It has recently become clear that several human lineages coexisted with Homo sapiens during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene.Here,we report an archaic human fossil that throws new light on debates concerning the d...It has recently become clear that several human lineages coexisted with Homo sapiens during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene.Here,we report an archaic human fossil that throws new light on debates concerning the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of H.sapiens.The fossil was recovered in Harbin city in northeastern China,with a minimum uranium-series age of 146 ka.This cranium is one of the best preserved Middle Pleistocene human fossils.Its massive size,with a large cranial capacity(1,420 mL)falling in the range of modern humans,is combined with a mosaic of primitive and derived characters.It differs from all the other named Homo species by presenting a combination of features,such as long and low cranial vault,a wide and low face,large and almost square orbits,gently curved but massively developed supraorbital torus,flat and low cheekbones with a shallow canine fossa,and a shallow palate with thick alveolar bone supporting very large molars.The excellent preservation of the Harbin cranium advances our understanding of several less-complete late Middle Pleistocene fossils from China,which have been interpreted as local evolutionary intermediates between the earlier species Homo erectus and later H.sapiens.Phylogenetic analyses based on parsimony criteria and Bayesian tip-dating suggest that the Harbin cranium and some other Middle Pleistocene human fossils from China,such as those from Dali and Xiahe,form a third East Asian lineage,which is a part of the sister group of the H.sapiens lineage.Our analyses of such morphologically distinctive archaic human lineages from Asia,Europe,and Africa suggest that the diversification of the Homo genus may have had a much deeper timescale than previously presumed.Sympatric isolation of small populations combined with stochastic long-distance dispersals is the best fitting biogeographical model for interpreting the evolution of the Homo genus.展开更多
As one of the most complete archaic human fossils,the Harbin cranium provides critical evidence for studying the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of Homo sapiens.However,the unsystematic recovery of th...As one of the most complete archaic human fossils,the Harbin cranium provides critical evidence for studying the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of Homo sapiens.However,the unsystematic recovery of this cranium and a long and confused history since the discovery impede its accurate dating.Here,we carried out a series of geochemical analyses,including non-destructive X-ray fluorescence(XRF),rare earth elements(REE),and the Sr isotopes,to test the reported provenance of the Harbin cranium and get better stratigraphic constraints.The results show that the Harbin cranium has very similar XRF element distribution patterns,REE concentration patterns,and Sr isotopic compositions to those of the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene mammalian and human fossils recently recovered from the Harbin area.The sediments adhered in the nasal cavity of the Harbin cranium have a 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.711898,falling in the variation range measured in a core drilled near the Dongjiang Bridge,where the cranium was discovered during its reconstruction.The regional stratigraphic correlations indicate that the Harbin cranium was probably from the upper part of the Upper Huangshan Formation of the Harbin area,which has an optically stimulated luminescence dating constraint between 138 and 309 ka.U-series disequilibrium dating(n=10)directly on the cranium suggests that the cranium is older than 146 ka.The multiple lines of evidence from our experiments consistently support the theory that the Harbin cranium is from the late Middle Pleistocene of the Harbin area.Our study also shows that geochemical approaches can provide reliable evidence for locating and dating unsystematically recovered human fossils,and potentially can be applied to other human fossils without clear provenance and stratigraphy records.展开更多
The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly...The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau.A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage.These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using optically stimulated luminescence and accelerator mass spectrometry^(14)C methods.They represent,respectively,the earliest known Paleolithic and microlithic sites on the interior Tibetan Plateau,indicating multiple occupation episodes of hunter-gatherers during the past 45 ka.Our studies reveal that relatively stable depositional conditions and a paleoenvironment characterized by a comparatively warm climate facilitated these multiple occupations at Nwya Devu.The contemporaneous occurrence of the Upper Paleolithic blade technology on the Tibetan Plateau and most of Eurasia between 50 and 40 ka indicates rapid,large-scale dispersals of humans that profoundly affected human demography on a large scale.Combining new archaeological evidence and previously reported genetic data,we conclude that the Tibetan Plateau provided a relatively stable habitat for Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers,which may have contributed to the complex and multiple-origin gene pool of present-day Tibetans.展开更多
