EARTHO Lab

Publications

  • 2026

    Zanolli, C., Alba, D. M., Caley, T., Cazenave, M., Crevecoeur, I., de la Torre, I., Delagnes, A., Delezene, L. K., Détroit, F., Joannes-Boyau, R., Le Cabec, A., Lüdecke, T., Margvelashvili, A., Musiba, C., Neubauer, S., Sahle, Y., Schrenk, F., Skinner, M. M., Smith, K. T., Urciuoli, A., Villmoare, B., Wood, B., & Kullmer, O. (2026). The early Homo conundrum: Challenges and potential solutions. Evolutionary Anthropology, 35(3), e70074. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.70043.

  • 2025

    Madupe, P. P., Koenig, C., Patramanis, I., Rüther, P. L., Hlazo, N., Mackie, M., Tawane, M., Krueger, J., Taurozzi, A. J., Troché, G., Kibii, J., Pickering, R., Dickinson, M. R., Sahle, Y., Kgotleng, D., Musiba, C., Manthi, F., Bell, L., DuPlessis, M., Gilbert, C., Zipfel, B., Kuderna, L. F. K., Lizano, E., Welker, F., Kyriakidou, P., Cox, J., Mollereau, C., Tokarski, C., Blackburn, J., Ramos-Madrigal, J., Marques-Bonet, T., Penkman, K., Zanolli, C., Schroeder, L., Racimo, F., Olsen, J. V., Ackermann, R. A., & Cappellini, E. (2025). Enamel proteins reveal biological sex and genetic variability in southern African Paranthropus. Science, 388(6750), 969-973. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt9539.

  • 2023

    Musiba, C., Gidna, A., & Alene, M. (2023). The dawn of humanity: What can paleoanthropologists and geoscientists learn from one another? Elements, 19, 75-81. https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.19.2.75.

    Roksandic, M., Musiba, C., Radović, P., Lindal, J., Wu, X. J., Figueiredo, E., Smith, G. F., Roksandic, I., & Bae, C. J. (2023). Change in biological nomenclature is overdue and possible. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 7, 1166-1167. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02104-x.

    Zaitsev, A. N., Chakhmouradian, A. R., & Musiba, C. (2023). Laetoli: The oldest known hominin footprints in volcanic ash. Elements, 19, 104-110. https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.19.2.104.

  • 2022

    Deane, A. S., Dodd, N., Vandergriff, A., Rachel, J., Abella, E. F., & Musiba, C. (2022). What can monkey fossils tell us about early human evolution? New insights from the analysis of molar cusp proportions in fossil cercopithecoids from Laetoli, Tanzania. FASEB, 36(S1). https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.R4596.

  • 2021

    McNutt, E. J., Hatala, K. G., Miller, C., Adams, J., Casana, J., Deane, A. S., Dominy, N. J., Fabian, K., Fannin, L. D., Gaughan, S., Gill, S. V., Gurtu, J., Gustafson, E., Hill, A. C., Johnson, C., Kallindo, S., Kilham, B., Kilham, P., Kim, E., Liutkus-Pierce, C., Maley, B., Prabhat, A., Reader, J., Rubin, S., Thompson, N. E., Thornburg, R., Williams-Hatala, E. M., Zimmer, B., Musiba, C. M., & DeSilva, J. M. (2021). Footprint evidence of early hominin locomotor diversity at Laetoli, Tanzania. Nature, 600, 468-471. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04187-7.

    Ruff, C. B., Wunderlich, R. E., Hatala, K. G., Tuttle, R. H., Hilton, C. E., D’Août, K., Webb, D. M., Hallgrímsson, B., Musiba, C., & Baksh, M. (2021). Body mass estimation from footprint size in hominins. Journal of Human Evolution, 156, 102997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102997.

  • 2019

    Bergstrom, K., Lawrence, A. B., Pelissero, A. J., Hammond, L. J., Maro, E., Bunn, H. T., & Musiba, C. M. (2019). Aerial map demonstrates erosional patterns and changing topography at Isimila, Tanzania. South African Journal of Science, 115(7/8), 5911. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2019/5911.

