Fossil hyaenidae from cooper’s cave, South Africa, and the palaeoenvironmental implications

Abstract: We present material of the family Hyaenidae from Cooper’s Cave, an early Pleistocene (ca 1.5 Ma) fossil-bearing site in Gauteng, South Africa. This site is exceptionally rich in Carnivora, including five species of Hyaenidae: Chasmaporthetes nitidula, Crocuta ultra, Parahyaena brunnea, Hyaena hyaena and cf. Proteles sp. This diversity is greater than that of the entire family in the modern fauna and is matched at other sites in the vicinity of Cooper’s Cave. This raises issues about time averaging and the carrying capacity of the palaeoenvironment that require resolution if we are to properly understand the environments in which Paranthropus robustus, present at Cooper’s Cave, and other early hominins evolved. In addition, the presence of several hyaenid species with bone-eating/collecting capabilities raises questions about the identity of the accumulators of fossil bone assemblages that have yet to be fully resolved

The dietary behaviour of early pleistocene bovids from Cooper's Cave and Swartkrans, South Africa

Ph.D., Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011There is ongoing speculation about how an increasingly arid environment contributed to the extinction of Paranthropus robustus, given that a mosaic landscape with a major part of the area consisting of predominantly open grassland environment accompanied by an escalating cooler drier climate remains the persistent palaeoecological reconstruction for this species. It has been suggested that P. robustus, a dietary specialist, was not able to adapt to an increasingly xeric habitat. This notion has been challenged by recent multi-disciplinary research on P. robustus remains, including stable light isotope and dental microwear analyses, which portray a more complex diet. Paranthropus robustus is present in a number of key fossil assemblages spanning the period ca. 1.8 to 1.0 Ma. Analysis of the stable carbon isotope composition of bioapatites and dental microwear texture analysis of different bovid taxa, associated with P. robustus remains from five discrete deposits, were used to reconstruct dietary behaviour and by inference availability of local resources. The overall pattern emerging from the bovid data indicates a more mixed and varied diet than previously thought, suggesting a heterogeneous environment, and hence a less static ecological profile for Paranthropus. The significant occurrence of mixed diets and relatively few obligate C4 grazers suggest that although C4 grasses were available in a mosaic environment, a C4-dominated ecosystem was not present. Swartkrans Member 2 (ca. 1.6 Ma) contains substantially more C3 feeders than other P. robustus deposits, signifying a vegetation community structure that was more C3-dominated than the other deposits. There is an apparent indication of shifting vegetation structure between P. robustus deposits. Thus, despite its derived craniodental morphology, P. robustus seems to have thrived through a range of climatic and ecological shifts by selecting from a variety of available foods present on the landscape

Mongoose Manor: Herpestidae remains from the Early Pleistocene Cooper’s D locality in the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng, South Africa

Mongooses (Herpestidae) are an important component of African ecosystems, and a common constituent of southern African fossil assemblages. Despite this, mongoose fossils from the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng, South Africa, have received relatively little interest. This paper presents the diverse mongoose craniodental assemblage from the early Pleistocene fossil locality Cooper’s D. A total of 29 mongoose specimens from five genera were identified at Cooper’s, including numerous first appearances in the Cradle or in South Africa. The exceptional mongoose assemblage at Cooper’s likely reflects the effects of an unknown taphonomic process, although mongooses follow other carnivore groups in the Cradle in displaying an apparent preference for the southern part of the Cradle. This investigation shows the value of mongooses as palaeoecological indicators and supports previous interpretations of the environment at Cooper’s as grassland with a strong woody component near a permanent water source.Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST); DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, Palaeosciences (CoE-Pal); the South African National Research Foundation; and the University of the Witwatersrand Postgraduate Merit Award.JNC201

The Equidae from Cooper’s D, an early Pleistocene fossil locality in Gauteng, South Africa

