The DOI matches its Crossref record; 65 of the 67 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
An early modern human presence in Sumatra 73,000–63,000 years ago
Open accessAbstract
Genetic evidence for anatomically modern humans (AMH) out of Africa before 75 thousand years ago (ka) and in island southeast Asia (ISEA) before 60 ka (93-61 ka) predates accepted archaeological records of occupation in the region. Claims that AMH arrived in ISEA before 60 ka (ref. 4) have been supported only by equivocal or non-skeletal evidence. AMH evidence from this period is rare and lacks robust chronologies owing to a lack of direct dating applications, poor preservation and/or excavation strategies and questionable taxonomic identifications. Lida Ajer is a Sumatran Pleistocene cave with a rich rainforest fauna associated with fossil human teeth. The importance of the site is unclear owing to unsupported taxonomic identification of these fossils and uncertainties regarding the age of the deposit, therefore it is rarely considered in models of human dispersal. Here we reinvestigate Lida Ajer to identify the teeth confidently and establish a robust chronology using an integrated dating approach. Using enamel-dentine junction morphology, enamel thickness and comparative morphology, we show that the teeth are unequivocally AMH. Luminescence and uranium-series techniques applied to bone-bearing sediments and speleothems, and coupled uranium-series and electron spin resonance dating of mammalian teeth, place modern humans in Sumatra between 73 and 63 ka. This age is consistent with biostratigraphic estimations, palaeoclimate and sea-level reconstructions, and genetic evidence for a pre-60 ka arrival of AMH into ISEA. Lida Ajer represents, to our knowledge, the earliest evidence of rainforest occupation by AMH, and underscores the importance of reassessing the timing and environmental context of the dispersal of modern humans out of Africa.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“The hominin fossil record of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) indicates that at least two endemic 'super-archaic' species Homo luzonensis and H. floresiensis - were present around the time anatomically modern humans (AMH) arrived in the region >50,000 years ago.”
From Widespread Denisovan ancestry in Island Southeast Asia but no evidence of substantial super-archaic hominin admixture (2021) · cites this paper as [5]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“If we accept the oldest neighboring dates for modern human occupation on Sunda at 63e73 ka (Westaway et al., 2017) and Sahul for 65 ka (Clarkson et al., 2017), this suggests a colonization period between ca.70e65 ka for Wallacea and Sahul.”
From Least-cost pathway models indicate northern human dispersal from Sunda to Sahul (2018) · cites this paper as Westaway et al., 2017
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
User's Manual for Isoplot 3.00 - A Geochronological Toolkit for Microsoft Excel
Ludwig, K. R. (2003) · Cited by 7,734
Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol
Murray, A. S., & WINTLE, A. G. (2000) · Radiation Measurements · doi:10.1016/s1350-4487(99)00253-x · Cited by 4,968
Prescott, J. R., & Hutton, J. T. (1994) · Radiation Measurements · doi:10.1016/1350-4487(94)90086-8 · Cited by 3,626
Dose-rate conversion factors: update
Guérin, G., Mercier, N., & Adamiec, G. (2011) · Ancient TL · doi:10.26034/la.atl.2011.443 · Cited by 2,426
Radiocarbon Calibration and Analysis of Stratigraphy: The OxCal Program
Bronk Ramsey, C. (1995) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200030903 · Cited by 2,409
Huntley, D. J., Godfrey-Smith, D. I., & Thewalt, M. L. W. (1985) · Nature · doi:10.1038/313105a0 · Cited by 1,379
The half-lives of uranium-234 and thorium-230
Cheng, H., Edwards, R. L., Hoff, J. A., Gallup, C. D., Richards, D. A., & Asmerom, Y. (2000) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/s0009-2541(99)00157-6 · Cited by 1,239
THERMOLUMINESCENCE DATING: BETA‐DOSE ATTENUATION IN QUARTZ GRAINS
Mejdahl, V. (1979) · Archaeometry · doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.1979.tb00241.x · Cited by 934
Laboratory fading rates of various luminescence signals from feldspar-rich sediment extracts
Thomsen, K. J., Murray, A. S., Jain, M., & Bøtter-Jensen, L. (2008) · Radiation Measurements · doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2008.06.002 · Cited by 857
