Note: Cover -- Half-title -- Title page -- Copyright information -- Table of contents -- List of contributors -- 1 The context of Quaternary environmental change in southern Africa -- Abstract -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The geologic and geomorphic context of southern Africa -- 1.3 Climate and environmental changes in southern Africa prior to the Quaternary -- 1.4 Models of landscape evolution in southern Africa -- 1.5 South African landscapes and environmental resources -- 1.6 About this book -- 1.7 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 2 A brief geological history of southern Africa -- Abstract -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 The Archaean Eon (3.85-2.65 Ga) -- 2.3 The Neoarchaean and Palaeoproterozoic Eras -- 2.4 Rodinia and Gondwana (1.6-0.5 Ga) -- 2.5 The Phanerozoic Eon -- 2.6 Summary -- References -- 3 A continental-scale perspective on landscape evolution in southern Africa during the Cenozoic -- Abstract -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Africa's tectonic and geologic setting -- 3.2.1 Swells -- 3.2.2 Rifts -- 3.3 Dating the African land surface -- 3.4 Landscape responses to Cenozoic climate changes -- 3.4.1 Erosional responses: the African Surfaces -- 3.4.2 Residual deposits -- 3.4.3 Depositional responses: fans -- 3.4.4 Marine deposition -- 3.5 Discussion -- 3.6 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 4 Hominin origins and evolution during the Neogene -- Abstract -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Origin of the basal hominins -- 4.3 Diversification of the archaic hominins -- 4.4 Dispersal of hominins into South Africa -- 4.5 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 5 Hominin evolution in Africa during the Quaternary -- Abstract -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 The emergence of genus Homo -- 5.3 Paranthropus and the 'robust' australopithecine hypodigm -- 5.4 Emergence of modern humans -- 5.5 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References. , 6 Quaternary environmental change on the southern African coastal plain -- Abstract -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Palaeoenvironments of the coastal plain -- 6.3 Life on the edge: The coastal plain and human evolution -- 6.4 Summary -- References -- 7 Dating the southern African landscape -- Abstract -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 The most commonly used dating techniques -- 7.3 Dating the evolution of the southern African landscape -- 7.3.1 Denuding landscapes -- 7.3.2 Aggrading deposits -- 7.3.3 Palaeoanthropology and archaeological deposits -- 7.3.4 Palaeoclimate -- 7.4 Discussion -- 7.4.1 Interpretation of the dating context -- 7.4.2 Insight into the suitability of the dating technique to the target event -- 7.4.3 Reproducibility, consistency, and a body of evidence -- 7.5 Summary -- References -- 8 Glacial and periglacial geomorphology -- Abstract -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Setting the scene -- 8.3 Proponents for southern African glaciation during the late Pleistocene: a brief history -- 8.4 The opponent view to southern African glaciation during the late Pleistocene -- 8.5 Glacial depositional landforms in the Drakensberg -- 8.6 Palaeoclimate implications of late Pleistocene glaciation in southeastern Africa -- 8.7 Periglacial phenomena -- 8.8 Discussion -- 8.9 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 9 Colluvial deposits and slope instability -- Abstract -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Slope processes in the long-term landscape evolution of southern Africa -- 9.3 Colluvial processes -- 9.3.1 Hillslope colluviation -- 9.3.2 Distribution of colluvium in southern Africa -- 9.3.3 Dating of colluviation -- 9.4 Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of colluvial and slope deposits -- 9.4.1 Present-day dynamics: land surface degradation -- 9.5 Summary -- References -- 10 Desert dune environments -- Abstract -- 10.1 Introduction. , 10.2 Southern African dunes as Quaternary palimpsests -- 10.2.1 Quaternary aridity -- 10.2.2 Wind -- 10.2.3 Dune origins -- 10.2.4 A date with dunes -- 10.3 Dune sensitivity and complex development -- 10.4 Regional records -- 10.4.1 Kalahari dunes -- 10.4.2 Namib and West Coast -- 10.4.3 Other dunes -- 10.5 Summary -- References -- 11 Changes in fluvial systems during the Quaternary -- Abstract -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Regional environmental setting -- 11.3 Nature and drivers of fluvial system responses -- 11.3.1 Pre-Quaternary and Quaternary fluvial system responses in southern Africa: an overview -- 11.3.2 Late Quaternary fluvial system responses in southern Africa: climatic versus non-climatic drivers -- 11.3.3 Holocene fluvial system responses in southern Africa: large and extreme flood events -- 11.4 Discussion -- 11.4.1 Fluvial system sensitivity to