Dental microwear texture analysis of Pliocene Suidae from Hadar and Kanapoi in the context of early hominin dietary breadth expansion.

摘要: Abstract Stable carbon isotope studies suggest that early hominins may have diversified their diet as 3.76 Ma. Early Pliocene hominins, including Australopithecus anamensis, had diets were dominated by C3 resources while Late afarensis—a putative descendant of A. anamensis—had included both and C4 resources. It has been hypothesized the expansion grasslands in eastern Africa during could prompted to incorporate diets. However, dental microwear analyses diversification did not involve changes mechanical properties foods consumed. To provide contextual comparative information on this issue, suids from A. anamensis site Kanapoi A. afarensis Hadar is investigated. Using texture analyses, it shown despite significant dietary overlap, there evidence for niche partitioning among suids. Based comparisons with extant African suids, inferred Nyanzachoerus pattersoni (n = 21) was a mixed feeder, jaegeri (n = 4) Notochoerus euilus (n = 61) habitual grazers, Kolpochoerus afarensis (n = 34) broad hard brittle underground The Ny. jaegeri/No. do differ significantly between Hadar. Most differences are driven K. afarensis, suid absent at but present Food availability probably differed Kanapoi, likely exploit some (e.g., resources) consumed incorporation diet, change towards flexible hominin lineage yet come.