Temporal Range Research Articles

Influence of cork-rubber gasket on the circular propagation of train-induced vibration waves in high-speed railway shield tunnels

Shield tunnels are constructed by assembling segment, and this construction method will produce a large number of joints. As the component with the largest contact area in the joints of the shield tunnel, the cork-rubber gasket has a significant effect on the transmission of train-induced vibration waves between the segments. In order to study the influence of cork-rubber gasket on the transmission of train-induced vibration waves in the circumferential direction, based on the hammering test of high-speed railway shield tunnel, a dynamic calculation model for high-speed railway shield tunnel was constructed, and the influence of elasticity modulus of cork-rubber gasket on the propagation of train-induced vibration waves was investigated. The results show that: (1) the longitudinal joints of high-speed railway shield tunnels can weaken high-frequency vibration waves more than low-frequency vibration waves; (2) the lower the modulus of elasticity of cork-rubber gasket is, the greater the attenuation of the peak of the temporal range of vibration acceleration of train-induced vibration waves after they pass through the longitudinal joints; (3) compared with the cork-rubber gasket of high elasticity, the cork-rubber gasket with low elasticity can improve the damping effect of the longitudinal joints on low-frequency bands (0–500 Hz) effectively. This research offers new methodologies for optimising vibration isolation in shield tunnels and contributes to the advancement of tunnel design for high-speed rail systems.

Temporal Range Dynamics of the Lataste's Viper (Vipera latastei Boscá, 1878) in Doñana (Spain): Insights into Anthropogenically Driven Factors.

Doñana (southern Spain), a region of notable biodiversity richness, is highly threatened by ongoing landscape transformation and climate change. We investigated the local effect of these anthropogenic factors on the temporal range dynamics of Lataste's viper (Vipera latastei), an Iberian endemic Mediterranean reptile that has apparently become rare over the years in Doñana. Using ecological niche-based models, based on climatic and remote sensing variables, we analyzed historical (1959-1999) and contemporary (2000-2022) records of the species to assess range shifts and identify environmental factors that may influence them. Our results show that V. latastei is mostly restricted to the coastal region of Doñana and that one temperature variable is the most important factor explaining this distribution pattern in both periods. Additional climatic and vegetation variables play a role in its historical distribution, but they become less important in contemporary times, suggesting a niche simplification over time. We found 30.5% of reduction in the species suitable area from historical to contemporary conditions, a reduction that would be even greater (83.37%) in the absence of niche shift. These findings underscore the species' heightened vulnerability to ongoing environmental changes and highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies.

High phenotypic diversity correlated with genomic variation across the European Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans epizootic.

Recognizing the influence of pathogen diversity on infection dynamics is crucial for mitigating emerging infectious diseases. Characterising such diversity is often complex, for instance when multiple pathogen variants exist that interact differently with the environment and host. Here, we explore genotypic and phenotypic variation of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), an emerging fungal pathogen that is driving declines among an increasing number of European amphibian species. For thirteen isolates, spanning most of the known temporal and geographical Bsal range in Europe, we mapped phenotypic diversity through numerous measurements that describe varying reproductive rates in vitro across a range of temperatures. Bsal isolates are revealed to have different thermal optima and tolerances, with phenotypic variation correlating with genomic diversity. Using a mechanistic niche model of the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) as an example, we illustrate how host steady-state body temperature and Bsal thermal range variation may influence pathogen growth through space and time across Europe. Our combined findings show how the identity of emergent pathogen variants may strongly influence when and which host populations are most at risk.

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Partially Coherent Scatterers Using Iterative Sub-Network Generation Method

Synthetic aperture radar tomography (TomoSAR) has gained significant attention for three-dimensional (3D) imaging in urban environments. A notable limitation of traditional TomoSAR approaches is their primary focus on persistent scatterers (PSs), disregarding targets with temporal decorrelated characteristics. Temporal variations in coherence, especially in urban areas due to the dense population of buildings and artificial structures, can lead to a reduction in detectable PSs and suboptimal 3D reconstruction performance. The concept of partially coherent scatterers (PCSs) has been proven effective by capturing the partial temporal coherence of targets across the entire time baseline. In this study, an novel approach based on an iterative sub-network generation method is introduced to leverage PCSs for enhanced 3D reconstruction in dynamic environments. We propose a coherence constraint iterative variance analysis approach to determine the optimal temporal baseline range that accurately reflects the interferometric coherence of PCSs. Utilizing the selected PCSs, a 3D imaging technique that incorporates the iterative generation of sub-networks into the SAR tomography process is developed. By employing the PS reference network as a foundation, we accurately invert PCSs through the iterative generation of local star-shaped networks, ensuring a comprehensive coverage of PCSs in study areas. The effectiveness of this method for the height estimation of PCSs is validated using the TerraSAR-X dataset. Compared with traditional PS-based TomoSAR, the proposed approach demonstrates that PCS-based elevation results complement those from PSs, significantly improving 3D reconstruction in evolving urban settings.

