Koobi Fora Hominids Coastal Sedimentation

376 Nature Vol. 278 22 March 1979 Koobi Fora spatially extensive and useful in cor remainder of the volume comprises a relation. Certain (named) tuffs serve well-illustrated inventory, with data on hominids as marker horizons to differentiate and finder, provenience and depositional to subdivide the several formations; environment (including many micro The Fossil Hominids and an Introduc however, the relationS'hips, spatially strat-igra,phic sections) of aH fossil tion to Their Context, 1968-1974. and temporally, of many other (num hominids (numbering 129) recovered (Koobi Fora Research Project, Vol. 1). bered) tuffs are uncertain. Three fossil in the seven years of the project, until Edited by M . G. Leakey and R. E. 'collection units' are now recognised 1974 (R. E. and M. G. Leakey and Leakey. Pp. 191. (Clarendon/ Oxford for the Kubi Algi Formation, and five A K. Behrensmeyer), complemented University Press: Oxford, 1978.) £15. such 'units' for the Koobi Fora For by an appendix of 30 tables of assorted mation, t·he base of eaoh being defined measurements of those specimens. The in a particular area by a named or scale on some hominid illustrations is numbered tuff. However, in the Koobi THIS is the initial volume of a projected unfortunately incorrect. Hominid tax Fora Formation just over half of all onomy is only briefly mentioned (p89); series of monographs on interdisciplin fossiliferous areas in the Ileret sector ary earth sciences and palaeoanthro but not many workers personally fam and nearly half of all such areas in the iliar with this vast corpus of fossil pologica-1 researches in the Koobi Fora Koobi Fora sector have lithostatigra material will agree wit·h all tJhe attribu area, northeastern Turkana basin, phically undefined lower boundaries. tions suggested. Finally, there is a full Kenya. That combined research effort Thus, the 'collection unit' concept bibliography (through 1976) of the unquestionably represents one of the seems to have limited utility at best, project. most lastingly important and fruitful as it is an unfortunate mix of both This is an immensely useful, well investigations into the earlier evolu lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy. executed and well produced volume of tionary history of Hominidae and the An overview of the stratigraphical major import to all students of human natural setting and biotic associations and areal situation, depositional en evolution. of Plio-Pleistocene times. This volume vironments and associations, and F. Clark Howell provides an historical and method nature of all major afchaeological ological introduction (R. E. Leakey); occurrences, and tJheir content and in followed by chapters on geology, F. Clark Howell is Professor of Anthro dustrial characteristics 1s provided by pology at the University of California at palaeontology, archaeology and fossil G . L. Isaac and J. W. K. Harris. The Berkeley. hominids. A summary of the lithostratigraphy, sedimentary environments and palaeo geography of the Kubi Algi and Koobi Fora fmmations is provided by I. C. Findlater. This ohapter sets out the There are chapters on river deltas stratigraphical nomenclature now used Coastal by L. D. Wright, which particular!y for these formations, the members of concentrates on the processes in the which are defined on the basis of sedimentation Mississippi delta, and on coastal bays several spatially extensive tephra. Five Coastal Sedimentary Environments. by R. B. Biggs, which actually empha principal sedimentary environments Edited by Richard A Davis, Jr. sises suspended sediment in estuaries. are recognised, two lacustrine and (Springer: New York and Berlin, There is a particularly comprehensive three alluvial; and their areal relation 1978.) $22; DM44. description of American East Coast salt ships are shown diagrammatically. marshes by R . W. Frey and P. B. Eight generalised maps depict palaeo Basan and coastal dunes are described geographical settings of the area of THIS book is intended as a student text by v_' Goldsmith. R. A Davis des successive temporal intervals during the and to provide a background on coastal cribes the beach and nearshore zone, accumulation of the Koobi Fora For environments for geologists, engineers, and mesotidal inlets and estuaries are mation. Maps show the locations of the oceanographers and coastal managers. covered by J. C. Boothroyd. The latter principal hominid finds in the major Being a multi-author text means that concentrates largely on tidal deltas. The fossiliferous areas; their temporal there are certain differences of ap final two chapters are by J. C. Kraft on relationships and environments of proach betwe-en the chapters; however, the coastal stratigraphic sequences pro deposition are indicated in stratigra this is offset by the obvious expertise duced mainly by transgression, and by phical section and usefully summarised that has been brought to bear. The W. T. Fox on modelling coastal en in a table. emphasis is on geological description vironments. An annotated inventory (and listing) of the morphological features and of Virtually all of the examples quoted of 87 mammal taxa (exclusive of the processes that have been inter are drawn from the American East or micromammals) ,in those formations, preted largely from changes in the mor Gulf Coasts. Consequently the extensive as wei! as mollusc assemblages and phology and from the analysis of body of European literature is largely their concurrent range zones, and internal structures. The chapters have neglected, together with such features notes on other vertebrate groups is a review style and frequently, to pro as high range tidal estuaries and coast~. given by J. M . Harris. The fauna of the vide an explanation satisfactory for Nevertheless this will be a useful addi Kubi Algi Formation is not specified, students, would necessitate lectures tion to text~ on coastal sedimentation and should be recommended reading but is stated to overlap 1n part that of tailored to the book, or the student ~o the (lower) portion of the Koobi Fora follow up extensively the quoted papers. on courses covering coastal geomor Formation. The Ileret, Koobi Fora and An example of this is the very brief phology and sedimentology, ~s wei~ as Kubi Algi sectors have been each sub coverage of longshore transport, which providing useful background m a wrder divided into a series of numbered areas in itself would warrant a chapter in a range of disciplines. K. R. Dyer (19 in the former two, 5 in the latter) more specialist book. The bibliographies for purposes of geological mapping are reasonably comprehensive and there and fossil collection. Tephra deposits are abundant and very good photo K. R. Dyer is at the Institute of Ocean are widespread, some demonstrably graphs, especially of tidal deltas. ographic Sciences, Taunton, UK. © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.

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