Ecological and temporal placement of early Pliocene hominids at Aramis, Ethiopia

SEDIMENTARY deposits in the Middle Awash research area of Ethiopia's Afar depression have yielded vertebrate fossils including the most ancient hominids known. Radioisotopic dating, geochem-ical analysis of interbedded volcanic ashes and biochronological considerations place the hominid-bearing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1994-09, Vol.371 (6495), p.330-333
Main Authors: WoldeGabriel, Giday, White, Tim D, Suwa, Gen, Renne, Paul, de Heinzelin, Jean, Hart, William K, Heiken, Grant
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anthropology
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Ethiopia
Exact sciences and technology
Fossils
Hominidae
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
letter
multidisciplinary
Paleontology
Paleontology - methods
Pliocene
Radioisotopes
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Vertebrate paleontology
Vertebrates
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Summary:SEDIMENTARY deposits in the Middle Awash research area of Ethiopia's Afar depression have yielded vertebrate fossils including the most ancient hominids known. Radioisotopic dating, geochem-ical analysis of interbedded volcanic ashes and biochronological considerations place the hominid-bearing deposits at around 4.4 million years of age. Sedimentological, botanical and faunal evidence suggests a wooded habitat for the Aramis hominids.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/371330a0