Cooper’s D is a fossil locality in the Bloubank Valley close to other important sites such as Sterkfontein and Kromdraai in Gauteng, South Africa. The fossil deposits of Cooper’s D date to 1.38 ± 0.11 Ma. Hominins like Paranthropus robustus and early Homo have been recovered from Cooper’s Cave. We report here on the Equidae remains. Our sample contains specimens from the extinct Equus capensis, and a specimen which represents an extinct hipparion Eurygnathohippus cf. cornelianus. This particular specimen was previously identified as plains zebra (Equus quagga). The contribution of Equidae to the total fossil assemblage of Cooper’s D is relatively low, and these remains were likely accumulated by various predators such as spotted and brown hyenas and leopards. The Equidae, as well as the other fauna from Cooper’s D supports the existence of grassland, wooded and water components in the vicinity of the site

Mustelid and viverrid remains from the Pleistocene site of Cooper’s D, Gauteng, South Africa

Fossil mustelids and viverrids are rare in the African Pleistocene fossil record. The careful examination of sieved sediments from the well-dated Cooper’s D locality in Gauteng has revealed six new mustelid and viverrid specimens. These represent three uncommon genera – two mustelids, Propoecilogale bolti and Mellivora capensis, and a viverrid, Civettictis cf. civetta. We describe and figure these six specimens here. Cooper’sD is only the fourth African locality at which P. bolti has been identified, and it is the first of the Witwatersrand sites to contain remains of the African civet.Palaeontological Scientific Trust NRF/DST Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences South African National Research Foundation University of the Witwatersrand Postgraduate Merit Award Liverpool John Moores University Early Career Researcher Awar

Handbuch methodischer Grundfragen zur Masterplan-Erstellung - Kommunale Masterpläne für 100 % Klimaschutz

Masterplan-Kommunen sind die Vorreiter unter den Klimaschutzkommunen und müssen über das bisher in der Breite bereits Begonnene hinausgehen. Sie stehen vor großen strukturellen und finanziellen Herausforderungen, aber auch vor großen Chancen. Die Chancen ergeben sich insbesondere für ein verbessertes und lebenswerteres Umfeld in der Kommune und damit auch für eine gesteigerte Lebensqualität. Die Einbindung aller Akteure in der Kommune, innerhalb und außerhalb der Verwaltung, ist ein wichtiger Baustein auf dem Weg zum Ziel „Null Emissionen“. Vor allem die Einbindung der Wirtschaft vor Ort und der Bürgerinnen und Bürger ist essenziell, wenn eine Transformation angestoßen und umgesetzt werden soll. Das Handbuch unterstützt die Masterplan-Kommunen mit der vorliegenden methodischen Herangehensweise auf ihrem Weg

The global abundance of tree palms

Aim Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests

Les félidés de la Grotte Cooper, Afrique du Sud (Mammalia: Carnivora)

La grotte de Cooper a livré un assemblage diversifié de fossiles incluant des restes de Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938 associés à ceux des premiers Homo Linnaeus, 1758. La majorité des restes provient du site de Cooper D, daté d’environ 1,5 à 1,4 Ma. Dans ce travail, nous décrivons 158 dentaires et os post-craniaux appartenant à des Felidae fossiles de Cooper D, dont Dinofelis cf. aronoki. Ces fossiles attestent de la présence de quatre genres de grands Felidae : Dinofelis Zdansky, 1924, Megantereon Croizet &amp; Jobert, 1828, Panthera Oken, 1816 (deux espèces) et Acinonyx Brookes, 1828, ainsi que de deux genres de plus petite taille : Caracal Gray, 1843 et Felis Linnaeus, 1758. Cet assemblage semble marquer la première occurrence du guépard moderne Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775) en Afrique, ainsi que la première occurrence de l’espèce d’Afrique orientale Dinofelis cf. aronoki en Afrique du sud. Cette espèce présente des caractéristiques intermédiaires entre Dinofelis barlowi (Broom, 1937) et Dinofelis piveteaui (Ewer, 1955). L’assemblage de Felidae de Cooper D est comparé à ceux d’autres sites dans le « Berceau de l’Humanité », Gauteng, et plusieurs scénarios de l’évolution du genre Dinofelis sont discutés.The Cooper’s Cave System has produced a diverse fossil assemblage including the remains of Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938, and early Homo Linnaeus, 1758. The majority of the faunal remains come from Cooper’s D, which dates to c. 1.5-1.4 Ma. Here we describe 158 craniodental and postcranial felid fossils from Cooper’s D, including Dinofelis cf. aronoki. These fossils indicate the presence of four large felid genera at Cooper’s D: Dinofelis Zdansky, 1924, Megantereon Croizet &amp; Jobert, 1828, Panthera Oken, 1816 (two species) and Acinonyx Brookes, 1828, plus two smaller taxa: Caracal Gray, 1843 and Felis Linnaeus, 1758. This assemblage may mark the first appearance of the modern cheetah Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775) in Africa, as well the first occurrence of the East African species Dinofelis cf. aronoki in southern Africa. This taxon appears intermediate in features between Dinofelis barlowi (Broom, 1937) and Dinofelis piveteaui (Ewer, 1955). We compare the Cooper’s D felid assemblage with those from other sites in the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng, and discuss several scenarios for the evolution of the genus Dinofelis in eastern and southern Africa.</p

