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Ge J, Xing S, Grün R, Deng C, Jiang Y, Jiang T, Yang S, Zhao K, Gao X, Yang H, Guo Z, Petraglia MD, Shao Q. New Late Pleistocene age for the Homo sapiens skeleton from Liujiang southern China. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3611. [PMID: 38684677 PMCID: PMC11058812 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47787-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Homo sapiens in Eastern Asia is a topic of significant research interest. However, well-preserved human fossils in secure, dateable contexts in this region are extremely rare, and often the subject of intense debate owing to stratigraphic and geochronological problems. Tongtianyan cave, in Liujiang District of Liuzhou City, southern China is one of the most important fossils finds of H. sapiens, though its age has been debated, with chronometric dates ranging from the late Middle Pleistocene to the early Late Pleistocene. Here we provide new age estimates and revised provenience information for the Liujiang human fossils, which represent one of the most complete fossil skeletons of H. sapiens in China. U-series dating on the human fossils and radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating on the fossil-bearing sediments provided ages ranging from ~33,000 to 23,000 years ago (ka). The revised age estimates correspond with the dates of other human fossils in northern China, at Tianyuan Cave (~40.8-38.1 ka) and Zhoukoudian Upper Cave (39.0-36.3 ka), indicating the geographically widespread presence of H. sapiens across Eastern Asia in the Late Pleistocene, which is significant for better understanding human dispersals and adaptations in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Ge
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca s/n, Burgos, Spain
| | - Rainer Grün
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, QD, 4111, Australia
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chenglong Deng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | | | - Tingyun Jiang
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shixia Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Keliang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Xing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huili Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zhengtang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, QD, 4111, Australia.
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Qingfeng Shao
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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2
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Kusuma P, Cox MP, Barker G, Sudoyo H, Lansing JS, Jacobs GS. Deep ancestry of Bornean hunter-gatherers supports long-term local ancestry dynamics. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113346. [PMID: 37917587 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Borneo was a crossroad of ancient dispersals, with some of the earliest Southeast Asian human remains and rock art. The island is home to traditionally hunter-gatherer Punan communities, whose origins, whether of subsistence reversion or long-term foraging, are unclear. The connection between its past and present-day agriculturalist inhabitants, who currently speak Austronesian languages and have composite and complex genetic ancestry, is equally opaque. Here, we analyze the genetic ancestry of the northeastern Bornean Punan Batu (who still practice some mobile hunting and gathering), Tubu, and Aput. We find deep ancestry connections, with a shared Asian signal outgrouping modern and ancient Austronesian-ancestry proxies, suggesting a time depth of more than 7,500 years. They also largely lack the mainland Southeast Asian signals of agricultural Borneans, who are themselves genetically heterogeneous. Our results support long-term inhabitation of Borneo by some Punan ancestors and reveal unexpected complexity in the origins and dispersal of Austronesian-expansion-related ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradiptajati Kusuma
- Division of Genome Diversity and Diseases, Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology, Banten, Indonesia.
