Individual isotopic niche variation of herbivores and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Mid-Pleistocene Site of Kathu Pan 1 (South Africa)

Individual niche variation occurs when individuals within a population adopt unique behavioural or ecological traits, giving the population a distinct niche structure. Although widespread amongst natural populations, most of niche theory and its applications in ecological and palaeoenvironmental contexts remains focused on species level patterns, treating variation within the population as noise. Using serial stable isotope profiles sampled along teeth of herbivore fossils recovered from the Mid-Pleistocene site of Kathu Pan 1, Northern Cape (South Africa), enabling partitioning of isotopic niche variation into between- and within-individual components. Stable carbon isotope data revealed significant dietary differences between-individuals within most of the taxa sampled, but no dietary differences between taxa. By contrast, stable oxygen isotope compositions were more consistent amongst individuals, but varied across taxa. In both isotope systems, as well as in bivariate space, most taxa comprised individuals with both narrow and broad isotope niches, indicating flexibility in dietary strategies. These results indicate sufficient opportunity for individual level specialization within the Kathu palaeocommunity, afforded by a palaeoenvironment that provided a consistent supply of resources year-round. Given the herbivore sample is strongly associated with fossil hominin activities, our results imply that hominins in these landscapes would have profited from year-round accessibility to resources, accounting for the record of occupancy of Kathu Pan I during the Mid-Pleistocene.