Early Human Research Articles

Early modern human migration into Sulawesi and Island adaptation in Wallacea

ABSTRACTMaritime migration and island adaptation by anatomically modern humans (AMH) are among the most significant current issues in Southeast Asian archaeology and directly related to their behavioural and technological advancement. In the center of this research hotspot are the Wallacean islands, situated between the Pleistocene landmasses of Sunda and Sahul. Two major migration routes have been suggested for the initial maritime migration from Sunda via Wallacea into Sahul, a northern route into the region of New Guinea and a southern route leading into northern Australia. Here, we report the outcomes of new archaeological research in Central Sulawesi, the most likely entry location for the northern route. Based on our latest findings and new C14 dates from Goa Topogaro 2, we discuss the evidence and timeline for the migration of early modern humans into the Wallacean islands and their adaptation to insular environments during the Late Pleistocene.

Ice Age megafauna rock art in the Colombian Amazon?

Megafauna paintings have accompanied the earliest archaeological contexts across the continents, revealing a fundamental inter-relationship between early humans and megafauna during the global human expansion as unfamiliar landscapes were humanized and identities built into new territories. However, the identification of extinct megafauna from rock art is controversial. Here, we examine potential megafauna depictions in the rock art of Serranía de la Lindosa, Colombian Amazon, that includes a giant sloth, a gomphothere, a camelid, horses and three-toed ungulates with trunks. We argue that they are Ice Age rock art based on the (i) naturalistic appearance and diagnostic morphological features of the animal images, (ii) late Pleistocene archaeological dates from La Lindosa confirming the contemporaneity of humans and megafauna, (iii) recovery of ochre pigments in late Pleistocene archaeological strata, (iv) the presence of most megafauna identified in the region during the late Pleistocene as attested by archaeological and palaeontological records, and (v) widespread depiction of extinct megafauna in rock art across the Americas. Our findings contribute to the emerging picture of considerable geographical and stylistic variation of geometric and figurative rock art from early human occupations across South America. Lastly, we discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the early human history of tropical South America.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.

Environmental heterogeneity of the Lower Palaeolithic land surface on the Goodwood‐Slindon Raised Beach: comparisons of the records from Boxgrove and Valdoe, Sussex, UK

ABSTRACTThe buried soil above the Goodwood‐Slindon Raised Beach running along the foot of the South Downs (Sussex) is one of the most extensive Lower Palaeolithic land surfaces known. It extends for 16 km but exposures are limited to Boxgrove, the focus of archaeological excavations since the 1980s, and Valdoe, 4.8 km to the west. The palaeosol yielded vertebrates suggesting attribution to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 13 and land snails important in the reconstruction of local environments. Important differences exist between the molluscan assemblages from Valdoe and Boxgrove. An extinct land snail Retinella (Lyrodiscus) elephantium, previously known in Britain only from MIS 11, occurred at Valdoe at unusually high frequencies in assemblages poor in woodland species, prompting a reappraisal of its stratigraphical and ecological significance. Conversely, Spermodea lamellata, a woodland species present at Boxgrove, was absent at Valdoe. This lateral variability results both from the original heterogeneity of the environment, and from differential preservation resulting from decalcification and erosion. Calcitic slug plates are over‐represented (>50% of the molluscan fauna) in decalcified sediments where shells composed of aragonite are rare. These considerations, and comparisons with modern and fossil assemblages, have led to more nuanced reconstructions of the landscape occupied by early humans in southern England ~500 ka ago.

Speleological and environmental history of Lida Ajer cave, western Sumatra.

Some of the earliest evidence for the presence of modern humans in rainforests has come from the fossil deposits of Lida Ajer in Sumatra. Two human teeth from this cave were estimated to be 73–63 thousand years old, which is significantly older than some estimates of modern human migration out of Africa based on genetic data. The deposits were interpreted as being associated with a rainforest environment based largely on the presence of abundant orangutan fossils. As well as the main fossil-bearing chamber, fossil-bearing passages are present below a sinkhole, although the relationship between the different fossil deposits has only been tenuously established. Here, we provide significant new sedimentological, geochronological and palaeoecological data aimed at reconstructing the speleological and environmental history of the cave and the clastic and fossil deposits therein. Our data suggest that the Lida Ajer fossils were deposited during Marine Isotope Stage 4, with fossils from the lower passages older than the main fossil chamber. Our use of stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of mammalian tooth enamel demonstrates that early humans probably occupied a closed-canopy forest very similar to those present in the region today, although the fossil orangutans may have occupied a slightly different niche.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.

