Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago
Abstract Questions about when early members of the genus Homo adapted to extreme environments like deserts and rainforests have traditionally focused on Homo sapiens. Here, we present multidisciplinary evidence from Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania’s Oldupai Gorge, revealing that Homo erectus thrived in h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01919-1 |
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| author | Julio Mercader Pamela Akuku Nicole Boivin Alfredo Camacho Tristan Carter Siobhán Clarke Arturo Cueva Temprana Julien Favreau Jennifer Galloway Raquel Hernando Haiping Huang Stephen Hubbard Jed O. Kaplan Steve Larter Stephen Magohe Abdallah Mohamed Aloyce Mwambwiga Ayoola Oladele Michael Petraglia Patrick Roberts Palmira Saladié Abel Shikoni Renzo Silva María Soto Dominica Stricklin Degsew Z. Mekonnen Wenran Zhao Paul Durkin |
| author_facet | Julio Mercader Pamela Akuku Nicole Boivin Alfredo Camacho Tristan Carter Siobhán Clarke Arturo Cueva Temprana Julien Favreau Jennifer Galloway Raquel Hernando Haiping Huang Stephen Hubbard Jed O. Kaplan Steve Larter Stephen Magohe Abdallah Mohamed Aloyce Mwambwiga Ayoola Oladele Michael Petraglia Patrick Roberts Palmira Saladié Abel Shikoni Renzo Silva María Soto Dominica Stricklin Degsew Z. Mekonnen Wenran Zhao Paul Durkin |
| author_sort | Julio Mercader |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Questions about when early members of the genus Homo adapted to extreme environments like deserts and rainforests have traditionally focused on Homo sapiens. Here, we present multidisciplinary evidence from Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania’s Oldupai Gorge, revealing that Homo erectus thrived in hyperarid landscapes one million years ago. Using biogeochemical analyses, precise chronometric dating, palaeoclimate simulations, biome modeling, fire history reconstructions, palaeobotanical studies, faunal assemblages, and archeological evidence, we reconstruct an environment dominated by semidesert shrubland. Despite these challenges, Homo erectus repeatedly occupied fluvial landscapes, leveraging water sources and ecological focal points to mitigate risk. These findings suggest archaic humans possessed an ecological flexibility previously attributed only to later hominins. This adaptability likely facilitated the expansion of Homo erectus into the arid regions of Africa and Eurasia, redefining their role as ecological generalists thriving in some of the most challenging landscapes of the Middle Pleistocene. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f8d1d9cfaada49669c00dc3c360a6537 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-f8d1d9cfaada49669c00dc3c360a65372025-01-19T12:40:07ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-01-016111310.1038/s43247-024-01919-1Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years agoJulio Mercader0Pamela Akuku1Nicole Boivin2Alfredo Camacho3Tristan Carter4Siobhán Clarke5Arturo Cueva Temprana6Julien Favreau7Jennifer Galloway8Raquel Hernando9Haiping Huang10Stephen Hubbard11Jed O. Kaplan12Steve Larter13Stephen Magohe14Abdallah Mohamed15Aloyce Mwambwiga16Ayoola Oladele17Michael Petraglia18Patrick Roberts19Palmira Saladié20Abel Shikoni21Renzo Silva22María Soto23Dominica Stricklin24Degsew Z. Mekonnen25Wenran Zhao26Paul Durkin27University of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyCatalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES)Max Planck Institute of GeoanthropologyUniversity of Manitoba, Department of Earth SciencesMcMaster University, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyMax Planck Institute of GeoanthropologyMcMaster University, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentCatalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES)University of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentUniversity of Dodoma, Department of History and ArchaeologyUniversity of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of Queensland, School of Social ScienceMax Planck Institute of GeoanthropologyCatalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES)University of Dodoma, Department of History and ArchaeologyUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentMadrid Institute for Advanced StudyUniversity of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyInterdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior (ICArEHB), Universidad do AlgarveUniversity of Calgary, Department of Earth, Energy and EnvironmentUniversity of Manitoba, Department of Earth SciencesAbstract Questions about when early members of the genus Homo adapted to extreme environments like deserts and rainforests have traditionally focused on Homo sapiens. Here, we present multidisciplinary evidence from Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania’s Oldupai Gorge, revealing that Homo erectus thrived in hyperarid landscapes one million years ago. Using biogeochemical analyses, precise chronometric dating, palaeoclimate simulations, biome modeling, fire history reconstructions, palaeobotanical studies, faunal assemblages, and archeological evidence, we reconstruct an environment dominated by semidesert shrubland. Despite these challenges, Homo erectus repeatedly occupied fluvial landscapes, leveraging water sources and ecological focal points to mitigate risk. These findings suggest archaic humans possessed an ecological flexibility previously attributed only to later hominins. This adaptability likely facilitated the expansion of Homo erectus into the arid regions of Africa and Eurasia, redefining their role as ecological generalists thriving in some of the most challenging landscapes of the Middle Pleistocene.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01919-1 |
| spellingShingle | Julio Mercader Pamela Akuku Nicole Boivin Alfredo Camacho Tristan Carter Siobhán Clarke Arturo Cueva Temprana Julien Favreau Jennifer Galloway Raquel Hernando Haiping Huang Stephen Hubbard Jed O. Kaplan Steve Larter Stephen Magohe Abdallah Mohamed Aloyce Mwambwiga Ayoola Oladele Michael Petraglia Patrick Roberts Palmira Saladié Abel Shikoni Renzo Silva María Soto Dominica Stricklin Degsew Z. Mekonnen Wenran Zhao Paul Durkin Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago |
| title_full | Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago |
| title_fullStr | Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago |
| title_full_unstemmed | Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago |
| title_short | Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago |
| title_sort | homo erectus adapted to steppe desert climate extremes one million years ago |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01919-1 |
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