Microblade assemblages are among the most common prehistoric archaeological materials found on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)and are thought to indicate large scale migration to and settlement of the TP.Few microblade sites,...Microblade assemblages are among the most common prehistoric archaeological materials found on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)and are thought to indicate large scale migration to and settlement of the TP.Few microblade sites,however,have been systematically excavated,especially in the remotest,highest-elevation regions of the TP.The timing of the large-scale arrival,spread,and permanent settlement of people on the TP therefore remains controversial.In this paper,we report on a recently excavated site,Locality 3 of the Nwya Devu Site(ND3),located at 4600 meters above sea level(masl),near the shore of Ngoin Lake,on the interior TP.Our analyses reveal a fairly typical microblade technological orientation and two types of microblade cores:wedge-shaped and semi-conical,which are similar to those found throughout North China.Using Optically Stimulated Luminescence(OSL)dating and AMS^(14)C dating,the age of ND3 ranges from 11 to 10 ka.This date range indicates ND3 is the oldest microblade site yet recorded in the remote,high-elevation regions of the TP and thus provides important information about when and how hunter-gatherers using microblades began exploiting the higher altitudes of the TP.Taken together,studies at ND3 and throughout the TP suggest that a microblade adaptation is associated with the first prolonged human occupation of the plateau and that microblades played a significant role in mediating the risks and facilitating the mobility necessary to permanently inhabit the TP.展开更多
In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibi...In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibility,color,and diffuse reflectance spectrum.Results show that the magnetic susceptibility and redness of the burnt sediments are remarkably higher than those of other areas on the same level:up to*22 times for magnetic susceptibility and*3 times for redness of those of the adjacent unburnt sediments.Fine-grained(superparamagnetic/stable single-domain)magnetite and hematite grains make dominant contributions to the distinctly high values of magnetic susceptibility and redness in the burnt sediments.Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results show that the burnt sediments contain more hematite than those of other areas and localities 2 and 3.High-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that the burnt sediments have been heated above 700°C.Those changes in low-frequency magnetic susceptibility and redness are impossibly resulted from natural fires,thus most likely signaling the human activities of controlled use of fire.However,further work is needed to confirm whether or not these heat-affected sediments were produced in situ.展开更多
Reaching the Tibetan Plateau is notoriously challenging due to its high elevations and the surrounding mountain ranges.Considering environmental pressures such as low temperatures and precipitations,patchy resources,a...Reaching the Tibetan Plateau is notoriously challenging due to its high elevations and the surrounding mountain ranges.Considering environmental pressures such as low temperatures and precipitations,patchy resources,and especially hypoxia,continued survival in the region requires both biological and behavioral adaptations.This is probably why for a long time the Plateau was considered among the last regions occupied by human beings.展开更多
基金This project has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41842039,41625005,41888101,41988101,41877430,41977380)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)(XDB26030300,XDA20070203,XDA19050100)+3 种基金the People’s Government of Hebei Province(Z20177187)the China Geological Survey(DD20190601)the Science Foundation of Hebei GEO University(TS2017-001)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(2019QZKK0705).
文摘It has recently become clear that several human lineages coexisted with Homo sapiens during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene.Here,we report an archaic human fossil that throws new light on debates concerning the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of H.sapiens.The fossil was recovered in Harbin city in northeastern China,with a minimum uranium-series age of 146 ka.This cranium is one of the best preserved Middle Pleistocene human fossils.Its massive size,with a large cranial capacity(1,420 mL)falling in the range of modern humans,is combined with a mosaic of primitive and derived characters.It differs from all the other named Homo species by presenting a combination of features,such as long and low cranial vault,a wide and low face,large and almost square orbits,gently curved but massively developed supraorbital torus,flat and low cheekbones with a shallow canine fossa,and a shallow palate with thick alveolar bone supporting very large molars.The excellent preservation of the Harbin cranium advances our understanding of several less-complete late Middle Pleistocene fossils from China,which have been interpreted as local evolutionary intermediates between the earlier species Homo erectus and later H.sapiens.Phylogenetic analyses based on parsimony criteria and Bayesian tip-dating suggest that the Harbin cranium and some other Middle Pleistocene human fossils from China,such as those from Dali and Xiahe,form a third East Asian lineage,which is a part of the sister group of the H.sapiens lineage.Our analyses of such morphologically distinctive archaic human lineages from Asia,Europe,and Africa suggest that the diversification of the Homo genus may have had a much deeper timescale than previously presumed.Sympatric isolation of small populations combined with stochastic long-distance dispersals is the best fitting biogeographical model for interpreting the evolution of the Homo genus.
