Modelling Neanderthals’ dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east

Ghasidian, Elham; Kafash, Anooshe; Kehl, Martin; Yousefi, Masoud; Heydari‐Guran, Saman

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0281978

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…Archaeologists working in the Persian Plateau have begun to pay considerable attention to hominin dispersals in the Late Pleistocene 60 , 68 , 69 . A recent climatic and palaeohydrological study has indicated that the region experienced ameliorated conditions in MIS 5 (130–71 kya) and MIS 3 (57–29 kya), consistent with the widespread location of Middle Palaeolithic (MP) sites in the Zagros Mountains and in lowland riverine and lake settings.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal

Vallini,

Zampieri,

Shoaee

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

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A combination of evidence, based on genetic, fossil and archaeological findings, indicates that Homo sapiens spread out of Africa between ~70-60 thousand years ago (kya). However, it appears that once outside of Africa, human populations did not expand across all of Eurasia until ~45 kya. The geographic whereabouts of these early settlers in the timeframe between ~70-60 to 45 kya has been difficult to reconcile. Here we combine genetic evidence and palaeoecological models to infer the geographic location that acted as the Hub for our species during the early phases of colonisation of Eurasia. Leveraging on available genomic evidence we show that populations from the Persian Plateau carry an ancestry component that closely matches the population that settled the Hub outside Africa. With the paleoclimatic data available to date, we built ecological models showing that the Persian Plateau was suitable for human occupation and that it could sustain a larger population compared to other West Asian regions, strengthening this claim.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal

Vallini,

Zampieri,

Shoaee

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

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“…In this regard, recent research identified also two possible routes for the Neanderthal dispersal from the Caucasus towards the east: a northern route from the Greater Caucasus via the northern Caspian corridor, associated with the Eastern Micoquian distribution to the Altai, and a southern route from the Lesser Caucasus via the southern Caspian corridor, associated with the spread of other Mousterian industries to Central Asia and Altai [ 45 ]. The researchers hypothesize that the two Neanderthal populations and cultural facies that could be associated with the southern route are the makers of the Zagros Mousterian and Levantine Mousterian.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological evidence for two culture diverse Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and contacts between them

Doronicheva¹,

Golovanova²,

Doronichev³

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Neanderthals were widespread during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) across Europe and Asia, including the Caucasus Mountains. Occupying the border between eastern Europe and West Asia, the Caucasus is important region regarding the Neanderthal occupation of Eurasia. On current radiometric estimates, the MP is represented in the Caucasus between about 260–210 ka and about 40 ka. Archaeological record indicates that several culture diverse MP hominin populations inhabited the Caucasus, but the region complex population history during this period remains poorly understood. In this paper, we identify for the first time the archaeological evidence indicating contacts between two culture diverse MP Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and discuss the nature of these contacts. Basing on the lithic assemblages that we excavated at Mezmaiskaya cave in the north-western Caucasus (Kuban River basin) and Saradj-Chuko grotto in the north-central Caucasus (Terek River basin), dating from MIS 5 to MIS 3, and comparative data from other MP sites in the Caucasus, we identify two large cultural regions that existed during the late MP in the North Caucasus. The distinctive toolkits and stone knapping technologies indicate that the MP assemblages from Mezmaiskaya cave and other sites in the west of North Caucasus represent a Caucasian variant of the Eastern Micoquian industry that was wide spread in central and eastern Europe, while the assemblages from Saradj-Chuko Grotto and other sites in the east of North Caucasus closely resemble the Zagros Mousterian industry that was wide spread in the Armenian Highlands, Lesser Caucasus and Zagros Mountains. The archaeological evidence implies that two culture diverse populations of Neanderthals settled the North Caucasus during the Late Pleistocene from two various source regions: from the Armenian Highlands and Lesser Caucasus along the Caspian Sea coast, and from Russian plain along the Sea of Azov coast.

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Qaleh Kurd Cave (Qazvin, Iran): Oldest Evidence of Middle Pleistocene Hominin Occupations and a Human Deciduous Tooth in the Iranian Central Plateau

Vahdati Nasab,

Berillon,

Hashemi

et al. 2024

J Paleo Arch

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Modelling Neanderthals’ dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east

Cited by 11 publications

References 90 publications

The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal

The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal

Archaeological evidence for two culture diverse Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and contacts between them

Qaleh Kurd Cave (Qazvin, Iran): Oldest Evidence of Middle Pleistocene Hominin Occupations and a Human Deciduous Tooth in the Iranian Central Plateau

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