Evolutionary Anthropology 23:41–43 (2014)
NEWS
Upholding the Legacy: East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology Held Its 4th Biennial Meeting in Kenya
Figure 1. Participants in the East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology conference. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com.]
T
he East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology (EAAPP) held its 4th biennial meeting in the Kenya’s port city of Mombasa July 28th – August 1st, 2013. The EAAPP was instituted to create a platform for scientific discussions by bringing together scientists conducting paleoanthropological and archeological research in eastern Africa. Since its inauguration in 2005 in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, EAAPP has held three successful meetings so far. Membership and participation in its biennial meetings are open to researchers from around the globe. The theme for this conference, which
brought together more than 100 participants representing 14 countries, was “Interaction Through Scientific Discussions in Prehistory Heritage.” The event included three days of scientific sessions, during which more than 40 papers were delivered, and a day of field excursion to a historic site. One interesting aspect of the conference was that several of the scientific sessions were abuzz with “fresh out of the ground” data presented by researchers still clad in field attire. Moreover, throughout the three days of presentations, the platform was dominated by young researchers from East African and international institu-
tions. To the humbling satisfaction of EAAPP and its sponsors, about 50% of the presentations were by graduate students. What follows is a brief synopsis of the scientific papers presented. Day one was marked by an opening session moderated by EAAPP’s chair and vice chair, Dr. Emma Mbua and Dr. Zeray Alemseged. Among the invited speakers in the opening session were Dr. I. O. Farah, Director General of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and Mr. L. J. Mwangola, Chairman of NMK’s Board of Trustees. In his keynote speech, the board chairman emphasized the significance of hosting this convention,
42 NDIEMA AND BEYIN
noting that such forums not only help promote scientific dialogue, but also make it possible for scientists and policy makers to come together to deliberate on policy issues that shape heritage laws. He called on African scientists to be globally engaged but to remain nationally embedded. He concluded his speech by reiterating NMK’s vision of being a center for world-class research on human prehistory. Before concluding the opening session, the EAAPP president paid tribute to community representatives from Turkana. This idea of engaging community representatives resonates well with the overall mission of EAAPP and the leading theme of the conference. The morning session on the first day focused on hominin morphology, biology, and behavior. This session hosted seven presentations representing three regions. Dr. Fredrick Manthi (NMK) provided an update on an ongoing field work at the A. anamensis site of Kanapoi (West Turkana), where his recent work has documented the first record of Kolpochoerus, a suid. Dr. Carlson (University of the Witwatersrand) presented the results of a collaborative study dealing with a longstanding debate regarding the evolutionary significance of the metopic suture in A. africanus, or the Taung Child. The study by Carlson’s team challenges the claim that the Taung Child shows evidence of a patent metopic suture. Dr. Kibii (University of Witwatersrand) presented results of a comparative morphometric study on a recently discovered hominin pelvic fragment from Member 4 in Sterkfontein cave, South Africa (.2 – 2.8 ma). His findings suggest that the Sterkfontein specimen might represent a new species, possibly a direct ancestor to both A. sediba and Homo. The subsequent three papers, by Rachel Anderson, Aura Val, and Rachel Keeling. dealt with morphometric and taphonomic aspects of A. sediba. This session also hosted a paper that extended the discussion beyond the continent of Africa. Tea Jashashvili (University of the Witwatersrand) provided a preliminary structural interpretation of cortical thickness distribution in the first metatarsal of Dmanisi hominins, Georgia.
