63 research outputs found
The ‘mosaic habitat’ concept in human evolution: past and present
The habitats preferred by hominins and other species are an important theme in palaeoanthropology, and the ‘mosaic habitat’ (also referred to as habitat heterogeneity) has been a central concept in this regard for the last four decades. Here we explore the development of this concept – loosely defined as a range of different habitat types, such as woodlands, riverine forest and savannah within a limited spatial area– in studies of human evolution in the last sixty years or so. We outline the key developments that took place before and around the time when the term ‘mosaic’ came to wider palaeoanthropological attention. To achieve this we used an analysis of the published literature, a study of illustrations of hominin evolution from 1925 onwards and an email survey of senior researchers in palaeoanthropology and related fields. We found that the term mosaic starts to be applied in palaeoanthropological thinking during the 1970’s due to the work of a number of researchers, including Karl Butzer and Glynn Isaac , with the earliest usage we have found of ‘mosaic’ in specific reference to hominin habitats being by Adriaan Kortlandt (1972). While we observe a steady increase in the numbers of publications reporting mosaic palaeohabitats, in keeping with the growing interest and specialisation in various methods of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, we also note that there is a lack of critical studies that define this habitat, or examine the temporal and spatial scales associated with it. The general consensus within the field is that the concept now requires more detailed definition and study to evaluate its role in human evolution
Comparison of the behaviour and ecology of red colobus and redtail monkeys in the Kibale Forest, Uganda
Monthly variations in feeding and activity patterns of the mangabey, Cercocebus albigena (Lydekker)
Group size, density and biomass of large mammals in the Réserve de Faune du Petit Loango, Gabon
Spatial distribution and nutritive value of two species of Cochlospermum for warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus Pallas) in Kainji Lake Park, Nigeria
Observations on two rare and endangered populations of red colobus monkeys in East Africa: Colobus badius gordonorum and Colobus badius kirkii
Red-tail monkey groups in forest patches outside the protected area system in the 'Kampala area'
Forest fragmentation and primates' survival status in non-reserved forests of the 'Kampala area', Uganda
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