Science report
19 Feb 2016
Science report | 19 Feb 2016
The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project: inferring the environmental context of human evolution from eastern African rift lake deposits
A. Cohen1 , C. Campisano2 , R. Arrowsmith3 , A. Asrat4 , A. K. Behrensmeyer5 , A. Deino6 , C. Feibel7 , A. Hill8,† , R. Johnson1 , J. Kingston9 , H. Lamb10 , T. Lowenstein11 , A. Noren12 , D. Olago13 , R. B. Owen14 , R. Potts15 , K. Reed2 , R. Renaut16 , F. Schäbitz17 , J.-J. Tiercelin18 , M. H. Trauth19 , J. Wynn20 , S. Ivory21 , K. Brady12 , R. O'Grady12 , J. Rodysill22,a , J. Githiri23 , J. Russell1 , V. Foerster19 , R. Dommain15 , S. Rucina24 , D. Deocampo25 , J. Russell21 , A. Billingsley1 , C. Beck26 , G. Dorenbeck17 , L. Dullo13 , D. Feary3 , D. Garello2 , R. Gromig27 , T. Johnson28 , A. Junginger29 , M. Karanja13 , E. Kimburi30 , A. Mbuthia31 , T. McCartney32 , E. McNulty11 , V. Muiruri14 , E. Nambiro30 , E. W. Negash33 , D. Njagi13 , J. N. Wilson20 , N. Rabideaux25 , T. Raub34 , M. J. Sier35 , P. Smith36 , J. Urban17 , M. Warren37 , M. Yadeta4 , C. Yost1 , and B. Zinaye4
A. Cohen et al.
A. Cohen1 , C. Campisano2 , R. Arrowsmith3 , A. Asrat4 , A. K. Behrensmeyer5 , A. Deino6 , C. Feibel7 , A. Hill8,† , R. Johnson1 , J. Kingston9 , H. Lamb10 , T. Lowenstein11 , A. Noren12 , D. Olago13 , R. B. Owen14 , R. Potts15 , K. Reed2 , R. Renaut16 , F. Schäbitz17 , J.-J. Tiercelin18 , M. H. Trauth19 , J. Wynn20 , S. Ivory21 , K. Brady12 , R. O'Grady12 , J. Rodysill22,a , J. Githiri23 , J. Russell1 , V. Foerster19 , R. Dommain15 , S. Rucina24 , D. Deocampo25 , J. Russell21 , A. Billingsley1 , C. Beck26 , G. Dorenbeck17 , L. Dullo13 , D. Feary3 , D. Garello2 , R. Gromig27 , T. Johnson28 , A. Junginger29 , M. Karanja13 , E. Kimburi30 , A. Mbuthia31 , T. McCartney32 , E. McNulty11 , V. Muiruri14 , E. Nambiro30 , E. W. Negash33 , D. Njagi13 , J. N. Wilson20 , N. Rabideaux25 , T. Raub34 , M. J. Sier35 , P. Smith36 , J. Urban17 , M. Warren37 , M. Yadeta4 , C. Yost1 , and B. Zinaye4
1 Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721,
USA 2 Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and
Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA 3 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ 85287, USA 4 School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa
University, 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 5 Department of
Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013, USA 6 Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA 7 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University,
Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA 8 Peabody Museum, Yale University, New
Haven, CT 06511, USA 9 Department of Anthropology, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 10 Institute of Geography and
Earth Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth SY23 3DB, UK 11 Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies,
Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA 12 CDSCO and
LacCore, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 13 Department of Geology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya 14 Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 15 Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History,
Washington, DC 20013, USA 16 Department of Geological Sciences,
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2, Canada 17 Seminar
of Physical Geography and Education, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne,
Germany 18 CNRS Géosciences Rennes, Université de Rennes,
35042 Rennes, CEDEX, France 19 Institute of Earth and Environmental
Science, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany 20 School of
Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA 21 Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown
University, Providence, RI 02912, USA 22 LacCore, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 23 Department of Physics, Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya 24 Earth Sciences Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi,
Kenya 25 Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University,
Atlanta, GA 30302, USA 26 Department of Geosciences, Hamilton
College, Clinton, NY 13323, USA 27 Institute of Geology and
Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany 28 Large
Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA 29 Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment,
University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany 30 National
Oil Corporation of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya 31 Tata Chemicals Magadi, Magadi,
Kenya 32 Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
13244, USA 33 Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology,
George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA 34 Department of Earth Sciences, University of St. Andrews, Fife KY16
9AJ Scotland, UK 35 Paleomagnetics Laboratory, Department of Earth
Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CD Utrecht, the
Netherlands 36 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences,
