Fossils reveal early modern humans in southeast Asia 77,000 years ago

[Judi Lynn]

By James Ashworth
First published 15 June 2023

Our ancient relatives may have reached southeast Asia over 10,000 years earlier than thought.

While it’s not yet known what happened to these early humans, their presence adds to an increasingly complex picture of early migration.

New ancient human fossils are shedding light on the first modern humans in southeast Asia.

While it’s generally agreed that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa, the timing of its migration across the world is open for debate. Fossils seem to show our species having left Africa over 100,000 years ago, while genetic evidence points to a migration around 40,000 years later.

Newly described fossils from Tam Pà Ling cave in Laos have now added more pieces to the puzzle. A fragment of a human leg bone was found in sediments believed to be as much as 86,000 years old. In combination with other fossils from the cave, it suggests Homo sapiens lived there for as long as 56,000 years.

Professor Fabrice Demeter, one of the co-authors of the study, says that research at the cave has only just scratched the surface so far. ‘Tam Pà Ling plays a key role in the story of modern human migration through Asia but its significance and value is only just being recognised,’ Fabrice adds.

More:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/june/fossils-reveal-early-modern-humans-southeast-asia-77000-years-ago.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Fossil bones found in Laotian cave are oldest evidence for modern humans in mainland South-East Asia

Fossil bones found in Laotian cave are oldest evidence for modern humans in mainland South-East Asia, say scientists

ABC Science / By Anna Salleh
Posted Tue 13 Jun 2023 at 2:00pm

A human ancestor once looked out over rolling green hills — in what is now northern Laos — with the yawning steep entrance of a damp limestone cave at their back.

We don't know if this person lived there or was a traveller, but recent discovery of their remains within the cave behind them is helping us chart the journey of modern humans out of Africa and into our region.

In the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications, an international team of researchers report on the discovery of fossilised human skull and leg bone fragments from the site in Laos, known as Tam Pà Ling (Cave of the Monkeys).

They say the bones, some of which are dated up to 86,000 years, are the oldest examples of modern humans (Homo sapiens) found in South-East Asia, pushing back the known arrival time of our species in the area.

More:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-06-14/oldest-evidence-for-modern-humans-in-mainland-south-east-asia/102471990

[brewens]

2. I wondered if it was possible that homo sapiens first evolved in Asia since they have some

early homo erectus specimens from that part of the world. Not likely, but this is closer.

I keep hoping they will find way earlier use of fire somewhere than we think now, just because that would be cool. It seems evidence of our ancestors shows they were smarter and more impressive farther back pretty consistently.