Ref ID:	22545
Ref Type:	Book Section
Authors:	Mijares, Armand Salvador
Title:	Human emergence and adaptation to an island environment in the Philippine paleolithic
Date:	2015
Source:	Emergence and diversity of modern human behavior in paleolithic Asia
Place of Publication:	College Station, Texas
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Abstract:	In northern Luzon, the discovery of the human third metatarsal (MT3) fossil at Callao Cave dated at 67 ka has pushed back the date of the first human appearance in the Asia-Pacific region and raised questions regarding their early presence in the islands. Since Luzon Island was never connected to Sundaland during the Late Pleistocene, it implies that early humans were already capable of constructing seaworthy vessels more than 20,000 years earlier than previously thought. The discovery at Callao also gives us a small glimpse of its possible adaptive technology. The layer dated to 67 ka that contained the MT3 also yielded a number of cervid and suid bones but no lithic implements, although some of the cervid bones did have cut marks on them. These cut marks were studied microscopically using scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imaging. A preliminary experimental study showed that these cut marks are most akin to those produced by bamboo knives. The oldest dated lithic assemblage in the Philippines is from Tabon Cave, Palawan. This flake industry is dated to about 47 ka and is primarily made from a variety of siliceous materials. A use-wear analysis showed that the majority of these were used to process medium to hard materials, with some exhibiting silica gloss polish. An assemblage showing similar characteristics is also known from the 30-ka layer at Callao Cave. Whether the Tabon-Callao lithic industries are directly related to early human colonization at 67 ka is yet to be proven. What can be inferred is that early human dispersal from Sundaland to the islands began as early as 67 ka. This dispersal across a wide area is proof of human modernity and points to the adaptive capabilities of these early humans.
Date Created:	5/11/2015
Editors:	Yousuke Kaifu, Masami Izuho, Goebel, Ted Hiroyuki Sato, Akira Ono
Page Start:	171
Page End:	181