Heritage Science News Quarterly Newsletter of the Directorate of National Repository & Research, National Museums of Kenya Issue 2: July-September, 2019 In this issue Ekembo: Kenya’s Fossil Ape A brief analysis by Prof. Kieran McNulty Department of Anthropology University of Minnesota 1. Ekembo: Kenya’s Fossil Ape 2. Citizen Science and Mobile Technology Helping Study Birds 3. Indigenous leafy vegetables: 30 years of research and promotion work in Kenya 4. Human-induced threats and mitigation strategies in Ewaso Narok wetland in Laikipia, Kenya 5. Assessing Pesticidal Activity of Pawpaw Leaves and Seeds Against Maize Weevils Photo: Artist’s reconstruction of a forest environment discovered at R3 on Rusinga Island. Contributors Prof. Kieran McNulty, Dr. Peter Njoroge, Dr. kembo is a genus of medium- to What we now call Ekembo was, for many Patrick Maundu, Walter Nyamolo, Nancy large-bodied ape found primarily on years, referred instead to the genus Proconsul Kwamboka Rusinga and Mfangano Islands– fossil – an ape first discovered at the Kenyan locality Esites associated with the Kisingiri Volcano in of Koru, and best known from other deposits The Editorial Team: Western Kenya. Although not the first fossil in that area (Songhor, Chamtwara, Meswa ape discovered in East Africa, it is certainly the Bridge) and from Napak in Uganda. Ekembo Victor Wasonga, Peris Kariuki, Job Kibii, best known of Kenya’s Miocene hominoids, and Proconsul look similar in many respects: Lydia Nafula, Agnes Lusweti, Hellen Njagi, Linda Aketch with fossil representation for virtually every both preserve a rather primitive catarrhine Editor-in-chief- Prof. Mary Gikungu element of its skeleton. That, combined with body plan, lacking most of the orthograde the variety and quality of biological remains and suspensory traits that characterize later preserved at these fossil sites, has made ape species and especially modern apes. This Ekembo an important signpost for interpreting explains in part why the two groups were Designed by: Stephen Maina the early evolution of the hominoid clade. long considered to represent a single genus. for details contact [email protected] Interestingly, however, when Rusinga’s fossil Editorial Note Western Kenya tourism circuit and a boost government development framework nce again, I am pleased to present to on the local socio-economy is not in doubt. – the Big Four. One of NMK’s flagship you the second edition of Heritage In keeping with the digital world, research at projects contributing to this agenda is on Science News, the quarterly NMK is not left behind. In this volume, we documentation, nutritional analysis and Onewsletter of the Directorate of National highlight the use of a Mobile App in crowd market value chain of Indigenous Leafy Repository & Research. In our current sourcing of distribution data for birds in Vegetables (ILVs). In addition, we also pay feature, we look at the fossil deposits in Kenya. The “Birdlaser” offers a revolutionary keen attention to ecosystems and habitats Rusinga and Mfangano Islands that have approach and an unprecedented appeal for by taking a critical look at human-induced opened new doors into research on the users and many volunteers to get involved threats in wetlands. Finally, we engage our evolution of apes in East Africa. Our in biodiversity data collection. Adopting this readers on an innovative approach on crop scientists and collaborators have made kind of technology not only enhances public pest management using locally available significant steps in piecing together the participation in research but also ensures rapid and environmental friendly solutions. For impacts of recent findings in Lake Victoria accumulation of data for timely conservation these stories and more, read on… basin. With such growing paleontological action. Food security has remained a topical Prof. Mary Gikungu interest, the possible expansion of the agenda for Kenya as envisioned in the current DIRECTOR, DNRR apes were first presented to the public, it Ekembo is currently only well-known from E. heseloni directly within a multi-storied, was suggested that they represented a more Rusinga and Mfangano, with a single tooth closed-canopied forest (https://www.nature. advanced species than Proconsul. from Uyoma also placed in this genus. A com/articles/ ncomms4236?origin=ppub). medium-sized ape from the fossil localities However, that was based on only one small My colleagues and I reached a similar near Karungu may also belong in this group, slice of time in the long occupation of conclusion when we studied all of the but specimens are too poorly preserved Ekembo in East Africa. Ongoing studies relevant fossil material in detail (https:// for an accurate diagnosis. Two species suggest that environments in this region www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/ (Ekembo nyanzae and Ekembo heseloni) varied considerably over time, with Ekembo abs/pii/S0047248415000767). Specimens are recognized, and both are highly sexually occupying more open and