Molecular and isotopic perspectives on early human habitats at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Early human (hominin) evolution was linked to dramatic changes in regional hydrology and ecosystem composition. Emerging hypotheses linking hominin evolution and the environment present specific, testable predictions for hominin evolutionary responses to different modes of environmental change. Yet, discontinuous terrestrial sediment sequences coupled with indirect proxy indicators for plants and water obscure environmental perspectives on the hominin fossil record. Opportunity to overcome these challenges is presented by lake and soil sediments from a preeminent hominin archaeological locality – Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. These extensive, well constrained sediments have abundant organic matter, allowing for unparalleled resolution of biomarker data through time and space for an individual locality.