Cave and rock shelter sediments of southern Africa: a review of the chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental record from Marine Isotope Stage 6 to 1

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Stratford ◽  
K. Braun ◽  
P. Morrissey
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South African ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
Marine Isotope Stage ◽  
Rock Shelter ◽  
Pinnacle Point ◽  
Anatomically Modern Humans ◽  
Rock Shelters

Abstract Caves and rock shelters contribute important records to local, regional and sub-continental reconstructions of environment and climate change through the southern African Quaternary. Against a backdrop of pronounced climate change, the archaeological record of the Marine Isotope Stage 6 to 1 period in southern Africa documents a remarkable time in the behavioural and technological evolution of anatomically modern humans. Significant evidence of this evolution is represented in diverse components of the sedimentary record in caves and rock shelters in the region. We present a catalogue of published caves and rock shelters in southern Africa that preserve temporally-relevant clastic and chemical palaeoclimatic proxies in order to: (1) facilitate the integration of cave and rock shelter sedimentary data into broader, regional chronostratigraphically-correlated palaeoclimatic sequences; and (2) identify possible areas and proxies that require focused research in the future. To demonstrate the complexity of the Marine Isotope Stage 6 to 1 stratigraphic record and use of palaeoenvironmental proxies, we present three case studies representing interior and coastal contexts: Border Cave, Klasies River Mouth and Pinnacle Point. These examples aptly demonstrate the challenges of these contexts, but also the opportunities for palaeoenvironmental research in southern Africa when conducted through integrated, multidisciplinary approaches. Published records of palaeoenvironmental research from cave and rock shelter sequences in southern Africa are heavily biased to the South African coastal areas and the record is temporally and spatially fragmented. However, there are interesting patterns in the chronostratigraphic record and in the distribution of sites within the context of the geology and vegetation ecology of southern Africa that require further exploration. There are also promising techniques in stable isotope analysis that can be applied to abundant sedimentary components found in the region’s caves and rock shelters, and in its museums.

Impacts of global climate change in a hydrologically vulnerable region: challenges to South African hydrologists

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.E. Schulze
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Sensitivity Study ◽  
Hydrological Models ◽  
Climate Change Effects

South Africa is already hydrologically vulnerable and this is likely to be exacerbated by both nonpermanent ENSO-related as well as more permanently greenhouse-gas forced climate changes. Climate change effects are explained by way of the hydrological equation. This serves as a backdrop to a brief review, in a hydrological context, of projected perturbations to temperature, rainfall and potential evaporation, over southern Africa. Methodologies for simulating hydro logical responses to climate change are assessed. These include more direct GCM-derived output, with some emphasis on recent advances in climatic downscaling, and the application of appro priate hydrological models for use in impact studies. Scale problems of importance to hydrologists are highlighted. Directions to which climate change-related hydrological research efforts should be expended in South Africa are summarized, before two case study simulations, one a general sensitivity study of hydrological responses to changes in rainfall over southern Africa, the other a more specific hydrological response study to the El Niño of the 1982-83 season, are presented. The article concludes with a discussion on whether or not water resources practitioners in South Africa should respond to climate change.

scholarly journals Pleistocene Climate Change in Central Europe

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Banak ◽  
Oleg Mandic ◽  
Davor Pavelić ◽  
Marijan Kovačić ◽  
Fabrizio Lirer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Pleistocene Climate ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Anatomically Modern Humans

Loess is terrestrial, clastic sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. It is usually inter–bedded with paleosol horizons, forming loess-paleosol successions (LPS). Due to their characteristics LPS’s represent valuable records of climate changes during Pleistocene. The thickest LPS sections in Croatia are in the Baranja region. Stable oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analysis were made on loess malacofauna in order to quantify paleo-temperature changes and describe paleo-vegetation in this part of Central Europe. δ18O values show significant paleotemperature changes during the Upper Pleistocene (130 ky - 20 ky) in Baranja region. Average growing season (AGS) temperature varied 13.2 °C or 9.5 °C during that time period, depending on which formula is applied for calculations. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements show strong peaks in the paleosol horizons pointing to more humid climate. The overall climate was much cooler then present. Stable carbon isotope values point to dominance of C3 vegetation type during the Late Pleistocene in southern part of Central Europe. Climate change in the Late Pleistocene is very likely a significant but not the only factor that influenced the extinction of Neanderthal population which paved the way for the dominance of anatomically modern humans (AMH) in Central Europe.

