Tam Ngu Hao 2
Basic information
Sample name: Tam Ngu Hao 2
Sample aka: Cobra Cave
Reference: F. Demeter, C. Zanolli, K. E. Westaway, R. Joannes-Boyau, P. Duringer, M. W. Morley, F. Welker, P. L. Rüther, M. M. Skinner, H. McColl, C. Gaunitz, L. Vinner, T. E. Dunn, J. V. Olsen, M. Sikora, J.-L. Ponche, E. Suzzoni, S. Frangeul, Q. Boesch, P. Antoine, Pan, Xing, Zhao, Bailey, Boualaphane, Sichanthongtip, Sihanam, Patole-Edoumba, Aubaile, Crozier, Bourgon, and Zach. 2022. A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos. Nature Communications 13(2557):1-17 [ER 3877]
Geography
Country: Laos
State: Huá Pan
Coordinate: 20° 12' 42" N, 103° 24' 32" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Middle Pleistocene
Max Ma: 0.1885
Min Ma: 0.1236
Age basis: U/Th
Geography comments: "on the southeastern side of P'ou Loi Mountain"
the authors based on age estimate of 164 to 131 kyr on a Bayesian model including all of the age determinations
these include U-series dates for faunal remains of 188.5 +/- 9.1, 132.2 +/- 12.6, and 123.6 +/- 15.7 kyr; U series/ESR dates of 164 +/- 24, 149 +/- 22, and 140 +/- 23 kyr; pIR-IRSL dates on sediment based on "Alpha and beta counting" of 136 +/- 21, 142 +/- 13, and 248 +/- 31 kyr; alternative dates based on gamma spectrometry of 143 +/- 24 and 133 +/- 19 ka for the first two of the three sediment samples; two acceptable corrected U-series dates on overlying flowstone of 97 +/- 38 and 104 +/-46 kyr; and two excessively imprecise U-series dates on the same flowstone of 150 +/- 100 and 141 +/- 212 kyr
of these, the first three U-series dates are the most relevant and precise and so are used here
the authors based on age estimate of 164 to 131 kyr on a Bayesian model including all of the age determinations
these include U-series dates for faunal remains of 188.5 +/- 9.1, 132.2 +/- 12.6, and 123.6 +/- 15.7 kyr; U series/ESR dates of 164 +/- 24, 149 +/- 22, and 140 +/- 23 kyr; pIR-IRSL dates on sediment based on "Alpha and beta counting" of 136 +/- 21, 142 +/- 13, and 248 +/- 31 kyr; alternative dates based on gamma spectrometry of 143 +/- 24 and 133 +/- 19 ka for the first two of the three sediment samples; two acceptable corrected U-series dates on overlying flowstone of 97 +/- 38 and 104 +/-46 kyr; and two excessively imprecise U-series dates on the same flowstone of 150 +/- 100 and 141 +/- 212 kyr
of these, the first three U-series dates are the most relevant and precise and so are used here
Environment
Lithology: conglomerate
Taphonomic context: cave,fluvial deposit,rodent accumulation
Habitat comments: the fossils are from the "upper facies... a mixed breccia/conglomerate unit in an arenitic-dominated matrix that is cemented by calcite" with the conglomerate having been formed by a single "flood event" that "mobilized and deposited" the fossils, so the relevant lithology is the conglomerate
"most teeth are gnawed by porcupines, known to be a major accumulator agent in the region"
no stone tools were found
"most teeth are gnawed by porcupines, known to be a major accumulator agent in the region"
no stone tools were found
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 172 specimens
Years: 2018 - 2020
Sampling comments: the "breccia" was "extracted mechanically from the walls of the cave" and blocks were "disolved with a 10% formic acid solution"
Metadata
Sample number: 4257
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-04-26 17:37:12
Modified: 2023-04-26 07:37:12
Abundance distribution
18 species
6 singletons
total count 172
extrapolated richness: 33.8
Fisher's α: 5.064
geometric series k: 0.8074
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8610
Shannon's H: 2.2429
Good's u: 0.9653
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Sus scrofa | 38 | 54 kg herbivore |
| Bos cf. gaurus | 35 | 481 kg |
| "Bos cf. frontalis" | ||
| Naemorhedus sp. | 10 | |
| Cervidae indet. small | 24 | |
| Cervidae indet. medium | 6 | |
| Cervidae indet. large | 16 | |
| Rhinoceros sondaicus | 2 | |
| plus 12 Rhinocerotina and 3 Rhinoceros sp. | ||
| Dicerorhinus sp. | 1 | |
| Tapirus sp. | 1 | |
| Carnivora indet. | 2 | |
| "small-sized" | ||
| Felidae indet. | 1 | |
| "small-sized" | ||
| Paradoxurus sp. | 1 | |
| Ursus thibetanus | 3 | 63 kg browser-frugivore |
| Ailuropoda sp. | 2 | |
| Macaca cf. nemestrina | 10 | 7.7 kg |
| Pongo sp. | 1 | |
| Hystrix sp. | 18 | |
| Homo sp. | 1 | |
| "most likely" a Denisovan | ||