Geology and palaeontology of the Late Miocene Middle Awash valley, Afar rift, Ethiopia

摘要: The Middle Awash study area of Ethiopia's Afar rift has yielded abundant vertebrate fossils (≈ 10,000), including several hominid taxa1,2,3,4. contains a long sedimentary record spanning Late Miocene (5.3–11.2 Myr ago) to Holocene times. Exposed in unique tectonic and volcanic transition zone between the main Ethiopian (MER) rift, sediments along western margin provide window on Ethiopia. These deposits have now earliest hominids, described an accompanying paper5 dated here 5.54 5.77 Myr. geological palaeobiological data from fresh perspectives origins early evolution. Here we show that these hominids derive relatively wet wooded environments were modulated by tectonic, volcanic, climatic geomorphic processes. A similar habitat also been suggested for 6.0 Myr hominoid recently recovered Lukeino, Kenya6. findings require fundamental reassessment models invoke significant role global change and/or savannah origin hominids.