Why the first colonisation of the Australian region is the earliest evidence of modern human behaviour

The origins and significance of coastal resource use in Africa and Western Eurasia

“…The lack of a maritime adaptation 176 I think likely explains why the South African Stone Age coastal adaptation never seems to reach 177 the level of social and technological complexity present in analogous coastal contexts such as 178 Peru, California, the US North-west coast, and the US South-east coast. I will not discuss 179 maritime adaptations further here, though I do wish to note that such an adaptation seems 180 required for the passage to Australia (Davidson and Noble, 1992; O'Connell et al, 2010), and 181…”

Early human symbolic behavior in the Late Pleistocene of Wallacea

“…For instance, the patchy evidence for early symbolic behavior in Sahul is likely due, in part, to inadequate sampling and differential preservation (11). A case can also be made that the colonization of remote Sahul is itself demonstrative of cultural complexity (5,7,15) and that the slender evidence for symbol use at this period reflects the lack of intensive research in the region (6,(10)(11)(12).…”

When did humans first arrive in greater Australia and why is it important to know?

“…7,10 Instead, the emerging picture begins to suggest purposeful voyaging by groups possessed of surprisingly sophisticated boat-building and navigation skills. 13,137 If accurate, this inference adds an important new dimension to the conventional picture of early modern human behavioral and technological capabilities.…”

“…That they were able to cross Wallacea, presumably by boat, and adapt to a wide range of unfamiliar habitats throughout Greater Australia and beyond into Near Oceania, 12 all within less than 5,000 years, is generally read as indicating cognitive, technological, and other behavioral capabilities comparable to those required for the nearly simultaneous occupation of glacial Eurasia. [13][14][15] In short, both colonizations can be seen as elements of the same evolutionary ''event.'' Dates of 50,000 to 60,000 years from Malakunanja II and Nauwalabila I complicate this picture significantly.…”