@article{2fee01de19ae4904903436585bdf6309,
title = "Micromammal and macromammal stable isotopes from a MIS 6 fossil hyena den (Pinnacle Point site 30, south coast, South Africa) reveal differences in relative contribution of C4 grasses to local and regional palaeovegetation on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain",
abstract = "Proxy records dating to marine isotope stage 6 on the south coast of South Africa are rare. This study presents integrated micromammal and macromammal stable isotope palaeoenvironmental proxy data from one of the few MIS 6 fossil occurrences in the region, a fossil brown hyena (Parahyena brunnea) den, Pinnacle Point 30 (PP30). Two predators with significantly different foraging ranges aggregated the large and small mammal components of the PP30 fossil assemblage. The large mammal specimens were brought to PP30 by Parahyena brunnea with an expansive daily foraging radius that focused on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. The micromammal taxa were deposited at the site primarily by the spotted eagle owl, Bubo africanus, with a foraging radius of ∼3 km, and would have sampled the ecotone between the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain and the Cape coastal lowlands. The large and small mammal components of the PP30 assemblage thus sample palaeovegetation at different geographic scales; micromammal stable isotope data act as a proxy for local conditions, while macromammal data integrate information at a broader scale. Comparison of the stable carbon isotope data obtained from the micromammal and macromammal fossil specimens suggests that these two assemblage components intersected vegetation with differing proportions of C4 grasses. Micromammal δ13C proxy data indicates that, immediately local to the site, a C3 dominated vegetation was present, while the large mammal δ13C proxy data shows evidence of a vegetation community with a greater C4 grass component that likely occurred somewhat more distant from the site itself on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain.",
keywords = "Africa, Cape floral region, Macromammal, Marine isotope stage 6, Micromammal, Palaeo-Agulhas plain, Pleistocene, Radiogenic isotopes, South Africa",
author = "Williams, {Hope M.} and Lee-Thorp, {Julia A.} and Thalassa Matthews and Marean, {Curtis W.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the MAPCRM crew for their invaluable assistance; B. Genari for laboratory and catalogue assistance at the Diaz Museum; A. Miller, A. Sommerville, and A. Michaud for advice and assistance with the sample preparation and data collection of the Wilderness modern micromammal data; K. Knudsen for laboratory space in the Archaeological Chemistry Laboratory (ASU). We also thank B. Passey for access to and training on the LA-GC-IRMS at Johns Hopkins University, and H.L. Williams for logistical support in Baltimore; and Andrew Gledhill in the Stable Light Isotopes Facility at the University of Bradford. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation grants to Marean ( BCS-0524087 and BCS-1138073 ), the Late Lessons from Early History grant, the Hyde Family Foundation , a School of Human Evolution and Social Change Graduate Research award (to HM Williams), and a SHESC dissertation writing fellowship (to HM Williams), and the University of Bradford (to JA Lee-Thorp). Destructive analysis permits were granted by the South African Heritage Resource Agency . The support of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (COE-Pal) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Financial support was also received from the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Judith Sealy and a referee provided helpful comments. Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the MAPCRM crew for their invaluable assistance; B. Genari for laboratory and catalogue assistance at the Diaz Museum; A. Miller, A. Sommerville, and A. Michaud for advice and assistance with the sample preparation and data collection of the Wilderness modern micromammal data; K. Knudsen for laboratory space in the Archaeological Chemistry Laboratory (ASU). We also thank B. Passey for access to and training on the LA-GC-IRMS at Johns Hopkins University, and H.L. Williams for logistical support in Baltimore; and Andrew Gledhill in the Stable Light Isotopes Facility at the University of Bradford. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation grants to Marean (BCS-0524087 and BCS-1138073), the Late Lessons from Early History grant, the Hyde Family Foundation, a School of Human Evolution and Social Change Graduate Research award (to HM Williams), and a SHESC dissertation writing fellowship (to HM Williams), and the University of Bradford (to JA Lee-Thorp). Destructive analysis permits were granted by the South African Heritage Resource Agency. The support of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (COE-Pal) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Financial support was also received from the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Judith Sealy and a referee provided helpful comments. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Ltd",
year = "2020",
month = may,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106201",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "235",
journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",
issn = "0277-3791",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
}