Hominid Dispersals and Asian Biogeography during the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene, c. 2.0-0.5 Mya

Abstract

This paper examines the environmental context of human dispersals into Asia up to 0.5 mya. These dispersals were probably intermittent, often discontinuous, and initially confined to warm grasslands and open woodlands across southern Asia. During the Early Pleistocene, the effects of the uplift of Tibet and the inception of the monsoon were muted by the low-amplitude nature of northern hemisphere glaciations. By the Middle Pleistocene, further uplift, stronger monsoonal circulation, and higher-amplitude, glacial-interglacial cycles made much of Southwest and Central Asia more arid than previously. Two other Mid-Pleistocene developments were important: first, the appearance of Acheulean assemblages, possibly as far east as southern China; and secondly, the first appearance of hominids at latitudes 40–45oN during interglacial episodes. Hominid dispersals in both Europe and Asia were probably broadly similar in that hominids did not habitually live beyond 40oN until c. 500 kya. Rather than dividing Asia longitudinally into areas east or west of the Movius line, latitudinal divisions between warm/hot and cool/cold environments might be more appropriate.

Vegetation context and climatic limits of the Early Pleistocene hominin dispersal in Europe

“…In Asia, Dennell (2004) and Dennell et al (2011) suggests that dispersal were probably intermittent, often discontinuous. Initially colonisation was confined to warm grasslands and open woodlands across southern Asia following the same climate and vegetation latitudinal band from the west to the east.…”

The Palaeolithic occupation of Europe as revealed by evidence from the rivers: data from IGCP 449

“…The oldest material of all, dating from the early part of the Early Pleistocene, is found in southeast Europe, presumably reflecting the initial migration of early humans from Africa into Europe via the Levant, tracking structurally familiar biomes (e.g. Dennell, 2004). Key sites of great antiquity (Fig.…”

Early and Middle Pleistocene Faunal and hominins dispersals through Southwestern Asia

“…It has been 33 suggested that the expansion of savanna environments during the Early Pleistocene 34 allowed for the first 'Out of Africa I' dispersal (Dennell, 2004;Martínez-Navarro, 2004) 35 and that humans dispersed into Western Europe during warmer periods and that the 36 dispersal was highly influenced by climate rather than culture, which played only a minor 37 role (Agustí et al, 2009a). However, these theories assume as a working hypotheses that 38 the presence of hominins and faunal present in the paleontological and archaeological 39 record is continuous.…”