基金This project has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41977380,41877430,41842039,41625005,41888101,41988101)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS XDB26030400,XDB26030300,XDA20070203,XDA19050100)+3 种基金the People’s Government of Hebei Province(Z20177187)the China Geological Survey(DD20190601)the Science Foundation of Hebei GEO University(TS2017-001)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(2019QZKK0705)。
文摘As one of the most complete archaic human fossils,the Harbin cranium provides critical evidence for studying the diversification of the Homo genus and the origin of Homo sapiens.However,the unsystematic recovery of this cranium and a long and confused history since the discovery impede its accurate dating.Here,we carried out a series of geochemical analyses,including non-destructive X-ray fluorescence(XRF),rare earth elements(REE),and the Sr isotopes,to test the reported provenance of the Harbin cranium and get better stratigraphic constraints.The results show that the Harbin cranium has very similar XRF element distribution patterns,REE concentration patterns,and Sr isotopic compositions to those of the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene mammalian and human fossils recently recovered from the Harbin area.The sediments adhered in the nasal cavity of the Harbin cranium have a 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.711898,falling in the variation range measured in a core drilled near the Dongjiang Bridge,where the cranium was discovered during its reconstruction.The regional stratigraphic correlations indicate that the Harbin cranium was probably from the upper part of the Upper Huangshan Formation of the Harbin area,which has an optically stimulated luminescence dating constraint between 138 and 309 ka.U-series disequilibrium dating(n=10)directly on the cranium suggests that the cranium is older than 146 ka.The multiple lines of evidence from our experiments consistently support the theory that the Harbin cranium is from the late Middle Pleistocene of the Harbin area.Our study also shows that geochemical approaches can provide reliable evidence for locating and dating unsystematically recovered human fossils,and potentially can be applied to other human fossils without clear provenance and stratigraphy records.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41888101,41977380 and 42072033)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.XDB26000000 and XDA2004010102)+3 种基金the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(Grant No.2019QZKK0601)the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant No.21@WTK001)supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative Award(Grant No.2018VCA0016)the Je Tsongkhapa Endowment for Central and Inner Asian Archaeology at the University of Arizona。
文摘The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau.A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage.These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using optically stimulated luminescence and accelerator mass spectrometry^(14)C methods.They represent,respectively,the earliest known Paleolithic and microlithic sites on the interior Tibetan Plateau,indicating multiple occupation episodes of hunter-gatherers during the past 45 ka.Our studies reveal that relatively stable depositional conditions and a paleoenvironment characterized by a comparatively warm climate facilitated these multiple occupations at Nwya Devu.The contemporaneous occurrence of the Upper Paleolithic blade technology on the Tibetan Plateau and most of Eurasia between 50 and 40 ka indicates rapid,large-scale dispersals of humans that profoundly affected human demography on a large scale.Combining new archaeological evidence and previously reported genetic data,we conclude that the Tibetan Plateau provided a relatively stable habitat for Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers,which may have contributed to the complex and multiple-origin gene pool of present-day Tibetans.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China(Grant No.2021YFC1523603)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(Grant No.2019QZKK0601)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42072033&41977380)the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.23&ZD268&21@WTK001)。
文摘Microblade assemblages are among the most common prehistoric archaeological materials found on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)and are thought to indicate large scale migration to and settlement of the TP.Few microblade sites,however,have been systematically excavated,especially in the remotest,highest-elevation regions of the TP.The timing of the large-scale arrival,spread,and permanent settlement of people on the TP therefore remains controversial.In this paper,we report on a recently excavated site,Locality 3 of the Nwya Devu Site(ND3),located at 4600 meters above sea level(masl),near the shore of Ngoin Lake,on the interior TP.Our analyses reveal a fairly typical microblade technological orientation and two types of microblade cores:wedge-shaped and semi-conical,which are similar to those found throughout North China.Using Optically Stimulated Luminescence(OSL)dating and AMS^(14)C dating,the age of ND3 ranges from 11 to 10 ka.This date range indicates ND3 is the oldest microblade site yet recorded in the remote,high-elevation regions of the TP and thus provides important information about when and how hunter-gatherers using microblades began exploiting the higher altitudes of the TP.Taken together,studies at ND3 and throughout the TP suggest that a microblade adaptation is associated with the first prolonged human occupation of the plateau and that microblades played a significant role in mediating the risks and facilitating the mobility necessary to permanently inhabit the TP.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2007FY110200)
文摘In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibility,color,and diffuse reflectance spectrum.Results show that the magnetic susceptibility and redness of the burnt sediments are remarkably higher than those of other areas on the same level:up to*22 times for magnetic susceptibility and*3 times for redness of those of the adjacent unburnt sediments.Fine-grained(superparamagnetic/stable single-domain)magnetite and hematite grains make dominant contributions to the distinctly high values of magnetic susceptibility and redness in the burnt sediments.Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results show that the burnt sediments contain more hematite than those of other areas and localities 2 and 3.High-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that the burnt sediments have been heated above 700°C.Those changes in low-frequency magnetic susceptibility and redness are impossibly resulted from natural fires,thus most likely signaling the human activities of controlled use of fire.However,further work is needed to confirm whether or not these heat-affected sediments were produced in situ.
基金supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (2019QZKK0601)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB26030200 and XDA2004010102)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42072033 and 41977380)the National Social Science Foundation of China (21@WTK001)。
文摘Reaching the Tibetan Plateau is notoriously challenging due to its high elevations and the surrounding mountain ranges.Considering environmental pressures such as low temperatures and precipitations,patchy resources,and especially hypoxia,continued survival in the region requires both biological and behavioral adaptations.This is probably why for a long time the Plateau was considered among the last regions occupied by human beings.
