Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China
The reconstruction of environmental and climatic changes in the Pleistocene is an essential contribution to our understanding of human evolutionary and behavioral adaptations. Well preserved fluvio-lacustrine sediments at Nihewan basin have yielded a rich record of Early Pleistocene Paleolithic site...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.789781/full |
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| author | Zhe Xu Zhe Xu Zhe Xu Shuwen Pei Shuwen Pei Yaowu Hu Ignacio de la Torre Dongdong Ma Dongdong Ma |
| author_facet | Zhe Xu Zhe Xu Zhe Xu Shuwen Pei Shuwen Pei Yaowu Hu Ignacio de la Torre Dongdong Ma Dongdong Ma |
| author_sort | Zhe Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The reconstruction of environmental and climatic changes in the Pleistocene is an essential contribution to our understanding of human evolutionary and behavioral adaptations. Well preserved fluvio-lacustrine sediments at Nihewan basin have yielded a rich record of Early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites and mammalian fossils which provide a unique opportunity for exploring hominin behavior and paleoecology in North China. Taxonomic studies of mammalian fossils have provided important clues to the general environmental setting and landscapes of Early Pleistocene humans in the fluvio-lacustrine basin of Nihewan, but little is known about their isotopic signatures. In this paper, mammal teeth species at the Madigou archaeological site (ca. 1.2 Ma) were selected for bulk and sequential enamel stable isotope (C, O) analysis. Results show a variety of ecological environments, including grassland and sparse forest landscapes, and distinct patterns across taxa. C3-C4 mixed vegetation predominated, but C4 vegetation was also relevant at times. Madigou early humans likely experienced cold/warm or dry/wet fluctuations in this northern China basin. We hypothesize that the environmental fluctuations and diversified landscapes may have driven flexibility in various aspects of early human technological behaviors, and allowed hominins to face the environmental challenges of northern latitudes after the initial expansion from Africa into East Asia at the onset of the Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:43:31Z |
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| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:43:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6a5e96781704f0da3ad4f49fe4877462022-12-21T19:38:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632021-12-01910.3389/feart.2021.789781789781Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North ChinaZhe Xu0Zhe Xu1Zhe Xu2Shuwen Pei3Shuwen Pei4Yaowu Hu5Ignacio de la Torre6Dongdong Ma7Dongdong Ma8Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Humanities, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Archaeology, Institute of History, CSIC- Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, SpainKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, ChinaThe reconstruction of environmental and climatic changes in the Pleistocene is an essential contribution to our understanding of human evolutionary and behavioral adaptations. Well preserved fluvio-lacustrine sediments at Nihewan basin have yielded a rich record of Early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites and mammalian fossils which provide a unique opportunity for exploring hominin behavior and paleoecology in North China. Taxonomic studies of mammalian fossils have provided important clues to the general environmental setting and landscapes of Early Pleistocene humans in the fluvio-lacustrine basin of Nihewan, but little is known about their isotopic signatures. In this paper, mammal teeth species at the Madigou archaeological site (ca. 1.2 Ma) were selected for bulk and sequential enamel stable isotope (C, O) analysis. Results show a variety of ecological environments, including grassland and sparse forest landscapes, and distinct patterns across taxa. C3-C4 mixed vegetation predominated, but C4 vegetation was also relevant at times. Madigou early humans likely experienced cold/warm or dry/wet fluctuations in this northern China basin. We hypothesize that the environmental fluctuations and diversified landscapes may have driven flexibility in various aspects of early human technological behaviors, and allowed hominins to face the environmental challenges of northern latitudes after the initial expansion from Africa into East Asia at the onset of the Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.789781/fullstable isotopespaleoenvironmental variabilityMiddle Pleistocene Climate Transition (MPT)human adaptationsMadigou siteNihewan basin |
| spellingShingle | Zhe Xu Zhe Xu Zhe Xu Shuwen Pei Shuwen Pei Yaowu Hu Ignacio de la Torre Dongdong Ma Dongdong Ma Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China Frontiers in Earth Science stable isotopes paleoenvironmental variability Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition (MPT) human adaptations Madigou site Nihewan basin |
| title | Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China |
| title_full | Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China |
| title_fullStr | Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China |
| title_short | Stable Isotope Analysis of Mammalian Enamel From the Early Pleistocene Site of Madigou, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Reconstructing Hominin Paleoenvironmental Adaptations in North China |
| title_sort | stable isotope analysis of mammalian enamel from the early pleistocene site of madigou nihewan basin implications for reconstructing hominin paleoenvironmental adaptations in north china |
| topic | stable isotopes paleoenvironmental variability Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition (MPT) human adaptations Madigou site Nihewan basin |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.789781/full |
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