Browsing by Author "Esteban, Irene"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Ecosystem engineering in the Quaternary of the West Coast of South AfricaPublication . Braun, David R.; Faith, John Tyler; Douglass, Matthew J.; Davies, Benjamin; Power, Mitchel J.; Aldeias, Vera; Conard, Nicholas J.; Cutts, Russell; DeSantis, Larisa R. G.; Dupont, Lydie M.; Esteban, Irene; Kandel, Andrew W.; Levin, Naomi E.; Luyt, Julie; Parkington, John; Pickering, Robyn; Quick, Lynne; Sealy, Judith; Stynder, DeanoDespite advances in our understanding of the geographic and temporal scope of the Paleolithic record, we know remarkably little about the evolutionary and ecological consequences of changes in human behavior. Recent inquiries suggest that human evolution reflects a long history of interconnections between the behavior of humans and their surrounding ecosystems (e.g., niche construction). Developing expectations to identify such phenomena is remarkably difficult because it requires understanding the multi-generational impacts of changes in behavior. These long-term dynamics require insights into the emergent phenomena that alter selective pressures over longer time periods which are not possible to observe, and are also not intuitive based on observations derived from ethnographic time scales. Generative models show promise for probing these potentially unexpected consequences of human-environment interaction. Changes in the uses of landscapes may have long term implications for the environments that hominins occupied. We explore other potential proxies of behavior and examine how modeling may provide expectations for a variety of phenomena.
- Late pleistocene and holocene fauna from waterfall bluff rRck shelter, mpondoland, South AfricaPublication . Oster, Sandee; Reynard, Jerome P.; Cawthra, Hayley C.; Esteban, Irene; Pargeter, Justin; Fisher, Erich ChristopherArchaeological deposits from Waterfall Bluff Rock Shelter (Eastern Cape) span from Marine Isotope Stage 3 (similar to 39-29 ka) to the mid-Holocene (similar to 8 ka), showing persistent human occupations. The site's consistent proximity to the shoreline and stable coastline over millennia makes it key for exploring human settlement patterns. This study reports on preliminary results of identifiable fauna from Marine Isotope Stage 3 to the Early Holocene layers at Waterfall Bluff. The identified species may suggest a mosaic environment, although caution is warranted given the small sample size. Furthermore, leopard seal remains were recovered in layers dating to the Last Glacial Maximum. This is the first direct evidence of a leopard seal recovered from Pleistocene and Holocene archaeo-faunal assemblages along the South African coast. Significance: Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sites are rare in southern Africa. Waterfall Bluff in the Eastern Cape shows that human occupation persisted there from Marine Isotope Stage 3 to the mid-Holocene. A leopard seal tooth was identified in the LGM layers, making it the first evidence of this species recovered off South Africa's coast.