Human Adaptation and Plant Use in Highland New Guinea 49,000 to 44,000 Years Ago

Summerhayes, Glenn R.; Leavesley, Matthew; Fairbairn, Andrew; Mandui, Herman; Field, Judith; Ford, Anne; Fullagar, Richard

doi:10.1126/science.1193130

Cited by 349 publications

(227 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…There is now clear evidence for the use of tropical forests by our species in Borneo [12][13]34 and Melanesia 35 by c. 45 ka; in South Asia by c. 36 ka 36 ; and in South America by c. 13 ka 37 . There are suggestions of earlier rainforest occupation c. 125 ka in Java [38][39] , c. 60 ka in the Philippines 40 , c. 100 ka in China 41 , and in Africa perhaps from the first appearance of Homo sapiens c. 200 ka 42 , though further research is required to verify these cases 43 .…”

Section: Early Impactsmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…In Southeast Asia, mounting evidence points to deliberate anthropogenic biomass burning in order to create forest-edge habitats from first human arrival c. 45 ka 13,35 (Figure 1). This may reflect reliance on starchy forest edge plants and bearded pig attracted to canopy openings 12 .…”

Section: Early Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Top: Late Pleistocene, Bottom: Early Holocene 11,000-5,000 BP. The figure is compiled based on data from Barker et al 118 , Denham 58 , Hunt et al 13 , Hunt and Premathilake 59 , Hunt and Rabett 119 , Marwick et al 120 Mijares et al 40 ,Moss and Kershaw 47 , Paz 56 , Kershaw et al 121 , van der Kaars et al 122 , Storm et al 38 , Summerhayes et al 35 , and Westaway et al 39 . Figure 2.…”

Section: Acknowledgmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Early Impactsmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Early Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Acknowledgmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2017

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“…This is because people reached Sahul by an ocean crossing mid-way through the last glacial cycle [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Later continental migrations through Eurasia and into the Americas were governed by changing climates in the approach to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What caused extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna of Sahul?

et al. 2016

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During the Pleistocene, Australia and New Guinea supported a rich assemblage of large vertebrates. Why these animals disappeared has been debated for more than a century and remains controversial. Previous synthetic reviews of this problem have typically focused heavily on particular types of evidence, such as the dating of extinction and human arrival, and have frequently ignored uncertainties and biases that can lead to misinterpretation of this evidence. Here, we review diverse evidence bearing on this issue and conclude that, although many knowledge gaps remain, multiple independent lines of evidence point to direct human impact as the most likely cause of extinction.

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“…24 The Solomon Islands (ie, the archipelago east of the Milne Bay area) were occupied by at least 28 kya. 25 Archeological findings in the Massim are scant 26 and there is currently no evidence of long-term human occupation before 2 kya.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human genetics of the Kula Ring: Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA variation in the Massim of Papua New Guinea

et al. 2014

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The island region at the southeastern-most tip of New Guinea and its inhabitants known as Massim are well known for a unique traditional inter-island trading system, called Kula or Kula Ring. To characterize the Massim genetically, and to evaluate the influence of the Kula Ring on patterns of human genetic variation, we analyzed paternally inherited Y-chromosome (NRY) and maternally inherited mitochondrial (mt) DNA polymorphisms in 4400 individuals from this region. We found that the nearly exclusively Austronesian-speaking Massim people harbor genetic ancestry components of both Asian (AS) and Near Oceanian (NO) origin, with a proportionally larger NO NRY component versus a larger AS mtDNA component. This is similar to previous observations in other Austronesian-speaking populations from Near and Remote Oceania and suggests sex-biased genetic admixture between Asians and Near Oceanians before the occupation of Remote Oceania, in line with the Slow Boat from Asia hypothesis on the expansion of Austronesians into the Pacific. Contrary to linguistic expectations, Rossel Islanders, the only Papuan speakers of the Massim, showed a lower amount of NO genetic ancestry than their Austronesian-speaking Massim neighbors. For the islands traditionally involved in the Kula Ring, a significant correlation between inter-island travelling distances and genetic distances was observed for mtDNA, but not for NRY, suggesting more male-than female-mediated gene flow. As traditionally only males take part in the Kula voyages, this finding may indicate a genetic signature of the Kula Ring, serving as another example of how cultural tradition has shaped human genetic diversity.

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Human Adaptation and Plant Use in Highland New Guinea 49,000 to 44,000 Years Ago

Cited by 349 publications

References 10 publications

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

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

What caused extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna of Sahul?

Human genetics of the Kula Ring: Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA variation in the Massim of Papua New Guinea

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