A fossil pinnate palm leaf (Arecaceae, subfam. Arecoideae) from Island Lagoon, in the arid zone of South Australia

ABSTRACT Fossil pinnate palm leaves (Arecaceae, subfam. Arecoideae) are described from the Eocene or Miocene Island Lagoon fossil site near Woomera in the arid zone of South Australia. These leaves are described as a new species, Phoenicites insula-lacuna and shown to share morphological similarities to the extant genus Archontophoenix (subtr. Archontophoenicinae), endemic to eastern Australia. This fossil record constitutes a significant temporal and geographic range extension for Archontophoenicinae and likely Archontophoenix. The presence in Australia of Archontophoenicinae as early as the Eocene or more likely Miocene, is in accordance with molecular analyses that propose dispersal of this clade into Australia from New Guinea, with subsequent dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia and divergence of the Archontophoenix and Chambeyronia lineages during this interval of time. Previously reported co-occurring myrtaceous woody fruits from Island Lagoon and proximal-coeval silcrete floras previously referred to Angophora, Callistemon, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca and fossils of other sclerophyllous taxa such as Banksia are consistent with this palm being part of a landscape mosaic with riparian rainforest that included mesic plants growing within wider sclerophyllous forest or woodland vegetation comparable to the eastern coastal zone of modern-day Australia and the modern range of Archontophoenix.

Sauropod tail clubs from the Kota Formation (Lower to Middle Jurassic) of India and their implications for early sauropod evolution

ABSTRACT The Lower to Middle Jurassic Kota Formation of India has yielded abundant yet disarticulated skeletal remains attributed to the basally diverging sauropod Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis. The hypodigm of Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis includes four ellipsoidal elements that we identify as tail clubs, based on morphological similarities to tail clubs attributed to two basal sauropods from China: Shunosaurus lii, for which a fully articulated tail series was recovered, and Omeisaurus tianfuensis. Detailed comparison of the Chinese and Indian tail clubs suggests that they are composed of up to three individual elements that fuse in adulthood. Computed tomography of the Indian tail clubs reveals their internal structure, which shows incremental growth lines as well as other features whose origin and function remain unknown. The Indian and Chinese tail clubs share a similar temporal range (Early to Middle Jurassic) and similar morphologies, which raises the question of whether sauropod tail clubs evolved once, multiple times, or were gained and then lost within basally diverging members of Sauropoda. We describe four new characters to reflect the morphological constituents of sauropod tail clubs known to date.

A probabilistic hazard assessment for cyanobacterial toxins accounting for regional geography and water body trophic status

Under climate change scenarios freshwater eutrophication is expected to increase, and with it the occurrence of cyanobacterial toxin-producing harmful algal blooms. In the current study, microcystin toxin occurrence data from literature sources and a long-term provincial monitoring program were used to conduct a probabilistic hazard assessment for Alberta, Canada. The large temporal and spatial range of data makes Alberta a model system for identifying regional geography and water body trophic status factors driving toxin concentrations. Environmental exposure distributions of microcystin concentrations were plotted and used to identify the likelihood of a given sample exceeding water guideline values as a function of regional geography, total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentration. This process identified regions with intensive cultivation and those most prone to water deficits associated with climate change to be most associated with exceedances of regulatory guideline values. Elevated phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentrations were also drivers of toxin occurrence. This assessment can be used to identify water bodies of greatest risk to human and animal populations from cyanotoxins and thereby inform regulators as to most effective monitoring strategies.