| | - Murray P Cox
- Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Graeme Barker
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Herawati Sudoyo
- Division of Genome Diversity and Diseases, Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology, Banten, Indonesia
| | - J Stephen Lansing
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA; Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guy S Jacobs
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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3
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Pop E, Hilgen S, Adhityatama S, Berghuis H, Veldkamp T, Vonhof H, Sutisna I, Alink G, Noerwidi S, Roebroeks W, Joordens J. Reconstructing the provenance of the hominin fossils from Trinil (Java, Indonesia) through an integrated analysis of the historical and recent excavations. J Hum Evol 2023; 176:103312. [PMID: 36745959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the early 1890s at Trinil, Eugène Dubois found a hominin skullcap (Trinil 2) and femur (Trinil 3, Femur I), situated at the same level ca. 10-15 m apart. He interpreted them as representing one species, Pithecanthropus erectus (now Homo erectus) which he inferred to be a transitional form between apes and humans. Ever since, this interpretation has been questioned-as the skullcap looked archaic and the femur surprisingly modern. From the 1950s onward, chemical and morphological analyses rekindled the debate. Concurrently, (bio)stratigraphic arguments gained importance, raising the stakes by extrapolating the consequences of potential mixing of hominin remains to the homogeneity of the complete Trinil fossil assemblage. However, conclusive evidence on the provenance and age of the hominin fossils remains absent. New Trinil fieldwork yielded unmanned aerial vehicle imagery, digital elevation models, and stratigraphic observations that have been integrated here with an analysis of the historical excavation documentation. Using a geographic information system and sightline analysis, the position of the historical excavation pits and the hominin fossils therein were reconstructed, and the historical stratigraphy was connected to that of new sections and test pits. This study documents five strata situated at low water level at the excavation site. Cutting into a lahar breccia are two similarly oriented, but asynchronous pre-terrace fluvial channels whose highly fossiliferous infills are identified as the primary targets of the historical excavations (Bone-Bearing Channel 1, 830-773 ka; Bone-Bearing Channel 2, 560-380 ka), providing evidence for a mixed faunal assemblage and yielding most of the hominin fossils. These channels were incised by younger terrace-related fluvial channels (terminal Middle or Late Pleistocene) that directly intersect the historical excavations and the reconstructed discovery location of Femur I, thereby providing an explanation for the relatively modern morphology of this 'bone of contention'. The paleoanthropological implications are discussed in light of the current framework of human evolution in Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Pop
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Sander Hilgen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Shinatria Adhityatama
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, 58 Parklands Drive, Southport, Qld, 4222, Australia
| | - Harold Berghuis
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Veldkamp
- Faculty ITC, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Hubert Vonhof
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Indra Sutisna
- Geological Museum, Jl. Diponegoro 57, Bandung, Jawa Barat, 40122, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Gerrit Alink
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sofwan Noerwidi
- Pusat Riset Arkeometri, Organisasi Riset Arkeologi, Bahasa, dan Sastra, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (OR ARBASTRA - BRIN), Jl. Condet Pejaten 4, Ps. Minggu, Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta, 12510, Indonesia
| | - Wil Roebroeks
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Josephine Joordens
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Paul-Henri Spaaklaan 1, 6229 EN, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Two Late Pleistocene human femora from Trinil, Indonesia: Implications for body size and behavior in Southeast Asia. J Hum Evol 2022; 172:103252. [PMID: 36162353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Late Pleistocene hominin postcranial specimens from Southeast Asia are relatively rare. Here we describe and place into temporal and geographic context two partial femora from the site of Trinil, Indonesia, which are dated stratigraphically and via Uranium-series direct dating to ca. 37-32 ka. The specimens, designated Trinil 9 and 10, include most of the diaphysis, with Trinil 9 being much better preserved. Microcomputed tomography is used to determine cross-sectional diaphyseal properties, with an emphasis on midshaft anteroposterior to mediolateral bending rigidity (Ix/Iy), which has been shown to relate to both body shape and activity level in modern humans. The body mass of Trinil 9 is estimated from cortical area and reconstructed length using new equations based on a Pleistocene reference sample. Comparisons are carried out with a large sample of Pleistocene and Holocene East Asian, African, and European/West Asian femora. Our results show that Trinil 9 has a high Ix/Iy ratio, most consistent with a relatively narrow-bodied male from a mobile hunting-gathering population. It has an estimated body mass of 55.4 kg and a stature of 156 cm, which are small relative to Late Pleistocene males worldwide, but larger than the penecontemporaneous Deep Skull femur from Niah Cave, Malaysia, which is very likely female. This suggests the presence of small-bodied active hunter-gatherers in Southeast Asia during the later Late Pleistocene. Trinil 9 also contrasts strongly in morphology with earlier partial femora from Trinil dating to the late Early-early Middle Pleistocene (Femora II-V), and to a lesser extent with the well-known complete Femur I, most likely dating to the terminal Middle-early Late Pleistocene. Temporal changes in morphology among femoral specimens from Trinil parallel those observed in Homo throughout the Old World during the Pleistocene and document these differences within a single site.