NEWS
The theme for the afternoon session of the first day was “Paleontology and Paleoenvironments.” Kieran McNulty (University of Minnesota) reported on the latest work on Rusinga Island and unveiled the formation of a crossdisciplinary joint project, “Research on East African Catarrhine and Hominoid Evolution.” Kirsten Jenkins (University of Minnesota), highlighted the need to use comprehensive taphonomic data collection protocols to better understand the paleoecological contexts of paleontological sites. The Joint Kenya-Japan Nakali Paleoanthropological Expedition reported the discovery of more than 1,500 rodent specimens, nine of which represent new late Miocene taxa. Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) and Dr. Sileshi Semaw (CENIEH) presented a summary of their work at the paleoanthropological sites of Woranso-Mille and Gona, respectively. Dr. HaileSelassie presented fresh details on the phylogenetic status of two Early Pliocene suids, Nyanzachoerus and Notochoerus. Dr. Semaw discussed new insights on the recent discovery of insitu large lithic artifacts at Gona. Still within Ethiopia, Enquye Negash (Addis Ababa University) gave a presentation on the application of stable isotope data from Plio-Pleistocene bovids for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Her case study was drawn from the Shingura Formation, Omo, Ethiopia. The last two presentations were by Dr. Dominik Wolf (Bonn University) and Atrianus Mutungi (University of Dar Salaam), who represented their respective teams. Mutungi’s presentation highlighted the application of GIS techniques for modeling archeological site locations on the landscape. Dr. Wolf’s talk focused on the importance of equid and bovid communities for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The “Paleontology and Paleoenvironments” theme continued in the morning of day two. The first presenter, Kendra Chritz (University of Utah) shared results of her ongoing paleoecological investigation of Holocene sites in the Turkana Basin. Rahab Kinyanjui (University of Witwatersrand) then presented palynological data from Karura for-
est on the outskirts of Nairobi. Rahab’s project aims to address anthropogenic effects and landscape change through time and space in the flanks of the east African Rift. The next presentation was by Dr. Julio Mercader (University of Calgary), who gave a talk on the prevalence of archeological sample contamination. He showed results suggesting that a looming credibility crisis faces the analysis of starch grains associated with stone tools. Several papers addressed the theme of “Middle Stone Age Archaeology.” Dr. Stanley Ambrose (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) summarized obsidian sourcing work aimed at developing a database of known obsidian sources in the Kenya Rift Valley. Dr. Amanuel Beyin (University of Southern Indiana) discussed efforts to explore migration routes of Middle Stone Age hominins out of Africa via the Red Sea basin. He proposed a combined northerly-southerly route and is planning to conduct archeological field work along the Red Sea coast to test this hypothesis. Other papers presented included an actualistic investigation of domestic rabbit carcass modification by caracal (by Dr. Job Kibii); techno-typological analysis of the earliest Acheulian at Konso, Ethiopia (Dr. Yonas Beyene, National Museum of Ethiopia); tephrostratigraphy and the Early Middle Stone Age in the Kapthurine Formation, Kenya (Kathryn Ranhorn on behalf of Nick Blegen and Sally McBrearty); a report on archeological excavations at Chepnyalil Rock Shelter, Mt. Elgon, Western Kenya (Dr. Emmanuel Ndiema, NMK); trace element geochemistry of archeological ochres from Chaminade Hill, Karonga, Malawi (Andrew Zipkin, George Washington University); exploration of Middle Stone Age sites in Southeastern Tanzania (Kathryn Ranhorn, George Washington University); implications of ostrich eggshell strontium isotope analysis for reconstructing prehistoric exchange systems in the Late Stone Age (Philip Slater, socio-economic implications of lithic assemblages from the preAksumite village of Mezber, Ethiopia (Dr. Steven Brandt, University of
43
NEWS
Florida); and ongoing Holocene research in East Turkana (Dr. Emmanuel Ndiema, NMK). On day three, the discussion shifted to recent archeological periods. The papers presented were organized around two themes, “Later Stone Age Archaeology and Beyond” and “Cultural Heritage Management.” Dr. Elisabeth Hildebrand (Stony Brook University) updated participants on an ongoing interdisciplinary research program by the team working on Later Prehistory of West Turkana. The team’s recent excavations at four pillar sites in West Turkana have revealed complex cultural developments beginning in the third millennium BC. Dr. Emmanuel Ndiema and Dr. Purity Kiura (NMK) reported on cultural resource management efforts in the Turkana Basin in the wake of recent gas and oil exploration done by Tullow Oil in the region. Other papers presented on day three included paleoethnobotanical study of ancient crops in northeast Africa (by Dr. Alemseged Beldados, Addis Ababa University), mobility and herd management strategies of early pastoralists in the Central Rift Valley, Kenya