Bovidés fossiles du site à Hominini de Cooper’s D (vallée de Bloubank, Afrique du Sud) : implications pour les préférences d’habitat de &lt;i&gt;Paranthropus robustus&lt;/i&gt; Broom, 1938 et des premiers représentants du genre &lt;i&gt;Homo&lt;/i&gt; Linnaeus, 1758

Le gisement Cooper’s D a été daté par U-Pb à un âge maximum de 1,37 Ma ± 0,113 et a livré sept restes d’Hominini, dont six sont attribués à l’espèce endémique d’Afrique australe, Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938. Cependant, la composition taxinomique de l’assemblage faunique retrouvé sur ce site, en particulier les ruminants, reste mal connue. Cet article met à jour les résultats des travaux paléontologiques et biochronologiques précédents et fournit la première description taxinomique et analyse paléoécologique de l’ensemble du matériel de bovidé de Cooper’s D. Nous proposons un âge minimum de 1,0 Ma pour l’accumulation osseuse de Cooper’s D. Ainsi, nous concluons que l’assemblage s’est accumulé entre 1,375 ± 0,113 et 1,0 Ma sur la base des résultats complémentaires obtenus à partir des dates radiométriques et de la biochronologie. L’analyse paléoécologique suggère un environnement dominé par des prairies, avec un habitat couvert clairsemé et des sources d’eau permanentes à proximité. Enfin, nous montrons une forte corrélation négative, statistiquement significative entre la présence d’espèces de bovidés adaptées aux prairies et P. robustus. Ce résultat indique que P. robustus était plus susceptible d’être une espèce eurytopique qu’un végétarien spécialisé.The Cooper’s D deposit has been dated by U-Pb at a maximum age of 1.37 Ma ± 0.113 and has yielded seven Hominini remains, six of them are attributed to the Southern African endemic species Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938. However, the taxonomic composition of the faunal assemblage recovered at this site, especially ruminants, remains poorly understood. This paper updates the previous palaeontological and biochronological works and provides the first taxonomic description and paleoecological analysis of the whole bovid material from Cooper’s D. We propose a minimum age of 1.0 Ma for the Cooper’s D bone accumulation. Thus, we conclude that the assemblage accumulated between 1.375 ± 0.113 and 1.0 Ma based on the complementary results obtained from radiometric dates and biochronology. The paleoecological analysis suggests that Cooper’s D is likewise dominated by grassland with sparse covered habitat and probable water sources in the vicinity. Finally, we show a strong statistically significant negative correlation between the presence of grassland-adapted bovid species and P. robustus. This result indicates that P. robustus was more likely to be an eurytopic species and dietary generalist than an exclusive grazer.</p

