Abstract
We present material of the family Hyaenidae from
Cooper’s Cave, an early Pleistocene (ca 1.5 Ma) fossil-bearing
site in Gauteng, South Africa. This site is exceptionally rich in
Carnivora, including five species of Hyaenidae: Chasmaporthetes
nitidula, Crocuta ultra, Parahyaena brunnea,
Hyaena hyaena and cf. Proteles sp. This diversity is greater
than that of the entire family in the modern fauna and is
matched at other sites in the vicinity of Cooper’s Cave.
This raises issues about time averaging and the carrying
capacity of the palaeoenvironment that require resolution
if we are to properly understand the environments in which
Paranthropus robustus, present at Cooper’s Cave, and other
early hominins evolved. In addition, the presence of several
hyaenid species with bone-eating/collecting capabilities
raises questions about the identity of the accumulators of
fossil bone assemblages that have yet to be fully resolved.