Small skulls point to human migration highway to Australia

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on August 26, 2019 / comment : 0 Anthropology, Australasia, Australia, Java, Papua New Guinea, South East Asia

Human remains discovered on Alor island in Indonesia offer new insight into human migration through Southeast Asia thousands of years ago, say researchers from The Australian National University (ANU).

Credit: Samper Carro et al. 2019

Lead researcher Dr. Sofía Samper Carro says the two skulls, dated between 12,000 and 17,000 years old, are the oldest human remains ever found in Wallacea—the islands between Java, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

"Although we were aware that modern humans were in Timor and Sulawesi over 40,000 years ago, these remains are the first fossil evidence of modern human presence in Wallacea," Dr. Samper Carro said. "The area around Alor may have been a sort of 'highway', with people moving through these islands, and finally getting to Australia."

That wasn't the only exciting find.

"What is really interesting is the small size of their heads," Dr. Samper Carro said. "The size seems to be similar to other remains found later in this region, dated to between 7,000—10,000 years old. This is potentially the result of a reduction in size after the first modern humans settled in these islands. This is different to what you find in Australia and other parts of mainland Southeast Asia during the same period, where, in general, humans have larger skulls."

Dr. Samper Carro says one possible explanation for this is the so-called "island effect"—the idea that when humans and other large mammals get to an island where there are not enough food resources and predators, they tend to get smaller, while small mammals will get bigger.

"It's been suggested this is what may've happened to Homo floresiensis (hobbit) and, potentially, it may have also affected the recently discovered Homo luzonensis," Dr. Samper Carro said.

A huge number of fish bones have also been found in the Tron Bon Lei site in Alor, which could offer some important clues.

"The question is, was that enough food for them?" Dr. Samper Carro said. "The archaeological site show gaps which may indicate that, at some point, humans moved from the island, or they weren't using this particular site and they went somewhere else. This could be because of environmental changes, or because they didn't have enough food to survive. More excavations and research in Alor will help us to test these theories."

Dr. Samper Carro says these findings could build on long-held ideas about human migration.

"It's a really exciting time. Human evolution studies have been focused in Africa and Europe for a long time, but now more and more we seem to be getting new findings from Asia that are challenging our previous conceptions. There's been evidence found that Homo sapiens were around in North Africa and the Mediterranean earlier than we thought, coinciding with the presence of different hominins in other parts of the world. Human evolution is getting more exciting and complex."

One of the skulls discovered on Alor was found with fish hooks and ornaments. Dr. Samper Carro says burial traditions are also a good example of the mobility of humans and ideas. "New people come with new traditions, just like we see now," she said. "If you move somewhere, you bring your culture and traditions with you, and the next generation will continue some of those traditions. We can see that reflected in the way these people buried their loved ones."

The research has been published in the Journal of Human Evolution.

Source: Australian National University [August 26, 2019]

Studies of fossil teeth reveal another Pleistocene ape species from Southeast Asia

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on April 09, 2019 / comment : 0 Anthropology, Fossils, Human Evolution, Java, South East Asia

Together with an international team, Senckenberg scientists were able to document an additional fossil ape species in the Senckenberg hominid collection. The new species had already been described in 1950 as Meganthropus palaeojavanicus by Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald, the founder of Senckenberg's paleoanthropological department, but at the time it was interpreted as a prehistoric human. Examinations of the anatomical dental structures now reveal that approximately one million years ago at least three additional species of hominids shared the habitat of Homo erectus on Java. The study is published today in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Lower jaw fragment of Meganthropus palaeojavanicus [Credit: Senckenberg]

More than 200 fossil teeth and jaw fragments have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Java to date. The majority of these hominid remains can be attributed to the extinct species Homo erectus, the first early human discovered outside of Europe. It is known that Homo erectus lived on Java during the time of the Pleistocene, approximately one million years ago, in the company of the ancestors of the modern-day Orangutans," explains PD Dr. Ottmar Kullmer of the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, and he continues, "We were now able to show that yet another species of ape existed there at the same time."

Together with the study's lead author, Clément Zanolli of the University of Bordeaux, Kullmer and an international team studied fossil hominid teeth discovered in 1941 by Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald, using top-of-the-line methods. "Our micro-computer tomographic studies and the analysis of the tooth enamel show that the teeth belong neither to Homo erectus nor to the Orangutans," explains Zanolli, and he adds, "In addition, there is no indication that they involve ancestors of modern humans."

Comparison of a lower jaw fragment of Meganthropus with an Orangutan jaw and a reconstructed jaw of Homo erectus [Credit: Senckenberg]

"In the past, there were repeated controversies involving the mysterious hominid Meganthropus, but there was no confirmed proof of its existence," says Kullmer. The new data now reveal that the teeth clearly differ from both the teeth of Homo erectus and those of Orangutans in regard to the distribution of the enamel thickness and the surface and position of the dentin cusps in the dental crowns' interior.

