Life Matters: The Stony Brook World Environmental Forum

Research Gallery

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Miriam Belmaker
Parth Chauhan
Russell Ciochon
Meave Leakey
Michael Petraglia
John Shea
Yahdi Zaim

Miriam Belmaker: 'Ubeidiya Excavations Miriam Belmaker has participated in 'Ubeidiya research projects since 1997. The 'Ubeidiya site, dating from between 1.5 and 1.2 million years ago, provides some of the earliest evidence of known hominid activity outside of Africa.

In situ partial carcass of Hippopotamus behemoth from stratum III 22a in 'Ubeidiya.	The 1998 excavation season of 'Ubeidiya (directed by Ofer Bar-Yosef, Eitan Tchernov, John Shea and G. Bosinski). Excavation in stratum III 22.

Stratum I 26 in 'Ubeidiya, a.k.a the 'living floor.'
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Parth Chauhan: Narmada Basin, Siwalik Hills The Narmada Valley site in India contains a wealth of palaeoanthropological and geological data critical for studying the evolution of hominid behavior within the Quaternary timeframe.

Some tool-types from the Soanian industry, a Mode 1 techno-complex generally found in the Siwalik hills of the Indian subcontinent. Most Soanian assemblages are late Middle to Upper Pleistocene in age and are often found in association with post-Siwalik sediments.	Early and Late Acheulian tool-types found in stratified contexts from the Narmada Basin of central India. Although a detailed inter-regional comparison is lacking, most types in southern Asia share typo-technological affinities with African and European assemblages, signifying a Lower Pleistocene Mode 2 migration into the subcontinent.

Hathnora, the location where the oldest-known hominid fossils in the Indian subcontinent have been found. This site has also yielded pollen evidence, an ostrich eggshell fragment, vertebrate fossils, fossil shell, and Palaeolithic artifacts in stratified contexts.	A view of the Siwalik hills, where Lower Pleistocene (in Pakistan) and younger (Soanian) Mode 1 artifacts have been recovered, along with occasional Acheulian assemblages, all in stratified and surface contexts. The region is also well known for its extensive vertebrate faunal record, spanning the Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene.

A section near Hathnora (of Middle Pleistocene age) that has yielded several in situ bifaces in fresh condition and in association with vertebrate fossils and gastropod shells. This consistent biface-discard pattern throughout the valley, signifies different phases of exploitation by hominins of a floodplain environment.	A section at the edge of the Vindhyan hills in the Narmada basin, showing laterite and quartzite colluvial fan deposits, where stratified Early Acheulian assemblages have been recovered.
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Russell Ciochon: Early Hominins from Java and reinterpretations of proposed Hominins from southern China and Southeast Asia Homo erectus first reaches Asia in the early Pleistocene about 1.6 to 1.8 million years ago. Some of the earliest evidence of this occupation comes from the Java's Sangiran Dome. Claims have also been made for an early hominin presence in the tropical karst cave faunas of southern China and Southeast Asia. New fossil evidence of high hominoid diversity in karst cave sites in Guangxi cast significant doubt on presence of hominins in these tropical environments. The earliest confirmed evidence of hominins in Asia comes from either the far North -- Nihewan Basin in northeastern China, or from the far South Sangiran Dome and related sites in central Java, Indonesia.

Longuppo Cave, China. Is the jaw from Longgupo the earliest evidence for hominins outside of Africa or is it a small Pleistocene ape?	Tower karst caves in Guangxi, southern China, show a high diversity of Pleistocene apes. But do they also document the presence of hominins?

Reconstruction of the earliest Homo erectus in Java that lived in a marsh and lake environment consisting of nearly 100% C4 plants -- grasses that grew in wet, swampy conditions. The landscape of Javan Homo erectus was dominated by volcanoes which provide the opportunity to date these early hominins radiometrically .	Our fieldwork in Java is a joint project with geoscientists from the Institute of Technology, Bandung. We survey sediments, collect fossils, collect tuff samples and pumices for radiometric dating, and collect carbon isotope data from soil organic matter, mollusk shells, and soil carbonate nodules for paleoenvironmental analyses.
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Meave Leakey: Koobi Fora Research Project The Koobi Fora Research Project has been ongoing in the Turkana Region of Northern Kenya since 1968. During this time hundreds of hominid and other animal fossils have been discovered on both sides of Lake Turkana. Fossil finds related to human evolution are known from deposits spanning 7 to 1 million years ago. These include the earliest known Homo erectus fossils in the world. Shortly thereafter this species of human migrated out of Africa and into Asia.

