Dietary ecology of Reduncini (Bovidae) from the Shungura Formation, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Abstract

The Shungura Formation (Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia) constitutes one of the most complete stratigraphic and paleontological records for the Plio-Pleistocene of eastern Africa and has yielded a large collection of fossil bovids, in which the most abundant tribe is Reduncini (waterbucks, kobs, and relatives). We used a multi-proxy approach to precisely reconstruct the diet and habitat preferences of Shungura reduncins to better understand of the environmental conditions that prevailed during the Plio-Pleistocene in the Lower Omo Valley. We compared the dental microwear texture analyses and the dental mesowear analyses for fossil samples dating to between 3 Ma and 1.7 Ma. We show that reduncins from the Shungura Formation had a diet dominated by browse at around 2.8 Ma, had diets ranging from browsing to mixed feeding from 2.8 Ma to 2.3 Ma, and consumed far more graze around 2.3 Ma and 1.8 Ma. Our study highlights the benefits of a multi-proxy approach to dietary reconstruction and how each dietary proxy can be leveraged to offer a slightly different, complementary perspectives on the ecology of fossil organisms. • Dental mesowear and microwear texture analyses were applied to Plio-Pleistocene reduncins. • They had diets ranging from browsing to mixed feeding from 2.8 Ma to 2.3 Ma. • They were more engaged in grazing around 2.3 Ma and 1.8 Ma. • Multi-proxy approaches are needed to precisely determine the diets of fossil organisms.