Category: paleoanthropology

GSA, paleoanthropology, paleoclimate, Press Release

Records from Lake Magadi, Kenya, suggest environmental variability driven by changes in Earth’s orbit

itssedimentary

via Records from Lake Magadi, Kenya, suggest environmental variability driven by changes in Earth’s orbit Boulder, Colo., USA: Rift Valley lakes within eastern Africa range from freshwater to highly alkaline systems and are homes to diverse ecosystems. These Rift Valley lakes are also sedimentary repositories, yielding a high-resolution environmental record that can be targeted to… Continue reading Records from Lake Magadi, Kenya, suggest environmental variability driven by changes in Earth’s orbit

geomorphology, GSA, paleoanthropology, sedimentary

A Greener Sahara: Ancient Oases and Prehistoric Human Habitation in the Modern Desert

itssedimentary

via A Greener Sahara: Ancient Oases and Prehistoric Human Habitation in the Modern Desert I was able to interview Dr. Kathleen Nicoll, an Associate Professor at the University of Utah, as part of the Geological Society of American Science Communication Internship. You can learn about some of the research Dr. Nicoll works on in the… Continue reading A Greener Sahara: Ancient Oases and Prehistoric Human Habitation in the Modern Desert

paleoanthropology

The real-life hobbits of Flores, Indonesia | Homo floresiensis

itssedimentary

Hobbits are no longer just fictional residents of Middle-earth, they were real-life inhabitants of Flores, Indonesia. This species of extinct hominin, Homo floresiensis, was first discovered at the cave site of Liang Bua on the island of Flores in 2003-2004. They received their nickname of “the hobbits” due to their small size. The occupation of… Continue reading The real-life hobbits of Flores, Indonesia | Homo floresiensis

paleoanthropology

On the fate of “Lucy,” our hominin relative

itssedimentary

Everyone’s favorite Australopithecus afarensis “Lucy” is at the center of a debate regarding the circumstances of her death. New research from the University of Texas at Austin proposes that Lucy’s cause of death was a fall out of a tall tree, based on CT scan analyses of multiple fractures in her bones. Lucy (the common name… Continue reading On the fate of “Lucy,” our hominin relative