Modern Humans Were in China Much Earlier Than Previously Thought

The debate on when AMH (anatomically modern humans) arrived in east Asia has taken another turn with a new study of materials found from a site in China. The finds may push back the accepted time of their arrival in the region by as much as 50,000 years.

Magazine article

Perhaps even more significant, the researchers suggest that the entire timeline for hominin (ancient human) presence in east China should be shifted back earlier in time and should be continuous (without the gap), based on updated research. This includes the advent of H. erectus at more than 400 ka old, rather than the current 230 ka; archaic H. sapiens at more than 200 ka, instead of ca. 110 ka; and the emergence of AMH at around 100 ka or earlier.

The new timeline for human evolution in China is in disagreement with the molecular clock that posits a late appearance for AMH in eastern Asia. More solid skeletal discoveries, along with parallel studies in relevant disciplines are needed to reconcile the geochronology and the molecular clock and to finally address the tempo and mode of recent human evolution in China. With rich cultural and fossiliferous deposits often intercalated with speleothem formations in limestone caves, and with fruitful discoveries in the past dozen years from surveying, excavating, and dating human fossil and artifact-bearing sites

However this new study doesn't address the old questions raised by the finds at the old site of Xiaochangliang

Actual scientific study

S&F seems like there have been allot of digging up new evidence lately...Good find and thanks for posting..

reply to post by 727Sky


It's always there but in late August - early September a lot of archaeological related reports come out prior to the start of the next semester. PRPs are often needed to boister your future grant request, I suspect that Chinese scientists suffered under the same restrictions as western ones do!

reply to post by Hanslune


Hi Hans
Very interesting, but where are they getting the 400 k date for HE in China when HE was clearly present much earlier.
Speaking of early dates, while reading up on early grain processing, as inspired by your GT thread, I came across this article on metates and manos.

books.google.com... 21#v=onepage&q&f=true

The second article is on metates and manos in the new world and is a good read, but go straight to page 29 and notice the dating of the human remains found in la Jolla.

While somewhat dated the articles are all very good .

reply to post by punkinworks10




Is this what you are referring too? I have not heard of it before.

Old report that seems to deal obliquely with the find

I remember Carter faintly he held a number of alternative views in archaeology for many years. If you can find the following not behind paywalls you might find them interesting


Racemization Dating Science 4 May 1990: 539-540.

Uranium Series Ages of the Del Mar Man and Sunnyvale Skeletons Science 20 August 1982: 755.

reply to post by Hanslune


Hi there Hans,
Darn, so that was Delmar man, and I am familliar with both of those re dating studies.
Thanks for keeping it real, not as much fun but real.

Amway the rest of the book has some fantastic reading.

I wish the evolution monkeys would finalise their fairytale. Now teachers have got another 50,000 years to fudge the figures to their students.

Originally posted by sciencebob
I wish the evolution monkeys would finalise their fairytale. Now teachers have got another 50,000 years to fudge the figures to their students.

Oh my the obligatory denial of science by a wandering creationist. Well done the theory of evolution will now fall as you have invalidated all the evidence which supports it - based on your personal incredulity and be replaced by the theory of creationism....

More importantly it shows that science constantly updates and changes - based on evidence - we don't have a solid dogma that we've been told to believe in and to chant mindlessly- as you have done here

Hey Bob I noticed that in your time on ATS you have posted six times all brief single line dismissals of evolution or science. Hmmmm

reply to post by Hanslune


Remnants from the first few waves out of Africa before Toba catastrophe?

S & F

Great find

Originally posted by punkinworks10
reply to post by Hanslune

 

Hi there Hans,
Darn, so that was Delmar man, and I am familliar with both of those re dating studies.
Thanks for keeping it real, not as much fun but real.

Amway the rest of the book has some fantastic reading.

For the lurkers

Delmar Man

As more than one group of students once noted: I live only to crush fun out of all life on earth...muhahahaha

Ah from another site where I asked for assistance they provided a link to a review of that book

Review

Oh one mistake I made I remembered him as an archaeologist, I take a slap for that one as he was trained as a geologist

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by Hanslune

 

Remnants from the first few waves out of Africa before Toba catastrophe?

S & F

Great find

I'd say so, there was a line in the study that noted that there is a lack of a datable layer of volcanic ash in that part of China.

reply to post by Hanslune


Keep us posted and send me a U2U link of any updates please.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Sure, that'll be two coconuts, one chert core and a handful of your best ochre please - none of those crappy sheep skins you've been flogging around!

reply to post by Hanslune


How about a basket full of the finest acorns, some finely woven bark cloth and two antler atlatl hooks.

reply to post by punkinworks10


Acorns only if they have been processed!