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5
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Maloney TR, Dilkes-Hall IE, Vlok M, Oktaviana AA, Setiawan P, Priyatno AAD, Ririmasse M, Geria IM, Effendy MAR, Istiawan B, Atmoko FT, Adhityatama S, Moffat I, Joannes-Boyau R, Brumm A, Aubert M. Surgical amputation of a limb 31,000 years ago in Borneo. Nature 2022; 609:547-551. [PMID: 36071168 PMCID: PMC9477728 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05160-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The prevailing view regarding the evolution of medicine is that the emergence of settled agricultural societies around 10,000 years ago (the Neolithic Revolution) gave rise to a host of health problems that had previously been unknown among non-sedentary foraging populations, stimulating the first major innovations in prehistoric medical practices1,2. Such changes included the development of more advanced surgical procedures, with the oldest known indication of an 'operation' formerly thought to have consisted of the skeletal remains of a European Neolithic farmer (found in Buthiers-Boulancourt, France) whose left forearm had been surgically removed and then partially healed3. Dating to around 7,000 years ago, this accepted case of amputation would have required comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy and considerable technical skill, and has thus been viewed as the earliest evidence of a complex medical act3. Here, however, we report the discovery of skeletal remains of a young individual from Borneo who had the distal third of their left lower leg surgically amputated, probably as a child, at least 31,000 years ago. The individual survived the procedure and lived for another 6-9 years, before their remains were intentionally buried in Liang Tebo cave, which is located in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, in a limestone karst area that contains some of the world's earliest dated rock art4. This unexpectedly early evidence of a successful limb amputation suggests that at least some modern human foraging groups in tropical Asia had developed sophisticated medical knowledge and skills long before the Neolithic farming transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Ryan Maloney
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. .,Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.
| | - India Ella Dilkes-Hall
- Archaeology, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Melandri Vlok
- Sydney South East Asian Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Adhi Agus Oktaviana
- BRIN, OR Arkeologi, Bahasa dan Sastra, Pusat Riset Arkeometri, Jakarta, Indonesia. .,School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Pindi Setiawan
- Faculty of Art and Design, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia.
| | | | - Marlon Ririmasse
- BRIN, OR Arkeologi, Bahasa dan Sastra, Pusat Riset Lingkungan, Maritim, dan Budaya Berkelanjutan, Jakarta, Indonesia.
| | - I Made Geria
- BRIN, OR Arkeologi, Bahasa dan Sastra, Pusat Riset Lingkungan, Maritim, dan Budaya Berkelanjutan, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Budi Istiawan
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Kalimantan Timur, Samarinda, Indonesia
| | | | - Shinatria Adhityatama
- School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ian Moffat
- Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Renaud Joannes-Boyau
- Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG), Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. .,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Adam Brumm
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Maxime Aubert
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. .,Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia. .,Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG), Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
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6
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Hoh BP, Deng L, Xu S. The Peopling and Migration History of the Natives in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo: A Glimpse on the Studies Over the Past 100 years. Front Genet 2022; 13:767018. [PMID: 35154269 PMCID: PMC8829068 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.767018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Southeast Asia (SEA) has one of the longest records of modern human habitation out-of-Africa. Located at the crossroad of the mainland and islands of SEA, Peninsular Malaysia is an important piece of puzzle to the map of peopling and migration history in Asia, a question that is of interest to many anthropologists, archeologists, and population geneticists. This review aims to revisit our understanding to the population genetics of the natives from Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo over the past century based on the chronology of the technology advancement: 1) Anthropological and Physical Characterization; 2) Blood Group Markers; 3) Protein Markers; 4) Mitochondrial and Autosomal DNA Markers; and 5) Whole Genome Analysis. Subsequently some missing gaps of the study are identified. In the later part of this review, challenges of studying the population genetics of natives will be elaborated. Finally, we conclude our review by reiterating the importance of unveiling migration history and genetic diversity of the indigenous populations as a steppingstone towards comprehending disease evolution and etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boon-Peng Hoh
