Regional geological formation and speleogenesis of the ‘Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa’ UNESCO World Heritage Site

We review the regional geological and geomorphological settings of South Africa’s northeastern provinces, which are world famous for hosting the Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa (The Cradle of Humankind) UNESCO World Heritage Area. Based on past research, it is evident that there is a lack of comparative studies of regional speleogenesis and temporal or spatial analyses of caves to inform hominin fossil discoveries. This has led to a gap in research at local geological scales, targeting karst formation in relation to the underlying geology. We argue that understanding the complex interaction of geological and geomorphological processes is essential to interpret the palaeoanthropological and archaeological record of the Cradle of Humankind. Current knowledge of the geological history of the region is lacking the integration of the stratigraphic record and related nomenclature. This review synthesises the stratigraphic and geomorphological history of these north-northeastern provinces in relation to karst formation, in order to provide a geological framework that can underpin multidisciplinary research on the Cradle of Humankind.