(Anneke Janzen, UC- Santa Cruz); megalithic monuments in southwestern Ethiopia (Kebede Geleta, National Museum of Ethiopia); and on-site museums and local communities, with a case study of the Olduvia Gorge site museum (Asmeret Mehari, University of Florida). The third day also featured the keynote speech by Professor Bahru Zewdie (Professor Emeritus, Addis Ababa University). He highlighted the challenges Africans continue to face in promoting their heritage and the progress made to publicize historical and cultural legacies by African scholars. The last day concluded with an open discussion moderated by EAAPP’s secretariat and invited panelist. The open discussion produced no strict resolutions, but the secretariat had the opportunity to take note of participants’ important comments for future deliberation. The conference concluded on August 2nd, when conference participants boarded safari vehicles for an excursion to Shimoni, in Kwale County. Thus, participants had firsthand exposure to one of the few testimonies to the dark past Africans
endured in the wake of the colonial era. Overall, the conference was a great success. The breathtaking attractions surrounding the conference venue, coupled with the warm tropical climate of coastal Kenya, made the 4th EAAPP meeting particularly memorable. We hope this report will encourage participants to continue building on the friendships and partnerships that came about as a result of the conference.
Articles in Forthcoming Issues
• What Does Feeding System Morphology Tell Us About Feeding? Callum F. Ross and Jose Iriarte-Diaz
• Genes, Development and Evolvability in Primate Evolution Campbell Rolian
• Applying Socioendocrinology to Evolutionary Models: Fatherhood and Physiology Lee T. Gettler
• Do We Understand the Genetic Basis of Evolution? Most Traits Look Polygenic, but That May Not be How They Evolve. Kenneth M. Weiss
Emmanuel Ndiema National Museum of Kenya Senior Research Scientist Department of Earth Sciences E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Amanuel Beyin University of Southern Indiana 8600 University Blvd. Evansville, IN 47712 E-mail: [email protected]. C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. V Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/evan.21404
NEWS
Upholding the Legacy: East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology Held Its 4th Biennial Meeting in Kenya
Figure 1. Participants in the East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology conference. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com.]
T
he East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology (EAAPP) held its 4th biennial meeting in the Kenya’s port city of Mombasa July 28th – August 1st, 2013. The EAAPP was instituted to create a platform for scientific discussions by bringing together scientists conducting paleoanthropological and archeological research in eastern Africa. Since its inauguration in 2005 in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, EAAPP has held three successful meetings so far. Membership and participation in its biennial meetings are open to researchers from around the globe. The theme for this conference, which
brought together more than 100 participants representing 14 countries, was “Interaction Through Scientific Discussions in Prehistory Heritage.” The event included three days of scientific sessions, during which more than 40 papers were delivered, and a day of field excursion to a historic site. One interesting aspect of the conference was that several of the scientific sessions were abuzz with “fresh out of the ground” data presented by researchers still clad in field attire. Moreover, throughout the three days of presentations, the platform was dominated by young researchers from East African and international institu-
tions. To the humbling satisfaction of EAAPP and its sponsors, about 50% of the presentations were by graduate students. What follows is a brief synopsis of the scientific papers presented. Day one was marked by an opening session moderated by EAAPP’s chair and vice chair, Dr. Emma Mbua and Dr. Zeray Alemseged. Among the invited speakers in the opening session were Dr. I. O. Farah, Director General of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and Mr. L. J. Mwangola, Chairman of NMK’s Board of Trustees. In his keynote speech, the board chairman emphasized the significance of hosting this convention,