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UCSI University, UCSI Hospital, Port Dickson, Malaysia
- *Correspondence: Boon-Peng Hoh,
| | - Lian Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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7
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Curnoe D, Datan I, Goh HM, Bin Sauffi MS, Ruff CB. Further analyses of the Deep Skull femur from Niah Caves, Malaysia. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103089. [PMID: 34837741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Darren Curnoe
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales 2021, Australia
| | - Ipoi Datan
- Sarawak Museum Department, Jalan Barak, Kuching, Sarawak, 93000, Malaysia
| | - Hsiao Mei Goh
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia
| | | | - Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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8
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Brumm A, Bulbeck D, Hakim B, Burhan B, Oktaviana AA, Sumantri I, Zhao JX, Aubert M, Sardi R, McGahan D, Saiful AM, Adhityatama S, Kaifu Y. Skeletal remains of a Pleistocene modern human (Homo sapiens) from Sulawesi. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257273. [PMID: 34587195 PMCID: PMC8480874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major gaps remain in our knowledge of the early history of Homo sapiens in Wallacea. By 70-60 thousand years ago (ka), modern humans appear to have entered this distinct biogeographical zone between continental Asia and Australia. Despite this, there are relatively few Late Pleistocene sites attributed to our species in Wallacea. H. sapiens fossil remains are also rare. Previously, only one island in Wallacea (Alor in the southeastern part of the archipelago) had yielded skeletal evidence for pre-Holocene modern humans. Here we report on the first Pleistocene human skeletal remains from the largest Wallacean island, Sulawesi. The recovered elements consist of a nearly complete palate and frontal process of a modern human right maxilla excavated from Leang Bulu Bettue in the southwestern peninsula of the island. Dated by several different methods to between 25 and 16 ka, the maxilla belongs to an elderly individual of unknown age and sex, with small teeth (only M1 to M3 are extant) that exhibit severe occlusal wear and related dental pathologies. The dental wear pattern is unusual. This fragmentary specimen, though largely undiagnostic with regards to morphological affinity, provides the only direct insight we currently have from the fossil record into the identity of the Late Pleistocene people of Sulawesi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Brumm
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David Bulbeck
- Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Basran Burhan
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Adhi Agus Oktaviana
- Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), Jakarta, Indonesia
- Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Iwan Sumantri
- Archaeology Laboratory, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Jian-xin Zhao
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maxime Aubert
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Ratno Sardi
- Balai Arkeologi Sulawesi Selatan, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - David McGahan
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Yousuke Kaifu
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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White R, Bosinski G, Bourrillon R, Clottes J, Conkey MW, Rodriguez SC, Cortés-Sánchez M, de la Rasilla Vives M, Delluc B, Delluc G, Feruglio V, Floss H, Foucher P, Fritz C, Fuentes O, Garate D, González Gómez J, González-Morales MR, González-Pumariega Solis M, Groenen M, Jaubert J, Martinez-Aguirre MA, Alcaide MÁM, Moro Abadia O, Peredo RO, Paillet-Man-Estier E, Paillet P, Petrognani S, Pigeaud R, Pinçon G, Plassard F, López SR, Vilá OR, Robert E, Ruiz-Redondo A, Ruiz López JF, San Juan-Foucher C, Torti JLS, Sauvet G, Simón-Vallejo MD, Tosello G, Utrilla P, Vialou D, Willis MD. Still no archaeological evidence that Neanderthals created Iberian cave art. J Hum Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Go MC, Hefner JT. Morphoscopic ancestry estimates in Filipino crania using multivariate probit regression models. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:386-401. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Go
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign 109 Davenport Hall, 607 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana Illinois
- SNA International, supporting the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency 590 Moffet Street, Building 4077, Joint Base Pearl Harbor‐Hickam Hawaii
| | - Joseph T. Hefner
- Department of AnthropologyMichigan State University 655 Auditorium Drive, East Lansing Michigan
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11
