When and how the first hominins developed the ability to adapt to extreme ecosystems is one of the great enigmas of human evolution. A new study reveals that Homo Erectus was able to prosper in arid environments more than a million years ago, thus rewriting the history of human adaptability. This discovery provides key data on how this species was a pioneer when settling in regions with extreme climatic conditions, long before what was believed so far.
This is the main conclusion of the new study, in charge of an integrated team, among others, by Julio Mercader, of the University of Calgary in Canada and researcher associated with the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), which is one of the institutions near the Generalitat of Catalonia. Palmira Saladié, IPHES researcher, and Pamela Akuku, who has developed her doctoral thesis in said center also participated in the investigation.
Evidence redefines the paradigm
Traditionally, it was thought that only Homo Sapiens was able to inhabit extremely in extreme climates, such as deserts or areas with heavy rains. Now, the data collected in Engaji Nanyori, in the throat of Oldupai (Tanzania), show that Homo erectus managed that achieved it thanks to his ability to take advantage of the available natural resources.
“Homo Erectus demonstrated a great capacity for resilience and strategy in a hostile and changing environment,” explains Mercader. “This research not only expands its ecological range, but also positions it as a species with a more sophisticated adaptability of what was thought so far.”
A sophisticated strategy for survival
The study identified more than 22,000 stone tools on the site, many of which were used to process large herbivores. These tools, mostly made of quartzite, were prepared from materials extracted from sites located up to 13 kilometers from the place, which denotes precise planning and a mobility calculated and with motivation.
“The combination of hunting tactics, processing of animal corpses and strategic selection of settlements close to river areas demonstrates a remarkable adaptation capacity,” says Saladié, who led the zooarcheological and taphonomic analysis of the site together with Akuku. This investigation shows that Homo Erectus prioritized herbivorous hunting such as medium -sized bovids and antelopes, optimizing the use of animal resources with tools designed for specific tasks, such as disarticulation and bone marrow extraction.
For its part, Pamela Akuku, a researcher at the National Museum of Kenya and associated with IPHES, highlights the importance of river environments in this adaptation: “Homininos developed a survival strategy based on the reocupation of strategic areas with recurrent access to water, including areas where rivers converge, which provided resources during the most arid periods. ”
Pamela Akuku excavating at the Engaji Nanyori site, Tanzania. (Photo: Akuku / University of Calgary)
Implications for human evolution
This work redefines the role of homo erectus as a general hominid, capable of inhabiting fragmented and limited resources. The study suggests that this ability to survive in arid regions was decisive for dispersion inside and out of Africa, reaching Arabia and beyond.
“The ability to manage resources efficiently and adapt to changing conditions offers a new perspective on how the geographical expansion of this species was configured,” concludes merchant.
The research team affirms that the data question the belief that only our species, Homo Sapiens, had the ability to adapt to extreme ecosystems. The evidence provided by this study reaffirms that Homo erectus was a true innovative in the history of human evolution, marking a precedent in the colonization of marginal environments that until now were associated exclusively to the success of our species.
The study is entitled “Homo erectus adapt to Steppe-DESERT Climate Extremes One Million Years ago”. And has been published in the academic magazine Communications Earth & Environment. (Source: Iphes)
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