Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7442172 | Journal of Archaeological Science | 2015 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
Comprehensive review of archaeological data shows that Sahul (Pleistocene Australia-New Guinea) was first occupied by humans ca. 47Â ka (47,000 years ago); evidence for earlier arrival is weak. Colonizing populations remained low - perhaps two orders of magnitude below those estimated at European contact - for many millennia, and were long restricted to relatively favorable habitats. Though human arrival coincided with changes in native flora and fauna, these were mainly the products of climatic factors, not human interference. The genetic makeup of founding populations and their arrival date are consistent with the Late Dispersal Model of anatomically modern humans beyond SW Asia, beginning ca. 50Â ka. Early Dispersal Models (120-70Â ka) are not refuted, but draw no support from the Sahul record as currently understood.
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Authors
J.F. O'Connell, J. Allen,