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The Paleobiology of Australopithecus pp 41–60Cite as

Reconstructing the Habitats of Australopithecus: Paleoenvironments, Site Taphonomy, and Faunas

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Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology ((VERT))

Abstract

Hominin paleoecology is reconstructed using many types of evidence from fossils and their geological context. This evidence is limited by vagaries of the fossil and geological record. What questions can be asked regarding Australopithecus ecology given these limitations? We address this topic by reviewing the major issues concerning hominin synecology and taphonomy and discuss methods for deriving ecological information from fossil assemblages and their geological context. We provide basic information about the context of the six Australopithecus species known from 22 collecting sites and review their environment of deposition and other paleoecological evidence. Using this information we attempt to answer a series of questions, such as whether we can determine the habitat preferences of the different species, and whether more than one Australopithecus species shared an ecosystem at any given place and time. We conclude that Australopithecus as a genus was eurytopic because of the wide range of well-documented habitat reconstructions, but only Australopithecus afarensis, and possibly Australopithecus anamensis, have enough time range and fossil material to support the interpretation that these species were eurytopic. The dietary differences between east and south African species are intriguing given microwear analyses differentiating the two groups, although the carbon isotope data are similar. Further evidence of the ecological context of these species is needed and should be standardized using an appropriate scale of evidence (temporal and spatial) for the desired scale of habitat reconstruction.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank John Fleagle for his encouragement and patience as well as his insightful comments on the manuscript. We are very grateful to Richard Leakey and Lawrence Martin for providing the focus on Australopithecus at the 2007 conference at Stony Brook and for organizing a very informative and enjoyable meeting. This is Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems publication #289.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Museum of Natural History, Department of Paleobiology and Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems Program, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, NHB MRC 121, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

    Anna K. Behrensmeyer

  2. School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Box 874101, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4101, USA

    Kaye E. Reed

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  1. Anna K. Behrensmeyer
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Correspondence to Anna K. Behrensmeyer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

    Kaye E. Reed

  2. Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    John G. Fleagle

  3. Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    Richard E. Leakey

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Behrensmeyer, A.K., Reed, K.E. (2013). Reconstructing the Habitats of Australopithecus: Paleoenvironments, Site Taphonomy, and Faunas. In: Reed, K., Fleagle, J., Leakey, R. (eds) The Paleobiology of Australopithecus. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5919-0_4

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