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Une Approche 3D Pour Comprendre La Taphonomie Des Homininés Du Site Plio- Pléistocène De Malapa, Province Du Gauteng, Afrique Du Sud

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Une Approche 3D Pour Comprendre La Taphonomie Des Homininés Du Site Plio- Pléistocène De Malapa, Province Du Gauteng, Afrique Du Sud Une approche 3D pour comprendre la taphonomie des hominin´esdu site plio-pl´eistoc`enede Malapa, Province du Gauteng, Afrique du Sud Aurore Val To cite this version: Aurore Val. Une approche 3D pour comprendre la taphonomie des hominin´esdu site plio- pl´eistoc`enede Malapa, Province du Gauteng, Afrique du Sud. Arch´eologieet Pr´ehistoire. Universit´ede Bordeaux, 2014. Fran¸cais. <NNT : 2014BORD0144>. <tel-01198812> HAL Id: tel-01198812 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01198812 Submitted on 14 Sep 2015 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destin´eeau d´ep^otet `ala diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publi´esou non, lished or not. The documents may come from ´emanant des ´etablissements d'enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche fran¸caisou ´etrangers,des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou priv´es. Logo Université de cotutelle THÈSE EN COTUTELLE PRÉSENTÉE ogo Université de cotutelle POUR OBTENIR LE GRADE DE DOCTEUR DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DE BORDEAUX ET DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DU WITWATERSRAND (JOHANNESBURG) ÉCOLE DOCTORALE UBX ÉCOLE DOCTORALE DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DU WITWATERSRAND SPÉCIALITÉ : Préhistoire Par Aurore VAL UNE APPROCHE 3D POUR COMPRENDRE LA TAPHONOMIE DES HOMININÉS DU SITE PLIO- PLÉISTOCÈNE DE MALAPA, PROVINCE DU GAUTENG, AFRIQUE DU SUD Sous la direction de Francesco d’Errico, Lucinda Backwell et Lee Berger Soutenue le 28 Février 2014 Membres du jury : M. JAUBERT, JACQUES, Directeur de recherche, Université de Bordeaux Président M. MAUREILLE, Bruno, Directeur de recherche Université de Bordeaux rapporteur M. SMITH, Roger, Directeur de recherche, Iziko Museums, Cape Town rapporteur Mme COSTAMAGNO, Sandrine, Directrice de recherche, Université Toulouse-le Mirail Examinatrice M. BRAGA, José, Directeur de recherche, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse Examinateur M. MALLYE, Jean-Baptiste, Chargé de recherche, Université Bordeaux Examinateur invité Titre : Une approche 3D pour comprendre la taphonomie des hominines du site plio-pleistocene de Malapa, Province du Gauteng, Afrique du Sud Résumé : Le site de Malapa a livré les restes de deux homininés, associés aux restes d’autres animaux et datés à 1,98 Ma. Le degré de conservation restes osseux est remarquable dans le contexte des ensembles fossiles plio-pléistocènes retrouvés en grotte. Cela indique une combinaison de processus taphonomiques unique et non-observée dans les sites contemporains de la région. Une approche combinant analyses paléontologique, physique et spatiale des homininés et de la faune associée a été choisie afin d’interpréter la taphonomie de l’ensemble fossile, avec une attention toute particulière portée aux homininés. Des techniques de tomographie et micro-tomographie assistées par ordinateur, combinées à un logiciel de reconstruction virtuelle ont été appliquées afin de créer un modèle en 3 dimensions de la grotte et des deux squelettes d’Au. sediba. La position initiale dans laquelle les homininés ont été enfouis a été reconstruite. Les résultats indiquent que la majorité du matériel osseux a été accumulée par l’intermédiaire d’un aven-piège. Les carcasses se sont accumulées sous la forme d’un cône de débris, dans une partie profonde du système karstique présentant un accès très limité voire inexistant pour les charognards. Les deux individus ne sont peut-être pas entrés dans la grotte au même moment. Lorsque l’enfouissement a eu lieu, leur décomposition était achevée (disparition et/ou dessiccation des parties molles). Leurs os présentent des indices d’intempérisation, suggérant une période d’exposition avant l’enfouissement d’au moins plusieurs mois. Les insectes sont les principaux agents ayant modifié les restes. Les indices de momification naturelle avant l’enfouissement pour MH1 et MH2 suggèrent la préservation possible de matière organique (peau). Mots clés : Taphonomie osseuse Premiers homininés Technologies 3D Afrique du Sud i Title : A 3D approach to understand the taphonomy of the early hominins from the plio-pleistocene cave site of Malapa. Abstract : The cave deposits at Malapa have yielded the remains of two extremely well- preserved hominins (Australopithecus sediba) and associated fauna, dated to 1.977-1.8 Ma. The state of preservation of the hominins and some of the non-hominin material is remarkable in the context of Plio-Pleistocene fossil assemblages accumulated in caves, and indicates a unique combination of taphonomic