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Samper Carro SC, Gilbert F, Bulbeck D, O'Connor S, Louys J, Spooner N, Questiaux D, Arnold L, Price GJ, Wood R, Mahirta. Somewhere beyond the sea: Human cranial remains from the Lesser Sunda Islands (Alor Island, Indonesia) provide insights on Late Pleistocene peopling of Island Southeast Asia. J Hum Evol 2019; 134:102638. [PMID: 31446971 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The migration of anatomically modern humans (AMH) from Africa to every inhabitable continent included their dispersal through Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) to Australia. Significantly, this involved overwater dispersal through the Lesser Sunda Islands between Sunda (continental Southeast Asia) and Sahul (Australia and New Guinea). However, the timing and direction of this movement is still debated. Here, we report on human skeletal material recovered from excavations at two rockshelters, known locally as Tron Bon Lei, on Alor Island, Indonesia. The remains, dated to the Late Pleistocene, are the first anatomically modern human remains recovered in Wallacea dated to this period and are associated with cultural material demonstrating intentional burial. The human remains from Tron Bon Lei represent a population osteometrically distinct from Late Pleistocene Sunda and Sahul AMH. Instead, morphometrically, they appear more similar to Holocene populations in the Lesser Sundas. Thus, they may represent the remains of a population originally from Sunda whose Lesser Sunda Island descendants survived into the Holocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía C Samper Carro
- Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia; School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia; Centre d'Estudis del Patrimoni Arqueològic de la Prehistòria, Facultat de Lletres-Edifici B, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Felicity Gilbert
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - David Bulbeck
- Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - Sue O'Connor
- Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - Julien Louys
- Australian Research Centre of Human Evolution (ARCHE), Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Australia
| | - Nigel Spooner
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing & School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; Defence Science and Technology Group, PO Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA, 5111, UK
| | - Danielle Questiaux
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing & School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Lee Arnold
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing & School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Gilbert J Price
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Rachel Wood
- Earth Chemistry, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - Mahirta
- Jurusan Arkeologi, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Gadja Madja, Bulaksumur, Yogjakarta, 55281, Indonesia
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Curnoe D, Datan I, Goh HM, Sauffi MS. Femur associated with the Deep Skull from the West Mouth of the Niah Caves (Sarawak, Malaysia). J Hum Evol 2019; 127:133-148. [PMID: 30777354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The skeletal remains of Pleistocene anatomically modern humans are rare in island Southeast Asia. Moreover, continuing doubts over the dating of most of these finds has left the arrival time for the region's earliest inhabitants an open question. The unique biogeography of island Southeast Asia also raises questions about the physical and cultural adaptations of early anatomically modern humans, especially within the setting of rainforest inhabitation. Within this context the Deep Skull from the West Mouth of the Niah Caves continues to figure prominently owing to its relative completeness and the greater certainty surrounding its geological age. Recovered along with this partial cranium in 1958 were several postcranial bones including a partial femur which until now has received little attention. Here we provide a description and undertake a comparison of the Deep Skull femur finding it to be very small in all of its cross-sectional dimensions. We note a number of size and shape similarities to the femora of Indigenous Southeast Asians, especially Aeta people from the Philippines. We estimate its stature to have been roughly 145-146 cm and body mass around 35 kg, confirming similarities to Aeta females. Its extreme gracility indicated by low values for a range of biomechanical parameters taken midshaft meets expectations for a very small (female) Paleolithic East Asian. Interestingly, the second moment of area about the mediolateral axis is enlarged relative to the second moment of area about the anteroposterior axis, which could potentially signal a difference in activity levels or lifestyle compared with other Paleolithic femora. However, it might also be the result of sexual dimorphism in these parameters as well as possibly reflecting changes associated with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren Curnoe
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Ipoi Datan
- Sarawak Museum Department, Jalan Barak, Kuching, Sarawak, 93000, Malaysia
