Isotopic insights into the Early Acheulean (1.95 Ma–1.66 Ma) high-elevation paleoenvironments at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia)

Stable isotope analysis of fossil fauna tooth enamel from two Early Acheulean sites, Garba IVD (1.95 Ma) and Gombore IB (1.66 Ma), at Melka Kunture in Ethiopia's Upper Awash Valley reveals that all analyzed taxa were grazers consuming C4 plants, indicating extensive mountain grasslands during the Pleistocene. Oxygen isotope results further distinguish between semiaquatic and terrestrial habitats, aligning with faunal taxonomy and pollen data. While Garba IVD suggests a continuous open landscape, Gombore IB shows interruptions by forests and bushy vegetation, highlighting discrepancies in environmental reconstructions using different proxies. This study underscores the resilience of dietary strategies among Early Pleistocene taxa across varying elevations in eastern Africa.

Briatico, G., Bocherens, H., Bonnefille, R., Geraads, D., & Mussi, M. (2023). Isotopic insights into the Early Acheulean (1.95 Ma–1.66 Ma) high-elevation paleoenvironments at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia). Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01879-1