Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus

Thomas W. Plummer; James S. Oliver; Emma M. Finestone; Peter W. Ditchfield; Laura C. Bishop; Scott A. Blumenthal; Cristina Lemorini; Isabella Caricola; Shara E. Bailey; Andy I.R. Herries; Jennifer A. Parkinson; Elizabeth Whitfield; Fritz Hertel; Rahab N. Kinyanjui; Thomas H. Vincent; Youjuan Li; Julien Louys; Stephen R. Frost; David R. Braun; Jonathan S. Reeves; Emily D.G. Early; Blasto Onyango; Raquel Lamela-Lopez; Frances L. Forrest; Huaiyu He; Timothy P. Lane; Marine Frouin; Sébastien Nomade; Evan P. Wilson; Simion K. Bartilol; Nelson Kiprono Rotich; Richard Potts

doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452

Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus

Thomas W. Plummer, James S. Oliver, Emma M. Finestone, Peter W. Ditchfield, Laura C. Bishop, Scott A. Blumenthal, Cristina Lemorini, Isabella Caricola, Shara E. Bailey, Andy I.R. Herries, Jennifer A. Parkinson, Elizabeth Whitfield, Fritz Hertel, Rahab N. Kinyanjui, Thomas H. Vincent, Youjuan Li, Julien Louys, Stephen R. Frost, David R. Braun, Jonathan S. ReevesEmily D.G. Early, Blasto Onyango, Raquel Lamela-Lopez, Frances L. Forrest, Huaiyu He, Timothy P. Lane, Marine Frouin, Sébastien Nomade, Evan P. Wilson, Simion K. Bartilol, Nelson Kiprono Rotich, Richard Potts

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

54 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The oldest Oldowan tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago, have previously been confined to Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya, dated to 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago and expand this distribution by over 1300 kilometers. Furthermore, we found two hippopotamid butchery sites associated with mosaic vegetation and a C₄ grazer–dominated fauna. Tool flaking proficiency was comparable with that of younger Oldowan assemblages, but pounding activities were more common. Tool use-wear and bone damage indicate plant and animal tissue processing. Paranthropus sp. teeth, the first from southwestern Kenya, possessed carbon isotopic values indicative of a diet rich in C₄ foods. We argue that the earliest Oldowan was more widespread than previously known, used to process diverse foods including megafauna, and associated with Paranthropus from its onset.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	561-566
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science
Volume	379
Issue number	6632
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo7452
Publication status	Published - 10 Feb 2023
Externally published	Yes

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Plummer, T. W., Oliver, J. S., Finestone, E. M., Ditchfield, P. W., Bishop, L. C., Blumenthal, S. A., Lemorini, C., Caricola, I., Bailey, S. E., Herries, A. I. R., Parkinson, J. A., Whitfield, E., Hertel, F., Kinyanjui, R. N., Vincent, T. H., Li, Y., Louys, J., Frost, S. R., Braun, D. R., ... Potts, R. (2023). Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus. Science, 379(6632), 561-566. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo7452

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title = "Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus",

abstract = "The oldest Oldowan tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago, have previously been confined to Ethiopia{\textquoteright}s Afar Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya, dated to 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago and expand this distribution by over 1300 kilometers. Furthermore, we found two hippopotamid butchery sites associated with mosaic vegetation and a C4 grazer–dominated fauna. Tool flaking proficiency was comparable with that of younger Oldowan assemblages, but pounding activities were more common. Tool use-wear and bone damage indicate plant and animal tissue processing. Paranthropus sp. teeth, the first from southwestern Kenya, possessed carbon isotopic values indicative of a diet rich in C4 foods. We argue that the earliest Oldowan was more widespread than previously known, used to process diverse foods including megafauna, and associated with Paranthropus from its onset.",

