Oldowan-Early Acheulean Macro-Fauna from the Basal Layers of Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa: Taxonomy, Paleoecology and Taphonomy

Wonderwerk Cave (27o50’ 45S. 23o 33’ 19SE) is a dolomite tube, extending
over 140 meters into the eastern flank of the Kuruman Hills in the
Northern Cape Province, South Africa. The cave deposits have yielded a remarkable
cultural and paleoenvironmental record spanning over 2 million
years, with excellent preservation of both floral and faunal remains.

Here we describe the fauna recovered from the basal strata in Excavation
1 situated nearest to the cave mouth, which begins at ca. 2 Ma and is associated
with Oldowan-Earlier Stone Age artefacts. Macro-fauna identified include
extinct forms of hyrax, and Makapania broomi that also occur in some
of the Cradle of Humankind sites and at Makapan Limeworks (Gauteng &
Limpopo Provinces, South Africa), corroborating the antiquity of these layers.
The bones are highly fragmented due to the action of multiple agencies –
both recent and ancient. Modifications observed include burning, carnivore
and porcupine damage. The environment around the site was predominantly
open grassland, supporting the published micro-faunal record.