A new Late Miocene stem Octodontoid (Rodentia: Caviomorpha: Octochinchilloi) from the Solimões Formation (Brazil): paleobiogeographic implications

ABSTRACT Caviomorphs are the neotropical hystricognathous rodents (Ctenohystrica: Hystricognathi: Caviomorpha). Octodontoidea are today the richest and most speciose clade of caviomorphs. Their fossil record also reveals a wide array of extinct species, including Acarechimys, a taxon with a widespread South American distribution and extensive temporal range. This genus comprises at least five species documented in deposits ranging from the late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene. Here, we report the discovery of a new species of Acarechimys from Upper Miocene deposits of the Envira River (PRE06 outcrop), situated in the Acre State, western Brazilian Amazonia. The new species differs from the other species of the genus in having lower molars with a strong posterior arm of the metaconid, the presence of a mesostylid (usually prominent) and a neomesolophid forwardly directed and connected to the metalophulid I on m1 but not on m2–3, and the absence of posterior arm of the protoconid. This taxon represents the youngest known species of the Acarechimys lineage to date. Its occurrence in Western Amazonia strengthens support for the hypothesis that South American rodent lineages survived longer during the Neogene at low latitudes than in the southern regions of the continent.

Ichnological records associated with dermestid beetles in dinosaur bones from Lala's Place (Maastrichtian), Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico, and their taphonomic implications

We analyzed the ichnological record of hadrosaur remains from the dinosaur quarry CLP-3, Lala's Place, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, where taphonomic research is ongoing. These fossils have been determined to stratigraphically belong to the Cerro del Pueblo Formation, deposited in a deltaic floodplain environment. The Lala's Place quarries have been determined to belong to the early Maastrichtian (69 ± 5 Ma) through U/Pb detrital zircon dating. Thirteen trace fossil morphotypes were identified in six bone elements, interpreted to belong to a single individual. These traces were identified to belong to the ichnospecies Cuniculichnus seilacheri, cf. Cubiculum cooperi, Cubiculum atsintli. A new ichnospecies, Cubiculum subcorticalis n. isp., characterized by a composite feeding-pupation trace with subcortical chambers, is also described. Based on these findings, temporal range of the previously described ichnospecies is expanded to the Maastrichtian stage in the Cerro del Pueblo Formation. Previous work has reported these ichnospecies and associated them with dermestid beetles; this work also associates these traces with dermestids through morphological analyses and using for the first time the novel Usefulness in Identification and Differentiation (UID) index, recently proposed for this taxon. These traces indicate that the carcass was exposed to a subaerial environment for at least 20–30 days, reaching a dry stage in which dermestid adults fed, reproduced, and oviposited. Larvae produced these traces by excavating chambers to avoid cannibalism by other larvae.

A data fusion method for maritime traffic surveillance: The fusion of AIS data and VHF speech information

The more comprehensive information supply for Vessel Traffic Service (VTS), the greater capacity for maritime traffic surveillance. To supply ship intention information contained in very high frequency (VHF) speech for VTS, we propose an automatic identification system (AIS) data and VHF speech information fusion method. In the first part of this method, the feature information of VHF speech is extracted by Bert-BiLSTM-CRF-based entity extraction method, likes location, ship name, and ship intention information, etc. In the second part, we design a spatio-temporal range to filter AIS data, the temporal range is determined by receive time of VHF speech, and the spatial range is determined by the location information extracted from VHF speech. In the third part, by measuring the ship name similarity between AIS data and VHF speech, the barriers to fusion are successfully overcome. The similarity is calculated by combining with Chinese pinyin character similarity and Arabic number similarity and Chinese pinyin characters are encoded by pronunciation characters, calculated by the dynamic time warping (DTW) distance. Through experiments, the method can effectively provide comprehensive information for maritime traffic surveillance, and even when crews misreport ship name within a small deviation, our method still possesses a great fusion capability.

First record of Aegyptobatus (Hybodontiformes: Distobatidae) in the Cretaceous Alcântara formation (?Albian-Cenomanian) of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT Hybodontiformes are considered the closest relatives of modern sharks and were the dominant shark group throughout most of the Mesozoic. Although, originally a marine group, during their long temporal range, they conquered the freshwater environment. This is the case of numerous taxa known in northern Gondwana. Here, we report the presence of the hybodontiform Aegyptobatus in the Albian-Cenomanian Alcântara Formation of the São Luis Basin, Northeastern Brazil. A comparison made with other hybodontiform teeth from the Northern Gondwana suggests that the teeth from the Alcântara Formation is noticeably the same species found in the late Cenomanian Bahariya Formation of Egypt, A. kuehnei. Although probably restricted to freshwater, the new discovery increases the geographic range of this taxon, adds one more common taxon between the Brazilian Alcântara Formation and Cretaceous units of North Africa, and extends the temporal range of this taxon down into the Albian-Cenomanian.

