hippopotamidae and Suidae
10.1 Fossil Hippopotamidae from Lothagam	p. 441
10.2 Lothagam Suidae	p. 485
11 Ruminantia
11.1 Lothagam Giraffids	p. 523
11.2 Bovidae from the Lothagam Succession	p. 531
12 Isotopes
12.1 Stable Isotope Ecology of Northern Kenya, with Emphasis on the Turkana Basin	p. 583
12.2 Isotope Paleoecology of the Nawata and Nachukui Formations at Lothagam, Turkana Basin, Kenya	p. 605
13 Lothagam: Its Significance and Contributions	p. 625
Appendix Notes on the Reconstructions of Fossil Vertebrates from Lothagam	p. 661
Contributors	p. 667
Index	p. 669

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

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Table of Contents