55 research outputs found
Superior cervical vertebrae of a Miocene hominoid and a Plio-Pleistocene hominid from southern Africa
The Miocene hominoid and Plio-Pleistocene hominid vertebral record is poor. In 1994, a complete atlas of a hominoid was found in breccia at Berg Aukas in Namibia. Its age was estimated to be middle Miocene (13 myr) on the basis of microfauna. This locality yielded the holotype of Otavipithecus namibiensis and the atlas could belong to the same genus. The specimen exhibits clear hominoid traits such as a weakly salient retroglenoid tubercle at the superior articular facet of the lateral mass, and a horizontal transverse process. This morphology of the transverse process is close to that of pygmy chimpanzees, gibbons and African colobines, suggesting that Otavipithecus was arboreal. This confirms the conclusions drawn from other parts of the skeleton. From the size of the atlas, a body weight of 15-20 kg is estimated for the Berg Aukas hominoid, which accords with previous estimates based on its teeth. The second fossil considered in this paper is an axis from Swartkrans, SK 854, dated to nearly 1,8 myr. This axis is compared with another Plio-Pleistocene axis from Ethiopia, AL 333.101. SK 854 shows a morphology different from that of humans and AL 333.101, and also of apes. The South African axis was attributed to Paranthropus by Robinson (1972), and its morphology is probably typical of bipedalism associated with climbing.THE COUNCILâS RESEARCH COMMITTEE, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND; NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION (NRF); Fondation Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet
pour la Vocation, Fondation Fyssen, College de France; Namibia Palaeontology Expedition and Palaeontological Expedition to South Africa (Sous-direction des Sciences Sociales,
Humaines et de lâArcheologie du Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres in Paris
First fossil Agama lizard discovered in the Cradle of Humankind (Boltâs Farm Cave System, South Africa)
Abstract: Plio-Pleistocene sites in the Cradle of HumankindWorld Heritage Site (recognized by UNESCO), including Taung and Makapansgat Limeworks, all in South Africa, have not only yielded a rich collection of macrofauna but also an abundance of microfauna. Even though the extant small lizards are highly diverse with 23 families and 350 species in southern Africa, very few fossil remains have been studied. This is probably due in part to difficulties in accessing comparative osteological collections (the comparative material is usually rarely completely prepared, rendering anatomical study almost impossible). In 2016 an incomplete mandible with acrodont dentition was excavated in Brad Pit A (Boltâs FarmKarst System) by the Hominid Origins and Past Environment Research Unit team.Upon inspection, the fossil resembled agamids, even though it lacked the anterior pleurodont dentition present in Agamids. The fossil specimen can only be identified as Agama sp.due to its fragmentary state, but it represents the first fossil of this genus to be reported from the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site
Anna Alter et Brigitte Senut. Qui sont nos ancĂȘtresâ? Grands singes, homme, ce quâon ne sait pas encore⊠Collection sur les Ă©paules des savants. Editions le Pommier
La diffusion des connaissances Ă un public de non-initiĂ©s, en particulier les enfants, est tout un art. Câest pourquoi les Ă©ditions Le Pommier ont mis en place une collection intitulĂ©e «âsur les Ă©paules des savantsâ» destinĂ©e aux 7-11 ans et dans laquelle chaque volume traite dâun sujet scientifique spĂ©cifique. Il ne sâagit pas seulement dâexposer nos connaissances sur le sujet traitĂ© mais aussi les questions que les chercheurs se posent. Ce choix Ă©ditorial peut-ĂȘtre dĂ©concertant pour ceux qu..
