The geological, isotopic, botanical, invertebrate, and lower vertebrate contexts for aripithecus ramidus

Woldegabriel, Giday; Ambrose, Stanley H; Barboni, Doris; Bonneffille, Raymond; Bremond, Laurent; Currie, Brian; Degusta, David; Hart, William K; Murray, Alison M; Renne, Paul R; Jolly - Saad, M C; Stewart, Kathlyn M; White, Tim D

doi:10.1126/science.1175817

The geological, isotopic, botanical, invertebrate, and lower vertebrate contexts for aripithecus ramidus

Journal Article · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2008 · Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1175817· OSTI ID:971297

Woldegabriel, Giday ^[1]; Ambrose, Stanley H ^[2]; Barboni, Doris ^[3]; Bonneffille, Raymond ^[3]; Bremond, Laurent ^[4]; Currie, Brian ^[5]; Degusta, David ^[6]; Hart, William K ^[5]; Murray, Alison M ^[7]; Renne, Paul R ^[8]; Jolly - Saad, M C ^[9]; Stewart, Kathlyn M ^[10]; White, Tim D ^[8]

Los Alamos National Laboratory
UNIV OF ILLINOIS
CEREGE, FRANCE
MONTPELLIER, FRANCE
MIAMI UNIV, OXFORD, OHIO
STANFORD UNIV.
UNIV OF ALBERTA
UC/BERKELEY
NANTERRE, FRANCE
CANADA

Sediments containing Ardipithecus ramidus were deposited 4.4 million years ago on an alluvial floodplain in Ethiopia's western Afar rift. The Lower Aramis Member hominid-bearing unit, now exposed across a >9-kilometer structural arc, is sandwiched between two volcanic tuffs that have nearly identical {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar ages. Geological data presented here, along with floral, invertebrate, and vertebrate paleontological and taphonomic evidence associated with the hominids, suggest that they occupied a wooded biotope over the western three-fourths of the paleotransect. Phytoliths and oxygen and carbon stable isotopes of pedogenic carbonates provide evidence of humid cool woodlands with a grassy substrate.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

Sponsoring Organization:: DOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

OSTI ID:: 971297

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-09-06141; LA-UR-09-6141

Journal Information:: Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 5949 Vol. 326; ISSN 0193-4511; ISSN SCEHDK

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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The geological, isotopic, botanical, invertebrate, and lower vertebrate contexts for aripithecus ramidus

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