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A spring forward for hominin evolution in East Africa
Mark O Cuthbert1, Gail M Ashley2
1Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|September 11, 2014
Summary
Groundwater springs in the East African Rift System provided resilient water resources for early humans. These paleosprings buffered climate variability, aiding hominin adaptation and evolution during critical periods.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Hydrogeology
- Human Evolution
Background:
- Groundwater springs are vital for survival, especially during droughts.
- Geological evidence links springs to hominin fossils and tools in the East African Rift System (EARS) during early human evolution.
- The vulnerability of these springs to climate variability and their role in human evolution remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between paleospring discharge and climate variability in the EARS.
- To assess the role of groundwater availability in hominin evolution.
- To reconstruct paleohydrology at Olduvai Gorge.
Main Methods:
- Palaeogeological reconstruction of the Olduvai Gorge paleo-catchment.
- Groundwater modeling to simulate spring discharge linked to climate variability.
- Analysis of climate fluctuations driven by astronomic forcing.
Main Results:
- Spring discharge was linked to East African climate variability on annual to Milankovitch cycle timescales.
- Spring flow remained relatively stable on decadal to centennial scales, offering drought resilience.
- Multi-millennial spring flows lagged groundwater recharge by centuries to millennia, creating adaptive buffer periods.
Conclusions:
- Localized groundwater systems in the EARS likely served as crucial refugia for hominins.
- These systems provided essential water resources during dry periods, influencing natural selection and dispersal.
- Groundwater availability was a significant factor in hominin evolution and migration out of Africa.
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