Project/Area Number |
03041045
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | Field Research |
Research Institution | Kyoto University |
Principal Investigator |
ISHIDA Hidemi Kyoto Univ. Faculty of Science, professor, 理学部, 教授 (60027480)
|
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ミィーブ リーキー ケニア国立博物館, 古生物学研究部門, 部長
NAKATSUKASA Masato Osaka Medical College, 医学部, 助手 (00227828)
NAKAYA Hideo Kagawa Univ. Faculty of Education, 教育学部, 助教授 (20180424)
MAKINOUCHI Takeshi Meijou Univ. Faculty of Science and Technology, 理工学部, 助教授 (50131214)
SAWADA Atsuhiro Shimane Univ. Faculty of Science, 理学部, 助教授 (80196328)
ISHIDA Shiro Yamaguchi Univ. Faculty of Science, 理学部, 教授 (40025268)
MEAVE leakey Kenya National Museum Palaeontology
ミーブ リーキー ケニア国立博物館, 古生物学研究部門, 部長
国松 豊 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 助手 (80243111)
中野 良彦 大阪大学, 人間科学部, 助手 (50217808)
ミィーブ・リーキー ケニア国立博物館, 古生物学研究部門, 部長
バルク バジョベ ザイール国立科学研究センター, 主任研究員
|
Project Period (FY) |
1991 – 1993
|
Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1993)
|
Budget Amount *help |
¥37,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥37,000,000)
Fiscal Year 1993: ¥11,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥11,000,000)
Fiscal Year 1992: ¥11,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥11,000,000)
Fiscal Year 1991: ¥15,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,000,000)
|
Keywords | origin of man / origin of modern great apes / Miocene palaeenvironment / Samburu-hominoid / Kenyapithecus / 地質学 / サンブル=ホミノイド / ケニアピテク / ヒト科 / 地質・化石調査 / ヒト上科 / アフリカ / 古人類学 / 人類の超源 / 中新世ホミノイド / ケニアピテクス / サンプル=ホミノイド / 北ケニア / サンプル=ヒルズ / ナチョラ地域 / 化石調査 |
Research Abstract |
As shown in the title of our project, the major objectives have been to make clear the origin of hominids and origin of modern African apes. Originally, we had planned to conduct field surveys in Kenya and Zaire. The former was to discover fossils of proto-hominids, and the latter was to discover ancestors of chimpanzees and gorillas. A political situation of Zaire, however, has been worse since late spring of 1991. Therefore, we stopped having the field survey in Zaire. The areas studied in Kenya are Samburu Hills and Nachola area. On the basis of stratigraphy, the Neogene System in the areas is divided into following seven formations in ascending order : Nachola F. (19-15Ma), Aka Aiteputh F. (15-10Ma), Namurungule F. (10-7Ma), Nanyangaten-Kongia F. (7-5Ma), and Tirr-Tirr F. (4Ma). From the geological and geochronological data, an extremely marked structural gap is recognized between the Namurungule and Nanyangaten formations indicating many faults in Nachola, Aka Aiteputh and Namurungule formations but few in the upper formations from Nanyangaten Formation. The faults in the lower three formations is indicating a major tectonic movement of rift system in age from 9 to 8 Ma. The numerous equid and bovid remains have been found from the Namurungule Formation. These taxa indicates the open woodland to savanna environments. It seems that the Namurungule Fauna might have been the forerunner of the modern Sub-Saharan fauna in savanna and woodland environments. A large hominoid, Samburu-hominoid, was discovered from the formation. The hominoid might have been terrestrial knuckle-walkers or bipeds. Additional discoveries of the hominoids are strongly expected for a discussion of the origin of hominids.
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