dry habitats as well from Rusinga and Mfangano had several dimorphic with males estimated to be about as warmer, wetter ones. characteristics that made them more advanced 1.3 times larger than females. Although the than specimens from Koru, Songhor, and species have traditionally been distinguished The age of the Kisingiri deposits has been Napak. These include traits like: check teeth based on body size, with E. heseloni thought of considerable importance in interpreting with expanded, bunodont cusps and wide to range from 10-20 Kg and E. nyanzae from variation within Rusinga and Mfangano, and crests; reduced molar cingulum; increased 28-40 Kg (nyu-staging.pure.elsevier.com), a in comparison with other localities. Older similarity between P3 and P4. Likewise, revised alpha-taxonomy currently underway Potassium/Argon dates were interpreted specimens of Proconsul share several features suggests that there is much more overlap in to indicate that deposits on Rusinga and that fossils from Rusinga and Mfangano species sizes. Mfangano accumulated rather quickly – do not have: upper and lower canines with hundreds of meters of sediment in less a distinctive, “blade-like” tip; mandibular Like most early Miocene catarrhines, Ekembo than 500 thousand years – with the most symphysis with a robust, internally projecting is thought to have been primarily frugivorous fossiliferous horizons dated between 17.8-17.9 shelf. We also found important statistical but practicing some folivory. There is no Ma. Our recent analyses combining Argon- differences between dental measurements evidence known for niche partitioning Argon and paleomagnetic dating have greatly in the two groups. Based on this combined between species despite the fact that they refined these dates, however, and we now evidence, we determined that the large apes almost certainly were sympatric. know that the fossil deposits accumulated over from Rusinga and Mfangano are distinctive a longer period: from ca. 20-17 Ma. Future enough to be placed within a new genus. We In locomotion, Ekembo would have more studies will focus on how the Kisingiri fauna, chose the name Ekembo, which means “ape or closely resembled a large monkey than a living including apes like Ekembo, changed over that monkey” in the Suba language, to honor the ape – walking quadrupedally above branches timeframe. people who historically settled the Rusinga rather than hanging below them. However, area. some features of the forelimb suggest Ekembo As a scientist, it is humbling to work with may have included clambering and climbing this amazing collection of fossils – but more components in its locomotor repertoire. The so to realize how little we know about these brain size of Ekembo, only roughly estimated enigmatic ancestors. One learns quickly in from a single specimen (KNM-RU 7290), paleontology that each question answered by has been characterized as more encephalized a new discovery is matched by three or more compared to cercopithecoids, but this unanswered questions the discovery brings is disputed. Likewise, analyses of dental into focus. With so many spectacular fossils microstructures in E. heseloni found that the from Rusinga and Mfangano, we are only just timing of tooth development in this species starting to see the scope of questions we might was slower than in monkeys, but not nearly as be able to answer through rigorous, long-term slow as in apes. field and museum research. I anticipate that in Photo: Remnants of the Kisingiri volcano 5 or 10 years – with hard work and a little luck viewed from Mfangano Island. The once-giant Habitat reconstructions for Rusinga and – we will be able to provide many new details volcano has collapsed and faulted leaving behind a series of fractured hills rising out of Mfangano Islands have varied widely. The about the life and livelihood of Ekembo, Lake Victoria. most comprehensive study was able to place Kenya’s best-known fossil ape Citizen Science and Mobile Technology Helping Study Birds By: Dr. Peter Njoroge [email protected] itizen science or the involvement of people who are not professional scientists in gathering data or contributing to research is not a new phenomenon but its potential is only Cnow being realised in Africa. With a range of constraints that hamper the speedy collection and availing of critical biodiversity data to policy makers, citizen science is invaluable. At the Ornithology Section, we appreciate the usefulness of citizen science in accumulating large amounts of data and bridging information gaps such as the timing of key life stages/events in birds. It is therefore not surprising that only one out of 1100 bird species that occur in Kenya is listed as Data Deficient unlike other vertebrates. We have had a long history of using citizen scientists to collect useful data. For example, since 1991, we have Photo: Long-crested used citizen scientists to count water birds annually in the Rift Eagle at Mount Mtelo - Valley soda lakes. These datasets have been used in supporting Photo by S.