Monday, January 30, 2023
SCIENMAG: Latest Science and Health News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag - Latest science news from science magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest News

South African barn owls, star witnesses of the climate over two million years ago

March 30, 2022
in Latest News
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Wonderwerk cave in South Africa is home to an outstanding fossil collection of small mammals from 2 million years ago in the Lower Palaeolithic era. For the first time, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) and the Spanish National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) have, following an analysis of the processes that gave rise to these formations, demonstrated that the dominant predator throughout this lengthy period remained constant: the barn owl (Tyto alba). 

The information obtained and published in Quaternary International is of great significance. “Given the absence of changes of predator over the sequence, we can confirm that any possible changes in the composition of the assemblage of micro-mammals are not the result of a predator’s preferences, but environmental changes”, explains Sara García Morato, a researcher at the Department of Geodynamics, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology at UCM and MNCN.

Micro-mammals are seen as good environmental and climatic indicators, as they respond swiftly to changes in their surroundings. Prior to conducting a paleo-environmental study, a taphonomic analysis is first required so as to confirm the origin and agent or agents giving rise to the fossil assemblage. 

According to García Morato, “In the case of the South African deposit, this lengthy continuation of the same type of predator guarantees that paleo-ecological interpretations of the site are providing us with reliable paleo-environmental results over the course of almost 2 million years, which is quite outstanding”.

To conduct the work, the researchers study the different skeletal elements of the micro-mammals, the degree of breakage and the damage caused to the bone tissue in the digestion process. 

These results are compared with patterns from different predators, in this case nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey and carnivorous mammals, which could give rise to assemblages of micro-mammals. “Each predator produces its distinctive signature on the prey that it ingests”, indicates Yolanda Fernández Jalvo, a researcher at MNCN. 

“In this study, the fossils obtained revealed few modifications, which is typically associated with the presence of barn owls,” continues Marin Monfort, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the museum.

Tendency towards aridity

Aside from changes in predator, taphonomic studies serve to confirm or rule out the presence of such other processes as transportation, acidic corrosion or the formation of manganese deposits, all of which have implications for paleo-environmental, paleo-ecological and paleo-climatic interpretations. 

In the case of Wonderwerk, manganese oxides can be found, typically deposited on the surface of bones when the atmosphere is humid. “The presence of manganese oxides declines the more modern the era that the fossils correspond to, allowing us to confirm a climatic trend towards greater aridity in the region,” adds Fernández Jalvo.

Aside from UCM and MNCN, the study also involved the University of Valencia, the Natural History Museum in London, the University of Toronto, the University of Witswatersrand in South Africa, and other institutions.



Journal

Quaternary International

DOI

10.1016/j.quaint.2021.04.014

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animal tissue samples

Article Title

The owl that never left! Taphonomy of Earlier Stone Age small mammal assemblages from Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa)

Article Publication Date

20-Mar-2022

Tags: AfricanbarnclimatemillionowlsSouthStarwitnessesyears
Share26Tweet16Share4ShareSendShare
  • Logo

    New study shows snacking on mixed tree nuts may impact cardiovascular risk factors and increase serotonin

    103 shares
    Share 41 Tweet 26
  • Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

    533 shares
    Share 213 Tweet 133
  • New study debunks the assumption that menstrual cycles disqualify women from exercise research

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Constructor University professor publishes outstanding psychological research paper

    76 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • Ignoring Native American data perpetuates misleading white ‘deaths of despair’ narrative, study finds

    67 shares
    Share 27 Tweet 17
  • The next generation of global health innovators: Michelson Prize winners announced

    66 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 17
ADVERTISEMENT

About us

We bring you the latest science news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Latest NEWS

New study shows snacking on mixed tree nuts may impact cardiovascular risk factors and increase serotonin

Hydrogen peroxide from tea and coffee residue: New pathway to sustainability

Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 205 other subscribers

© 2022 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US

© 2022 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In