EAGLE INVOLVEMENT IN ACCUMULATION OF THE TAUNG CHILD FAUNA

Of the major South African hominid fossil sites, Taung is unique in that it has yielded only a single hominid specimen-that of the infant Type skull of Australopithecus africanus. Furthermore, the associated fauna is of exceptional composition, being comprised mainly of small-sized animals, many of which display unusual damage to the bones and skulls. Most early accounts interpreted these characteristics of the Taung assemblage as being due to the carnivorous activities of australopithecines. Recent excavations have failed to reveal either further ape-man remains or fossils of large animals. We present data demonstrating the similarity of the Taung hominid assemblage to those accumulated by errant large birds of prey and suggest that such a bird of prey was the taphonomic agent responsible for the accumulation of most of the Taung Fossils, including the Australopithecus infant skull. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited