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Ruan QJ, Li H, Xiao PY, Li B, Monod H, Sumner A, Zhao KL, Liu JH, Jia ZX, Wang CX, Fan AC, Moncel MH, Marwick B, Peresani M, Wang YP, Chen FH, Delpiano D. Quina lithic technology indicates diverse Late Pleistocene human dynamics in East Asia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2025; 122:e2418029122. [PMID: 40163722 PMCID: PMC12002189 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2418029122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2025] [Indexed: 04/02/2025] Open
Abstract
The Late Pleistocene of Eurasia is key for understanding interactions between early modern humans and different types of archaic human groups. During this period, lithic technology shows more diversity and complexity, likely indicating flexible adaptative strategies. However, cultural variability as expressed by technological types remains vague in large parts of eastern Eurasia, like in China. Here, we report a complete Quina technological system identified from the study of the Longtan site in Southwest China. The site has been securely dated to ca. 60 to 50 thousand years ago (ka), with compelling evidence of core exploitation, production of large and thick flakes, shaping and maintenance of scrapers exhibiting the whole Quina concept, typical of contemporary European Middle Paleolithic technologies developed by Neanderthal groups adapted to climatic oscillations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and early MIS 3. The finding of a Quina lithic assemblage in China not only demonstrates the existence of a Middle Paleolithic technology in the region but also shows large-scale analogies with Neanderthal behaviors in western Europe. Longtan substantially extends the geographic distribution of this technical behavior in East Asia. Although its origin remains unclear, implications for Pleistocene hominin dispersal and adaptation to diverse ecological settings are considered. The Longtan lithic evidence also provides perspectives for understanding the cultural evolutionary situation before the large-scale arrivals of early modern humans in East Asia predating ~45 ka.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Jun Ruan
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming650118, China
| | - Hao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China
| | - Pei-Yuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China
| | - Bo Li
- School of Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
- Environmental Futures Research Centre, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
| | - Hélène Monod
- Department of History and History of Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona43002, Spain
- UMR7194, Natural History of Prehistoric Man, CNRS, Nomad Team, Department of Man and Environment, National Museum of Natural History, Paris75007, France
| | | | - Ke-Liang Zhao
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100044, China
| | - Jian-Hui Liu
- Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming650118, China
| | - Zhen-Xiu Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Chun-Xin Wang
- Department for the History of Science and Scientific Archaeology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | - An-Chuan Fan
- Department for the History of Science and Scientific Archaeology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | | | - Ben Marwick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Marco Peresani
- Department of Human Studies, Prehistoric and Anthropological Science Unit, University of Ferrara, Ferrara44121, Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Laboratory of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, Milan20126, Italy
| | - You-Ping Wang
- School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
- Zhengzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Zhengzhou450052, China
| | - Fa-Hu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China
| | - Davide Delpiano
- Department of Human Studies, Prehistoric and Anthropological Science Unit, University of Ferrara, Ferrara44121, Italy
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Liang H, Harrison T, Shao Q, Bahain JJ, Mo J, Feng Y, Liao W, Wang W. Evidence for the smallest fossil Pongo in southern China. J Hum Evol 2024; 189:103507. [PMID: 38417249 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
The rarity of Pongo fossils with precise absolute dating from the Middle Pleistocene hampers our understanding of the taxonomy and spatiotemporal distribution of Quaternary orangutans in southern China. Here, we report a newly discovered sample of 113 isolated teeth of fossil Pongo from Zhongshan Cave in the Bubing Basin, Guangxi, southern China. We describe the Pongo specimens from Zhongshan Cave and compare them metrically to other samples of fossil Pongo species (i.e., Pongo weidenreichi, Pongo devosi, Pongo duboisi, Pongo palaeosumatrensis, Pongo javensis, and Pongo sp.) and to extant orangutans (i.e., Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii). The Zhongshan Pongo assemblage is dated using U-series and coupled electron spin resonance/U-series methods. Our results reasonably constrain the Zhongshan Pongo assemblage to 184 ± 16 ka, which is consistent with the biostratigraphic evidence. The