An updated chronology for Umbeli Belli and its implications for the Middle and Later Stone Ages

We present a series of 12 OSL/IRSL dates that revise and complete the chronology of the important Middle (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) site Umbeli Belli in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These dates shift the previous radiometric ages thousands of years older than earlier measurements and play a key role in revising the cultural stratigraphy of KwaZulu-Natal. We also discuss how these dates bring the chrono- and cultural stratigraphy of southern Africa into clearer focus. The Robberg sequence of Umbeli Belli is now firmly dated to 21 ± 2 ka, whereas the preceding Early LSA assemblage dates to ~32 ka, representing one of the earliest dates for this cultural expression in the broader region. The final MSA assemblages from Layer 7 to 9 now date to between 35 ka and 40 ka, overlapping more tightly with comparable assemblages from Sibhudu, Umhlatuzana and other sites. Layer 10, which was previously also assigned to the final MSA, now dates to ~47–54 ka, placing the assemblage within the temporal range of the Late MSA. The new dates provide a good explanation for the clear differences in material culture between Layer 10 and the younger layers. We also present two new ages for the deeper horizons 11b and 12 at Umbeli Belli, dating to 76 ± 9 ka and 80 ± 9 ka, respectively.

4D Single-particle tracking with asynchronous read-out single-photon avalanche diode array detector

Single-particle tracking techniques enable investigation of the complex functions and interactions of individual particles in biological environments. Many such techniques exist, each demonstrating trade-offs between spatiotemporal resolution, spatial and temporal range, technical complexity, and information content. To mitigate these trade-offs, we enhanced a confocal laser scanning microscope with an asynchronous read-out single-photon avalanche diode array detector. This detector provides an image of the particle’s emission, precisely reflecting its position within the excitation volume. This localization is utilized in a real-time feedback system to drive the microscope scanning mechanism and ensure the particle remains centered inside the excitation volume. As each pixel is an independent single-photon detector, single-particle tracking is combined with fluorescence lifetime measurement. Our system achieves 40 nm lateral and 60 nm axial localization precision with 100 photons and sub-millisecond temporal sampling for real-time tracking. Offline tracking can refine this precision to the microsecond scale. We validated the system’s spatiotemporal resolution by tracking fluorescent beads with diffusion coefficients up to 10 μm2/s. Additionally, we investigated the movement of lysosomes in living SK-N-BE cells and measured the fluorescence lifetime of the marker expressed on a membrane protein. We expect that this implementation will open other correlative imaging and tracking studies.

Time-resolved crystallography of boric acid binding to the active site serine of the β-lactamase CTX-M-14 and subsequent 1,2-diol esterification

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance represent a growing threat to public health. Of particular concern is the appearance of β-lactamases, which are capable to hydrolyze and inactivate the most important class of antibiotics, the β-lactams. Effective β-lactamase inhibitors and mechanistic insights into their action are central in overcoming this type of resistance, and in this context boronate-based β-lactamase inhibitors were just recently approved to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria. Using boric acid as a simplified inhibitor model, time-resolved serial crystallography was employed to obtain mechanistic insights into binding to the active site serine of β-lactamase CTX-M-14, identifying a reaction time frame of 80–100 ms. In a next step, the subsequent 1,2-diol boric ester formation with glycerol in the active site was monitored proceeding in a time frame of 100–150 ms. Furthermore, the displacement of the crucial anion in the active site of the β-lactamase was verified as an essential part of the binding mechanism of substrates and inhibitors. In total, 22 datasets of β-lactamase intermediate complexes with high spatial resolution of 1.40–2.04 Å and high temporal resolution range of 50–10,000 ms were obtained, allowing a detailed analysis of the studied processes. Mechanistic details captured here contribute to the understanding of molecular processes and their time frames in enzymatic reactions. Moreover, we could demonstrate that time-resolved crystallography can serve as an additional tool for identifying and investigating enzymatic reactions.

