Direct evidence for human reliance on rainforest resources in late Pleistocene Sri Lanka

Roberts, Patrick; Perera, Nimal; Wedage, Oshan; Deraniyagala, Siran; Perera, Jude; Eregama, Saman; Gledhill, Andrew; Petraglia, Michael D.; Lee‐Thorp, Julia A.

doi:10.1126/science.aaa1230

Cited by 101 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…However, recent studies highlight still sporadic but gradually accumulating signatures of modern behavior in this region. These examples include capturing arboreal animals (34) or fast-moving marine fish (5); use of bone and shell technology (5-9, 35); and use and possible processing of plants (36,37), pigment (27,36), and ornaments (27); as well as cultural adaptation to rainforest environment (38). The importance of aquatic foraging strategies in human evolution has been repeatedly mentioned (e.g., refs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Fujita

Yamasaki

Katagiri

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Maritime adaptation was one of the essential factors that enabled modern humans to disperse all over the world. However, geographic distribution of early maritime technology during the Late Pleistocene remains unclear. At this time, the Indonesian Archipelago and eastern New Guinea stand as the sole, well-recognized area for secure Pleistocene evidence of repeated ocean crossings and advanced fishing technology. The incomplete archeological records also make it difficult to know whether modern humans could sustain their life on a resource-poor, small oceanic island for extended periods with Paleolithic technology. We here report evidence from a limestone cave site on Okinawa Island, Japan, of successive occupation that extends back to 35,000−30,000 y ago. Well-stratified strata at the Sakitari Cave site yielded a rich assemblage of seashell artifacts, including formally shaped tools, beads, and the world’s oldest fishhooks. These are accompanied by seasonally exploited food residue. The persistent occupation on this relatively small, geographically isolated island, as well as the appearance of Paleolithic sites on nearby islands by 30,000 y ago, suggest wider distribution of successful maritime adaptations than previously recognized, spanning the lower to midlatitude areas in the western Pacific coastal region.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Fujita

Yamasaki

Katagiri

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…38‐36 ka, while the stable isotope analysis of human tooth enamel in Sri Lanka has demonstrated that individuals not only used but also specialized in the exploitation of rainforest resources in South Asia from at least 20 ka (Fig. ) . Some of the earliest humans in the Americas also appear to have very quickly occupied and exploited the tropical forests of Central and South America c .…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Expansion: a Global Tropical Forest Prehistorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Tropical forests and the genus Homo

Roberts¹,

Boivin²,

Lee‐Thorp³

et al. 2016

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Tropical forests constitute some of the most diverse and complex terrestrial ecosystems on the planet. From the Miocene onward, they have acted as a backdrop to the ongoing evolution of our closest living relatives, the great apes, and provided the cradle for the emergence of early hominins, who retained arboreal physiological adaptations at least into the Late Pliocene. There also now exists growing evidence, from the Late Pleistocene onward, for tool-assisted intensification of tropical forest occupation and resource extraction by our own species, Homo sapiens. However, between the Late Pliocene and Late Pleistocene there is an apparent gap in clear and convincing evidence for the use of tropical forests by hominins, including early members of our own genus. In discussions of Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene hominin evolution, including the emergence and later expansion of Homo species across the globe, tropical forest adaptations tend to be eclipsed by open, savanna environments. Thus far, it is not clear whether this Early-Middle Pleistocene lacuna in Homo-rainforest interaction is real and representative of an adaptive shift with the emergence of our species or if it is simply reflective of preservation bias.

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“…Nevertheless, cumulative archaeological interest, spurred on by the application of novel methods of site discovery 7 , archaeological science research (e.g. [8][9][10][11] ), and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction (e.g. [12][13] ), have increasingly demonstrated tropical forests to be dynamic 'artefacts' of millennia of human-forest interaction [14][15] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The deep human prehistory of global tropical forests and its relevance for modern conservation

et al. 2017

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Abstract/first paragraphSignificant human impacts on tropical forests have been considered the preserve of recent societies, linked to large-scale deforestation, extensive and intensive agriculture, resource mining, livestock grazing, and urban settlement. Cumulative archaeological evidence now demonstrates, however, that Homo sapiens has actively manipulated tropical forest ecologies for at least 45,000 years. It is clear that these millennia of impacts need to be taken into account when studying and conserving tropical forest ecosystems today. Nevertheless, archaeology has so far provided only limited practical insight into contemporary human-tropical forest interactions. Here, we review significant archaeological evidence for the impacts of past hunter-gatherers, agriculturalists, and urban settlements on global tropical forests. We compare the challenges faced, as well as the solutions adopted, by these groups with those confronting present-day societies, which also rely on tropical forests for a variety of ecosystem services. We emphasise archaeology's importance not only in promoting natural and cultural heritage in tropical forests, but also in taking an active role to inform modern conservation and policy-making.

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Direct evidence for human reliance on rainforest resources in late Pleistocene Sri Lanka

Cited by 101 publications

References 43 publications

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Advanced maritime adaptation in the western Pacific coastal region extends back to 35,000–30,000 years before present

Tropical forests and the genus Homo

The deep human prehistory of global tropical forests and its relevance for modern conservation

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