Ubeidiya (Layer II-23)
Basic information
Sample name: Ubeidiya (Layer II-23)
Reference: A. Barash, M. Belmaker, M. Bastir, M. Soudack, H. D. O'Brien, H. Woodward, A. Prendergast, O. Barzilai, and E. Been. 2022. The earliest Pleistocene record of a large-bodied hominin from the Levant supports two out-of-Africa dispersal events. Scientific Reports 12(1721):1-9 [ER 3875]
Geography
Country: Israel
Coordinate: 33° 41' 22" N, 36° 33' 25" E
Latlng basis: based on nearby landmark
Formation: Ubeidiya
Time interval: Early Pleistocene
Max Ma: 1.575
Min Ma: 1.567
Age basis: paleomag
Geography comments: the coordinate is given by Wikipedia
the formation is generally in a reversed polarity zone, but this layer "has been assigned to the Gilsa (1.575-1.567 Ma)" based on "an ESR date of ca. 1.2 Ma for layer 1-26, which overlays layer II-33"
Eppelbaum and Katz 2023 argue the date is 2.52 - 1.98 Ma based on correlation with the Zarqa section in Western Jordan
the formation is generally in a reversed polarity zone, but this layer "has been assigned to the Gilsa (1.575-1.567 Ma)" based on "an ESR date of ca. 1.2 Ma for layer 1-26, which overlays layer II-33"
Eppelbaum and Katz 2023 argue the date is 2.52 - 1.98 Ma based on correlation with the Zarqa section in Western Jordan
Environment
Lithology: claystone
Taphonomic context: carnivore accumulation, fluvial deposit
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "rusty brown siltic clay" that is interpreted in different passages as "fluviatile" and "deltaic"
there are 34 lithic artefacts
there is a "low proportion of cut-marks" and a "high proportion of gnaw-marks... more consistent with scavenging by large carnivores, such as large felids, rather than hunting by early hominin... weathering and fluvial transport were not primary factors... most specimens were buried quickly" and there was "trampling and soil compaction"
there are 34 lithic artefacts
there is a "low proportion of cut-marks" and a "high proportion of gnaw-marks... more consistent with scavenging by large carnivores, such as large felids, rather than hunting by early hominin... weathering and fluvial transport were not primary factors... most specimens were buried quickly" and there was "trampling and soil compaction"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores, primates, ungulates
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 518 specimens
Years: 1960 - 1966, 1970
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Metadata
Sample no: 4253
Contributor no: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-04-25 14:00:11
Modified: 2023-05-11 04:25:34
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
25 species
5 singletons
total count 518
geometric series index: 39.7
Fisher's α: 5.484
geometric series k: 0.8082
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8056
Shannon's H: 2.0678
Good's u: 0.9904
Register
| †Canis (Xenocyon) lycanoides | 4 | |
| "Lycaon lycaonoides": plus 49 Carnivora | ||
| †Canis mosbachensis (wolf) | 33 | 43.0 kg |
| †Vulpes cf. alopecoides (fox) | 8 | |
| "Vulpes cf. praeglacialis": see Bartolini-Lucenti and Madurell-Malapeira (2021) | ||
| †Lutra simplicidens (otter) | 6 | |
| Vormela peregusna (marbled polecat) | 3 | 356.0 g |
| †Panthera gombaszoegensis (Eurasian jaguar) | 1 | |
| "Panthera gombaszogensis" | ||
| †Megantereon cf. whitei (saber-toothed cat) | 1 | |
| Lynx sp. | 8 | |
| Felis cf. chaus (jungle cat) | 1 | 5.3 kg |
| Herpestes sp. | 2 | |
| presumed to be sensu stricto because of the date of publication | ||
| †Ursus etruscus (bear) | 2 | |
| †Sus strozzii (pig) | 3 | |
| "Sus strozzi" | ||
| †Kolpochoerus olduvaiensis | 1 | |
| "Kolpochoerus oldowaynesis" | ||
| †Hippopotamus gorgops (hippopotamus) | 2 | |
| †Hippopotamus cf. behemoth (hippopotamus) | 166 | |
| †Praemegaceros verticornis (deer) | 38 | |
| plus 12 Artiodactyla, 91 Ruminantia, and 27 Cervidae | ||
| Dama nestii = †Pseudodama nestii | 127 | |
| "Pseudodama nestii": see van der Made et al. (2023) | ||
| Capreolus sp. | 10 | |
| †Pelorovis oldowayensis | 3 | |
| plus seven indeterminate Bovini | ||
| Gazella sp. | 8 | |
| presumed to be sensu stricto because of the date of publication: plus eight indeterminate Antilopini | ||
| †Stephanorhinus etruscus etruscus (rhinoceros) | 10 | |
| †Equus tabeti (horse) | 73 | |
| plus 20 indeterminate Equus | ||
| †Mammuthus meridionalis (southern mammoth) | 5 | |
| Macaca sylvanus (Barbary macaque) | 2 | |
| Homo sp. | 1 | |