Changes in marine resource consumption over the past 5000 years in southwestern Taiwan revealed by fish otoliths

Coastal prehistoric settlement is a prominent topic in archaeology and is often associated with marine food supply for subsistence. In Taiwan and the tropical West Pacific area, early humans have relied on marine resources since the Palaeolithic period. However, in general, understanding past marine subsistence in Taiwan is impeded by scarce data on animal remains. This study investigated the change in fish consumption of prehistoric humans in southwest Taiwan over time using 1300 fish otoliths collected at archaeological sites in the Tainan Science Park. The investigated period was 5000 to 300 years ago, and two of the earliest currently-known Austronesian settlements in Taiwan, the Nankuanli and Nankuanli East sites, were included. In general, the abundance of otoliths declined over time. Our findings indicate that people of the Early and Late Neolithic preferred coastal fish, whereas people in the Iron Age preferred brackish and lagoonal fish. Fish assemblage was dominated by Larimichthys crocea (Richardson, 1846), and we use this species to compare the otolith size distribution through distinct periods. The comparison revealed an increase in fish size through time. We suggest that the changes in abundance and composition of the fish consumed by the prehistoric people were driven by the gradual seaward distancing of the shoreline, and the hypothesis that overfishing occurred in prehistoric southwestern Taiwan was rejected. Finally, the pronounced preference for the large yellow croaker may corroborate the theory of mainland-Chinese origins of the Austronesian speaking peoples.

Environmental influences on human innovation and behavioural diversity in southern Africa 92-80 thousand years ago.

Africa's Middle Stone Age preserves sporadic evidence for novel behaviours among early modern humans, prompting a range of questions about the influence of social and environmental factors on patterns of human behavioural evolution. Here we document a suite of novel adaptations dating approximately 92-80 thousand years before the present at the archaeological site Varsche Rivier 003 (VR003), located in southern Africa's arid Succulent Karoo biome. Distinctive innovations include the production of ostrich eggshell artefacts, long-distance transportation of marine molluscs and systematic use of heat shatter in stone tool production, none of which occur in coeval assemblages at sites in more humid, well-studied regions immediately to the south. The appearance of these novelties at VR003 corresponds with a period of reduced regional wind strength and enhanced summer rainfall, and all of them disappear with increasing winter rainfall dominance after 80 thousand years before the present, following which a pattern of technological similarity emerges at sites throughout the broader region. The results indicate complex and environmentally contingent processes of innovation and cultural transmission in southern Africa during the Middle Stone Age.

Orbital controls on eastern African hydroclimate in the Pleistocene

Understanding eastern African paleoclimate is critical for contextualizing early human evolution, adaptation, and dispersal, yet Pleistocene climate of this region and its governing mechanisms remain poorly understood due to the lack of long, orbitally-resolved, terrestrial paleoclimate records. Here we present leaf wax hydrogen isotope records of rainfall from paleolake sediment cores from key time windows that resolve long-term trends, variations, and high-latitude effects on tropical African precipitation. Eastern African rainfall was dominantly controlled by variations in low-latitude summer insolation during most of the early and middle Pleistocene, with little evidence that glacial–interglacial cycles impacted rainfall until the late Pleistocene. We observe the influence of high-latitude-driven climate processes emerging from the last interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5) to the present, an interval when glacial–interglacial cycles were strong and insolation forcing was weak. Our results demonstrate a variable response of eastern African rainfall to low-latitude insolation forcing and high-latitude-driven climate change, likely related to the relative strengths of these forcings through time and a threshold in monsoon sensitivity. We observe little difference in mean rainfall between the early, middle, and late Pleistocene, which suggests that orbitally-driven climate variations likely played a more significant role than gradual change in the relationship between early humans and their environment.

