Combining legacy data with new drone and DGPS mapping to identify the provenance of Plio-Pleistocene fossils from Bolt’s Farm, Cradle of Humankind (South Africa)

Bolt’s Farm, located within South Africa’s UNESCO-listed Hominid Fossil Sites, contains rare Plio-Pleistocene fossil deposits with biochronological significance. A comprehensive study combining legacy data, drone surveys, and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) mapping has resolved long-standing confusion in the site's stratigraphy, providing a definitive naming strategy based on original 1940s pit numbers. The research reveals that palaeocave deposits across different pits formed at distinct times, with some indicating ages younger than 2.3 million years due to the presence of Equus, while others suggest a terminal Pliocene age based on primitive suids like Metridiochoerus. This work establishes a transparent framework for future studies and spatially accurate fossil collection, addressing critical gaps in the site's geological history.

Edwards, T. R., Armstrong, B. J., Birkett-Rees, J., Blackwood, A. F., Herries, A. I. R., Penzo-Kajewski, P., Pickering, R., & Adams, J. W. (2019). Combining legacy data with new drone and DGPS mapping to identify the provenance of Plio-Pleistocene fossils from Bolt’s Farm, Cradle of Humankind (South Africa). PeerJ, 7, e6202. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6202