About

Matt Sponheimer conducts research on the ecology of early hominins and associated fauna in Africa. He has directed and co-directed several multi-disciplinary projects that have examined the ecology of living mammals, both large and small, in South Africa.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Biology
• Paleontology
• Geography
• Genetics
• Geology
• Evolutionary biology
• Business
• History
• Zoology
• Ethnology
• Archaeology
• Demography

Selected publications

• Intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-01-01

  otherOpen access

  Code and data associated with Norwood et al. The timing and magnitude of intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus. This code includes reaction progress, mineralization, forward, and inverse models for the recovery of seasonal fluctuations in Paranthropus robustus serial enamel isotope profiles and the implementation of this process with data from Sponheimer et al. (2006).

  PublisherDOI

• Paranthropus Paleoenvironments Based on Micromammal Assemblages

  Vertebrate paleobiology and paleoanthroplogy series/Vertebrate paleobiology and paleoanthropology series · 2026-01-01

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-05-10

  otherOpen access

  Code and data associated with Norwood et al. The timing and magnitude of intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus. This code includes reaction progress, mineralization, forward, and inverse models for the recovery of seasonal fluctuations in Paranthropus robustus serial enamel isotope profiles and the implementation of this process with data from Sponheimer et al. (2006).

  PublisherDOI

• Intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-05-20

  otherOpen access

  Code and data associated with Norwood et al. The timing and magnitude of intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus. This code includes reaction progress, mineralization, forward, and inverse models for the recovery of seasonal fluctuations in Paranthropus robustus serial enamel isotope profiles and the implementation of this process with data from Sponheimer et al. (2006).

  PublisherDOI

• Intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-05-20

  otherOpen access

  Code and data associated with Norwood et al. The timing and magnitude of intra-individual dietary variability in Paranthropus robustus. This code includes reaction progress, mineralization, forward, and inverse models for the recovery of seasonal fluctuations in Paranthropus robustus serial enamel isotope profiles and the implementation of this process with data from Sponheimer et al. (2006).

  PublisherDOI

• Land cover, plant functional type, and forage quality in the reindeer herding district of Sattasniemi, Finland

  Research Square · 2026-01-06

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The development of chemical approaches to fossil hominin ecology in South Africa

  South African Journal of Science · 2025-02-05 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  When Dart recognised the fossilised skull of the Taung Child as a hominin ancestor, he also observed that its “sere environment” produced few foods preferred by African apes in equatorial forests. He thus set in motion an inquiry into the dietary and environmental proclivities of fossil hominins. His observations ultimately led him to suggest a strong reliance on meat-eating, later elaborated into a hunting model. Subsequent investigations into the diets of the South African australopithecines led to the development of new approaches including dental microwear, stable light isotopes, and trace element analyses, which together led to a new focus on the prime importance of plant foods, for which there had been little direct behavioural evidence. Here we review why and how stable and radiogenic isotope approaches to hominin diet and residence patterns were developed in South Africa, the problems that had to be addressed, and the subsequent outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Refining Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Collagen Quantification: A New Predictive Model for Archaeological Bone

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Small rodent disturbance impact on Arctic graminoid forage quality

  Polar Biology · 2025-06-14

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Arctic rodents influence tundra plant communities by altering species diversity, structure, and nutrient dynamics. These dynamics are intensified during rodent population peaks. Plants are known to induce defenses in response to rodent herbivory. However, changes in plant tissue digestibility may also play a role in deterring rodents or impacting their survival. This study presents a first look at the impacts of rodent herbivory on crude protein (CP) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of two of the most common graminoid species ( Carex nigra and Deschampsia cespitosa ) and graminoid genus ( Calamagrostis spp . ) in the tundra meadows of the Varanger Peninsula, Norway. We selected 32 experimental plots representing both rodent-disturbed and adjacent, undisturbed control graminoid patches. In the summer of a rodent population peak, the disturbed plots had higher ADF (28.5%) values than less disturbed ones (26.6%), controlling for plant species. We also found differences between species, with Carex nigra having the lowest fiber content (24.3%, ADF) and highest protein content (18.2% CP)—making it the most palatable species. These results show that rodent activity can potentially alter plant food quality, suggesting that increasing fiber content may be a defensive response to herbivory.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Refining near-infrared spectroscopy for collagen quantification: A new predictive model for archaeological bone

  Journal of Archaeological Science · 2025-12-09 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Collagen is a vital archaeological material, preserving biochemical signatures that provide insights into past environments, diets, and human-animal interactions. However, diagenesis can lead to rapid and inconspicuous collagen degradation. Given the variability in collagen preservation and its significance for analyses such as radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis, and ZooMS, researchers have developed prescreening techniques to assess collagen preservation before destructive sampling. Current prescreening approaches, including %N and C:N ratios, typically require sample destruction and access to equipped laboratories. Spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy have been explored as alternatives, but they are limited in penetration depth, generalizability (at present at least), and are often still destructive, if minimally. Here, we further develop single-point near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a fully non-destructive, rapid, and field-portable method for prescreening bone for collagen preservation. Unlike FTIR and Raman spectroscopic techniques, NIR light penetrates below the surface of bone, enabling assessment of internal collagen preservation without destructive sample preparation. Using Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) and Random Forest (RF) modeling, we trained predictive models on whole bones with known collagen yields and validated the models on an independent archaeological collection. Both PLSR and RF models, when restricted to the 2030–2060 nm range, demonstrate strong and comparable performance while avoiding wavelengths associated with consolidants in our reference library. The models outperform traditional % N-based methods in identifying suitable samples for radiocarbon dating. These models enable the high-throughput screening of large collections of bone, improving sample selection and minimizing unnecessary destructive analysis.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: Rodent Diets and Habitat Reconstructions in South Africa: an Actualistic and Applied Multidisciplinary Study

  NSF · $87k · 2010–2012

• An Investigation of Early Hominin Land Use in and Around the Sterkfontein Valley Using Strontium Isotopes

  NSF · $139k · 2006–2008

Frequent coauthors

• Julia A. Lee‐Thorp

  158 shared

• Daryl Codron

  University of the Free State

  109 shared

• Jacqui Codron

  64 shared

• Darryl J. de Ruiter

  Texas A&M University

  63 shared

• Thure E. Cerling

  40 shared

• Benjamin H. Passey

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  32 shared

• Oliver Paine

  San Diego State University

  26 shared

• Amanda G. Henry

  Leiden University

  22 shared