A Novel Application of Geochemistry and Soil Science

Cathy Clarke, from the Department of Soil Science, visited Lake Turkana in March to join an international team of paleoanthropologists and geochemists. The purpose of their visit was to apply non-destructive X-ray and laser techniques to analyse the geochemistry of hominid fossils and the sediments from which they were excavated. This work builds on a recent study published in Quaternary Science Reviews.

The geochemical fingerprinting aims to determine whether fossil fragments found just a few meters apart belong to the same individual. During the expedition, the team was able to analyse well-known fossils, including the Homo erectus skeleton famously known as Turkana Boy.