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Martín Perea, David Manuel

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David Manuel
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Martín Perea
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/87158
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Universidad Complutense de Madrid
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Author: González Aguilera, Diego × Item Type: Publication ×

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    Cut marks and raw material exploitation in the lower pleistocene site of Bell's Korongo (BK, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania): A geometric morphometric analysis
    (Quaternary International, 2019) Courtenay, Lloyd A.; Yravedra Sainz De Los Terreros, José; Aramendi, Julia; Maté-González, Miguel Ángel; Martín Perea, David Manuel; Uribelarrea Del Val, David; Baquedano, Enrique; González Aguilera, Diego; Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel
    The Lower Pleistocene site of Bell's Korongo (BK) in Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) has been a key site for the study of the origin of human behaviour. The lower archaeological levels of BK are characterized by anthropogenic activity related to the exploitation of megafauna (elephant, hippopotamus, Sivatherium) and smaller game (zebra, wildebeest and antelopes). These remains display a high frequency of cut marks. The exceptional state of preservation of the BK fossil assemblage has allowed a wide range of different analyses that, among other things, detected the use of quartzite in butchering activities through the study of cut marks. Following up previous analyses, this paper presents the study of a series of cut marks from the BK faunal assemblage using a 3D geometric morphometric methodological approach in order to determine the mineralogical properties of the quartzite used at the site. BK cut marks are compared with experimentally produced cut marks using 9 mineralogically different quartzite types from Olduvai Gorge. This comparative analysis provides valuable hints about the exact nature of the raw materials used in butchering activities. The results presented here identify a preferential use of quartzite with a finer granular composition, suggesting that hominin populations were already selecting the best raw materials for their use in specific activities 1.3 Mya.
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    Early Pleistocene faunivorous hominins were not kleptoparasitic, and this impacted the evolution of human anatomy and socio-ecology
    (Scientific reports, 2021) Domínguez Rodrigo, Manuel; Baquedano, Enrique; Organista, Elia; Cobo Sánchez, Lucía; Mabulla, Audax; Maskara, Vivek; Gidna, Agnes; Pizarro Monzo, Marcos; Aramendi, Julia; Galán Abellán, Ana Belén; Cifuentes Alcobendas, Gabriel; Vegara Riquelme, Marina; Jiménez García, Blanca; Abellán, Natalia; Barba, Rebeca; Uribelarrea Del Val, David; Martín Perea, David Manuel; Díez Martín, Fernando; Maíllo Fernández, José Manuel; Rodríguez Hidalgo, Antonio; Courtenay, Lloyd A.; Mora, Rocío; Maté González, Miguel Ángel; González Aguilera, Diego
    Humans are unique in their diet, physiology and socio-reproductive behavior compared to other primates. They are also unique in the ubiquitous adaptation to all biomes and habitats. From an evolutionary perspective, these trends seem to have started about two million years ago, coinciding with the emergence of encephalization, the reduction of the dental apparatus, the adoption of a fully terrestrial lifestyle, resulting in the emergence of the modern anatomical bauplan, the focalization of certain activities in the landscape, the use of stone tools, and the exit from Africa. It is in this period that clear taphonomic evidence of a switch in diet with respect to Pliocene hominins occurred, with the adoption of carnivory. Until now, the degree of carnivorism in early humans remained controversial. A persistent hypothesis is that hominins acquired meat irregularly (potentially as fallback food) and opportunistically through klepto-foraging. Here, we test this hypothesis and show, in contrast, that the butchery practices of early Pleistocene hominins (unveiled through systematic study of the patterning and intensity of cut marks on their prey) could not have resulted from having frequent secondary access to carcasses. We provide evidence of hominin primary access to animal resources and emphasize the role that meat played in their diets, their ecology and their anatomical evolution, ultimately resulting in the ecologically unrestricted terrestrial adaptation of our species. This has major implications to the evolution of human physiology and potentially for the evolution of the human brain.