Earliest humans, HIV variant and breakthrough COVID

Earliest humans, HIV variant and breakthrough COVID

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by local communities of Damot Woyde District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract. Megersa M, Woldetsadik S. 2022. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by local communities of Damot Woyde District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Nusantara Bioscience 14: 10-24. Humans have used traditional medicines mainly of plant origins to treat diseases. Early humans faced a tremendous challenge when searching for natural products used as medicines. This study reports on an ethnobotanical study that focused on the traditional medicinal plants used by local communities to treat human and livestock diseases. An ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants was conducted from February 2020 to October 2020. This involved semi-structured interviews, field observations, market surveys and group discussions with informants to document information on the use and management of medicinal plants by the people of Damot Woyde District. Fifty-seven medicinal plant species belonging to 31 families were collected, which are used by the study area inhabitants to treat various diseases in humans and livestock. The leading family was Asteraceae which was represented by 7 species (12.3%), followed by Rutaceae (6 species, 10.5%) and Solanaceae (5 species, 9%). Of the 57 medicinal plants collected, 36 (63.2%) were used to treat human ailments only, while 6 (10.5%) plant species were used to treat livestock ailments only and 15 (26.31%) were used to treat both human and livestock ailments. Herbs constituted the largest number of 22 species (38.6%), followed by shrubs 18 species (31.6%), trees 15 species (26.3%) and climbers 2 species (3.51%). Leaves (31.3%) were the most commonly used plant parts of preparing traditional remedies in the study area. Oral administration was the predominant mode of administration accounting for 71%. Preference ranking analysis revealed that Allium sativum L. was the most preferred plant species for treating the common cold. When the direct matrix ranking was analyzed, Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex. Del. was the most commonly used medicinal plant for various purposes. Our finding revealed that plant species' use plays a vital role in treating human and animal diseases in Damot Woyde District. Phytochemical and pharmacological tests are recommended mainly on frequently used medicinal plants.

QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AND ECOLOGICAL MONITORING OF THE ICE AGE PARK IN CARPATHIAN REGION, UKRAINE

An international geopark "The Park of Ice Age" located near the Starunia village in Bohorodchany district of Ivano-Frankivsk region is world-famous for being a paleontological site of Pleistocene fauna of the woolly rhinoceroses and mammoth (the Eemian interglacial period- 46-10 000 years ago according to radiocarbon dating C14) and for its mud volcano which is unique in the Carpathian region, This is a geological nature monument with an area of 60 hectares where abandoned ozokerite mine and oil and gas exploratory boreholes are presented. The detailed investigations carried out in the years 2004 - 2009 by Ukrainian-Polish expeditions were focused on discoveries of possible new sites of fauna fossils and human remains of European early modern humans (EEMH). The future discoveries at the paleontological site of Starunia are extremely important. They intend to carry out ecological assessment of soil, surface and stream waters, atmospheric air, snow, ashes of meadow grasses, radiological screening, and geo-radar sensing to find new locations of extinct mammals. The Starunia area meets all the requirements of a geopark according to UNESCO standards and concepts. The first research findings (1907) are connected with the remains of woolly rhinoceros, mammoth, horse, roe deer and other Pleistocene mammals which had been found in the ozokerite mine at the depth of 12 m near Starunia (Bohorodchany district, Ivano-Frankivsk region). In 1914 the scientists from Lviv (Ukraine) and Krakow (Poland) fully appreciated these discoveries and published a set of articles and a monograph. In 1929 the members of the expedition of Skill Academy (Krakow, Poland) found the remains of three more woolly rhinoceroses in the ozokerite mine at the depth of 17 m. Numerous bones of vertebrates (rodents), remains of mussels, a lot of species of insects, beetles, parasitic worms, fleas, butterflies, spiders, snails, vascular plants, mosses, seeds and branches of dwarf birch (Betula Nana), alder (Alnus glutinosa), and other fossil of tundra flora were also discovered. Polish scientists organized detailed investigations of flora and fauna around Starunia, their results were published in articles but the World War II suspended this process. The investigations around Starunia intensified the comprehensive study of stratigraphy, paleontology, paleogeography, geochronology and other aspects of the Quaternary Period. In 1932 there was established the International Geological Congress (the International Union of Quaternary Study) by INQUA in Leningrad. The main methodological principals of this study dealt with the investigations around Starunia.

Supplemental Material for Concordant Evidence for Positive Selection on Genes Related to Self-Domestication in Bonobos and Early Humans

Supplemental Material for Concordant Evidence for Positive Selection on Genes Related to Self-Domestication in Bonobos and Early Humans

Mobility and settlement dynamics of Large Cutting Tool makers in the subtropical forests of South China: A simulated ecological approach

New research in recent years has enriched our understanding of the spatio-temporal distribution of Large Cutting Tool (LCT) technology in Paleolithic China. Yet, few studies have focused on hominid social behaviors, and by analyzing LCTs from the Baise Basin in southern China, this case study aims to clarify some of these strategies for the region. Specifically, by employing two primary lines of evidence that consider both quantitative environmental variables and technological tool attributes, the results suggest that hominids preferred to adopt behavioral strategies associated with short-distance travelling and small-territory ranging. Furthermore, given the low density of stone artifacts and LCTs in all excavated sites, the somewhat homogenous landscape, and the even distribution of plant-dominated resources throughout the basin, site occupation and/or settlement was likely temporary in nature. Overall, the use of ecological simulations and analogous approaches in this study provides a series of new data for understanding lifeways of early humans in the humid subtropical forests of South China, and equally important, promote new research avenues for understanding the dynamics of the Chinese Paleolithic.

