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  • South-African hominins no older than 2.8 myr?

    From Pandora@21:1/5 to All on Sat Nov 19 14:12:49 2022
    https://phys.org/news/2022-11-monkey-teeth-hone-dates-human.html

    Biochronology of South African hominin-bearing sites: A reassessment
    using cercopithecid primates

    Abstract

    Despite recent advances in chronometric techniques (e.g., Uranium-Lead
    [U-Pb], cosmogenic nuclides, electron spin resonance spectroscopy
    [ESR]), considerable uncertainty remains regarding the age of many Plio-Pleistocene hominin sites, including several in South Africa. Consequently, biochronology remains important in assessments of Plio-Pleistocene geochronology and provides direct age estimates of
    the fossils themselves. Historically, cercopithecid monkeys have been
    among the most useful taxa for biochronology of early hominins because
    they are widely present and abundant in the African Plio-Pleistocene
    record. The last major studies using cercopithecids were published
    over 30 y ago. Since then, new hominin sites have been discovered,
    radiometric age estimates have been refined, and many changes have
    occurred in cercopithecid taxonomy and systematics. Thus, a
    biochronological reassessment using cercopithecids is long overdue.
    Here, we provide just such a revision based on our recent study of
    every major cercopithecid collection from African Plio-Pleistocene
    sites. In addition to correlations based on shared faunal elements, we
    present an analysis based on the dentition of the abundant
    cercopithecid Theropithecus oswaldi, which increases in size in a
    manner that is strongly correlated with geological age (r2 ~0.83),
    thereby providing a highly accurate age-estimation tool not previously utilized. In combination with paleomagnetic and U-Pb data, our results
    provide revised age estimates and suggest that there are no hominin
    sites in South Africa significantly older than ~2.8 Ma. Where
    conflicting age estimates exist, we suggest that additional data are
    needed and recall that faunal estimates have ultimately proved
    reliable in the past (e.g., the age of the KBS Tuff).

    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2210627119

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  • From [email protected]@21:1/5 to All on Sat Nov 19 06:25:35 2022
    https://phys.org/news/2022-11-monkey-teeth-hone-dates-human.html "Biochronology of South African hominin-bearing sites: a reassessment using cercopithecid primates" - Despite recent advances in chronometric techniques (U-Pb, cosmogenic nuclides,
    ESR), considerable uncertainty remains re.the age of many Plio-Pleistocene hominin sites, incl. several in S.Africa: bio-chronology remains important in assessments of Plio-Pleistocene geo-chronology, it provides direct age estimates of the fossils
    themselves. Historically, cercopithecids have been among the most useful taxa for early-hominin bio-chronology: they are widely present & abundant in the African Plio-Pleistocene record. The last major studies using cercopithecids were published >30 y
    ago. Since then, new hominin sites have been discovered, radiometric age estimates have been refined, many changes have occurred in cercopithecid taxonomy & systematics: a bio-chronological re-assessment using cercopithecids is long overdue. Here,
    we provide a revision, based on our recent study of every major cercopithecid collection from African Plio-Pleistocene sites. In addition to correlations based on shared faunal elements, we present an analysis, based on the dentition of the abundant
    cercopithecid Theropith.oswaldi, which increases in size in a manner strongly correlated with geological age (r2 ~0.83), providing a highly accurate age-estimation tool not previously utilized. In combin.x paleo-magnetic & U-Pb data, our results provide
    revised age estimates: there are no hominin sites in S.Africa significantly older than ~2.8 Ma. Where conflicting age estimates exist, we suggest: additional data are needed (faunal estimates have ultimately proved reliable in the past, e.g., the age of
    the KBS Tuff).
    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2210627119

    :-) Thanks, yes, this confirms my hypothesis that when the Red Sea opened into the Gulf ~5.3 Ma, Pliocene Pan turned right and initially followed E.Afr.coastal forests & later inland swamp forests (->africanus->robustus->chimp-bonobo), whereas Homo
    turned left and followed the S.Asian coasts to Java-Flores etc. H.erectus. Meanwhile, Gorilla in the E.Afr.Rift (afarensis->boisei->gorillas) evolved largely in parallel with Pan, see my recent book "De evolutie van de mens" Acad.Uitg. Utrecht NL.

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