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Early Human Evolution: Rainforest Habitation Dates Back 150,000 Years, Study Finds
New findings from a groundbreaking archaeological study indicate that early humans inhabited rainforest environments approximately 150,000 years ago. This discovery significantly predates previous estimates and suggests that rainforests may have played a more vital role in human evolution than previously understood. The research challenges existing timelines and reshapes our comprehension of early human adaptation to diverse environments.
Archaeological Re-examination Reshapes Understanding of Human History
An international team of researchers conducted the study, revisiting the archaeological site of Bété I in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. The site was initially excavated in the 1980s, yielding stone tools. However, accurate dating was not possible at that time, and the tools were subsequently lost during the Ivorian Civil War in 2011.
Eslem Ben Arous, the lead author and an archaeologist at Spain’s National Centre for Human Evolution Research, stated, “Prior to our investigation, the oldest confirmed evidence of human presence in African rainforests was roughly 18,000 years ago, with Southeast Asia providing the earliest global evidence at approximately 70,000 years ago. Our findings extend the established timeline of human rainforest occupation by more than double the former estimate.”
Rainforests as Key Habitats in Early Human History
The Bété I site is particularly significant because rainforests were historically considered barriers to early human settlement. The dense foliage and humid climate were perceived as too challenging for survival. This research, however, contests this viewpoint, demonstrating that humans resided in rainforestshuman evolution.
The original excavation of Bété I was a collaborative effort between Ivorian and Soviet researchers, led by Professor Yodé Guédé from the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Ben Arous and her team conducted further analysis in the same area, employing advanced techniques unavailable during the initial digs.
James Blinkhorn, an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA), commented, “With Professor Guédé’s assistance, we located the original trench and were able to re-examine it using cutting-edge methodologies that were not accessible three to four decades ago.”
The re-excavation occurred just before the site was destroyed by mining operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its protected status. Professor Eleanor Scerri of MPI-GEA lamented, “The site had been granted protected status. Regrettably, the destruction happened regardless of this designation.”
Advanced Dating Techniques Reveal Age of Stone Tools and Rainforest Environment
Through the analysis of quartz grains from the site, the research team concluded that the stone tools were deposited around 150,000 years ago. Further analysis of pollen, leaf wax, and plant residue from soil samples indicated that the region was heavily forested at the time of tool usage, mirroring contemporary West African rainforests. Sparse grass pollen levels confirmed a substantial woodland environment rather than a limited forest fringe.
This discovery prompts crucial questions regarding the environmental contexts of early human life and adaptation. Professor Scerri noted, “Convergent evolution unequivocally demonstrates that ecological diversity is central to our species’ history. This reflects a complex history of population division, where distinct groups inhabited diverse regions and habitat types.”
Challenging Traditional Views of Human Evolution
Conventional theories suggest that early humans evolved in African grasslands and progressively adapted to other settings, including savannahs and semi-arid zones. However, the evidence from this study indicates that humans occupied varied ecosystems much earlier than previously assumed, even encompassing tropical rainforests.
According to Professor Scerri, “Our findings reveal that this traditional view is inaccurate. Surprisingly early in our history, humans were inhabiting fundamentally different ecosystems in Africa, our species’ origin, and adapting accordingly.”
The researchers propose that early human populations in rainforests may have had limited interaction with those adapted to savannahs and other ecosystems, leading to divergent evolutionary paths. These diverse environmental adaptations likely impacted human interactions and gene flow, shaping human evolution. Professor Scerri elaborated, “Ecosystem diversity and our adaptations to drastically different ecosystems probably moderated patterns of interaction and genetic exchange—the foundational processes of evolution.”
Future Research Directions: Human-Environment Interaction in Rainforests
The study paves the way for new investigations into the environmental impact of early humans and how these habitats influenced species development. Professor Scerri posed the critical inquiry: “We now need to investigate how these early human expansions affected the plants and animals that shared the same ecological space as humans.”
Professor Guédé emphasized the broader implications of the discovery, stating, “This exciting finding is the first of many, as numerous other Ivorian sites await investigation to further explore human presence within rainforest environments.”