Characterizing hominin diversification through an ecological approach

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

Understanding what selective forces led to these emergence of human ancestors requires a detailed knowledge of the environmental conditions in which these species lived and how they exploited their environment. To achieve this goal, this study collects environmental and dietary information to unveil the small-scale ecology where hominin species lived and the diets they consumed. Ecological information is compared with that obtained from localities where no hominins lived. Dietary information is compared to assess whether species consumed different diets. The study trains students in geological and paleontological methods and analyses. The results are shared with the scientific community, as well as museums and K-12 students. This study combines paleontological and geological investigations, focusing on known hominin and non-hominin localities to address landscape variation, niche differentiation, habitat diversity, and mammal community structure in a region where hominin species shared resources and habitats. Investigators directly assess hominin divergence in diet through microwear analysis of molar teeth and dental nitrogen analysis in the different genera to ascertain meat eating, as well as possible differences in levels of C3 and C4 isotopes among the species. The investigators: (1) survey for hominin and faunal fossils, including microfauna, (2) reconstruct 3D sedimentary and structural architecture of encasing sedimentary rocks, and (3) analyze biomarkers. This research contributes to the debate regarding which hominins belong to the genus Homo through understanding behavioral and morphological differences among hominin species that lived in the same localities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.