Isotopic evidence for initial coastal colonization and subsequent diversification in the human occupation of Wallacea

Patrick Roberts (), Julien Louys, Jana Zech, Ceri Shipton, Shimona Kealy, Sofia Samper Carro, Stuart Hawkins, Clara Boulanger, Sara Marzo, Bianca Fiedler, Nicole Boivin, Mahirta, Ken Aplin and Sue OʼConnor ()
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Patrick Roberts: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Julien Louys: Griffith University
Jana Zech: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Ceri Shipton: The Australian National University
Shimona Kealy: The Australian National University
Sofia Samper Carro: The Australian National University
Stuart Hawkins: The Australian National University
Clara Boulanger: Australian National University
Sara Marzo: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Bianca Fiedler: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Nicole Boivin: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Mahirta: Australian National University
Ken Aplin: The Australian National University
Sue OʼConnor: The Australian National University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The resource-poor, isolated islands of Wallacea have been considered a major adaptive obstacle for hominins expanding into Australasia. Archaeological evidence has hinted that coastal adaptations in Homo sapiens enabled rapid island dispersal and settlement; however, there has been no means to directly test this proposition. Here, we apply stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis to human and faunal tooth enamel from six Late Pleistocene to Holocene archaeological sites across Wallacea. The results demonstrate that the earliest human forager found in the region c. 42,000 years ago made significant use of coastal resources prior to subsequent niche diversification shown for later individuals. We argue that our data provides clear insights into the huge adaptive flexibility of our species, including its ability to specialize in the use of varied environments, particularly in comparison to other hominin species known from Island Southeast Asia.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15969-4

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