The Cradle of Humankind's death trap - explaining Malapa's fossils

New research has confirmed the hypothesis that the fossils found at Malapa, in the Cradle of Human Kind, got there by falling through the cave roof.

According to the research, published in Plos One, normally with fossils found in caves - they either got there because hungry predators dragged them there, or scavengers found them and started munching.

In other words they tend not to be all that intact.

Malapa, at the cradle of humankind is an exception.

While the cave is full of carnivore fossils - they damage reflected in the fossils is much more consistent with a long fall or the bones drying out than anything chewing on them.

Not even rodents.

"Porcupines are represented by two quills in the faunal assemblage, but marks produced by their teeth are absent from the faunal collection so far. There is no indication of hominin accumulation or modification of bone, and no evidence of damage by birds of prey," the researchers wrote.

So how did everything get there? Well the researchers propose that the Cradle of Humankind played host to a natural death trap.

"The prominence of animals with good climbing proclivities, as is the case at Malapa, is a common feature among faunal assemblages accumulated via natural death traps," the researchers wrote.

In general there are a lot more prey animals out there than predators, so why does Malapa have a preponderance of meat-eater fossils?

Because the smell of decomposing animals at the bottom would have attracted them to their doom.

"Endowed with good climbing skills, they might venture inside the cave system and find themselves trapped," The researchers said.

Once that happened, they either starved or fell further down into the cave to their deaths.