Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers

M. S. McAllister-Hayward; A. J. Blyth; F. A. McInerney; A. I. Holman; K. Grice; J. J. Tyler; K. W. Westaway; R. Joannes-Boyau; S. Boualaphane; N. Bourgon; T. E. Dunn; S. Frangeul; T. Luangkhoth; J.-L. Ponche; P. Sichanthongtip; V. Souksavatdy; E. Suzzoni; A. Zachwieja; C. Zanolli; A.-M. Bacon; P. Duringer; J.-J. Hublin; L. Shackelford; F. Demeter; M. W. Morley

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471

Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers

M. S. McAllister-Hayward^*, A. J. Blyth, F. A. McInerney, A. I. Holman, K. Grice, J. J. Tyler, K. W. Westaway, R. Joannes-Boyau, S. Boualaphane, N. Bourgon, T. E. Dunn, S. Frangeul, T. Luangkhoth, J.-L. Ponche, P. Sichanthongtip, V. Souksavatdy, E. Suzzoni, A. Zachwieja, C. Zanolli, A.-M. BaconP. Duringer, J.-J. Hublin, L. Shackelford, F. Demeter, M. W. Morley

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

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Abstract

The sediments of Tam Pà Ling (TPL), northeastern Laos, have yielded the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia (∼86 ka; marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 b) with a number of skeletal elements having been recovered from the sequence attesting to two populations of H. sapiens present in the vicinity between 77 ± 9 ka to 39 ± 9 ka. At present there has been very limited research into the environmental conditions that these populations encountered during MIS 5–4. In this study, we present the results of an analysis of higher plant biomarkers (n-alkanes and n-alkanols) from the sediments at TPL to reconstruct the palaeovegetation of the site and the human fossils. The n-alkane δ¹³C values demonstrate that H. sapiens encountered a predominantly C₃ forest landscape in MIS 5 b-MIS 4 that prevailed until MIS 1. Observations of a fluctuation in δ¹³C values across MIS 5 b-MIS 1 (∼86–3 ka) indicates that moisture availability was non-uniform, most likely resulting in landscape changes in and around TPL. The presence of H. sapiens at TPL during the environmental conditions associated with MIS 5 b-MIS 3 highlights the adaptability of our species to environmental dynamics at this time.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	108471
Tidsskrift	Quaternary Science Reviews
Vol/bind	325
Antal sider	13
ISSN	0277-3791
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471
Status	Udgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
M.W.M thanks the Australian Research Council for ongoing support with a Future Fellowship ( FT180100309 ).

Funding Information:
M.S.M-H undertook this research supported by Flinders University College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences through a Future Fellowship Postgraduate Scholarship.

Funding Information:
M.S.M-H would like to thank Peter Hopper for his GC-MS and ChemStation support at WA-OIGC, Curtin University. M.S.M-H would also like to thank Dr. Helena Andersson and Dr. Russell Fuller from Flinders Analytical, Flinders University for the use of the EA-IRMS and providing the bulk δ13C values of TPL sediment samples. M.S.M-H undertook this research supported by Flinders University College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences through a Future Fellowship Postgraduate Scholarship. M.W.M thanks the Australian Research Council for ongoing support with a Future Fellowship (FT180100309).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors

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Citationsformater

McAllister-Hayward, M. S., Blyth, A. J., McInerney, F. A., Holman, A. I., Grice, K., Tyler, J. J., Westaway, K. W., Joannes-Boyau, R., Boualaphane, S., Bourgon, N., Dunn, T. E., Frangeul, S., Luangkhoth, T., Ponche, J-L., Sichanthongtip, P., Souksavatdy, V., Suzzoni, E., Zachwieja, A., Zanolli, C., ... Morley, M. W. (2024). Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers. Quaternary Science Reviews, 325, [108471]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471

Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers. / McAllister-Hayward, M. S.; Blyth, A. J.; McInerney, F. A.; Holman, A. I.; Grice, K.; Tyler, J. J.; Westaway, K. W.; Joannes-Boyau, R.; Boualaphane, S.; Bourgon, N.; Dunn, T. E.; Frangeul, S.; Luangkhoth, T.; Ponche, J.-L.; Sichanthongtip, P.; Souksavatdy, V.; Suzzoni, E.; Zachwieja, A.; Zanolli, C.; Bacon, A.-M.; Duringer, P.; Hublin, J.-J.; Shackelford, L.; Demeter, F.; Morley, M. W.

I: Quaternary Science Reviews, Bind 325, 108471, 2024.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

McAllister-Hayward, MS, Blyth, AJ, McInerney, FA, Holman, AI, Grice, K, Tyler, JJ, Westaway, KW, Joannes-Boyau, R, Boualaphane, S, Bourgon, N, Dunn, TE, Frangeul, S, Luangkhoth, T, Ponche, J-L, Sichanthongtip, P, Souksavatdy, V, Suzzoni, E, Zachwieja, A, Zanolli, C, Bacon, A-M, Duringer, P, Hublin, J-J, Shackelford, L, Demeter, F & Morley, MW 2024, 'Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers', Quaternary Science Reviews, bind 325, 108471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471

McAllister-Hayward, M. S. ; Blyth, A. J. ; McInerney, F. A. ; Holman, A. I. ; Grice, K. ; Tyler, J. J. ; Westaway, K. W. ; Joannes-Boyau, R. ; Boualaphane, S. ; Bourgon, N. ; Dunn, T. E. ; Frangeul, S. ; Luangkhoth, T. ; Ponche, J.-L. ; Sichanthongtip, P. ; Souksavatdy, V. ; Suzzoni, E. ; Zachwieja, A. ; Zanolli, C. ; Bacon, A.-M. ; Duringer, P. ; Hublin, J.-J. ; Shackelford, L. ; Demeter, F. ; Morley, M. W. / Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers. I: Quaternary Science Reviews. 2024 ; Bind 325.

