The large mammals from Tuozidong (eastern China) and the Early Pleistocene environmental availability for early human settlements

Abstract

To test the possibility if the earliest human settlements in Eurasia could be earlier than commonly accepted 1.7 Ma, large mammals from the Tuozidong cave deposits from eastern China were analyzed. Tuozidong deposits were discovered in 2000 and excavated again in 2007. Compared with other Eurasian Early Pleistocene faunas, the Tuozidong fauna is similar to Yuanmou and Gongwangling faunas associated with Homo erectus, indicating that the environments of Tuozidong fauna were suitable for habitation of early humans. It is similar to the Longgupo and Renzidong faunas associated with putative Paleolithic industry around 2 Ma in China. It is also similar in some degree to the Saint Vallier and Chilhac faunas in France, which indicates the existence of faunal exchanges between East Asia and West Europe, and the environment barriers between Eurasian continents were not unconquerable in the early Pleistocene for mammal migrations. Based on the capability of good mammal migrators, the earliest tool-makers of 2.6 Ma in East Africa should have been able to expand or migrate to Eurasia within 600 ky. The putative Paleolithic industries from Longgupo and Renzidong in East Asia and those from Riwat in South Asia might be the witness of earliest human settlements in Eurasia around 1.9–2 Ma.