The wear pattern of Meganthropus' molars corresponds to that of fossil and modern-day Orangutans. Kullmer explains: "We therefore assume that the 'renamed' species primarily fed on fruit and other plant parts growing above-ground, similar to today's Orangutans. Homo erectus, on the other hand, probably had a more flexible diet, due to his ability to prepare food in various ways. However, there is no documentation to show whether a one-sided diet or even Homo erectus himself contributed to the extinction of Meganthropus."

According to the current study, it is now considered a fact that about one million years ago, in addition to Homo erectus at least three hominid genera inhabited the forests of today's Indonesian islands – a higher diversity than previously assumed. "And it is possible that we can add yet another genus, the giant ape known as Gigantopithecus. However, we are still lacking conclusive evidence in this regard," adds the paleoanthropologist.

Source: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum [April 09, 2019]

'X-ray gun' helps researchers pinpoint the origins of pottery found on ancient shipwreck

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on February 08, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Asia, China, Java, South East Asia

About eight hundred years ago, a ship sank in the Java Sea off the coast of the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. There are no written records saying where the ship was going or where it came from--the only clues are the mostly-disintegrated structure of the vessel and its cargo, which was discovered on the seabed in the 1980s. Since the wreck's recovery in the 1990s, researchers have been piecing together the world that the Java Sea Shipwreck was part of. In a new study in the Journal of Archaeological Science, archaeologists have demonstrated a new way to tell where the ceramic cargo of the ship originally came from: by zapping it with an X-ray gun.

Ceramic bowls in situ at the Java Sea Shipwreck site  [Credit: Field Museum/Pacific Sea Resources]

"It's amazing that we can pinpoint the production area of materials from an 800-year-old shipwreck," says Wenpeng Xu, the study's lead author, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, which has a joint graduate program in Anthropology with the Field Museum. "It helps us learn the details of trade relationships--knowing how people interacted in the past is very important for us to understand the present."

The Field Museum is home to an estimated 7,500 pieces of cargo recovered from the wreck, including the 60 ceramic pieces from the shipwreck analyzed in this study: bowls and boxes made of porcelain covered in a bluish-white glaze called qingbai. Based on the style of the ceramics, scientists knew that it came from southeastern China, but style alone isn't enough to pinpoint a piece's origin because many kilns produced similar-looking pieces. By comparing the chemical makeups of ceramics from the wreck and from different kiln sites in China, the researchers were able to more precisely determine where the ceramics were made.

Examining qingbai sherds at the Shimuling kiln site, Dehua [Credit: Kai Li]

Ceramics from different sites have different chemical compositions because of variations in the elements present in that region's clay or in the recipes that potters used to mix their clay. If a piece of pottery from the shipwreck matches the pottery found at an archaeological site, it's a pretty safe bet that the pottery originated there. "Each kiln site uses its own materials and ingredients for clay--that's what makes each sample's fingerprint unique," explains Xu. "If the fingerprint of the sample matches the fingerprint of the kiln site, then it's highly possible that that's where the sample came from." This is where the X-ray gun comes in.

"We used a portable X-ray fluorescence detector--it looks a lot like a ray gun," says Lisa Niziolek, Field Museum Boone Research Scientist and co-author of the study. The science behind the compositional analysis is complex, but Niziolek breaks it down: "You're shooting X-rays into a material you're interested in. It excites the material's atoms. Energy goes flying out, and this measures that energy. Different elements have different signatures of energy that comes back out."

Qingbai ceramics from the Field Museum’s Java Sea Shipwreck collection  [Credit: Kate Golembiewski/Field Museum]

Knowing the precise origins of cargo on the ship reveals the size and complexity of trade networks at the time. The ceramics in the study were created over 2,000 miles from where the ship sank--about the distance between New York and Las Vegas.

"A key that's emerging is that the shipwreck tells us that there were huge trade networks in the 12th and 13th centuries," says Field Museum MacArthur Curator of Anthropology and study co-author Gary Feinman. "We're taught to associate vast trade networks with Europeans like Magellan and Marco Polo, but Europeans weren't a big part of this network that went from Asia to Africa. Globalization isn't just a recent phenomenon--it's not just Eurocentric, not just tied to modern capitalism. The ancient world was more interconnected than a lot of people thought."

Ceramics from the Field Museum's Java Sea Shipwreck collection being analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence [Credit: (c) Field Museum/Kate Golembiewski]

"People often refer to shipwrecks as time capsules, but the Java Sea Wreck is more than just that," says Niziolek. "A time capsule represents a moment frozen in time, but that ignores the way these results reveal these vast and changing socioeconomic networks."

Feinman agrees: "It's almost the opposite of a nice, bounded time capsule, it's more like a window that opens up to a wide horizon and tells us how this material came onto this ship before it sank."

Source: Field Museum [February 08, 2019]

New study claims large 10,000-year-old pyramid-like structure lies under Mount Padang in West Java

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on December 20, 2018 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Asia, Indonesia, Java, South East Asia

A new study claims that underneath a mountain in Indonesia lies the world’s oldest pyramid. The site, Gunung (Mount) Padang, is a hill with abundant archaeological evidence. But the new study claims that the hill is in fact a layered series of ancient structures dating over 10,000 years back.