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title = "Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam P{\`a} Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers",

abstract = "The sediments of Tam P{\`a} Ling (TPL), northeastern Laos, have yielded the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia (∼86 ka; marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 b) with a number of skeletal elements having been recovered from the sequence attesting to two populations of H. sapiens present in the vicinity between 77 ± 9 ka to 39 ± 9 ka. At present there has been very limited research into the environmental conditions that these populations encountered during MIS 5–4. In this study, we present the results of an analysis of higher plant biomarkers (n-alkanes and n-alkanols) from the sediments at TPL to reconstruct the palaeovegetation of the site and the human fossils. The n-alkane δ13C values demonstrate that H. sapiens encountered a predominantly C3 forest landscape in MIS 5 b-MIS 4 that prevailed until MIS 1. Observations of a fluctuation in δ13C values across MIS 5 b-MIS 1 (∼86–3 ka) indicates that moisture availability was non-uniform, most likely resulting in landscape changes in and around TPL. The presence of H. sapiens at TPL during the environmental conditions associated with MIS 5 b-MIS 3 highlights the adaptability of our species to environmental dynamics at this time.",

keywords = "Homo sapiens, n-alkanes, n-alkanols, palaeoenvironments, stable isotopes",

author = "McAllister-Hayward, {M. S.} and Blyth, {A. J.} and McInerney, {F. A.} and Holman, {A. I.} and K. Grice and Tyler, {J. J.} and Westaway, {K. W.} and R. Joannes-Boyau and S. Boualaphane and N. Bourgon and Dunn, {T. E.} and S. Frangeul and T. Luangkhoth and J.-L. Ponche and P. Sichanthongtip and V. Souksavatdy and E. Suzzoni and A. Zachwieja and C. Zanolli and A.-M. Bacon and P. Duringer and J.-J. Hublin and L. Shackelford and F. Demeter and Morley, {M. W.}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471",

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T1 - Reconstructing the environmental conditions experienced by early modern humans at Tam Pà Ling (northeast Laos) using higher plant wax biomarkers

AU - McAllister-Hayward, M. S.

AU - Blyth, A. J.

AU - McInerney, F. A.

AU - Holman, A. I.

AU - Grice, K.

AU - Tyler, J. J.

AU - Westaway, K. W.

AU - Joannes-Boyau, R.

AU - Boualaphane, S.

AU - Bourgon, N.

AU - Dunn, T. E.

AU - Frangeul, S.

AU - Luangkhoth, T.

AU - Ponche, J.-L.

AU - Sichanthongtip, P.

AU - Souksavatdy, V.

AU - Suzzoni, E.

AU - Zachwieja, A.

AU - Zanolli, C.

AU - Bacon, A.-M.

AU - Duringer, P.

AU - Hublin, J.-J.

AU - Shackelford, L.

AU - Demeter, F.

AU - Morley, M. W.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The sediments of Tam Pà Ling (TPL), northeastern Laos, have yielded the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia (∼86 ka; marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 b) with a number of skeletal elements having been recovered from the sequence attesting to two populations of H. sapiens present in the vicinity between 77 ± 9 ka to 39 ± 9 ka. At present there has been very limited research into the environmental conditions that these populations encountered during MIS 5–4. In this study, we present the results of an analysis of higher plant biomarkers (n-alkanes and n-alkanols) from the sediments at TPL to reconstruct the palaeovegetation of the site and the human fossils. The n-alkane δ13C values demonstrate that H. sapiens encountered a predominantly C3 forest landscape in MIS 5 b-MIS 4 that prevailed until MIS 1. Observations of a fluctuation in δ13C values across MIS 5 b-MIS 1 (∼86–3 ka) indicates that moisture availability was non-uniform, most likely resulting in landscape changes in and around TPL. The presence of H. sapiens at TPL during the environmental conditions associated with MIS 5 b-MIS 3 highlights the adaptability of our species to environmental dynamics at this time.

AB - The sediments of Tam Pà Ling (TPL), northeastern Laos, have yielded the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia (∼86 ka; marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 b) with a number of skeletal elements having been recovered from the sequence attesting to two populations of H. sapiens present in the vicinity between 77 ± 9 ka to 39 ± 9 ka. At present there has been very limited research into the environmental conditions that these populations encountered during MIS 5–4. In this study, we present the results of an analysis of higher plant biomarkers (n-alkanes and n-alkanols) from the sediments at TPL to reconstruct the palaeovegetation of the site and the human fossils. The n-alkane δ13C values demonstrate that H. sapiens encountered a predominantly C3 forest landscape in MIS 5 b-MIS 4 that prevailed until MIS 1. Observations of a fluctuation in δ13C values across MIS 5 b-MIS 1 (∼86–3 ka) indicates that moisture availability was non-uniform, most likely resulting in landscape changes in and around TPL. The presence of H. sapiens at TPL during the environmental conditions associated with MIS 5 b-MIS 3 highlights the adaptability of our species to environmental dynamics at this time.

KW - Homo sapiens

KW - n-alkanes

KW - n-alkanols

KW - palaeoenvironments

KW - stable isotopes

U2 - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471

DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108471

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85182272881

VL - 325

JO - Quaternary Science Reviews

JF - Quaternary Science Reviews

SN - 0277-3791

M1 - 108471

ER -