42 NDIEMA AND BEYIN
noting that such forums not only help promote scientific dialogue, but also make it possible for scientists and policy makers to come together to deliberate on policy issues that shape heritage laws. He called on African scientists to be globally engaged but to remain nationally embedded. He concluded his speech by reiterating NMK’s vision of being a center for world-class research on human prehistory. Before concluding the opening session, the EAAPP president paid tribute to community representatives from Turkana. This idea of engaging community representatives resonates well with the overall mission of EAAPP and the leading theme of the conference. The morning session on the first day focused on hominin morphology, biology, and behavior. This session hosted seven presentations representing three regions. Dr. Fredrick Manthi (NMK) provided an update on an ongoing field work at the A. anamensis site of Kanapoi (West Turkana), where his recent work has documented the first record of Kolpochoerus, a suid. Dr. Carlson (University of the Witwatersrand) presented the results of a collaborative study dealing with a longstanding debate regarding the evolutionary significance of the metopic suture in A. africanus, or the Taung Child. The study by Carlson’s team challenges the claim that the Taung Child shows evidence of a patent metopic suture. Dr. Kibii (University of Witwatersrand) presented results of a comparative morphometric study on a recently discovered hominin pelvic fragment from Member 4 in Sterkfontein cave, South Africa (.2 – 2.8 ma). His findings suggest that the Sterkfontein specimen might represent a new species, possibly a direct ancestor to both A. sediba and Homo. The subsequent three papers, by Rachel Anderson, Aura Val, and Rachel Keeling. dealt with morphometric and taphonomic aspects of A. sediba. This session also hosted a paper that extended the discussion beyond the continent of Africa. Tea Jashashvili (University of the Witwatersrand) provided a preliminary structural interpretation of cortical thickness distribution in the first metatarsal of Dmanisi hominins, Georgia.
NEWS
The theme for the afternoon session of the first day was “Paleontology and Paleoenvironments.” Kieran McNulty (University of Minnesota) reported on the latest work on Rusinga Island and unveiled the formation of a crossdisciplinary joint project, “Research on East African Catarrhine and Hominoid Evolution.” Kirsten Jenkins (University of Minnesota), highlighted the need to use comprehensive taphonomic data collection protocols to better understand the paleoecological contexts of paleontological sites. The Joint Kenya-Japan Nakali Paleoanthropological Expedition reported the discovery of more than 1,500 rodent specimens, nine of which represent new late Miocene taxa. Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) and Dr. Sileshi Semaw (CENIEH) presented a summary of their work at the paleoanthropological sites of Woranso-Mille and Gona, respectively. Dr. HaileSelassie presented fresh details on the phylogenetic status of two Early Pliocene suids, Nyanzachoerus and Notochoerus. Dr. Semaw discussed new insights on the recent discovery of insitu large lithic artifacts at Gona. Still within Ethiopia, Enquye Negash (Addis Ababa University) gave a presentation on the application of stable isotope data from Plio-Pleistocene bovids for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Her case study was drawn from the Shingura Formation, Omo, Ethiopia. The last two presentations were by Dr. Dominik Wolf (Bonn University) and Atrianus Mutungi (University of Dar Salaam), who represented their respective teams. Mutungi’s presentation highlighted the application of GIS techniques for modeling archeological site locations on the landscape. Dr. Wolf’s talk focused on the importance of equid and bovid communities for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The “Paleontology and Paleoenvironments” theme continued in the morning of day two. The first presenter, Kendra Chritz (University of Utah) shared results of her ongoing paleoecological investigation of Holocene sites in the Turkana Basin. Rahab Kinyanjui (University of Witwatersrand) then presented palynological data from Karura for-
