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Climate effects on archaic human habitats and species successions

Author

Listed:
  • Axel Timmermann

    (Institute for Basic Science
    Pusan National University)

  • Kyung-Sook Yun

    (Institute for Basic Science
    Pusan National University)

  • Pasquale Raia

    (Università di Napoli Federico II, Monte Sant’Angelo)

  • Jiaoyang Ruan

    (Institute for Basic Science
    Pusan National University)

  • Alessandro Mondanaro

    (Università degli Studi di Firenze)

  • Elke Zeller

    (Institute for Basic Science
    Pusan National University)

  • Christoph Zollikofer

    (University of Zurich)

  • Marcia Ponce de León

    (University of Zurich)

  • Danielle Lemmon

    (Institute for Basic Science
    Pusan National University)

  • Matteo Willeit

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)

  • Andrey Ganopolski

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)

Abstract

It has long been believed that climate shifts during the last 2 million years had a pivotal role in the evolution of our genus Homo1–3. However, given the limited number of representative palaeo-climate datasets from regions of anthropological interest, it has remained challenging to quantify this linkage. Here, we use an unprecedented transient Pleistocene coupled general circulation model simulation in combination with an extensive compilation of fossil and archaeological records to study the spatiotemporal habitat suitability for five hominin species over the past 2 million years. We show that astronomically forced changes in temperature, rainfall and terrestrial net primary production had a major impact on the observed distributions of these species. During the Early Pleistocene, hominins settled primarily in environments with weak orbital-scale climate variability. This behaviour changed substantially after the mid-Pleistocene transition, when archaic humans became global wanderers who adapted to a wide range of spatial climatic gradients. Analysis of the simulated hominin habitat overlap from approximately 300–400 thousand years ago further suggests that antiphased climate disruptions in southern Africa and Eurasia contributed to the evolutionary transformation of Homo heidelbergensis populations into Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, respectively. Our robust numerical simulations of climate-induced habitat changes provide a framework to test hypotheses on our human origin.

Suggested Citation

  • Axel Timmermann & Kyung-Sook Yun & Pasquale Raia & Jiaoyang Ruan & Alessandro Mondanaro & Elke Zeller & Christoph Zollikofer & Marcia Ponce de León & Danielle Lemmon & Matteo Willeit & Andrey Ganopols, 2022. "Climate effects on archaic human habitats and species successions," Nature, Nature, vol. 604(7906), pages 495-501, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:604:y:2022:i:7906:d:10.1038_s41586-022-04600-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04600-9
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhenyu Qin & Xuefeng Sun, 2023. "Glacial–Interglacial Cycles and Early Human Evolution in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-26, August.
    2. Tristan Salles & Renaud Joannes-Boyau & Ian Moffat & Laurent Husson & Manon Lorcery, 2024. "Physiography, foraging mobility, and the first peopling of Sahul," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Pavan Harika Raavi & Jung-Eun Chu & Axel Timmermann & Sun-Seon Lee & Kevin J. E. Walsh, 2023. "Moisture control of tropical cyclones in high-resolution simulations of paleoclimate and future climate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Leonardo Vallini & Carlo Zampieri & Mohamed Javad Shoaee & Eugenio Bortolini & Giulia Marciani & Serena Aneli & Telmo Pievani & Stefano Benazzi & Alberto Barausse & Massimo Mezzavilla & Michael D. Pet, 2024. "The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Xiaoqi Guo & Xuefeng Sun & Huayu Lu & Shejiang Wang & Chengqiu Lu, 2023. "Early Hominin Dispersal across the Qinling Mountains, China, during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, October.

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