Blombos Cave (Pleistocene of South Africa)

Where: South Africa (34.4° S, 21.2° E: paleocoordinates 34.4° S, 21.2° E)

• coordinate stated in text

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

• 100 ka - 70 ka

Environment/lithology: cave; lithology not reported

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: anthropogenic

Primary reference: C. S. Henshilwood, J. C. Sealy, R. Yates, K. Cruz-Uribe, P. Goldberg, F. E. Grine, R. G. Klein, C. Poggenpoel, K. Niekerk and I. Watts. 2001. Blombos Cave, Southern Cape, South Africa: Preliminary Report on the 1992–1999 Excavations of the Middle Stone Age Levels. Journal of Archaeological Science 28:421-448 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: archaeological analysis

PaleoDB collection 115167: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 30.08.2011

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Rodentia - Bathyergidae
Bathyergus suillus Schreber 1787 Cape dune mole rat
 Rodentia - Hystricidae
Hystrix africaeaustralis Peters 1852 Cape porcupine
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Lepus capensis Linnaeus 1758 cape hare
 Primates - Cercopithecidae
 Primates - Hominidae
Homo sapiens Linnaeus 1758 human
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae indet. Gray 1821 rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis Linnaeus 1758 black rhinoceros
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus capensis Broom 1909 horse
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus 1758 hippo
 Cetacea - Delphinidae
Delphinidae indet. Gray 1821 dolphin
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bovidae indet. Gray 1821 antelope
Ovis aries Linnaeus 1758 domestic sheep
Raphicerus sp. Smith 1827 antelope
Raphicerus campestris Thunberg 1811 steenbok
Raphicerus melanotis Thunberg 1811 Cape grysbok
Oreotragus oreotragus Zimmermann 1783 klipspringer
Antidorcas sp. Sundevall 1847 springbok
Hippotragus leucophaeus Pallas 1766 bluebuck
Connochaetes gnou Zimmermann 1780 black wildebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus Pallas 1766 hartebeest
Pelea capreolus Forster 1790 grey rhebok
Sylvicapra grimmia Linnaeus 1758 common duiker
Redunca arundinum Boddaert 1785 southern reedbuck
Taurotragus oryx Pallas 1766 common eland
Syncerus caffer Sparman 1779 African buffalo
? Bos taurus Linnaeus 1758 cow
 Carnivora - Felidae
Felis libyca Forster 1780 African wildcat
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Hyaenidae indet. Gray 1821 hyaena
 Carnivora - Herpestidae
"Herpestes pulverulentus" = Galerella pulverulenta
"Herpestes pulverulentus" = Galerella pulverulenta Wagner 1839 Cape grey mongoose
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Genetta sp. Cuvier 1816 civet
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Ictonyx striatus Perry 1810 zorilla
Aonyx capensis Schinz 1821 African clawless otter
Mellivora capensis Schreber 1776 honey badger
 Carnivora - Otariidae
Arctocephalus pusillus Schreber 1778 brown fur seal
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canis sp., "Canis mesomelas" = Lupulella mesomelas
Canis sp. Linnaeus 1758 canine
"Canis mesomelas" = Lupulella mesomelas Schreber 1775 black-backed jackal
 Hyracoidea - Procaviidae
Procavia capensis Pallas 1766 Cape hyrax
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Loxodonta africana Blumenbach 1797 African bush elephant