Homotherium metapodials: These are the foot bones of a saber-tooth cat from Koobi Fora.	Robert Moru of the Kenya National Museums and a native of the Turkana region with a hominid tooth he discovered.

Sunset over Koobi Fora; the rugged beauty of the region is only emphasized by its spectacular sunsets.	The west side of the Lake viewed from Koobi Fora.

Area 123. This is a typical example of the badland exposures of the Koobi Fora region. The fossils are eroding out of the soil and it is only by careful and meticulous work that these hidden clues to our past may be uncovered.
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Michael Petraglia: Evolution of Early Humans in the Indian Subcontinent Dr. Petraglia's ongoing research, conducted in collaboration with Prof. K. Paddayya of Deccan College and Prof. Ravi Korisettar of Karnatak University, focuses on Middle and Late Pleistocene sites in three areas, the Hunsgi-Baichbal Valleys, the Malaprabha Valley and the Kurnool District.

Close up view of excavation in progress at Isampur Quarry, Hunsgi Valley. This is an intact Acheulean quarry, where stone was procured for the manufacture of handaxes and cleavers.	Acheulean implements from Isampur Quarry, Hunsgi Valley. An early stage handaxe and hammerstones.

Exploratory test units across the Kurnool District landscape. Lower and Middle Palaeolithic sites have been identified, providing new insights into early human adaptations in the region.	Geological trench in the Kurnool District. Jwalapuram Locality 3 has yielded one of the best examples of Toba tephra on the subcontinent. Middle Paleolithic localities are associated with the ash, hence various teams are examining the effect on this volcanic super-eruption on human populations.
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John Shea: Experimental Perspectives on Early Paleolithic Tools John Shea began experimenting with stone tools when he was eleven (inspired by pictures of Louis Leakey doing the same). He is today a skilled replicator of Paleolithic tools and primitive technology. Shea has excavated Paleolithic sites in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Tanzania, Kenya, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. In this research he uses insights gained from experimentation to shed light on the role tools played in early human dispersals.

John Shea making replicas of Acheulean large cutting tools at East Turkana, Kenya. Homo ergaster/erectus littered Africa, Europe and Asia with these teardrop-shaped "handaxes." Though some of these tools are delicately and carefully made, most Early Paleolithic tools are "instant technology," tools that can be made in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.	Shea using a replicated handaxe to butcher a horse carcass. (The horse had been humanely put down by a veterinarian for reasons unrelated to this experiment.) Handaxes work superbly as butchery tools, but there is evidence they were used for woodworking as well.

Close-up photo of a handaxe at work, removing the skin from a horse carcass. One experimenter likened these tools to "Stone Age chainsaws". Butchery of the entire horse carcass by Shea took about four hours. The handaxe remains in use to this day, more than 20 years later.	The late Eitan Tchernov, director of excavations at 'Ubeidiya, Israel, holding one of the limestone "spheroids" recovered by excavation. Louis Leakey speculated these tools may have been used as bola stones. We think this function unlikely for this particular tool.

Stony Brook student Gary Hoffman producting a replica of a spheroid by striking flakes from a limestone cobble. Limestone fractures poorly, and after prolonged chipping it will begin to approximate a sphere. We now think these spheroids are by-products of flake production rather than tools designed for a specific purpose
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Yahdi Zaim: Excavations in Majalengka, West Java Paleontological excavations in the Majalengka Area are being carried out by Dr. Zaim and Dr. Yan Rizal from Department of Geology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, in cooperation with Dr. Christine Hertler from Department of Paleobiology, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt. The area is a new potential site for the research on Quaternary Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology in West Java, Indonesia. The excavations were done on Quaternary sediments of fluviatile and lacustrine deposits. The sediments contain coprolites, Stegodon, Croccodilus, Cervide, Bovide, and Geocelone.

Excavation at Cariang Village, Majalengka, West Java – Indonesia.	Outcrop of black clays of lacustrine deposits, Early Pleistocene in age, rich with coprolites and vertebrate fossils.

Fossil coprolites found in black clay layers of Early Pleistocene.	Preserving very weathered and broken fossil of Stegodon molar in the field.

Conglomeratic sandstones layers of Early Pleistocene contain vertebrate fossils, conformably above the black clays.
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