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA 37 ConocoPhillips, Houston, TX 77079, USA a currently at:
USGS, Reston, VA, USA † deceased
1 Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721,
USA 2 Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and
Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA 3 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ 85287, USA 4 School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa
University, 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 5 Department of
Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013, USA 6 Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA 7 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University,
Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA 8 Peabody Museum, Yale University, New
Haven, CT 06511, USA 9 Department of Anthropology, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 10 Institute of Geography and
Earth Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth SY23 3DB, UK 11 Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies,
Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA 12 CDSCO and
LacCore, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 13 Department of Geology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya 14 Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 15 Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History,
Washington, DC 20013, USA 16 Department of Geological Sciences,
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2, Canada 17 Seminar
of Physical Geography and Education, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne,
Germany 18 CNRS Géosciences Rennes, Université de Rennes,
35042 Rennes, CEDEX, France 19 Institute of Earth and Environmental
Science, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany 20 School of
Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA 21 Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown
University, Providence, RI 02912, USA 22 LacCore, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 23 Department of Physics, Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya 24 Earth Sciences Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi,
Kenya 25 Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University,
Atlanta, GA 30302, USA 26 Department of Geosciences, Hamilton
College, Clinton, NY 13323, USA 27 Institute of Geology and
Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany 28 Large
Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA 29 Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment,
University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany 30 National
Oil Corporation of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya 31 Tata Chemicals Magadi, Magadi,
Kenya 32 Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
13244, USA 33 Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology,
George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA 34 Department of Earth Sciences, University of St. Andrews, Fife KY16
9AJ Scotland, UK 35 Paleomagnetics Laboratory, Department of Earth
Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CD Utrecht, the
Netherlands 36 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences,
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA 37 ConocoPhillips, Houston, TX 77079, USA a currently at:
USGS, Reston, VA, USA † deceased
Correspondence : A. Cohen (cohen@email.arizona.edu)
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Received: 31 Oct 2015 – Revised: 01 Feb 2016 – Accepted: 04 Feb 2016 – Published: 19 Feb 2016
The role that climate and environmental history may have played in influencing human evolution has been the focus of considerable interest and controversy among paleoanthropologists for decades. Prior attempts to understand the environmental history side of this equation have centered around the study of outcrop sediments and fossils adjacent to where fossil hominins (ancestors or close relatives of modern humans) are found, or from the study of deep sea drill cores. However, outcrop sediments are often highly weathered and thus are unsuitable for some types of paleoclimatic records, and deep sea core records come from long distances away from the actual fossil and stone tool remains. The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP) was developed to address these issues. The project has focused its efforts on the eastern African Rift Valley, where much of the evidence for early hominins has been recovered. We have collected about 2 km of sediment drill core from six basins in Kenya and Ethiopia, in lake deposits immediately adjacent to important fossil hominin and archaeological sites. Collectively these cores cover in time many of the key transitions and critical intervals in human evolutionary history over the last 4 Ma, such as the earliest stone tools, the origin of our own genus Homo, and the earliest anatomically modern Homo sapiens . Here we document the initial field, physical property, and core description results of the 2012–2014 HSPDP coring campaign.
