Ostrich eggshell as a source of palaeoenvironmental information for the arid interior of South Africa (original) (raw)

Abstract

Ostrich eggshell is abundant in many archaeological and palaeontological sites throughout Africa, making it a popular material for radiocarbon dating. However, ostrich eggshell is also a powerful tool for reconstructing climate and palaeoenvironment, as well as ecological changes. Here we present three different methods that have produced climatic and environmental information on the same samples: stable carbon and oxygen isotopes on inorganic carbonate, pore size count and shell thickness measurements. As a case study we present new results for the Oldowan and Earlier Stone Age layers at Wonderwerk Cave (Northern Cape, South Africa), for the period ca. 2 - 1 Ma. The data, independently collected using the three different methods, provide a remarkably coherent picture of past environmental and climate change for the arid interior of South Africa, where such data from terrestrial archives is rare. Independently, the methods demonstrate the occurrence of significant moist phases in an overall arid setting. The isotopic data show changing amounts of C3 and C4 plants, although ostriches are opportunistic grazers with a preference for tender green plants. This record can be compared to other proxies from the region to research for drivers of climate change in southern Africa’s summer rainfall region.

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