Middle and Later Stone Age hunters and their prey in southern Africa

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Plug
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Later Stone Age ◽  
Rock Shelter ◽  
Regional Variations ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
Faunal Studies ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Rock Shelters

Identifications of animal remains from southern African Stone Age sites are complicated by the abundancy of taxa, skeletal differences, a wide variety of habitats, and the fragmented condition of most of the bone samples. Studies in osteomorphology and osteometry are essential. There are regional variations in species sizes combined with changes in bone sizes within and between taxa. Seasonality and animal migrations are demonstrated in the highlands of Lesotho and the semi-arid Karoo. Faunal studies of Sibudu and Bushman Rock Shelter show the contrast between two rock shelters that are geographically separated but overlap in occupation periods.

Region of Birth and Child Mortality among Black Migrants to South Africa: Is there a foreign-born advantage?

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany L Green ◽  
Amos C Peters
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Child Mortality ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Black Immigrants ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Region Of Origin ◽  
Child Deaths

Much of the existing evidence for the healthy immigrant advantage comes from developed countries. We investigate whether an immigrant health advantage exists in South Africa, an important emerging economy.  Using the 2001 South African Census, this study examines differences in child mortality between native-born South African and immigrant blacks.  We find that accounting for region of origin is critical: immigrants from southern Africa are more likely to experience higher lifetime child mortality compared to the native-born population.  Further, immigrants from outside of southern Africa are less likely than both groups to experience child deaths.  Finally, in contrast to patterns observed in developed countries, we detect a strong relationship between schooling and child mortality among black immigrants.

scholarly journals Impacts of climate change on wind erosion in southern Africa during 1991–2015

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaonan Zhao ◽  
Hanbing Zhang ◽  
Man Wang ◽  
Hong Jiang ◽  
Jian Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

scholarly journals Bantu-speaker migration and admixture in southern Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananyo Choudhury ◽  
Dhriti Sengupta ◽  
Michele Ramsay ◽  
Carina Schlebusch
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
East African ◽  
Variant Discovery ◽  
African Populations ◽  
Sequencing Studies ◽  
Anatomically Modern Humans ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
Novel Variant

Abstract The presence of Early and Middle Stone Age human remains and associated archaeological artefacts from various sites scattered across southern Africa, suggests this geographic region to be one of the first abodes of anatomically modern humans. Although the presence of hunter-gatherer cultures in this region dates back to deep times, the peopling of southern Africa have largely been reshaped by three major sets of migrations over the last 2000 years. These migrations have led to a confluence of four distinct ancestries (San hunter-gatherer, East African pastoralist, Bantu-speaker farmer and Eurasian) in populations from this region. In this review, we have summarized the recent insights into the refinement of timelines and routes of the migration of Bantu-speaking populations to southern Africa and their admixture with resident southern African Khoe-San populations. We highlight two recent studies hinting at the emergence of fine-scale population structure within some South-Eastern Bantu-speaker groups. We also accentuate whole genome sequencing studies (current and ancient) that have both enhanced our understanding of the peopling of southern Africa and demonstrated a huge potential for novel variant discovery in populations from this region. Finally, we identify some of the major gaps and inconsistencies in our understanding and emphasize the importance of more systematic studies of southern African populations from diverse ethnolinguistic groups and geographic locations.

Climate Change Surge: Implementing Stringent Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies in South Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-183
Author(s):  
Kola Odeku ◽  
Edson Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South African ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
African Government ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation Strategies

AbstractThis article examines how the South African government, realizing the country's vulnerability to climate change, deemed it necessary to strengthen adaptation and mitigation measures and put in place legal and institutional frameworks to ensure implementation and compliance. Government must take responsibility for industry's inaction by implementing policies on climate change and, more importantly, through a visible change in government policy to hold industry accountable. The stringent policies and strategies being put in place are reducing vulnerability and also enhancing a broad spectrum of capacity in responding to environmental, climatic, resource and economic perturbations. The article further reviews state of the art methods and tools available to strengthen mitigation and adaptation strategies and measures in the areas of the existing frameworks regarding climate change. It also considers various measures by Eskom in particular, and strategies embarked upon by South Africa's national and local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

scholarly journals The impact of climate change on wind and solar resources in southern Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 556-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Fant ◽  
C. Adam Schlosser ◽  
Kenneth Strzepek
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Impact
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