Zhongshan Pongo teeth are only 6.5% larger on average than those of extant Pongo. The Zhongshan teeth are smaller overall than those of Pongo from all other cave sites in southern China, and they currently represent the smallest fossil orangutans in southern China. Based on their dental size, and the presence of a well-developed lingual pillar and lingual cingulum on the upper and lower incisors, an intermediate frequency of lingual cingulum remnants on the upper molars, and a higher frequency of moderate to heavy wrinkling on the upper and lower molars, we provisionally assign the Zhongshan fossils to P. devosi. Our results confirm earlier claims that P. weidenreichi is replaced by a smaller species in southern China, P. devosi, by the late Middle Pleistocene. The occurrence of P. devosi in Zhongshan Cave further extends its spatial and temporal distribution. The Pongo specimens from Zhongshan provide important new evidence to demonstrate that the dental morphological features of Pongo in southern China changed substantially during the late Middle Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Liang
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Qingfeng Shao
- College of Geographical Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jean-Jacques Bahain
- Histoire Naturelle de L'Homme Préhistorique UMR7194 HNHP, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Jinyou Mo
- Natural History Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530012, China
| | - Yuexing Feng
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China; RIF, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Wei Liao
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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Kubat J, Paterson R, Patramanis I, Barker G, Demeter F, Filoux A, Kullmer O, Mackie M, Marques-Bonet T, Huong NTM, Tuan NA, Pheng S, Rippengal J, Schrenk F, Souksavatdy V, Tshen LT, Wattanapituksakul A, Wang W, Zanolli C, Cappellini E, Bacon AM. Geometric morphometrics and paleoproteomics enlighten the paleodiversity of Pongo. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291308. [PMID: 38100471 PMCID: PMC10723683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleistocene Pongo teeth show substantial variation in size and morphology, fueling taxonomic debates about the paleodiversity of the genus. We investigated prominent features of the enamel-dentine-junction junction (EDJ)-phylogenetically informative internal structures-of 71 fossil Pongo lower molars from various sites by applying geometric morphometrics and conducted paleoproteomic analyses from enamel proteins to attempt to identify extinct orangutan species. Forty-three orangutan lower molars representing Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii were included for comparison. The shape of the EDJ was analyzed by placing five landmarks on the tip of the main dentine horns, and 142 semilandmarks along the marginal ridges connecting the dentine horns. Paleoproteomic analyses were conducted on 15 teeth of Late Pleistocene Pongo using high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. The geometric morphometric results show variations in EDJ shape regarding aspects of the height and position of the dentine horns and connecting ridges. Despite the issue of molar position and sample size, modern molars are distinguished from fossil counterparts by their elongated tooth outline and narrowly positioned dentine horns. Proteomic results show that neither a distinction of P. pygmaeus and P. abelii, nor a consistent allocation of fossil specimens to extant species is feasible. Based on the EDJ shape, the (late) Middle to Late Pleistocene Pongo samples from Vietnam share the same morphospace, supporting the previous allocation to P. devosi, although substantial overlap with Chinese fossils could also indicate close affinities with P. weidenreichi. The hypothesis that both species represent one chronospecies cannot be ruled out. Two fossil specimens, one from Tam Hay Marklot (Laos, Late Pleistocene), and another from Sangiran (Java, Early to Middle Pleistocene), along with some specimens within the Punung sample (Java), exhibit affinities with Pongo abelii. The Punung fossils might represent a mix of early Late Pleistocene and later specimens (terminal Pleistocene to Holocene) related to modern Pongo. The taxonomy and phylogeny of the complete Punung sample needs to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jülide Kubat
- CNRS, BABEL, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Department of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ryan Paterson
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Graeme Barker
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fabrice Demeter
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- UMR 7206 Eco Anthropologie, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Filoux
- Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Department of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Meaghan Mackie
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nguyen Thi Mai Huong
- Anthropological and Palaeoenvironmental Department, Institute of Archaeology, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Anh Tuan
