Exploring Lothagam
Lothagam is a famous paleontological site on the West side of Lake Turkana about an hour's drive from our base camp. The site is very rich in fossils of extinct fauna which roamed the landscape as far back as 11 million years ago. Important fossil specimens of early primates have been found at Lothagam as have some isolated pieces representing the hominin clade, including suspected remains of the Ardipithecus genus. The biostratigraphy indicates that the area had a large, low-energy river with surrounding woodland, which successively got replaced by open grassland. We spent two full days at Lothagam exploring the Miocene and Pliocene sediments.
Lothagam Fly Camp Spring 2013 20130214-P1020836.jpg 11 million years of sediments at Lothagam http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020836.jpg 20130214-P1020839.jpg Basalt mountains rising above the surrounding desert http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020839.jpg 20130214-P1020843.jpg Me standing at a tectonic fault. My slant follows the shearing direction. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020843.jpg 20130214-P1020845.jpg http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020845.jpg 20130214-P1020846.jpg Francis and I are at fault! http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020846.jpg 20130214-P1020850.jpg A sand vortex in the distance moves across the semi-desert. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020850.jpg 20130214-P1020856.jpg One of the nicer fossils I discovered at Lothagam. Guess what it is? http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020856.jpg 20130214-P1020860.jpg Our camp site in one of the canyons is nicely shielded from the sand storms. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020860.jpg 20130214-P1020862.jpg http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020862.jpg 20130214-P1020864.jpg Nderit-style pottery lying around the most recent sedimentary surface from around 4'000 years ago. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130214-P1020864.jpg 20130215-P1020869.jpg The "Lunch Cavern", named so because field crews often take their lunches in it. It was formed by flowing water a long time ago. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130215-P1020869.jpg 20130215-P1020874.jpg The only witness that an extinct species of camels walked along here is the rock molds of their hoofs. The camera is pointing upwards. A surface covered the foot print layer infilling each foot print. The surface with the actual foot prints eventually eroded away. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130215-P1020874.jpg 20130215-P1020875.jpg http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130215-P1020875.jpg 20130215-P1020880.jpg Matt taking a panorama shot of the breathtaking scenery. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130215-P1020880.jpg 20130215-P1020883.jpg I discovered also a nice bone harpoon tip. Age: beyond 4'000 years. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130215-P1020883.jpg 20130215-P1020884.jpg The field crew walking and, in the distance, climbing the Lothagam rocks. Notice the uniquely blue-hued rocks on the lower right. http://www.bigger.ch/images/science/tbi/lothagamflycamp/20130215-P1020884.jpg
