Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Early Pleistocene human occupation at the edge of the boreal zone in northwest Europe
AU - Parfitt, Simon
AU - Ashton, Nick
AU - Lewis, Simon
AU - Abel, Richard
AU - Coope, Russell
AU - Field, Mike
AU - Gale, Rowena
AU - Hoare, Peter
AU - Larkin, Nigel R.
AU - Lewis, Mark D.
AU - Karloukovski, Vassil
AU - Maher, Barbara
AU - Peglar, Sylvia M.
AU - Preece, Richard C.
AU - Whittaker, John E.
AU - Stringer, Chris B.
PY - 2010/7/8
Y1 - 2010/7/8
N2 - The dispersal of early humans from Africa by 1.75 Myr ago led to a marked expansion of their range, from the island of Flores in theeast to the Iberian peninsula in the west1–5. This range encompassed tropical forest, savannah and Mediterranean habitats, buthas hitherto not been demonstrated beyond 456 N. Until recently, early colonization in Europe was thought to be confined to the areasouth of the Pyrenees and Alps. However, evidence from Pakefield (Suffolk,UK) at 0.7 Myr indicated that humans occupied northernEuropean latitudes when a Mediterranean-type climate prevailed6. This provided the basis for an ‘ebb and flow’ model, where human populations were thought to survive in southern refugia duringcold stages, only expanding northwards during fully temperate climates 5. Here we present new evidence from Happisburgh (Norfolk,UK) demonstrating that Early Pleistocene hominins were present in northern Europe ~0.78Myr ago when they were able to survive atthe southern edge of the boreal zone. This has significant implications for our understanding of early human behaviour, adaptationand survival, as well as the tempo and mode of colonization after their first dispersal out of Africa.
AB - The dispersal of early humans from Africa by 1.75 Myr ago led to a marked expansion of their range, from the island of Flores in theeast to the Iberian peninsula in the west1–5. This range encompassed tropical forest, savannah and Mediterranean habitats, buthas hitherto not been demonstrated beyond 456 N. Until recently, early colonization in Europe was thought to be confined to the areasouth of the Pyrenees and Alps. However, evidence from Pakefield (Suffolk,UK) at 0.7 Myr indicated that humans occupied northernEuropean latitudes when a Mediterranean-type climate prevailed6. This provided the basis for an ‘ebb and flow’ model, where human populations were thought to survive in southern refugia duringcold stages, only expanding northwards during fully temperate climates 5. Here we present new evidence from Happisburgh (Norfolk,UK) demonstrating that Early Pleistocene hominins were present in northern Europe ~0.78Myr ago when they were able to survive atthe southern edge of the boreal zone. This has significant implications for our understanding of early human behaviour, adaptationand survival, as well as the tempo and mode of colonization after their first dispersal out of Africa.
KW - Palaeontology
KW - Earth sciences
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954510710&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/nature09117
DO - 10.1038/nature09117
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:77954510710
VL - 466
SP - 229
EP - 233
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
IS - 7303
ER -