The ‘mosaic habitat’ concept in human evolution: past and present

Abstract

The habitats preferred by hominins and other species are an important theme in palaeoanthropology, and
\nthe ‘mosaic habitat’ (also referred to as habitat heterogeneity) has been a central concept in this regard for
\nthe last four decades. Here we explore the development of this concept – loosely defined as a range of
\ndifferent habitat types, such as woodlands, riverine forest and savannah within a limited spatial area – in
\nstudies of human evolution over the last 60 years or so. We outline the key developments that took place
\nbefore and around the time when the term ‘mosaic’ came to wider palaeoanthropological attention. To
\nachieve this, we used an analysis of the published literature, a study of illustrations of hominin evolution
\nfrom 1925 onwards and an email survey of senior researchers in palaeoanthropology and related fields. We
\nfound that the term ‘mosaic’ starts to be applied in palaeoanthropological thinking during the 1970s due to
\nthe work of a number of researchers, including Karl Butzer and Glynn Isaac, with the earliest usage we
\nhave found of ‘mosaic’ in specific reference to hominin habitats being by Adriaan Kortlandt (1972). While
\nwe observe a steady increase in the numbers of publications reporting mosaic palaeohabitats, in keeping
\nwith the growing interest and specialisation in various methods of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, we
\nalso note that there is a lack of critical studies that define this habitat, or examine the temporal and spatial
\nscales associated with it. The general consensus within the field is that the concept now requires more
\ndetailed definition and study to evaluate its role in human evolution.