Unraveling the interplay between humans and carnivores in El Olivo Cave during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic period (Llanera, Asturias, Spain)

El Olivo Cave (Llanera, Asturias, Spain) is a small karst cave within the Aboño River watershed. It holds a significant archaeological and paleontological record dating from the Middle and late Upper Paleolithic, featuring several lithic artifacts and faunal remains in each archaeological level. The study of the faunal remains reveals a high representation of ungulates, with Cervus elaphus and Equus ferus being the main ones. Carnivores are also represented by diverse species such as Vulpes vulpes and Canis lupus, among others. The taphonomic analysis evidenced the presence of human activity, accompanied by a significant incidence of tooth marks across all stratigraphic units and water-related processes in the lower part of the sequence. During this temporal range, there were faunal accumulations of anthropogenic origin altered by the action of other agents, especially carnivores. A diverse array of carnivore used the same space and taking advanced of the anthropogenic residues as scavengers. Moreover, we suggest a commensal synanthropic behavior exhibited by foxes. Consequently, El Olivo Cave is an illustrative case to explore the carnivore action in levels with human presence, something unusual at the late Upper Paleolithic sites in Northern Iberia.

Messelornithids and messelornithid-like birds from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK)

We describe gruiform and gruiform-like birds from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). One species belongs to the Messelornithidae and is classified as Nasiornis messelornithoides nov. gen., nov. sp.; the coracoid of this species resembles that of Bumbaniralla from the early Eocene of Mongolia. Another possible messelornithid species is tentatively assigned to the poorly known taxon Parvirallus Harrison and Walker, 1979, as ?P. incertus nov. sp. A further species is referred to the taxon Walbeckornis Mayr, 2007, as W. waltonensis nov. sp., and extends the geographical and temporal range of this taxon, which so far was only known from the Paleocene of Germany. Even though similarities between Walbeckornis and messelornithids were previously noted, a plesiomorphic morphology of the quadrate suggests a position of Walbeckornis outside crown group Gruiformes. Furthermore, all fossil taxa described in the present study lack a deeply concave facies articularis alularis (carpometacarpus), which we identify as a previously overlooked apomorphy of crown group Ralloidea. Therefore, resemblances between Walbeckornis and the Messelornithidae, which are the sister taxon of crown group Ralloidea, are likely to be plesiomorphic for a more inclusive clade.

Discoidal carbonaceous compressions from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation: a fossil example of microbial biofilm

Discoidal carbonaceous compressions are the most common type of Precambrian macrofossil, with a long temporal range starting from the late Paleoproterozoic. However, their unsolved biological nature restricts our understanding of the early evolution of macroscopic life. Here, we report an assemblage of well-preserved discoidal carbonaceous macrofossils from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation in North China, which provides insights into this problem. They are preserved in round to elliptical shapes ranging in size from millimetres to several centimetres. Petrographic thin sections show that the macrofossils consist of laminated structures with alternating laminae of organic matter, along with clay minerals and dolomites. Neither cellular structures nor individual microfossils were identified within them, but their regular shape, internal structures and associated mineral constituents suggest that they are probably the remains of microbial biofilms, rather than multicellular organisms. This assemblage presents a well-preserved fossil example of macroscopic microbial biofilms with a regular overall morphology. It implies a possible origin of microbial biofilms for some of the early carbonaceous macrofossils and calls for a detailed re-examination of those macrofossils to exclude such a possibility. Our findings are consistent with previous studies that showed biofilms may have had an important role in the survival of early microorganisms in the Precambrian ecosystem. Thematic collection: This article is part of the The North China Craton as a window to Earth’s middle age collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/the-north-china-craton-as-a-window-to-earths-middle-age

New records of early Paleocene (earliest Torrejonian) plesiadapiforms from northeastern Montana, USA, provide a window into the diversification of stem primates

