biostudies-literatureBriatico GDeutscher Akademischer AustauschdienstSapienza Università di RomaMinistero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione InternazionaleEberhard Karls Universität Tübingen6619https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10950861biostudies-literatureUnknown14(1)Pleistocene environments are among the most studied issues in paleoecology and human evolution research in eastern Africa. Many data have been recorded from archaeological sites located at low and medium elevations (≤ 1500 m), whereas few contexts are known at 2000 m and above. Here, we present a substantial isotopic study from Melka Kunture, a complex of prehistoric sites located at 2000-2200 m above sea level in the central Ethiopian highlands. We analyzed the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of 308 faunal tooth enamel samples from sites dated between 2.02 and 0.6 Ma to investigate the animal diets and habitats. The carbon isotopic results indicate that the analyzed taxa had C₄-dominated and mixed C₃-C₄ diets with no significant diachronic chScientific reportsThe Pleistocene high-elevation environments between 2.02 and 0.6 Ma at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia) based upon stable isotope analysis.PMC10950861“Grandi Scavi di Ateneo” - SA11715C7C936C01Forschungsstipendien – Kurzstipendien 57552336Borse di mobilità all’estero” - Decreto N.16052020, Prot. N.0044296"Grandi Scavi di Ateneo" - SA11715C7C936C01Borse di mobilità all'estero" - Decreto N.16052020, Prot. N.0044296Forschungsstipendien - Kurzstipendien 57552336ARC-001666Bocherens HGeraads DMelis RTBriatico GMussi MfalseThe Pleistocene high-elevation environments between 2.02 and 0.6 Ma at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia) based upon stable isotope analysis.Pleistocene environments are among the most studied issues in paleoecology and human evolution research in eastern Africa. Many data have been recorded from archaeological sites located at low and medium elevations (≤ 1500 m), whereas few contexts are known at 2000 m and above. Here, we present a substantial isotopic study from Melka Kunture, a complex of prehistoric sites located at 2000-2200 m above sea level in the central Ethiopian highlands. We analyzed the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of 308 faunal tooth enamel samples from sites dated between 2.02 and 0.6 Ma to investigate the animal diets and habitats. The carbon isotopic results indicate that the analyzed taxa had C₄-dominated and mixed C₃-C₄ diets with no significant diachronic ch2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Mar2025-04-05T14:46:21.497Z2025-04-05T14:46:21.497ZS-EPMC109508613850382910.1038/s41598-024-56768-x