Anna Alter et Brigitte Senut. Qui sont nos ancĂȘtresâ? Grands singes, homme, ce quâon ne sait pas encore⊠Collection sur les Ă©paules des savants. Editions le Pommier
La diffusion des connaissances Ă un public de non-initiĂ©s, en particulier les enfants, est tout un art. Câest pourquoi les Ă©ditions Le Pommier ont mis en place une collection intitulĂ©e «âsur les Ă©paules des savantsâ» destinĂ©e aux 7-11 ans et dans laquelle chaque volume traite dâun sujet scientifique spĂ©cifique. Il ne sâagit pas seulement dâexposer nos connaissances sur le sujet traitĂ© mais aussi les questions que les chercheurs se posent. Ce choix Ă©ditorial peut-ĂȘtre dĂ©concertant pour ceux qu..
3. La paléoanthropologie en Bourgogne
3.1. LES RESTES HUMAINS DU PALĂOLITHIQUE MOYEN ET DU DĂBUT DU PALĂOLITHIQUE SUPĂRIEUR On pourrait croire que la Bourgogne nâest pas une rĂ©gion dâune grande importance en palĂ©oanthropologie. Pourtant, elle a livrĂ© des piĂšces variĂ©es intĂ©ressantes Ă plusieurs titres. Dâun point de vue historique dâabord, pour lâavancement des idĂ©es et notamment sur lâanciennetĂ© de lâhomme, la mandibule de Vibraye dĂ©couverte en 1859 dans la âGrotte des FĂ©esâ Ă Arcy-sur-Cure a jouĂ© un rĂŽle (fig. 14). Ce fut Ă©gale..
Sts 14, a male subadult partial skeleton of Australopithecus africanus?
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First partial skeleton of Paranthropus robustus from Swartkrans (South Africa)
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Dossier Madagascar - Introduction générale Special section on Madagascar - General introduction.
Ce dossier spĂ©cial est consacrĂ© Ă Madagascar, le royaume naturel des lĂ©muriens. Douze articles de disciplines diverses ont Ă©tĂ© regroupĂ©s dans le but de prĂ©senter une vue gĂ©nĂ©rale sur ce qui se fait en primatologie par ou impliquant des francophones. La majoritĂ© des travaux prĂ©sentĂ©s concerne la conservation et la protection des lĂ©muriens actuels dont beaucoup sont en danger. Les activitĂ©s en conservation sont diverses mais les projets relatifs impliquent de plus en plus les relations avec les communautĂ©s locales et leur dĂ©veloppement. Le soutien et l'engagement de celles-ci est une clĂ© de rĂ©ussite. Ces projets ne pourraient voir le jour sâil n'y avait pas d'Ă©tudes scientifiques en amont par exemple sur la biologie, le comportement et l'Ă©cologie de chaque population ou groupe taxonomique. Pour pouvoir protĂ©ger les lĂ©muriens avec l'aide des populations locales, il faut aussi comprendre les traditions et les perceptions des habitants vis-Ă -vis de ces primates. La diversitĂ© des lĂ©muriens Ă©tait encore plus importante dans un passĂ© assez proche et constitue une partie du patrimoine naturel malgache. Il est important de comprendre le passĂ© pour comprendre l'actuel, et inversement. L'Ă©volution de ces primates reste assez complexe et les recherches rĂ©centes permettent de corriger notre vision de celle-ci.<br>This special issue is devoted to Madagascar, the natural kingdom of the lemurs. Twelve articles of various disciplines were gathered to present a general overview on what is done in primatology by or implying French-speaking people. The greatest part of this special issue relates to the conservation and the protection of the extant lemurs of which lot are in danger. The activities in conservation are varied but the projects are more and more in relationship with the local communities and implicated in their development. The support and the commitment of these populations are a key of success. These projects could not come out if there were no previous scientific studies as for example on biology, the behavior and the ecology of each taxonomic group or population. To protect the lemurs with the help of the local populations, it is also necessary to understand the traditions and perceptions of the inhabitants with respect to these primates. The diversity of the lemurs was even more important in a rather close past and constitutes another part of the Malagasy natural heritage. It is important to understand the past to understand the present, and conversely. The evolution of these primates remains rather complex, and recent researches make it possible to correct our vision of this one
Subfossiles et premiÚre présence humaine à Madagascar
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