An aerial photograph of Gunung Padang, Indonesia [Credit: Danny Hilman Natawidjaja]

The study was carried out over several years and researchers claim that the structure is not superficial, but rooted into greater depth covering an area of at least 15 hectares. With the use of ground penetration radar, seismic tomography and archaeological excavations combined, the team of researchers say that many layers hide beneath the hill constructed in several prehistoric periods.

The top layer, a megalithic structure comprising rock columns, walls, paths and spaces is constructed on a second layer about 1-3 metres deep below the surface. The second layer comprises an arrangement of rocks organised in a matrix structure. A third layer, 15 metres below the surface, also comprises arranged rocks, as well as chambers. The rocks are basalt and have been carved by humans.

3D aerial photography of Gunung Padang pyramid and interpretations of its subsurface structures [Credit: Danny Hilman Natawidjaja/SAGU Fall Meeting]

Radiocarbon dating has indicated that the first layer could be about 3,500 years old, the second about 8,000 years old and the third one dates to the period of 9,500-28,000 years back.

Although there is no concrete evidence on the use of these structures, researchers believe that the ancient pyramid could have served a religious purpose.

At least three layers are claimed to have been identified by the research team with the use of various techniques [Credit: Danny Hilman Natawidjaja]

Geophysicist Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and leader of the team, highlights the importance of the structure since it proves that prehistoric societies were not as primitive as it is widely believed.

The study has not been received with the same enthusiasm by the entire scientific community, though. Many researchers are not convinced as to the results and challenge the team’s methods and findings.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, DC last week.

Source: Archaeology and Arts [December 20, 2018]

Land-based bird populations are at risk of local extinction

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on September 21, 2018 / comment : 0 Bali, Biodiversity, Borneo, Endangered Species, Java, Natural Heritage, South East Asia, Sumatra, Thailand, Wildlife

Land-based bird populations are becoming confined to nature reserves in some parts of the world -- raising the risk of global extinction -- due to the loss of suitable habitat, according to a report led by UCL.

Credit: University College London

Researchers analysed biodiversity in the area known as Sundaland, which covers the peninsula of Thailand, Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Bali, one of the world's most biologically degraded regions.

The study, published in Conservation Letters, focuses on galliformes -- heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds such as pheasants, grouse and quail -- as their numbers are well-recorded and they are amongst the most threatened species in some parts of the world.

Scientists found that up to 13 populations (25 per cent of galliform populations in the area) have been extirpated (made locally extinct) in the region and no longer exist outside nature reserves (protected areas). The island of Sumatra has suffered the highest proportion of extirpations among the areas studied, having lost 50 percent of its galliform species in unprotected land.

As a result, certain species are only found in protected areas -- raising questions about the ultimate goal of conservation. The researchers argue that these areas were never intended to be a last resort for the existence of species and are also coming under increasing threat from human activity.

Professor Elizabeth Boakes (UCL Life Sciences) said: "Land outside of protected areas is increasingly being lost to agriculture and infrastructure, leading to species becoming confined to Sundaland's protected areas. Biodiversity in the unprotected landscape is required to maintain connectivity and ecosystem function.

"It is also critical that protected areas are managed effectively. However, nearly 20 per cent of Malaysia's and over 40 per cent of Indonesia's protected land is subject to intense human pressure.

"As one of the most biologically degraded areas, Sundaland offers a stark warning to the rest of the world should global rates of land conversion continue unabated. Conservation's end goal is not islands of biodiversity, marooned in a sea of destruction. More land must be managed in a way that accommodates biodiversity for the long term."

Sundaland is a biological hotspot, meaning it is rich in biodiversity but at risk of destruction. Despite the existence of protected areas, forest cover in Sumatra declined by five per cent between 1990 and 2000, while Kalimantan's protected lowland forests declined by more than 56 per cent between 1985 and 2001.

In addition to this, protected areas are not necessarily permanent, with downgrading over the last few years equating to a loss of 8360km² of protected land. As they become more isolated in agricultural landscapes or by the spread of roads and other infrastructure, species lose the opportunity to track and adapt to climate change.

An example of this is that just 12 per cent of Borneo's protected areas are topographically diverse enough to allow species to survive a high warming scenario.

Dr Philip McGowan, Newcastle University School of Natural and Environmental Sciences and Chair of IUCN Species Survival Commission Task Force on post 2020 biodiversity targets said: "These findings present new insights into how we should view protected areas and their ability to conserve species across landscapes.

"At a time when there is debate about how much land should be given over to protected areas, it is how they are integrated into global biodiversity targets that is perhaps critical. These targets are currently being reviewed by the Convention on Biological Diversity, which is also discussing what should follow them when they expire in 2020."

Southeast Asia's deforestation rate is the highest among tropical regions, above five per cent annually in parts of Sumatra and Sarawak. Sundaland's lowland forests are rapidly disappearing, giving us an insight into the future global conservation status of the remainder of the world if land outside of protected areas continues to be lost, putting the reserves at increased risk from climate change and human activity.

Source: University College London [September 21, 2018]