Scientists have found traces of human life in the rainforest 150 thousand years ago
The first representatives of Homo sapiens lived in humid tropical forests about 150 thousand years ago. According to the results of a study by an international group of scientists, this discovery more than doubles the age of known scientific evidence of human development of such ecosystems. This was reported on May 19 by Science Daily magazine.,
Previously, it was believed that the ancient ancestors of humans avoided the dense forests of Africa, preferring open savannahs and coastal areas. Excavations at the Bethe I archaeological site in modern Ivory Coast have refuted this assumption: archaeologists have discovered layers of stone tools that were deeply buried underground in a wooded area.
To determine the age of the parking lot, the scientists used the methods of optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance. Analysis of pollen and chemical traces in the sediments confirmed that 150 thousand years ago this area was covered with dense moist forests, and not sparsely wooded.
Eslem Ben Arous, lead author of the study
Prior to our study, the oldest reliable evidence of human habitation in the African rainforest dated back about 18 thousand years ago, and the oldest evidence of habitation in the rainforest in general was found in Southeast Asia and dated back about 70 thousand years ago. This pushes back the oldest known evidence of human habitation in the rainforest by more than two times compared to previous estimates.
This is claimed to push back the oldest known evidence of human presence in the rainforest by more than double the previously known estimate. According to the authors, the finding confirms the theory that human evolution did not take place in one environment, but in a wide variety of ecosystems — from deserts to jungles. It was ecological plasticity that could help Homo sapiens successfully spread around the world.
Since the Bethe I site was destroyed as a result of mining activities shortly after the completion of the new excavations, the data obtained is of particular value to science. At the same time, the researchers do not exclude that even more ancient traces of human habitation may be found in the region.
On May 16, Science Daily reported the discovery of the remains of an unknown species of Australopithecus in Ethiopia. Scientists have also suggested that the fossil teeth of ancient hominids found prove that about 3 million years ago, several species of human ancestors lived on the same territory at the same time.
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