  • 2017

    Campbell, T. L., Pierce, Z. W., Dollman, K. N., Bamford, M. K., Musiba, C. M., & Magori, C. (2017). Syntopy and co-utilization of a “roosting area” by the barn owl (Tyto alba) and spotted eagle owl (Bubo africanus) in Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology, 56(3), 664-668. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12485.

    Laird, M. F., Schroeder, L., Garvin, H. M., Scott, J. E., Dembo, M., Radovčić, D., Musiba, C. M., Ackermann, R. R., Schmid, P., Hawks, J., Berger, L. R., & de Ruiter, D. J. (2017). The skull of Homo naledi. Journal of Human Evolution, 104, 100-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.09.009.

    Wei, P., Wallace, I. J., Jashashvili, T., Musiba, C. M., & Liu, W. (2017). Structural analysis of the femoral diaphyses of an early modern human from Tianyuan Cave, China. Quaternary International, 434, 48-56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.10.099.

  • 2016

    Dembo, M., Radovčić, D., Garvin, H. M., Laird, M. F., Schroeder, L., Scott, J. E., Brophy, J., Ackermann, R. R., Musiba, C. M., de Ruiter, D. J., Mooers, A. Ø., & Collard, M. (2016). The evolutionary relationships and age of Homo naledi: An assessment using dated Bayesian phylogenetic methods. Journal of Human Evolution, 97, 17-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.008.

  • 2015

    Berger, L. R., Hawks, J., de Ruiter, D. J., Churchill, S. E., Schmid, P., Delezene, L. K., Kivell, T. L., Garvin, H. M., Williams, S. A., DeSilva, J. M., Skinner, M. M., Musiba, C. M., Cameron, N., Holliday, T. W., Harcourt-Smith, W., Ackermann, R. R., Basitr, M., Bogin, B., Bolter, D., Brophy, J., Cofran, Z. D., Congdon, K. A., Deane, A. S., Dembo, M., Drapeau, M., Elliott, M. C., Feuerriegel, E. M., Garcia-Martinez, D., Green, D. J., Gurtov, A., Irish, J. D., Kruger, A., Laird, M. F., Marchi, D., Meyer, M. R., Nalla, S., Negash, E. W., Orr, C. M., Radovcic, D., Schroeder, L., Scott, J. E., Throckmorton, Z., Tocheri, M. W., VanSickle, C., Walker, C. S., Wei, P., & Zipfel, B. (2015). Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa. eLIFE, 4, e09560. http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09560.

    Dirks, P., Berger, L. R., Roberts, E. M., Kramers, J. D., Hawks, J., Randolph-Quinney, P. S., Elliott, M., Musiba, C. M., Churchill, S. E., de Ruiter, D. J., Schmid, P., Backwell, L. R., Belyanin, G. A., Boshoff, P., Hunter, K. L., Feuerriegel, E. M., Gurtov, A., du G Harrison, J., Hunter, R., Kruger, A., Morris, H., Makhubela, T. V., Peixotto, B., & Tucker, S. (2015). Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa. eLIFE, 4, e09561. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09561.

  • 2014

    Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Diez-Martín, F., Mabulla, A., Baquedano, E., Bunn, H. T., & Musiba, C. (2014). The evolution of hominin behavior during the Oldowan-Acheulean transition: Recent evidence from Olduvai Gorge and Peninj (Tanzania). Quaternary International, 322-323, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.01.017.

    Gidna, A. O., Kisui., B., Mabulla, A., Musiba, C., & Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. (2014). An ecological neo-taphonomic study of carcass consumption by lions in Tarangire National Park (Tanzania) and its relevance for human evolutionary biology. Quaternary International, 322-323, 167-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2013.08.059.

    Musiba, C. M. (2014). The administration of cultural world heritage sites and their contribution to the economic empowerment of local communities in Africa. In S. Makuvaza (Ed.), The management of cultural world heritage sites and development of Africa (pp. 93-103). Spinger.

