Humans in Africa's wet tropical forests 150 thousand years ago

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ben Arous, Eslem; Blinkhorn, James A.; Elliott, Sarah; Kiahtipes, Christopher A.; N'zi, Charles D.; Bateman, Mark D.; Duval, Mathieu; Roberts, Patrick; Patalano, Robert; Blackwood, Alexander F.; Niang, Khady; Kouame, Eugenie Affoua; Lebato, Edith; Hallett, Emily; Cerasoni, Jacopo N.; Scott, Erin; Ilgner, Jana; Alonso Escarza, Maria Jesus; Guede, Francois Yode; Scerri, Eleanor M. L.
• 署名单位: Centro Nacional de Investigacion de La Evolucion Humana (CENIEH); Max Planck Society; Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); University of Liverpool; Bournemouth University; State University System of Florida; University of South Florida; University of Sheffield; Griffith University; La Trobe University; Max Planck Society; Max Planck Society; University of Cologne; Bryant University; University of Cape Town; University Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar; Universite Felix Houphouet-Boigny; Loyola University Chicago; Loyola University Chicago; University of Malta
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-1812
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08613-y
• 发表日期: 2025-04-10
• 关键词: n-alkane distributions; isotopic composition; jebel irhoud; rain-forests; stone-age; single; plants; luminescence; delta-c-13; sediment

摘要

Humans emerged across Africa shortly before 300 thousand years ago (ka)1, 2-3. Although this pan-African evolutionary process implicates diverse environments in the human story, the role of tropical forests remains poorly understood. Here we report a clear association between late Middle Pleistocene material culture and a wet tropical forest in southern C & ocirc;te d'Ivoire, a region of present-day rainforest. Twinned optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance dating methods constrain the onset of human occupations at B & eacute;t & eacute; I to around 150 ka, linking them with Homo sapiens. Plant wax biomarker, stable isotope, phytolith and pollen analyses of associated sediments all point to a wet forest environment. The results represent the oldest yet known clear association between humans and this habitat type. The secure attribution of stone tool assemblages with the wet forest environment demonstrates that Africa's forests were not a major ecological barrier for H. sapiens as early as around 150 ka.