Plesiadapiforms (putative stem primates) appear in the fossil record shortly after the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary and subsequently radiated throughout the Paleocene into a taxonomically and ecomorphologically diverse group. The oldest known plesiadapiforms come from early Puercan (the oldest North American Land Mammal ‘age’ [NALMA] of the Cenozoic) deposits in northeastern Montana, and all records of Puercan plesiadapiforms are taxonomically restricted to members of the Purgatoriidae and the enigmatic genus Pandemonium. Plesiadapiform diversity substantially increased in the following Torrejonian NALMA, but the sparse record of faunas between the Puercan and the well-known middle and late Torrejonian has hampered our understanding of this important interval in early primate evolution. Here we report new plesiadapiform dental fossils from early Torrejonian (To1) deposits from the Tullock Member of the Fort Union Formation in northeastern Montana that record several poorly known taxa including members of the Purgatoriidae, Paromomyidae and Pandemonium, and that document the largest and most diverse assemblage of To1 plesiadapiforms known. We describe a new species of the purgatoriid Ursolestes (Ursolestes blissorum, sp. nov.) that represents the largest plesiadapiform known from the early Paleocene and, among other taxa, provides additional evidence that the temporal range of purgatoriids extended into the Torrejonian. Large sample sizes of the oldest known paromomyid, Paromomys farrandi, allowed us to document intraspecific variability and one undescribed tooth locus. Our observations illuminate changes in dental morphology of some taxa that occurred in To1 and may inform the acquisition of certain diagnostic plesiadapiform dental characters. We evaluate plesiadapiform species richness, mean body mass and body-mass disparity through the Paleocene and reveal unrecognized levels of richness in To1 and a general trend of stable body mass and body-mass disparity. Our findings contribute to documented patterns of plesiadapiform provincialism in the early Paleocene and shed light on the early stages of their Torrejonian radiation.

The role of BRICS countries in the optimal low-carbon transition path for sustainable development

With the development of industrialization, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities, especially carbon dioxide emissions, continue to increase. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) account for a significant share of global carbon emissions. This study focuses on the BRICS countries as the subject of inquiry, employing carbon emission-related data spanning the temporal range from 2000 to 2020. This study systematically assesses the interrelationships among variables using the Pearson correlation analysis and Granger causality test. Variables exhibiting pronounced correlation and causality, as discerned from the analytical outcomes, are subsequently identified and selected for further examination. Use the GCAM (Global Change Assessment Model) to simulate the Rcp-ref scenario (baseline scenario) and the Rcp2.6 scenario (assuming that the temperature will not rise by 2 °C), and compare the optimal paths of key variables in the two scenarios, and draw the following conclusions. (1) By the end of this century, the total carbon emissions of the BRICS countries under Rcp2.6 scenario will be 6139MTC less than those under Rcp-ref scenario. (2) Compared with the Rcp-ref scenario, in the Rcp2.6 scenario, the proportion of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal in the main energy consumption significantly reduces, while the proportion of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass increases. It is worth noting that the proportion of nuclear is significantly rising. (3) The demand for electricity increases significantly in the Rcp2.6 scenario. This study reveals the specific directions for improving the energy structure of BRICS countries to achieve the global average temperature rise of no more than 2 °C. It provides suggestions for the future policies of these countries' governments. In addition, BRICS countries should focus on observing changes in some factors, such as the increase in nuclear energy consumption and the increase in electricity demand. The reasons behind the changes in these factors are the direction of future research.

The Kalahari sediments and hominins in southern Africa

The temporal coupling of the structural evolution of the Kalahari Basin and the accumulation of the Kalahari Group sediments has been an accepted paradigm leading to the assumption that the Kalahari group sediments have been accumulating gradually since the mid-Cretaceous. Here we review the first actual ages for the Kalahari Group based on cosmogenic ages from six geological localities. These results demonstrate that Kalahari Basin infill was a more dynamic process than previously thought and that the Kalahari Group sediments are mostly Plio-Pleistocene in age (∼4 Ma to 1–2 Ma). The hiatus between the initial structural subsidence of the basin, during the Cretaceous, and the general young age of the investigated sediments, implies a dynamic landscape in which significant phases of erosion occurred during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The magnitude of erosion is manifested by the fact that in many locations Kalahari Neogene to Quaternary sediments overlie Precambrian basement.The age of the present infill of the Kalahari thus falls within the temporal range of the genus Homo. In light of this new understanding, we provide a review of the archaeological evidence from the Kalahari Basin and along its southern fringe. Initial hominin presence is found at Wonderwerk Cave during the Olduvai Event and there is subsequent high-density occupation along the southern fringe of the Kalahari Basin during the Acheulean and the Fauresmith. Middle Stone Age occupation is limited to localities of limited size and small artifact counts and it appears that the focus of human occupation, particularly in the later stages of the Middle Stone Age, shifts southward, including along the coastal regions.