Das Konzept der Festspiele Reichenau

Das Konzept der Festspiele Reichenau – Entstehung, Entwicklung und der Genius loci Gegenstand dieser Dissertation ist es, zu erforschen, wie das dramaturgische Konzept der Festspiele Reichenau entstand und wie es immer wieder weiter entwickelt wurde. Die Arbeit sieht sich als Beitrag zur jüngsten Theatergeschichtsschreibung und baut zusätzlich auf detailgenauen Analysen von Dramatisierungen von Romanen auf. Nach einer Betrachtung der Bezüge des Ortes Reichenau an der Rax zur Literatur- und Theatergeschichte wird analysiert, wie dieser Aspekt die Konzeptfindung der Festspiele Reichenau beeinflusst hat und wie diese Argumentation über die Jahre einem starken Wandel unterzogen wurde. Dazu werden Materialien aus dem bisher unbearbeiteten Archiv wie Konzeptpapiere und Korrespondenzen sowie Publikationen der Festspiele und persönliche geführte Interviews herangezogen. Auf Basis von Faktoren wie Homogenität, Exklusivität, besonderes Vorgehen bei der Kartenvergabe und Künstlerauswahl wird ebenso versucht den Erfolg der Festspiele zu ergründen wie durch Kommentare von Künstlern und Publikum. Spielorte sowie das Bühnenbildkonzept werden näher beschrieben und das Festival im Spannungsfeld mit anderen Anbietern präsentiert. Die Analyse von Kritiken und anderen Zeitungsartikeln soll Aufschluss über den medialen Stellenwert des Festivals geben. Ein wichtiger Aspekt bei der Betrachtung des Dramaturgiekonzepts und dessen Erweiterung ist das Faktum, dass man auch Dramatisierungen in Auftrag gab, um weitere Theatertexte zu schaffen, die sich idealtypisch in das Konzept fügten. Hier wird eine genaue Analyse dreier aufgeführter Texte durchgeführt. Zwei Dramatisierungen von Romanen, jene von Die Strudlhofstiege von Heimito von Doderer und jene von Ruhm Daniel Kehlmanns, sowie die Umarbeitung von Arthur Schnitzlers Fragment Das Wort zu Affaire Lina Loos werden detailliert mit den Vorlagen verglichen, um festzustellen, welche Vorgehensweisen die jeweiligen dramatisierenden Autoren wählten. Zudem wird auf Beispiele für Uraufführungen als Auftragswerke eingegangen. Somit werden Alleinstellungsmerkmale der Festspiele Reichenau herausgearbeitet und von vielen Blickwinkeln aus analysiert.Abstract in English The concept of the Festspiele Reichenau/Reichenau festival – its origin, development and the genius loci The present dissertation investigates how the dramaturgic concept of the Festspiele Reichenau (the Reichenau festival in Reichenau an der Rax/Lower Austria) was created and how it developed over time. The dissertation thereby contributes to the theatre-historiography of the last decades. Additionally, it is based on the analysis of dramatizations of novels. After analysing the relations between the town of Reichenau/Rax and the literature- and theatre-historiography, it is presented how this aspect influenced the creation of the concept of the Festspiele Reichenau. A matter of interest is how this concept has been modified throughout the years of the festival’s existence. The sources of this project are, first, the so-far unexploited archive of the festival, which contains concept papers, correspondences, publications of the festival itself and Austrian newspapers and magazines and much more, second, face-to-face-interviews and third, secondary literature. Based on factors as homogeneity, exclusivity, ticket allocation, choice of actors and more, the aim is to give reasons for the great success of the festival. Artists and audience-members comment on it as well as critics, which tries to show the importance of the festival in the media. Particular attention is paid to one special part of the elaboration of the dramaturgic concept of the festival: An important aspect is thereby that the festival commissioned exclusive dramatizations of novels to create new dramas that fit its concept perfectly. In order to show how this is done, the dramatizations of Die Strudlhofstiege by Heimito von Doderer and of Ruhm by Daniel Kehlmann as well as the adaptation of Das Wort by Arthur Schnitzler are compared in detail with the originals