Ref ID:	37536
Ref Type:	Journal Article
Authors:	Bacon, Anne‑Marie Bourgon, Nicolas Dufour, Elise Demeter, Fabrice Zanolli, Clément Westaway, Kira E. Joannes‑Boyau, Renaud Duringer, Philippe Ponche, Jean‑Luc Morley, Mike W. Suzzoni, Eric Frangeul, Sébastien Boesch, Quentin Antoine, Pierre‑Olivier Boualaphane, Souliphane Sichanthongtip, Phonephanh Sihanam, Daovee Nguyen, Thi Mai Huong Nguyen, Anh Tuan Fiorillo, Denis Tombret, Olivier Patole‑Edoumba, Elise Zachwieja, Alexandra Zachwieja, Alexandra Souksavatdy, Viengkeo Dunn, Tyler E. Shackelford, Laura Hublin, Jean‑Jacques
Title:	Palaeoenvironments and hominin evolutionary dynamics in southeast Asia
Date:	2023
Source:	Scientific Reports
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-023-43011-2
Abstract:	Secure environmental contexts are crucial for hominin interpretation and comparison. The discovery of a Denisovan individual and associated fauna at Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra) Cave, Laos, dating back to 164–131 ka, allows for environmental comparisons between this (sub)tropical site and the Palearctic Denisovan sites of Denisova Cave (Russia) and Baishiya Karst Cave (China). Denisovans from northern latitudes foraged in a mix of forested and open landscapes, including tundra and steppe. Using stable isotope values from the Cobra Cave assemblage, we demonstrate that, despite the presence of nearby canopy forests, the Denisovan individual from Cobra Cave primarily consumed plants and/or animals from open forests and savannah. Using faunal evidence and proxy indicators of climates, results herein highlight a local expansion of rainforest at ~ 130 ka, raising questions about how Denisovans responded to this local climate change. Comparing the diet and habitat of the archaic hominin from Cobra Cave with those of early Homo sapiens from Tam Pà Ling Cave (46–43 ka), Laos, it appears that only our species was able to exploit rainforest resources.
Volume:	13
Number:	16165