Lainyamok
Basic information
Sample name: Lainyamok

Sample aka: Khaki 2

Reference: R. Potts, P. Shipman, and E. Ingall. 1988. Taphonomy, paleoecology, and hominids of Lainyamok, Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution 17(6):597-614 [ER 3865]
Geography
Country: Kenya


Coordinate: -1.78° S, 36.19° E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map

Time interval: Middle Pleistocene

Ma: 0.392

Age basis: Ar-Ar

Geography comments: "8 km west of Lake Magadi and 40 km southwest of Olorgesailie" (about 2 km south-southwest of Oldorko Primary School on a Google map based on triangulation with Fig. 1)
the original age assignment of 0.70 to 0.56 Ma by Potts et al. (1988) was based on geochronological and biochronological correlation with Olorgesailie Member 11, but the most current assignment of the Khaki 2 layer is 392 +/- 4 ka based on 40Ar/39Ar dating (Potts and Deino 1995)

Environment
Lithology: siltstone

Taphonomic context: carnivore accumulation,lake deposit

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "none of the criteria for butchery sites is met. Instead, the primary fossiliferous layer (Khaki 2) represents a debris flow which introduced artifacts and possibly some bones into a lake margin setting... hyenas accumulated most of these bones in burrows after deposition of Khaki 2... evidence of hominid activities is negligible"
most of the fossils are from the Khaki 2 layer, a "poorly sorted, massive silt, 1-2.5 m thick" with "abundant rounded fragments and cobbles of Magadi Trachyte" that is "interpreted as as subaerially deposited mudflow"

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 307 specimens

Years: 1984

Sampling comments: "extensive excavations were carried out for the first time in 1984"
the entered species list is based on Potts and Deino (1995) and does reflect minor additions, revisions, and changes in specimen counts
it applies strictly to Khaki 2

Metadata
Sample number: 4240

Contributor: John Alroy

Enterer: John Alroy

Created: 2023-04-21 10:48:08

Modified: 2023-04-21 00:48:08

Abundance distribution
42 species
10 singletons
total count 307
geometric series index: 73.2
Fisher's α: 13.159
geometric series k: 0.9065
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.9270
Shannon's H: 3.0810
Good's u: 0.9676
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Antidorcas sp.1
Nanger granti1852 kg
"Gazella granti"
Eudorcas thomsonii1120 kg
"Gazella thomsoni"
Litocranius walleri231 kg
plus four indeterminate Antilopini
Aepyceros melampus751 kg browser-grazer
Damaliscus cf. pygargus2783 kg grazer-browser
"Damaliscus cf. dorcas"
Beatragus hunteri1130 kg
"Damaliscus hunteri"
Damaliscus lunatus3122 kg grazer
Connochaetes sp.2
plus 10 indeterminate Alcelaphini
Hippotragus equinus7246 kg grazer
plus one indeterminate Hippotragini
Oryx beisa6168 kg
plus four indeterminate Oryx
Kobus sp.2
plus one indeterminate Reduncini
Taurotragus oryx17393 kg browser-grazer
Bovini indet.1
Madoqua sp.7
Cephalophus silvicultor127 kg frugivore-folivore
"Cephalophus sylvicultor": plus one indeterminate Cephalophini and 462 indeterminate Bovidae
Giraffa camelopardalis7942 kg browser
plus two indeterminate Giraffa
Phacochoerus aethiopicus165 kg
presumably legitimate because the species does range well into Kenya
Potamochoerus porcus166 kg
plus one indeterminate suid
Hippopotamus sp.1
Equus grevyi56386 kg
Equus quagga24279 kg grazer
"Equus burchelli": plus 28 indeterminate Equus
Elephantidae indet.2
Procavia sp.7
Orycteropus afer3240 kg insectivore
Canis mesomelas47.9 kg carnivore
Canis adustus59.8 kg carnivore
plus eight indeterminate Canis
Lycaon pictus126 kg carnivore
Otocyon megalotis13.2 kg frugivore-invertivore
plus eight indeterminate Otocyon and one indeterminate Canidae
Mellivora capensis47.7 kg carnivore-invertivore
Ichneumia albicauda63.4 kg invertivore-carnivore
Crocuta crocuta366 kg carnivore
Hyaena hyaena130 kg carnivore-insectivore
Panthera leo4147 kg carnivore
Panthera pardus233 kg carnivore
Caracal caracal212 kg carnivore
"Felis caracal"
Felis lybica11
"Felis libyca": plus one indeterminate felid
Papio sp.6
Homo sp.2
Lepus capensis2
Pedetes sp.7
Thryonomys sp.2
plus 10 indeterminate rodents