New dates from the World Heritage archeological site at Sangiran on
the island of Java suggest that that the first appearance of Homo erectus
occurred more recently than previously thought, researchers report. The
new findings place the arrival of the first hominins in Sangiran
between 1.3-1.5 million years ago (Ma), suggesting that early humans
migrated from Asia to Southeast Asia and Java nearly 300,000 years later
than previously believed. The fossil-rich Sangiran dome in Java
contains the oldest human fossils in Southeast Asia and is widely
regarded as one of the most important sites in understanding the
evolution of our early ancestors and their slow march across the globe.
To date, more than 100 specimens from at least three different hominid
species have been recovered from Sangrian sediments. However, despite
decades of research, the site's chronology remains uncertain and
controversial, particularly the timing of H. erectus' first
appearance in the region, and the current widely accepted dates are
difficult to reconcile with other early sites in Asia. An accurate
understanding of the Sangiran chronology is crucial for understanding
the earliest human migrations and settlements in Asia. To resolve this
debate, Shuji Matsu'ura and colleagues used a combination of
fission-track and Uranium/Lead (U/Pb) dating to determine the age of
volcanic zircons found above, below and within the hominin-bearing
layers of the Sangiran fossil deposit. While previous estimates have
estimated hominin arrival as early as 1.7 Ma, Matsu'ura et al.'s
findings suggest a much younger date; likely by 1.3 Ma, however no
earlier than 1.5 Ma. In a related Perspective, Boris Brasseur discusses
the study's findings in more detail.
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