Evidence of Fire Use by Homo erectus pekinensis: An XRD Study of Archaeological Bones From Zhoukoudian Locality 1, China

Zhoukoudian Locality 1 is well known both for the discovery of Homo erectus fossils and for the presence of early evidence of controlled use of fire by hominins; However, the nature of the latter had been seriously questioned since mid-1980s. To obtain substantial evidence of fire use by hominins, we combine macroscopic observations and XRD analysis on 23 fossil bones from new excavations in Layers 4 and 5. The crystalline index shows that at least 15 fossil bones were heated above 600°C, and this is partly consistent with macroscopic observations. The high intensity burning of bones may indicate strong evidence of hominin-controlled use of fire at Layer 4. Future work should focus on archaeological materials from lower layers to improve our understanding of the nature of colored bones and gain more solid evidence of fire use by early humans at Zhoukoudian.

Изучение декора зданий эпохи Сефевида (с выборочным обзором Чешме Эмарат и Багхшах в Бехшахре)

Throughout history, man has wanted to create his own living space for various reasons. This aspect can be seen even in early humans who lived in caves such as Lascaux in France and Valtamira in Spain. It should be noted that the attempt to do so is visible among ancient human civilizations around the world and is not specific to specific regions or ethnic groups, because the decorations of geometric and abstract patterns are seen among the people of Europe. Safavid era in Iran is one of the busiest architectural periods. The buildings are located in the most attractive and glamorous buildings throughout the architecture of Iran. In the Safavid era, the ancient style of Iranian architecture was renewed and the design of buildings and space materials was opened for itself. Remains of the Safavid period, both in Behshahr and in other cities of Iran, contain a wide range of architectural decorations. The subject of the present discussion is the study of the architectural decorations of this period, which is due to the study of some examples (Cheshmeh Emarat and Baghshah in Behshahr). Safavids will help in Mazandaran region.

Acts of Compassion: Consoling Grief in the Art, Literature, and Music of Early Humanist Padua

Against the backdrop of the regulated restraint of the public displays of extreme emotion by civic authorities in late medieval Italian society, early Paduan humanists Giovanni Conversini, Pier Paolo Vergerio, and Francesco Zabarella cultivated compassion for the suffering of friends through acts of consolation. By sharing signs of suffering within a framework of classicized literary conventions, this bid for compassion signals an intervention in an older emotional regime by a community of early humanists in Padua in league with a pan-Italian network of prominent literary, social, and political figures. This new emotional regime also extends to the music of Johannes Ciconia and Antonio Zacara da Teramo. Both composers invite compassion from their listeners through analogous signs of suffering in their settings of consolatory texts. In the decades after Ciconia's death, a community of humanists and musicians transformed this emotional legacy into a collection of musical commemorations for some of Padua's greatest sons and the singers of their songs.

Survey on the Status of Breastfeeding in Korean Medical Institution Workers.

BackgroundHuman breast milk is essential and provides irreplaceable nutrients for early humans. However, breastfeeding is not easy for various reasons in medical institution environments. Therefore, in order to improve the breastfeeding environment, we investigated the difficult reality of breastfeeding through questionnaire responses from medical institution workers.MethodsA survey was conducted among 179 medical institution workers with experience in childbirth within the last five years. The survey results of 175 people were analyzed, with incoherent answers excluded.ResultsOf the 175 people surveyed, a total of 108 people (61.7%) worked during the day, and 33 people (18.9%) worked in three shifts. Among 133 mothers who stayed with their babies in the same nursing room, 111 (93.3%) kept breastfeeding for more than a month, but among those who stayed apart, only 10 (71.4%) continued breastfeeding for more than a month (P = 0.024). Ninety-five (88.0%) of daytime workers, 32 (94.1%) two-shift workers, and 33 (100%) three-shift workers continued breastfeeding for more than a month (P = 0.026). Workers in general hospitals tended to breastfeed for significantly longer than those that worked in tertiary hospitals (P = 0.003). A difference was also noted between occupation categories (P = 0.019), but a more significant difference was found in the comparison between nurses and doctors (P = 0.012). Longer breastfeeding periods were noted when mothers worked three shifts (P = 0.037). Depending on the period planned for breastfeeding prior to childbirth, the actual breastfeeding maintenance period after birth showed a significant difference (P = 0.002). Of 112 mothers who responded to the question regarding difficulties in breastfeeding after returning to work, 87 (77.7%) mentioned a lack of time caused by being busy at work, 82 (73.2%) mentioned the need for places and appropriate circumstances.ConclusionIn medical institutions, it is recommended that environmental improvements in medical institutions, the implementation of supporting policies, and the provision of specialized education on breastfeeding are necessary to promote breastfeeding.