    Uribelarrea, D., Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Pérez-González, A., Vegas Salamanca, J., Baquedano, E., Mabulla, A., Musiba, C., Barboni, D., & Cobo-Sánchez, L. (2014). Geo-archaeological and geometrically corrected reconstruction of the 1.84 Ma FLK Zinj paleolandscape at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Quaternary International, 322-323, 7-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2013.12.023.

  • 2013

    Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Pickering, T. R., Baquedano, E., Mabulla, A., Mark, D. F., Musiba, C. M., Bunn, H. T., Uribelarrea, D., Smith, V., Diez-Martin, F., Pérez-González, A., Sánchez, P., Santonja, M., Barboni, D., Gidna, A., Ashley, G., Yravedra, J., Heaton, J. L., & Arriaza, M. C. (2013). First partial skeleton of a 1.34-million-year-old Paranthropus boisei from Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE, 8(12), e80347. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080347.

    Pickering, T. R., Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Heaton, J. L., Yravedra, J., Barba, R., Bunn, H. T., Musiba, C., Baquedano, E., Diez-Martín, F., Mabulla, A., & Brain, C. K. (2013). Taphonomy of ungulate ribs and the consumption of meat and bone by 1.2-million-year-old hominins at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Journal of Archaeological Science, 40, 1295-1309. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.09.025.

  • 2012

    Baquedano, E., Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., & Musiba, C. (2012). An experimental study of large mammal bone modification by crocodiles and its bearing on the interpretation of crocodile predation at FLK Zinj and FLK NN3. Journal of Archaeological Science, 39(6), 1728-1737, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.01.010.

    Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Bunn, H. T., Pickering, T. R., Mabulla, A. Z. P., Musiba, C. M., Baquedano, E., Ashley, G. M., Diez-Martin, F., Santonja, M., Uribelarrea, D., Barba, R., Yravedra, J., Barboni, D., Arriaza, C., & Gidna, A. (2012). Autochthony and orientation patterns in Olduvai Bed I: A re-examination of the status of post-depositional biasing of archaeological assemblages from FLK North (FLKN). Journal of Archaeological Science, 39(7), 2116-2127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.02.027.

    Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Pickering, T. R., Diez-Martín, F., Mabulla, A., Musiba, C. M., Trancho, G., Baquedano, E., Bunn, H. T., Barboni, D., Santonja, M., Uribelarrea, D., Ashley, G. M., del Sol Martínez-Ávila, M., Barba, R., Gidna, A., Yravedra, J., & Arriaza, C. (2012). Earliest porotic hyperostosis on a 1.5-million-year-old hominin, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE, 7(1), e46416. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046414.

    Musiba, C., Mabulla, A., Mutakyahwa, M., Masao, F., Runyoro, V., Kim, J. Y., Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Mbwana, N., Ndunguru, F., Odunga, S., Washa, J., Paresso, J., & Stepanek, V. (2012). Tanzania and the outstanding universal value of its paleoanthropology: Approches at Laetoli and lessons learned. In N. Sanz (Ed.), Human origin sites and the world heritage convention in Africa (pp. 115-125). UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

  • 2011

    Meldrum, D. J., Lockley, M. G., Lucas, S. G., & Musiba, C. (2011). Ichnotaxonomy of the Laetoli trackways: The earliest hominin footprints. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 60, 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2011.01.003.

    Musiba, C. M., Laciny, C., & Magori, C. C. (2011). Endocast of Saldanha skull: Revised description, comparative status and behavioral possibilities. In G. Sarana &. R. P. Srivastava (Eds.) Studies in social and physical anthropology. Rawat Publications.

  • 2010

    Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. & Musiba, C. M. (2010). How accurate are paleoecological reconstructions of early paleontological and archaeological sites? Evolutionary Biology, 37, 128-140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-010-9087-2.

  • 2003

    Musiba, C. & Mabulla, A. (2003). Politics, cattle, and conservation: Ngorongoro Crater at a crossroads. In C. M. Kusimba & S. B. Kusimba (Eds.), East Africn archaeology: Foragers, potters, smiths, and traders (pp. 133-148). University of Pennylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.