est on the outskirts of Nairobi. Rahab’s project aims to address anthropogenic effects and landscape change through time and space in the flanks of the east African Rift. The next presentation was by Dr. Julio Mercader (University of Calgary), who gave a talk on the prevalence of archeological sample contamination. He showed results suggesting that a looming credibility crisis faces the analysis of starch grains associated with stone tools. Several papers addressed the theme of “Middle Stone Age Archaeology.” Dr. Stanley Ambrose (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) summarized obsidian sourcing work aimed at developing a database of known obsidian sources in the Kenya Rift Valley. Dr. Amanuel Beyin (University of Southern Indiana) discussed efforts to explore migration routes of Middle Stone Age hominins out of Africa via the Red Sea basin. He proposed a combined northerly-southerly route and is planning to conduct archeological field work along the Red Sea coast to test this hypothesis. Other papers presented included an actualistic investigation of domestic rabbit carcass modification by caracal (by Dr. Job Kibii); techno-typological analysis of the earliest Acheulian at Konso, Ethiopia (Dr. Yonas Beyene, National Museum of Ethiopia); tephrostratigraphy and the Early Middle Stone Age in the Kapthurine Formation, Kenya (Kathryn Ranhorn on behalf of Nick Blegen and Sally McBrearty); a report on archeological excavations at Chepnyalil Rock Shelter, Mt. Elgon, Western Kenya (Dr. Emmanuel Ndiema, NMK); trace element geochemistry of archeological ochres from Chaminade Hill, Karonga, Malawi (Andrew Zipkin, George Washington University); exploration of Middle Stone Age sites in Southeastern Tanzania (Kathryn Ranhorn, George Washington University); implications of ostrich eggshell strontium isotope analysis for reconstructing prehistoric exchange systems in the Late Stone Age (Philip Slater, socio-economic implications of lithic assemblages from the preAksumite village of Mezber, Ethiopia (Dr. Steven Brandt, University of
43
NEWS
Florida); and ongoing Holocene research in East Turkana (Dr. Emmanuel Ndiema, NMK). On day three, the discussion shifted to recent archeological periods. The papers presented were organized around two themes, “Later Stone Age Archaeology and Beyond” and “Cultural Heritage Management.” Dr. Elisabeth Hildebrand (Stony Brook University) updated participants on an ongoing interdisciplinary research program by the team working on Later Prehistory of West Turkana. The team’s recent excavations at four pillar sites in West Turkana have revealed complex cultural developments beginning in the third millennium BC. Dr. Emmanuel Ndiema and Dr. Purity Kiura (NMK) reported on cultural resource management efforts in the Turkana Basin in the wake of recent gas and oil exploration done by Tullow Oil in the region. Other papers presented on day three included paleoethnobotanical study of ancient crops in northeast Africa (by Dr. Alemseged Beldados, Addis Ababa University), mobility and herd management strategies of early pastoralists in the Central Rift Valley, Kenya
(Anneke Janzen, UC- Santa Cruz); megalithic monuments in southwestern Ethiopia (Kebede Geleta, National Museum of Ethiopia); and on-site museums and local communities, with a case study of the Olduvia Gorge site museum (Asmeret Mehari, University of Florida). The third day also featured the keynote speech by Professor Bahru Zewdie (Professor Emeritus, Addis Ababa University). He highlighted the challenges Africans continue to face in promoting their heritage and the progress made to publicize historical and cultural legacies by African scholars. The last day concluded with an open discussion moderated by EAAPP’s secretariat and invited panelist. The open discussion produced no strict resolutions, but the secretariat had the opportunity to take note of participants’ important comments for future deliberation. The conference concluded on August 2nd, when conference participants boarded safari vehicles for an excursion to Shimoni, in Kwale County. Thus, participants had firsthand exposure to one of the few testimonies to the dark past Africans
endured in the wake of the colonial era. Overall, the conference was a great success. The breathtaking attractions surrounding the conference venue, coupled with the warm tropical climate of coastal Kenya, made the 4th EAAPP meeting particularly memorable. We hope this report will encourage participants to continue building on the friendships and partnerships that came about as a result of the conference.
Articles in Forthcoming Issues
• What Does Feeding System Morphology Tell Us About Feeding? Callum F. Ross and Jose Iriarte-Diaz
• Genes, Development and Evolvability in Primate Evolution Campbell Rolian
• Applying Socioendocrinology to Evolutionary Models: Fatherhood and Physiology Lee T. Gettler
• Do We Understand the Genetic Basis of Evolution? Most Traits Look Polygenic, but That May Not be How They Evolve. Kenneth M. Weiss
Emmanuel Ndiema National Museum of Kenya Senior Research Scientist Department of Earth Sciences E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Amanuel Beyin University of Southern Indiana 8600 University Blvd. Evansville, IN 47712 E-mail: [email protected]. C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. V Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/evan.21404
