title: Diet of Theropithecus from 4 to 1 Ma in Kenya.
abstract: Theropithecus was a common large-bodied primate that co-occurred with hominins in many Plio-Pleistocene deposits in East and South Africa. Stable isotope analyses of tooth enamel from T. brumpti (4.0-2.5 Ma) and T. oswaldi (2.0-1.0 Ma) in Kenya show that the earliest Theropithecus at 4 Ma had a diet dominated by C4 resources. Progressively, this genus increased the proportion of C4-derived resources in its diet and by 1.0 Ma, had a diet that was nearly 100% C4-derived. It is likely that this diet was comprised of grasses or sedges; stable isotopes cannot, by themselves, give an indication of the relative importance of leaves, seeds, or underground storage organs to the diet of this primate. Theropithecus throughout the 4- to 1-Ma time range has a diet that is more C4-based than contemporaneous hominins of the genera Australopithecus, Kenyanthropus, and Homo; however, Theropithecus and Paranthropus have similar proportions of C4-based resources in their respective diets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84013, USA. thure.cerling@utah.edu
authors.forename: Thure E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Cerling
authors.forename: Kendra L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chritz
authors.forename: Nina G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Jablonski
authors.forename: Meave G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Leakey
authors.forename: Fredrick Kyalo
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Manthi
mesh_terms: D000351:Africa, Eastern; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet / Q000266:history*; D005580:Fossils; D049690:History, Ancient; D007630:Kenya; D010215:Papio / Q000378:metabolism; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013019:South Africa; D016671:Theropithecus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes
keywords: C3; East Africa; Koobi Fora; Nachukui; baboon