Stable isotope analysis of carnivores from the Turkana Basin, Kenya: Evidence for temporally-mixed fossil assemblages

A new stable isotope analysis of modern and fossil carnivores from the Turkana Basin, Kenya, reveals that fossil assemblages are temporally mixed, reflecting two distinct climatic regimes. The study found that carbon isotopes in carnivore enamel correlate with woody cover, while oxygen isotopes reflect meteoric water sources influenced by rainfall patterns over the Ethiopian Highlands. Fossil data indicates a shift from freshwater to hyperalkaline conditions in Lake Turkana, suggesting precession-driven rainfall extremes. This challenges traditional interpretations of environmental signals and community palaeoecology in the region, including those related to early hominins.

Hopley, P. J., Cerling, T. E., Crété, L., Werdelin, L., Mwebi, O., Manthi, F. K., & Leakey, L. N. (2023). Stable isotope analysis of carnivores from the Turkana Basin, Kenya: Evidence for temporally-mixed fossil assemblages. Quaternary International, 650, 12–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2022.04.004