- Anthropological and Palaeoenvironmental Department, Institute of Archaeology, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | - Sytha Pheng
- Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Jessica Rippengal
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Friedemann Schrenk
- Department of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Viengkeo Souksavatdy
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Lim Tze Tshen
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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Liang H, Harrison T, Shao Q, Bahain JJ, Zhao J, Bae CJ, Liao W, Wang W. Middle Pleistocene Pongo from Ganxian Cave in southern China with implications for understanding dental size evolution in orangutans. J Hum Evol 2023; 178:103348. [PMID: 36966597 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
The Pongo fossil record of China extends from the Early Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene, but to date, no late Middle Pleistocene samples of Pongo with precise absolute dating have been identified in southern China. Here, we report the recovery of 106 fossil teeth of Pongo from Ganxian Cave in the Bubing Basin, Guangxi, southern China. We dated the speleothems using Uranium-series and dated the two rhinoceros teeth using coupled electron spin resonance/Uranium-series dating methods to between 168.9 ± 2.4 ka and 362 ± 78 ka, respectively. These dates are consistent with the biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic age estimates. We further describe the fossil teeth from Ganxian Cave and compare them metrically to samples of fossil Pongo (i.e., Pongo weidenreichi, Pongo duboisi, Pongo palaeosumatrensis, Pongo javensis, and Pongo sp.) from the Early, Middle, and Late Pleistocene and to extant Pongo (i.e., Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii) from Southeast Asia. Based on overall dental size, a high frequency of lingual cingulum remnants on the upper molars, and a low frequency of moderate to heavy wrinkling on the molars, we attribute the Ganxian fossils to P. weidenreichi. Compared with Pongo fossils from other mainland Southeast Asia sites, those from Ganxian confirm that dental size reduction of Pongo occurred principally during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. From the Middle to Late Pleistocene, all teeth except the P3 show little change in occlusal area, indicating that the size of these teeth remained relatively stable over time. The evolutionary trajectory of the Pongo dentition through time may be more complex than previously thought. More orangutan fossils with precise dating constraints are the keys to solving this issue.
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Sun X, Yi S, Min K, Liu D, Yan W, Cai H, Wang X, Curnoe D, Lu H. A new chronological framework for Chuandong Cave and its implications for the appearance of modern humans in southern China. J Hum Evol 2023; 178:103344. [PMID: 36947893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Chuandong Cave is an important Late Paleolithic site because it documents the early appearance of bone tools in southern China. We used the single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol for optically stimulated luminescence dating to improve the precision of the chronology for the Chuandong Cave sedimentary sequence. The age of each layer was determined using a Bayesian modeling approach which combined optically stimulated luminescence ages with published AMS 14C dates. The results showed that Layer 10 began accumulating since 56 ± 14 ka and provides the upper age limit for all artifacts from the sequence. Bone awl tools from Layer 8, the earliest grinding bone tools in this site, were recovered within sediments between 40 ± 7 ka and 30 ± 4 ka. Layer 8 also indicates the appearance of modern humans in the Chuandong Cave sequence. Layers 4-2, ranging from 15 ± 3 ka until 11 ± 1 ka and including the Younger Dryas period, contain a few bone awls and an eyed bone needle. The shift from bone awls to eyed bone needles in the Chuandong Cave sequence indicates that modern humans adapted to the changing climate of southern China. We conclude that modern human behavior in bone tools appeared in southern China as early as 40 ± 7 ka, became more sophisticated during the Last Glacial Maximum, and spread more widely across southern China during the Younger Dryas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Wang
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xinglong Zhang
- Guizhou Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Guiyang 550003, China
| | - Xuefeng Sun
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Shuangwen Yi
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Kai Min
- Guizhou Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Guiyang 550003, China
| | - Dengke Liu
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wenxuan Yan
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huiyang Cai
- Guizhou Provincial Museum, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Xinjin Wang
- Guizhou Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Guiyang 550003, China
| | - Darren Curnoe
- Australia Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Huayu Lu
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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