Indonesia’s contribution in tracing the human ancestor

Since Darwin’s postulated the origin of the human species from an ape-like ancestor, the search for the missing link between ape and human had begun. In 1887, Eugene Dubois traveled from the Netherlands to Indonesia to search for the missing link. He eventually discovered human fossils in Wajak, Kedungbrubus, and Trinil to which he named Pithecanthropus erectus. The research was then continued by Ter Haar (1931) in Ngandong, Dujfyes, and his assistant, Andoyo (1936) in Perning, Mojokerto, and Von Koenigswald (1936-1940) in Sangiran, who successfully discovered many Homo erectus fossils. Since the 1960s, Sartono (ITB), T. Jacob (UGM), and Geological Research and Development Centre (Indonesia) continue the study, adding the collection of the specimens. Collaboration with the National Museum of Science and Nature, Tokyo concluded that Indonesian Homo erectus went through local evolution instead of static evolution condition. Indonesia is rich in natural resources and environmental conditions that were suitable for the evolution of early humans as shown by the discovery of several Homo erectus skeleton fossils that were not found in most other countries. This is a blessing left by early humans to us.

Luminescence dating estimates for the coastal MSA sequence of Hoedjiespunt 1 (South Africa)

Coastal adaptations have been considered to play an important role in the bio-cultural evolution of early Homo sapiens and their dispersal out of Africa. In line with this assessment, recent years have seen increasing evidence for the exploitation of seafood from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of northern and southern Africa. Yet, chronological control constitutes a key problem for better understanding the evolution of these behaviours, with little well-dated evidence for their origins in the late Middle Pleistocene and only few sites dated to before 100 ka. The shellfish-bearing MSA site of Hoedjiespunt 1 (HDP1), located in the Western Cape in South Africa, is one of the localities tentatively dated to the early Late Pleistocene. HDP1 has yielded a 1.5 m stratigraphic sequence with three phases of occupation, each containing abundant lithic artefacts, shellfish, terrestrial fauna, ostrich eggshell and pieces of ground ochre. Analyses of the cultural and zooarchaeological remains of HDP1 have provided evidence for systematic gathering of a narrow range of marine resources coupled with stable adaptations to coastal landscapes. Here we present the first complete absolute chronology for the site and its entire stratigraphic sequence by applying luminescence dating (OSL) to quartz grains extracted from the carbonate-rich sediments. The results show repeated human occupations during Marine Isotope Stages 5e-5c (∼130–100 ka) at HDP1, suggesting successful integration of coastal ecosystems into the regular repertoire of behavioural adaptations by early modern humans by no later than the beginning of the Late Pleistocene.

Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China

The reconstruction of environmental and climatic changes in the Pleistocene is an essential contribution to our understanding of human evolutionary and behavioral adaptations. Well preserved fluvio-lacustrine sediments at Nihewan basin have yielded a rich record of Early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites and mammalian fossils which provide a unique opportunity for exploring hominin behavior and paleoecology in North China. Taxonomic studies of mammalian fossils have provided important clues to the general environmental setting and landscapes of Early Pleistocene humans in the fluvio-lacustrine basin of Nihewan, but little is known about their isotopic signatures. In this paper, mammal teeth species at the Madigou archaeological site (ca. 1.2 Ma) were selected for bulk and sequential enamel stable isotope (C, O) analysis. Results show a variety of ecological environments, including grassland and sparse forest landscapes, and distinct patterns across taxa. C3-C4 mixed vegetation predominated, but C4 vegetation was also relevant at times. Madigou early humans likely experienced cold/warm or dry/wet fluctuations in this northern China basin. We hypothesize that the environmental fluctuations and diversified landscapes may have driven flexibility in various aspects of early human technological behaviors, and allowed hominins to face the environmental challenges of northern latitudes after the initial expansion from Africa into East Asia at the onset of the Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition.

Teaching the Art of Memory

Abstract The contribution deals with mnemonic teaching at the University of Erfurt, a practice which emerged as part of the early humanist approach to rhetoric. Thus, the ‘Memoriaʼ, too, found its way into the lecture schedule. The focus is on Jacobus Publicius, who produced a memory doctrine and taught in Erfurt temporarily. The outlines of his teaching appear in a studentʼs transcript, giving first-hand information and providing a valuable insight into the mnemonic teaching practice, which is otherwise poorly accessible to researchers.