A Revised Timescale for Human Evolution Based on Ancient Mitochondrial Genomes
Fu, Q., Mittnik, A., Johnson, P. L. F., Bos, K., Lari, M., Bollongino, R., Sun, C., Giemsch, L., Schmitz, R., Burger, J., et al. (2013) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.044 · Cited by 709
Flagged first, then by citations
2 of the 67 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- Schwartz, J. H., Long, V. T., Cuong, N. L. Kha, L. T. & Tattersall, I. A review of the Pleistocene hominoid fauna of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (excluding Hylobatidae). Anthropol. Pap. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 76, 1–24 (1995)
- Dubois, E. Voorlopig bericht omtrent het onderzoek naar de Pleistocene en Tertiaire vertebraten-fauna van Sumatra en Java, gedurende het jaar 1890. Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indië 51, 93–100 (1891)
- de Vos, J. The Pongo faunas from Java and Sumatra and their significance for biostratigraphical and paleo-ecological interpretations. Proc. Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie Wetenschappen 86, 417–425 (1983)
- Drawhorn, G. M. The Systematics and Paleodemography of Fossil Orangutans. PhD Thesis, Univ. California (Davis, 1994)
- Turner, C. G ., Nichol, C. R . & Scott, G. R. In Advances in Dental Anthropology (eds Kelley, M. A . & Larsen, C. S. ) 13–31 (Wiley-Liss, 1991)
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–382 of 382
Sulawesi historical linguistics
Mead, D. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0012 · Cited by 1
Adelaar, A. K., & Schapper, A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.002.0004
Adelaar, A. K., & Schapper, A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.002.0007
Papuan contact and its impact on Malayo-Polynesian languages of Island Southeast Asia
Schapper, A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0022
Howe, P. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0040
Historical linguistics of the Chamic languages
Brunelle, M. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0011
Adelaar, A. K., & Schapper, A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0001
Zobel, E. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0038
Non-Malayic languages of Borneo
Kroeger, P. R., & Smith, A. D. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0027
Phonotactics and morphophonology
Donohue, M. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0043
Donohue, M. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0046
Historical linguistics of Borneo
Smith, A. D. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0008
Historical linguistics of the Philippines
Zorc, R. D., Lobel, J. W., & Hall, W. C. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0007 · Cited by 1
Adelaar, A. K., & Hajek, J. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0052
Language contact in Mainland Southeast Asia
Sidwell, P. J. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0020
Blevins, J. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0041
Grimes, C. E. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0036
Language policy and the politics of language
Hoogervorst, T. G. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0017
Kaufman, D. A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0026
van den Berg, R., & Mead, D. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0033
Adelaar, A. K. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0021
Adelaar, A. K., & Schapper, A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.002.0011
Non-Malayic languages of Sumatra and the Barrier Islands
McDonnell, B., & Truong, C. L. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0028
Languages of the northern Philippines
Liao, H.-C., & Reid, L. A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0024
Schapper, A., & McConvell, W. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0048
Brunelle, M., & Jensen, J. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0030
Malayo-Polynesian contact languages in Southeast Asia and the creole controversy
Slomanson, P. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0018
Donohue, M., & Gil, D. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0044
Zobel, E. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0039
Languages of Flores and its satellites
Nagaya, N. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0034
Languages of Timor and southern Maluku
Schapper, A., & Zobel, E. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0035
