Dental microwear and palaeoecology of bovids from the Early Pliocene of Langebaanweg, Western Cape province, South Africa

Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions are important for understand- ing faunal changes in southern Africa during the Mio-Pliocene. This paper contributes to our knowledge of the vegetal context at Langebaanweg (Western Cape province, South Africa) around 5 Myr ago through the inference of bovid diets and their implications for specific habitats. Dental microwear data are presented for specimens (n = 100) representing at least eight species from 'E' quarry beds 3aS and 3aN and compared with data for nine living ruminant taxa (n = 59 individuals) with known differences in diet and habitat preferences. Molar facets were examined by white-light confocal microscopy, and microwear feature attributes were measured, recorded and compared between the living and extinct species, and between fossil samples from the two stratigraphic levels. Evidence for mixed feeding by the most common bovids in the earlier Bed 3aS suggests the presence of at least some graminoids during the initial deposition of the 'E' quarry sediments. Later Bed 3aN bovids probably preferred herbaceous monocotyle- dons, suggesting an even greater concentration of graminoids. These results are consistent with other palaeoecological indicators suggesting endemic fynbos vegetation in the Cape Province during the Early Pliocene, but also hint at possible changes at Langebaan- weg between Bed 3aS and Bed 3aN times.