Fossil record of early modern humans in East Asia

Human skeletal remains of Late Pleistocene ages are known from both continental and insular regions of East Asia. This paper critically reviews some of these, with the aim of clarifying what is known and what remain to be known about fossil evidence regarding the origins, dispersals, and morphological diversification of early modern humans in the area. The focus is on relatively well-dated and/or morphologically informative specimens, including those from Zhiren Cave in South China, Tianyuan Cave and Upper Cave in North China, Salkhit in East Mongolia, and Yamashita-cho Cave I and Minatogawa Fissure in Okinawa, Japan. Although uncertainties still remain in the chronology and morphological status of some of these specimens, this small sample of fossil specimens has the potential to significantly contribute to an understanding of the early population history in East Asia. Compatibility of the available fossil evidence with recent genetic evidence is also discussed.