Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA; Department of Paleobotany and Paleoecology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA; Department of Physical Anthropology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
J Hum Evol. 2022 Feb;163:103076. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103076. Epub 2022 Jan 5.
Many important Pliocene hominin specimens have been recovered from Woranso-Mille, a paleontological research area in the Afar region of Ethiopia, including the complete cranium of Australopithecus anamensis, a partial skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis, mandibular and maxillary elements representing a new species, Australopithecus deyiremeda, and a partial foot of an as-yet-unnamed species. Woranso-Mille is the only site, so far, to have reported the co-existence of more than one early hominin species between 3.8 and 3.3 Ma and the temporal overlap between A. anamensis and A. afarensis. Thus, the site has important implications for our understanding of the paleoecology and taxonomic diversity of early hominins and their ecological niche. This paper explores the paleohabitats of Woranso-Mille through its faunal community ecological structure and taxonomic composition using correspondence analysis and Forbes modified similarity index. The results suggest that Pliocene Woranso-Mille was a mosaic of different habitat types, with riparian woodland and floodplain grassland along rivers draining into a lake, along with less mesic habitats such as woodland, grassland, and shrubland. The apparent high level of vegetation heterogeneity may have promoted dietary specializations and niche differentiation among the different Australopithecus species at Woranso-Mille and allowed for their co-existence at the site.
沃兰索姆（Woranso-Mille）是埃塞俄比亚阿法尔地区的一个古生物学研究区域，从中出土了许多重要的上新世人类化石标本，包括南方古猿源泉种（Australopithecus anamensis）的完整颅骨、南方古猿阿法种（Australopithecus afarensis）的部分骨骼、代表一个新物种南方古猿迪耶利梅达种（Australopithecus deyiremeda）的下颌骨和上颌骨以及尚未命名的物种的部分足部。沃兰索姆是目前唯一报告在 380 万至 330 万年前有两种以上早期人类共存以及阿法南方古猿和源泉南方古猿时间重叠的地点。因此，该地点对我们理解早期人类的古生态学和分类多样性及其生态位具有重要意义。本文通过对应分析和福布斯改进相似性指数，利用沃兰索姆的动物群生态结构和分类组成来探讨其古生境。结果表明，上新世的沃兰索姆是不同生境类型的马赛克，有沿河流流入湖泊的河岸林地和洪泛草原，还有较湿润的生境，如林地、草原和灌木丛。明显较高的植被异质性水平可能促进了不同南方古猿物种在沃兰索姆的饮食专业化和生态位分化，并允许它们在该地点共存。