author = "Plummer, {Thomas W.} and Oliver, {James S.} and Finestone, {Emma M.} and Ditchfield, {Peter W.} and Bishop, {Laura C.} and Blumenthal, {Scott A.} and Cristina Lemorini and Isabella Caricola and Bailey, {Shara E.} and Herries, {Andy I.R.} and Parkinson, {Jennifer A.} and Elizabeth Whitfield and Fritz Hertel and Kinyanjui, {Rahab N.} and Vincent, {Thomas H.} and Youjuan Li and Julien Louys and Frost, {Stephen R.} and Braun, {David R.} and Reeves, {Jonathan S.} and Early, {Emily D.G.} and Blasto Onyango and Raquel Lamela-Lopez and Forrest, {Frances L.} and Huaiyu He and Lane, {Timothy P.} and Marine Frouin and S{\'e}bastien Nomade and Wilson, {Evan P.} and Bartilol, {Simion K.} and Rotich, {Nelson Kiprono} and Richard Potts",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2023 the authors, some rights reserved.",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452",

language = "English",

volume = "379",

pages = "561--566",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

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Plummer, TW, Oliver, JS, Finestone, EM, Ditchfield, PW, Bishop, LC, Blumenthal, SA, Lemorini, C, Caricola, I, Bailey, SE, Herries, AIR, Parkinson, JA, Whitfield, E, Hertel, F, Kinyanjui, RN, Vincent, TH, Li, Y, Louys, J, Frost, SR, Braun, DR, Reeves, JS, Early, EDG, Onyango, B, Lamela-Lopez, R, Forrest, FL, He, H, Lane, TP, Frouin, M, Nomade, S, Wilson, EP, Bartilol, SK, Rotich, NK & Potts, R 2023, 'Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus', Science, vol. 379, no. 6632, pp. 561-566. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo7452

TY - JOUR

T1 - Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus

AU - Plummer, Thomas W.

AU - Oliver, James S.

AU - Finestone, Emma M.

AU - Ditchfield, Peter W.

AU - Bishop, Laura C.

AU - Blumenthal, Scott A.

AU - Lemorini, Cristina

AU - Caricola, Isabella

AU - Bailey, Shara E.

AU - Herries, Andy I.R.

AU - Parkinson, Jennifer A.

AU - Whitfield, Elizabeth

AU - Hertel, Fritz

AU - Kinyanjui, Rahab N.

AU - Vincent, Thomas H.

AU - Li, Youjuan

AU - Louys, Julien

AU - Frost, Stephen R.

AU - Braun, David R.

AU - Reeves, Jonathan S.

AU - Early, Emily D.G.

AU - Onyango, Blasto

AU - Lamela-Lopez, Raquel

AU - Forrest, Frances L.

AU - He, Huaiyu

AU - Lane, Timothy P.

AU - Frouin, Marine

AU - Nomade, Sébastien

AU - Wilson, Evan P.

AU - Bartilol, Simion K.

AU - Rotich, Nelson Kiprono

AU - Potts, Richard

PY - 2023/2/10

Y1 - 2023/2/10

N2 - The oldest Oldowan tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago, have previously been confined to Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya, dated to 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago and expand this distribution by over 1300 kilometers. Furthermore, we found two hippopotamid butchery sites associated with mosaic vegetation and a C4 grazer–dominated fauna. Tool flaking proficiency was comparable with that of younger Oldowan assemblages, but pounding activities were more common. Tool use-wear and bone damage indicate plant and animal tissue processing. Paranthropus sp. teeth, the first from southwestern Kenya, possessed carbon isotopic values indicative of a diet rich in C4 foods. We argue that the earliest Oldowan was more widespread than previously known, used to process diverse foods including megafauna, and associated with Paranthropus from its onset.

AB - The oldest Oldowan tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago, have previously been confined to Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya, dated to 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago and expand this distribution by over 1300 kilometers. Furthermore, we found two hippopotamid butchery sites associated with mosaic vegetation and a C4 grazer–dominated fauna. Tool flaking proficiency was comparable with that of younger Oldowan assemblages, but pounding activities were more common. Tool use-wear and bone damage indicate plant and animal tissue processing. Paranthropus sp. teeth, the first from southwestern Kenya, possessed carbon isotopic values indicative of a diet rich in C4 foods. We argue that the earliest Oldowan was more widespread than previously known, used to process diverse foods including megafauna, and associated with Paranthropus from its onset.

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U2 - 10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452

DO - 10.1126/SCIENCE.ABO7452

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C2 - 36758076

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 379

SP - 561

EP - 566

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6632

ER -

Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus

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