Paleoecological Reconstructions of the South African Plio-Pleistocene Based on Low-Magnification Dental Microwear of Fossil Primates.

A distinct pulse of cooling and drying between 1.9–1.8 million years ago (mya) is linked to shifts in primate diets, with early hominids like Australopithecus adapting as primary gramnivores amid expanding grasslands. This reconstruction emerged from low-magnification dental microwear analysis of fossil primates—predominantly Parapapio, Dinopithecus, Gorgopithecus, and Papio—revealing a trend toward increased grass consumption over the South African Plio-Pleistocene. The study leverages dental microwear patterns to infer dietary changes, suggesting early hominid adaptation to environmental shifts.

Carter, B. (2006). Paleoecological Reconstructions of the South African Plio-Pleistocene Based on Low-Magnification Dental Microwear of Fossil Primates. Georgia State University. https://doi.org/10.57709/1059170