Methods in Malayo-Polynesian comparative-historical linguistics
Ross, M., & Greenhill, S. J. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0003 · Cited by 1
Vitality, maintenance, and documentation among the Malayo-Polynesian languages of Southeast Asia
Ewing, M. C., & Kimoto, Y. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198807353.003.0015
Olsson, O. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-52784-5_5
Last Interglacial summer heat restricted human migrationPreprint
Watanabe, T. K., Pfeiffer, M., Yamazaki, A., Garbe‐Schönberg, D., Hu, H., Shen, C., Ito, S., & Watanabe, T. (2024) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-5321544/v1
A first chronological framework for fluvial terrace deposits of the Kampar Kanan River, Indonesia
Yuskar, Y., Bartz, M., Schmidt, C., Choanji, T., Lane, S. N., & King, G. E. (2025) · Geochronometria · doi:10.20858/geochr/205688
Dissecting the Genetic Affinity Between the Orang Asli and Southeast Asian Native Populations
Cengnata, A., Pei‐Mei, T., Hoi‐Thung, F., Zhe‐Qing, C. C., Xin, L., Lim, L.-H. R., Lian, D., Xu, S., & Hoh, B. (2025) · Annals of Human Genetics · doi:10.1111/ahg.70005 · Cited by 1
Robbeets, M. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.1
Guo, J., Fan, Z., Yang, W., & Wang, C. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.24
Iversen, R., & Riede, F. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.35
(2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.002.0006
(2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.002.0011
Palaeosiberian archaeolinguistics
Potter, B. A., & Vajda, E. J. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.21
Prehistoric language change in social context
Bakker, P. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.8
Pagel, M. D. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.2 · Cited by 1
Transeurasian archaeolinguistics
Robbeets, M., Hudson, M. J., & Ning, C. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.20
Robbeets, M., & Hudson, M. J. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.37
Robbeets, M., & Hudson, M. J. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.002.0009 · Cited by 1
The relationship between genetics, language, and culture
Mace, R. H. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.12
Epps, P. L., & Khanina, O. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.5
Evans, B. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.4
Archaeology and language change in the Bronze Age
Hudson, M. J., Bjørn, R., & Spengler, R. N. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.15
(2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.002.0004
(2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.002.0007
Archaeology and language dynamics in the medieval and early modern eras
Hudson, M. J., Harland, J. M., & Crowther, A. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.17
Nilo-Saharan archaeolinguistics
Dimmendaal, G. J., & Babiker, H. M. A. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.29
Farming and language dispersals consequent upon the oldest developments of food production
Bellwood, P. S. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.14
Advances in population genetics and language history
Barbieri, C., & Widmer, P. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.36
Ancient states and the rise of writing
Haicheng, W. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.16
The archaeolinguistics of Kalahari Basin area languages
Güldemann, T., Smith, A. B., & Bajić, V. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.31
Archaeolinguistics of language families and contact areas of Amazonia
van Gijn, R., Arias, L., & de Souza, J. G. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.34
Ehret, C., Schoenbrun, D. L., Brandt, S., & Keita, S. O. Y. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192868350.013.28
Ancient DNA is revealing the genetic landscape of people who first settled East Asia
Yang, M. A. (2020) · The Conversation · doi:10.64628/aai.sjw7um33v
Li, Y., Song, Y., Fitzsimmons, K. E., Dave, A. K., Zeeden, C., Nie, J., Yang, S., & Aminov, J. (2025) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109594 · Cited by 1
Gaboutchian, A. V., Knyaz, V. A., Vasiliev, S. V., & Харламова, Н. В. (2025) · Nanobiotechnology Reports · doi:10.1134/s2635167625601500
Zhong, J., Yao, Y., Yu, S., Tang, M., Wu, X., Tang, Z., Shen, G., Wang, W., Huang, C.-Y., & Shen, C.-C. (2026) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105631
