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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.
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“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]
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“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
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Self-citationEarliest hunting scene in prehistoric art
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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
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