8156_xml
20200926100000
assa
nadiag@assaf.org.za
assa
South African Journal of Science
S. Afr. J. Sci
1996-7489
09292020
116
9/10
Newly identified hominin trackways from the Cape south coast of South Africa
Charles W.
Helm
African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7995-8809
Martin G.
Lockley
Dinosaur Trackers Research Group, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0402-2552
Hayley C.
Cawthra
African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Geophysics and Remote Sensing Unit, Council for Geoscience, Cape Town, South Africa
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6101-5543
Jan C.
De Vynck
African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1044-4046
Mark G.
Dixon
African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Carina J.Z.
Helm
African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0183-2015
Guy H.H.
Thesen
African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5810-4510
Three new Pleistocene hominin tracksites have been identified on the Cape south coast of South Africa, one in the Garden Route National Park and two in the Goukamma Nature Reserve, probably dating to Marine Isotope Stage 5. As a result, southern Africa now boasts six hominin tracksites, which are collectively the oldest sites in the world that are attributed to Homo sapiens. The tracks were registered on dune surfaces, now preserved in aeolianites. Tracks of varying size were present at two sites, indicating the presence of more than one trackmaker, and raising the possibility of family groups. A total of 18 and 32 tracks were recorded at these two sites, respectively. Ammoglyphs were present at one site. Although track quality was not optimal, and large aeolianite surface exposures are rare in the region, these sites prove the capacity of coastal aeolianites to yield such discoveries, and they contribute to what remains a sparse global hominin track record. It is evident that hominin tracks are more common in southern Africa than was previously supposed.
09292020
1
10.17159/sajs.2016/crossmark
sajs.co.za
false
2020-04-12
2020-06-17
2020-09-25
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
10.17159/sajs.2020/8156
20200926100000
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8156/10469