Recent excavations at the early Middle Pleistocene site of Mata Menge in the So'a Basin of central Flores, Indonesia, have yielded hominin fossils attributed to a population ancestral to Late Pleistocene Homo floresiensis. Here we describe the age and context of the Mata Menge hominin specimens and associated archaeological findings. The fluvial sandstone layer from which the in situ fossils were excavated in 2014 was deposited in a small valley stream around 700 thousand years ago, as indicated by (40)Ar/(39)Ar and fission track dates on stratigraphically bracketing volcanic ash and pyroclastic density current deposits, in combination with coupled uranium-series and electron spin resonance dating of fossil teeth. Palaeoenvironmental data indicate a relatively dry climate in the So'a Basin during the early Middle Pleistocene, while various lines of evidence suggest the hominins inhabited a savannah-like open grassland habitat with a wetland component. The hominin fossils occur alongside the remains of an insular fauna and a simple stone technology that is markedly similar to that associated with Late Pleistocene H. floresiensis.
Southeast Asian primates appear to be one of the most successful mammals in the dynamic paleoclimatic changes since at least 1 mya. Human and non-human primates reflect the complex history of a wide range of ecological and geographic variation, which presents to be the source of different systematics and biogeographic models. The past combinative effects of geographic factors (latitude, bathymetric barrier, and duration of island isolation), periodic sea level changes, and the contribution of human and/or non-human primate interaction are crucial subjects in studying the north-to-south, which is from continental to archipelago of Sunda Shelf, dispersal events and phylogeographic analysis of human and non-human primates. Cranial size and shape difference between Homo erectus in mainland and island displays peculiarity on the effect of insularity. Data analyses on cranial landmarks of three non-human primate genera provide more clear resolution to reconstruct the complete scenario, whereby insular primates are dispersed and adapted to their present biogeographical distribution.
In October 2021, the depreciation of the water level of dam Saguling revealed the surficial sediment where was dam up Citarum river. Sirtwo island and surroundings are part of the body sediment were arisen which is part of the sedimentary facies in the western of Bandung Lake ancient. Several vertebrate fossils were found on Sirtwo island and Pasir Benteng island. The investigation of vertebrate fossils was carried out to understand where are deposited in Bandung lake. The geological survey lead to the recognition of types of lake deposits and was divided into 5 block observations i.e., Block A, Block B, Block C, Block D, and Block E. Geographic information system was used to determine the location points where the fossil was found and is correlated with other location. The fossils fragment is identified as vertebrate fossils i.e., Bovid sp., Rusa sp., and Elephas maximus. The detail of vertebrate fossils type and sediment petrology is under further analysis. The sedimentary facies are lake deposit and is distinguished into 3 sub-facies: 1) volcanic deposit with vertebrate fossil 2) sandstone tuff without vertebrate fossil and 3) sandstone tuff with vertebrate fossil. The age of lithology is estimated between 10.000 till >135.000 Years ago and the depositional environment is interpreted into fan lake, channel, and lake bottom. This study clearly determines lithofacies in the research area which contain vertebrate fossils.
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