. Earth Science News .
ABOUT US
Early humans moved into subarctic climates earlier than thought, study says
by Brooks Hays
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 22, 2021

Humans have been living on all but one of Earth's continents for thousands of years, but exactly how Homo sapiens successfully dispersed across the planet remains an open question.

Most models suggest early humans relied on warmer climatic conditions to move into northern environs, but a new survey of archaeological materials suggests humans were enduring frigid conditions -- like those typical of present-day northern Scandinavia -- much earlier than previously thought.

According to the new research, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, early human populations were surprisingly adaptable and resilient.

"Using these new insights, new models of the spread of our species across Eurasia will now need to be constructed, taking into account their higher degree of climatic flexibility," study co-author Jean-Jacques Hublin, director of the Department of Human Evolution at the Max Planck Institute, said in a press release.

For the study, scientists focused on human habitation inside Bacho Kiro Cave, an important archaeological site in Bulgaria.

Researchers analyzed archaeological materials dating back thousands of years, including the remains of herbivores butchered by human occupants.

From these materials, scientists extracted paleoclimate data, which allowed researcher to produce a detailed record of what local climate conditions were like at the times when humans were occupying the cave.

The technique offers a better idea of the context of local climates, as opposed to more common correlations made between archaeological data and climatic archives from different locations, said study co-author Kate Britton.

"It really gives us insight into what life was like 'on the ground,'" said Britton, who is also a researcher at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Aberdeen

Few archaeological sites can offer both evidence of human habitation and reliable paleoclimate data, making it difficult to do the kinds of analysis conducted since Bacho Kiro Cave.

"Due to the time consuming nature of the analysis and the reliance on the availability of particular animal remains, oxygen isotope studies or other ways of generating climatic data directly from archaeological sites remain scarce for the time period when Homo sapiens first spread across Eurasia," said lead study author Sarah Pederzani, who is also a researcher at the Max Planck and Aberdeen.

Pederzani spent a year drilling into the teeth of ancient animals recovered from the cave. Using stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry, researchers were able to precisely date the animals remains, as well as collect details about the local climate conditions.

"Through this time intensive analysis that included a total of 179 samples, it was possible to obtain a very highly resolved record of past temperatures, including summer, winter and mean annual temperature estimates for human occupations spanning more than 7,000 years," said Pederzani.

The latest analysis followed a multiyear effort to recover archaeological materials from Bacho Kiro Cave. Deposits from the cave's lowest portion yielded a variety of animal bones, stone tools, pendants and even human remains.

The artifacts suggest humans had begun spreading into southeastern Europe from the Levant as early as 45,000 years ago -- tolerating subarctic conditions as they moved into the region.


Related Links
All About Human Beings and How We Got To Be Here


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


ABOUT US
Study suggests earliest use of bone tools to produce clothing in Morocco 120,000 years ago
Tempe AZ (SPX) Sep 20, 2021
A new study led by Arizona State University paleoanthropologist Curtis Marean and ASU doctoral graduate Emily Hallett details more than 60 tools made of bone and one tool made from the tooth of a cetacean, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. These finds, first unearthed from Contrebandiers Cave, Morocco in 2011, are highly suggestive proxy evidence for the earliest clothing in the archaeological record and attest to the pan-African emergence of complex culture and specialized tool manufactur ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

ABOUT US
U.S. Navy, Lebanese military to improve construction, humanitarian capabilities

Mexico's suit against US gunmakers edges ahead

Plea for Haiti aid amid political crisis, quake clean-up

Climate change could force 216 million from their homes: World Bank

ABOUT US
Now we're cooking with lasers

Engineering researchers develop new explanation for formation of vortices in 2D superfluid

Researchers find a new way to control magnets

EPFL engineers introduce a new approach for recycling plastics

ABOUT US
Report: Global warming is causing 'unprecedented changes' to oceans

Battling to 'replant' Albania's threatened marine forests

Damaged coral reefs cause decline in fisheries, risks for coastal communities

Egypt, Sudan back resumed Nile dam talks as UN urges deal

ABOUT US
Dynamics behind the remarkable August 2018 Greenland polynya formation

On thin ice: Near North Pole, a warning on climate change

UMass Amherst researcher to unravel the "last great Arctic mystery"

Biden admin. moves to block controversial Alaska gold mine

ABOUT US
Banana plantations offer bats 'fast food,' but alter gut microbiomes for the worse

Leonardo DiCaprio invests in two lab-grown meat startups

Wolf hunting ban pits farmers against conservationists in Spain

Australia asks WTO to rule against Chinese wine tariffs

ABOUT US
South Sudanese refugees homeless again after Sudan floods

Volcano lava destroys 320 buildings on Spanish island

Canaries volcano razes hundreds of buildings as lava creeps to sea

Rare Australia earthquake triggers panic in Melbourne

ABOUT US
Algeria ex-presidential candidate jailed for four years

Strikes paralyse hospitals in Guinea-Bissau

DR Congo rebel jailed for life for war crimes, environmental harm

French defence minister warns Mali against Russian 'mercenary' firm

ABOUT US
Early humans moved into subarctic climates earlier than thought, study says

Study suggests earliest use of bone tools to produce clothing in Morocco 120,000 years ago

The world's languages may be so similar because of how humans talk about language

Milk fueled migration across Eurasian steppe 5,000 years ago









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.