processes, not yet observed in contemporaneous cave deposits in the region. A comprehensive approach, including palaeontological, physical, and spatial analyses of the hominins and associated fauna was undertaken to determine, describe and interpret the taphonomy of the faunal material, with particular reference to hominins. An innovative combination of Computed- Tomography (CT), micro-CT scanning and virtual reconstruction techniques was applied to create a 3D model of a selected area of the Malapa cave, with renderings of the two near- complete Au. sediba skeletons. The original burial position of the hominins was reconstructed. The results indicate that the majority of the faunal material recovered was most likely accumulated via a natural death trap. Their bodies came to rest in a deep area of the cave system with restricted access to scavengers. Results show that both individuals did probably not enter the cave system at the same time. They reached skeletonization and were slightly weathered before final burial, indicating several years of exposure before burial. Insects proved to be the primary modifiers of the hominin remains. Evidence of natural mummification before burial for MH1 and MH2 suggests the possible preservation of soft tissue. Keywords : Bone taphonomy Early hominins 3D techniques South Africa ii Laboratoire PACEA, UMR 5199 CNRS Université de Bordeaux Bâtiment B8 Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire CS 50023, 33615 PESSAC Cedex Evolutionary Studies Institute (previously Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research) School of Geosciences University of the Witwatersrand Private Bag 3, WITS 2050 Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud iii Declaration I, Aurore Marie Sophie Val, declare that this PhD thesis is my own, unaided work. It is being submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any other University. ______________________________ Signed on the ……th of July 2013, in Johannesburg. iv Abstract The cave deposits at Malapa, on the Malapa Nature Reserve, Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, Gauteng Province, South Africa, have yielded the remains of two extremely well-preserved hominins (Australopithecus sediba) and associated fauna, dated by U/Pb methods and palaeomagnetism to 1.977-1.8 Ma. The state of preservation of the hominins and some of the non-hominin material, characterised by complete and near complete elements, antimeric sets of bones, specimens in articulation, and well-preserved bone surfaces, is remarkable in the context of Plio-Pleistocene fossil assemblages accumulated in caves, and indicates a unique combination of taphonomic processes, not yet observed in contemporaneous cave deposits in the region. A comprehensive approach, including palaeontological, physical, and spatial analyses of the hominins and associated fauna was undertaken to determine, describe and interpret the taphonomy of the faunal material, with particular reference to the holotype and paratype of Au. sediba, Malapa Hominin 1 (MH1) and Malapa Hominin 2 (MH2). An innovative combination of Computed-Tomography (CT), micro-CT scanning and virtual reconstruction techniques was applied to create a 3D model of a selected area of the Malapa cave, with renderings of the two near-complete Au. sediba skeletons. The original burial position of the hominins was reconstructed, which necessitated the refitting of ex situ fossils into in situ deposits. The spatial distribution and orientation of the hominin remains illustrate a very low degree of dispersal of the bones, indicative of very little disruption between death and burial, due to an absence of damage by scavengers and possible natural mummification. The very few carnivore-damaged bones and relative abundance of complete and/or articulated specimens, the presence of antimeric sets of bones in the faunal assemblage, as well as the diversity of the faunal spectrum, and the significant percentage of animals with climbing proclivities (such as carnivores and hominins) indicate that the majority of the faunal material recovered was most likely accumulated via a natural death trap. Their bodies came to rest in a deep area of the cave system with restricted access to v scavengers. Skeletons and bones accumulated in a talus cone below a vertical shaft. There, they decomposed, and became buried without major disruption by biotic or abiotic agents. A new forensic approach, referred to as palaeoforensic taphonomy, was followed in each step of the taphonomic analysis of the two hominins in order to reconstruct the processes of decay, disarticulation, burial and preservation. Results show that both individuals did probably not enter the cave system at the same time. They reached skeletonization and were slightly weathered before final burial, indicating several years of exposure before burial. Insects proved to be the primary
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