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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Human evolution in a variable environment: The amplifier lakes of Eastern Africa
Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 29, No. 23-24, Year 2010
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Description
The development of the Cenozoic East African Rift System (EARS) profoundly re-shaped the landscape and significantly increased the amplitude of short-term environmental response to climate variation. In particular, the development of amplifier lakes in rift basins after three million years ago significantly contributed to the exceptional sensitivity of East Africa to climate change compared to elsewhere on the African continent. Amplifier lakes are characterized by tectonically-formed graben morphologies in combination with an extreme contrast between high precipitation in the elevated parts of the catchment and high evaporation in the lake area. Such amplifier lakes respond rapidly to moderate, precessional-forced climate shifts, and as they do so apply dramatic environmental pressure to the biosphere. Rift basins, when either extremely dry or lake-filled, form important barriers for migration, mixing and competition of different populations of animals and hominins. Amplifier lakes link long-term, high-amplitude tectonic processes and short-term environmental fluctuations. East Africa may have become the place where early humans evolved as a consequence of this strong link between different time scales. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Trauth, Martin H.
Germany, Potsdam
Universität Potsdam
Maslin, M. A.
United Kingdom, London
University College London
Deino, Alan L.
United States, Berkeley
Berkeley Geochronology Center
Junginger, Annett
Germany, Potsdam
Universität Potsdam
Lesoloyia, Moses
Kenya
Milgis Trust
Odada, Eric O.
Kenya, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Olago, Daniel Ochieng
Kenya, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Olaka, Lydia A.
Germany, Potsdam
Universität Potsdam
Strecker, Manfred R.
Germany, Potsdam
Universität Potsdam
Tiedemann, Ralph
Germany, Potsdam
Universität Potsdam
Statistics
Citations: 209
Authors: 10
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.07.007
ISSN:
02773791
Research Areas
Environmental
Study Locations
Multi-countries