Identification of fossilized eggshells from the Taung hominin locality, Taung, Northwest Province, South Afric

Abstract

While an avian component within faunal remains from the Dart Deposits, Taung, South Africa, has been discussed for nearly a century, the taxa present have not been identified to species. Here we conduct a systematic analysis of fossilized eggshell fragments in order to document the presence of specific avian taxa at Taung during the Plio-Pleistocene. A comparative analysis of surface morphology and surface curvatures of fragmentary eggshells eliminated all but three extant avian taxa as potential sources for the fossilized fragments: a large eagle, an eagle owl (Bubo sp.) or a guinea fowl (subfamily Numidinae). The likelihood for each of these three taxa as a source is discussed by evaluating surface curvature matches between the fossilized fragments and extant eggshells. The two most complete fossil eggshells recovered from Taung have distinct carbon isotope signatures indicating that they belong to two different, granivorous and carnivorous, guilds. While these identifications contribute to the debate over whether or not there was an avian agent of collection for the Taung fossils, including perhaps the Taung Child, by establishing direct evidence for a raptor component in the Taung faunal assemblage, they cannot address specific predator-prey behaviour.

Fossil Carder Bee's Nest from the Hominin Locality of Taung, South Africa

“…Pollen from the families Fabaceae and Lamiaceae (C 3 forbs) are however the most favoured amongst members of Anthidiini, after composites [ 31 ]. A potentially mixed source of pollen is consistent with carbon isotope analysis of fossil eggshells from the PCS Calcrete at the Taung Type Site [ 46 ] which indicates the presence of both C3 (trees, bushes or forbs) and C4 (tropical grasses or sedges) plants.…”

“…The larvae inside the cells of solitary insects are usually immobile, and so, unlike social insects such as termites, their nests cannot be reconstructed or moved [ 21 ]. The presence of rhizoconcretions, Coprinisphaera [ 9 ], and eggshell fragments [ 46 ] belonging to a ground-nesting bird have been described from the PCS deposit–all of which are indications of paleosol development.…”

First discovery of avian egg and bone remains (Presbyornithidae) from the Gour Lazib (Eocene, Algeria)

“…The majority of the avian eggs described, corresponds to the shell ratite morphotype which is attributed to the palaeognath lineage (Mikhailov, 1997;Grellet-Tinner, 2006). This morphotype is particularly documented from various Miocene and Plio-Pliocene localities from South Africa (Rich, 1980;Kuhn et al, 2015), Namibia (Senut et al, 2009), Tanzania (Harrison and Msuya, 2005), Egypt (Smith, 2013), and Morocco (Sauer and Sauer, 1978). These eggshell remains have attracted attention not only for taxonomic studies but also for biogeographical, paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphical implications (Senut et al, 1998;Senut, 2000;Bibi et al, 2005;Ségalen et al, 2006;Ecker et al, 2015).…”

The identification of archaeological eggshell using peptide markers

“…Traditionally, identification is based upon size (curvature and thickness) and organisation (shell and pore structure and organisation), the latter requiring detailed microscopic examination in addition to a good reference collection (Murphy, 1978;Keepax, 1981;Sidell, 1993;Eastham and Gwynn 1997;Apolinaire and Turnes 2010;Medina, Hospitaleche, and Turnes 2011). Morphological examination is timeand cost-intensive and affected by taphonomy, which degrades and alters the shells' structure (Kuhn et al 2015).…”