| | - Hsiao Mei Goh
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia
| | - Mohammed S Sauffi
- Sarawak Museum Department, Jalan Barak, Kuching, Sarawak, 93000, Malaysia
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Abstract
Figurative cave paintings from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi date to at least 35,000 years ago (ka) and hand-stencil art from the same region has a minimum date of 40 ka1. Here we show that similar rock art was created during essentially the same time period on the adjacent island of Borneo. Uranium-series analysis of calcium carbonate deposits that overlie a large reddish-orange figurative painting of an animal at Lubang Jeriji Saléh-a limestone cave in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo-yielded a minimum date of 40 ka, which to our knowledge is currently the oldest date for figurative artwork from anywhere in the world. In addition, two reddish-orange-coloured hand stencils from the same site each yielded a minimum uranium-series date of 37.2 ka, and a third hand stencil of the same hue has a maximum date of 51.8 ka. We also obtained uranium-series determinations for cave art motifs from Lubang Jeriji Saléh and three other East Kalimantan karst caves, which enable us to constrain the chronology of a distinct younger phase of Pleistocene rock art production in this region. Dark-purple hand stencils, some of which are decorated with intricate motifs, date to about 21-20 ka and a rare Pleistocene depiction of a human figure-also coloured dark purple-has a minimum date of 13.6 ka. Our findings show that cave painting appeared in eastern Borneo between 52 and 40 ka and that a new style of parietal art arose during the Last Glacial Maximum. It is now evident that a major Palaeolithic cave art province existed in the eastern extremity of continental Eurasia and in adjacent Wallacea from at least 40 ka until the Last Glacial Maximum, which has implications for understanding how early rock art traditions emerged, developed and spread in Pleistocene Southeast Asia and further afield.
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14
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Curnoe D, Datan I, Zhao JX, Leh Moi Ung C, Aubert M, Sauffi MS, Mei GH, Mendoza R, Taçon PSC. Rare Late Pleistocene-early Holocene human mandibles from the Niah Caves (Sarawak, Borneo). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196633. [PMID: 29874227 PMCID: PMC5991356 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The skeletal remains of Late Pleistocene-early Holocene humans are exceptionally rare in island Southeast Asia. As a result, the identity and physical adaptations of the early inhabitants of the region are poorly known. One archaeological locality that has historically been important for understanding the peopling of island Southeast Asia is the Niah Caves in the northeast of Borneo. Here we present the results of direct Uranium-series dating and the first published descriptions of three partial human mandibles from the West Mouth of the Niah Caves recovered during excavations by the Harrissons in 1957. One of them (mandible E/B1 100") is somewhat younger than the ‘Deep Skull’ with a best dating estimate of c30-28 ka (at 2σ), while the other two mandibles (D/N5 42–48" and E/W 33 24–36") are dated to a minimum of c11.0–10.5 ka (at 2σ) and c10.0–9.0 ka (at 2σ). Jaw E/B1 100" is unusually small and robust compared with other Late Pleistocene mandibles suggesting that it may have been ontogenetically altered through masticatory strain under a model of phenotypic plasticity. Possible dietary causes could include the consumption of tough or dried meats or palm plants, behaviours which have been documented previously in the archaeological record of the Niah Caves. Our work suggests a long history back to before the LGM of economic strategies involving the exploitation of raw plant foods or perhaps dried and stored meat resources. This offers new insights into the economic strategies of Late Pleistocene-early Holocene hunter-gatherers living in, or adjacent to, tropical rainforests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren Curnoe
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Ipoi Datan
- Sarawak Museum Department, Jalan Barak, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Jian-xin Zhao
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Maxime Aubert
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Goh Hsiao Mei
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Raynold Mendoza
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul S. C. Taçon
- PERAHU, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, Queensland, Australia
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Yew CW, Lu D, Deng L, Wong LP, Ong RTH, Lu Y, Wang X, Yunus Y, Aghakhanian F, Mokhtar SS, Hoque MZ, Voo CLY, Abdul Rahman T, Bhak J, Phipps ME, Xu S, Teo YY, Kumar SV, Hoh BP. Genomic structure of the native inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia and North Borneo suggests complex human population history in Southeast Asia. Hum Genet 2018; 137:161-173. [DOI: 10.1007/s00439-018-1869-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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