From
https://paleoanthropology.org/ojs/index.php/paleo/article/view/1140/1087

Exploring Early Hominin Carnivory: Insights
from the Newly Discovered Area 8A Fossil
Assemblage in East Turkana, Kenya

Our study delves into early hominin carcass
acquisition practices, examining a unique
fossil assemblage from Area 8A in the Ileret
sub-region of the Koobi Fora Formation (KFF),
dating from 1.87 to 1.56 million years ago
(Ma). This assemblage, from the KBS Member,
is significant as it predates the Okote
Member assemblages in East Turkana
(1.56–1.38 Ma), which are widely recognized
for their insights into Early Stone Age
butchery. Unique within the KFF, the Area 8A
assemblage includes hominin remains, stone
artifacts, and evidence of butchery,
featuring over 1,000 mammalian specimens,
with more than 500 identified to taxonomic
family. This research enhances our
comprehension of hominin carcass processing
at a crucial evolutionary juncture and fills
a temporal gap in our understanding of
hominin carnivory in East Turkana. We provide
a comprehensive analysis of the assemblage,
including taxonomic composition, ungulate
size class distribution, weathering stages,
skeletal part representation, and bone
surface alteration patterns. The notable
abundance of small-sized (size 2) ungulate
fossils, predominantly in early weathering
stages (0–1), indicates a distinctive
carcass accumulation pattern, contrasting
with the later Okote Member assemblages. The
high ratio of epiphyses to shafts, along with
scant evidence of carnivore-induced damage,
points to a lesser role for carnivores in
this assemblage’s formation and alteration.
This finding contrasts with the Okote Member
assemblages, where there is more pronounced
evidence of carnivore interaction, hinting
at potential variations in hominin carcass
acquisition strategies. Our findings align
with models where hominins are not the
primary accumulators. However, the frequent
cutmarks on long bone midshafts suggest that
hominins had access to carcasses shortly
after death. This study contributes
significantly to our understanding of early
hominin carnivory during a key phase of
human evolution.

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