palaeoenvironmental change -- 11.4.2 Relative importance of natural and anthropogenic drivers in the late Holocene -- 11.5 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 12 Wetlands in southern Africa -- Abstract -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Controls on wetland types and their dynamics -- 12.2.1 Valley-bottom and floodplain wetlands -- 12.3 Environmental and climatic records from wetlands -- 12.4 Sensitivity of wetlands to climate and environmental changes -- 12.5 Summary -- References -- 13 Sandy coasts -- Abstract -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Regional setting -- 13.3 Lithified Quaternary sediments -- 13.3.1 Erosional features -- 13.3.2 Depositional features -- 13.4 Quaternary coastal and sea-level change -- 13.5 Summary -- References -- 14 Environmental change during the Pleistocene and Holocene: Estuaries and lagoons of southern Africa -- Abstract -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Origins of South African estuaries -- 14.3 Quaternary estuarine evolution: Sea-level change and sedimentation. , 14.4 Estuaries of previous interglacial highstands -- 14.5 Lowstand deltas, estuaries and incised valleys -- 14.6 Holocene estuarine deposits on the continental shelf -- 14.7 Late Holocene estuary evolution -- 14.7.1 East coast -- 14.7.2 West coast -- 14.8 Sediment supply, sea-level rise and valley geometry -- 14.9 Summary -- References -- 15 Soils and duricrusts -- Abstract -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Weathering and soils -- 15.2.1 Factors significant in pedogenesis -- 15.2.2 Soils and geomorphology -- 15.3 Soils and landscape units in South Africa -- 15.4 Duricrusts -- 15.4.1 Calcretes -- 15.4.2 Silcretes -- 15.4.3 Ferricretes -- 15.5 Economic importance of duricrusts -- 15.6 Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 16 Karstic systems -- Abstract -- 16.1 Introduction -- 16.2 The distribution of karst in southern Africa -- 16.3 Caves and speleothems as archives of the past -- 16.4 High-resolution palaeoenvironmental time-series from speleothems -- 16.5 Summary -- References -- 17 Terrestrial ecosystem changes in the late Quaternary -- Abstract -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 Late Pleistocene climate and ecosystems in southern Africa -- 17.2.1 Summer rainfall zone -- 17.2.2 Winter rainfall zone -- 17.3 Holocene climate and ecosystems -- 17.3.1 Summer rainfall zone -- 17.3.2 Winter rainfall zone -- 17.4 Human impacts on terrestrial ecosystems -- 17.5 Summary -- References -- 18 Faunal evidence for mid- and late Quaternary environmental change in southern Africa -- Abstract -- 18.1 Introduction -- 18.2 Mammalian turnover and biogeography in southern Africa -- 18.3 The southern African faunal record -- 18.3.1 The end of the early Pleistocene: the Cornelian LMA -- 18.3.2 Black wildebeest Connochaetes gnou as a proxy for open habitat -- 18.3.3 The middle and late Pleistocene: the Florisian LMA. , 18.3.4 Florisian wetlands and the end-Pleistocene extinction -- 18.4 Summary -- References -- 19 Pollen, charcoal and plant macrofossil evidence of Neogene and Quaternary environments in southern Africa -- Abstract -- 19.1 Introduction -- 19.1.1 The major biomes of South Africa during the Neogene -- 19.2 Quaternary case studies -- 19.2.1 Tswaing (I and II) and Wonderkrater: Savanna Biome -- 19.2.2 Braamhoek and Mahwaqa: Grassland Biome -- 19.2.3 Mfabeni peatland, Lakes Sibaya and Eteza: Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biome (IOCB) -- 19.2.4 Cederberg: Fynbos Biome -- 19.2.5 Macrobotanical remains: Fynbos, Savanna and IOCB -- 19.3 Future research directions and potential -- 19.4 Summary -- References -- 20 Minerogenic microfossil records of Quaternary environmental change in southern Africa -- Abstract -- 20.1 Introduction -- 20.2 Microfossil types and their environmental significance -- 20.2.1 Siliceous microfossils -- 20.2.2 Calcareous microfossils -- 20.3 Southern African microfossils: Case studies -- 20.3.1 Braamhoek wetland, South Africa -- 20.3.2 Lake Tritrivakely, Madagascar -- 20.3.3 Makgadikgadi, Botswana -- 20.3.4 Offshore Namibia -- 20.4 Discussion -- 20.5 Summary -- References -- 21 Development of the archaeological record in southern Africa during the Earlier Stone Age -- Abstract -- 21.1 Introduction -- 21.2 The earliest archaeology -- 21.2.1 Oldowan (2.6-1.76 Ma) -- 21.2.2 Early Acheulean (1.76-> -- 1 Ma) -- 21.2.3 Assessment of the early archaeology record -- 21.3 The Acheulean from ~1 Ma -- 21.4 Summary -- References -- 22 Development of the archaeological record during the Middle Stone Age of South Africa -- Abstract -- 22.1 Introduction and background -- 22.2 Technological behaviour in the Middle Stone Age -- 22.3 Subsistence behaviour and site maintenance -- 22.4 Discussion and summary -- Acknowledgements -- References. , 23 Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers and herders.