Dey, A., Pal, M., Nandi, D., & Basu, A. (2026) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2026.115241
Choa, O. (2018) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/f6135775z03b0z4762za28cz55eef389bd98 · Cited by 11
Isotopes du calcium et paléoanthropologie du Paléolithique moyen
Dodat, P.-J. (2023) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/9441c641zd627z4b42zb827z8503f3926348
Signatures of pathogen-driven selection and Austronesian gene flow of Papua New Guinea HLA alleles
Font‐Porterias, N., Nemat‐Gorgani, N., Kichula, K. M., Al-Hindi, D. R., Harrison, G. F., Tao, S., Zhu, F., Montero-Martín, G., Fernández-Viña, M., Guethlein, L. A., et al. (2026) · The American Journal of Human Genetics · doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2026.04.006
Kaharudin, H. A. F., O’Connor, S., & Kealy, S. (2026) · Journal of Archaeological Research · doi:10.1007/s10814-026-09224-5
Yao, Y., Wei, Z., Bacon, A., Wei, L., Yao, W., Dong, H., Liao, W., Hu, P., Huang, S., Yi, Z., et al. (2026) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105911
Faunal and environmental continuity in Middle to Late Pleistocene Sumatra
Shidqi, B. P., Stewart, M., Price, G. J., & Louys, J. (2026) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110148
Self-citationCould African Eve Have Admired the Pacifi c Sunrise?
Derevianko, A. P. (2026) · Archaeology Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia · doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2026.54.2.003-026
Guibert, J., Sophady, H., Lahaye, C., Puaud, S. J., Zhou, Y., Richard, M., Falguères, C., Pons‐Branchu, E., Kosal, N., Pérez-Balarezo, A., et al. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10575404/v1
The Evolution of Molecular Clocks: Concepts, Calibrations, and Challenges
Soares, P. A., & Rito, T. (2026) · Biology · doi:10.3390/biology15151329
Jomon genomics reveal cold adaptation in Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers of eastern Eurasia
Watanabe, Y., Wakiyama, Y., Waku, D., Valverde, G., Tanino, A., HAYASHI, M., Naka, I., Nakamura, Y., Suzuki, T., Koganebuchi, K., et al. (2026) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aea7469 · Cited by 6
Tian, C., Yao, Y., Liang, H., Yi, Z., Chen, J., Bae, C. J., Liao, W., & Wang, W. (2026) · Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12520-026-02590-7
Metadata
- Authors
- Westaway, K. E., Louys, J., Awe, R. D., Morwood, M. J., Price, G. J., Zhao, J.-X., Aubert, M., Joannes-Boyau, R., Smith, T. M., Skinner, M. M., Compton, T., Bailey, R. M., van den Bergh, G. D., de Vos, J., Pike, A. W. G., Stringer, C., Saptomo, E. W., Rizal, Y., Zaim, J., Santoso, W. D., Trihascaryo, A., Kinsley, L., & Sulistyanto, B.
- Affiliations
- Macquarie University (AU)
- Australian National University (AU)
- Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ID)
- University of Wollongong (AU)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Griffith University (AU)
- Southern Cross University (AU)
- University of Kent (GB)
- Natural History Museum (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Bandung Institute of Technology (ID)
- Corresponding author
- Westaway, K. E.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2017-08
- Volume
- 548
- Issue
- 7667
- Pages
- 322-325
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2742580921
- Cited by
- 382
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 55 · 2024: 87 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 10
- FWCI
- 127.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- kar.kent.ac.uk
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
- Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
- Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) (submittedVersion)
- Cross Connect (Southern Cross University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Online (University of Wollongong) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Leaky Foundation
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Keywords
- Sumatra, human, human dispersal, Toba eruption, enamel thickness, luminescence dating, uranium-series dating, electron spin resonance dating, mammalian dentition, speleothems, Pleistocene sea-level lowstand, biostratigraphy
- MeSH terms
- Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy, Fossils, Humans, Indonesia, Tooth, Uranium, Luminescence, History, Ancient, Caves, Human Migration, Rainforest
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
