Ancient Human Presence in Southeast Asia Pushed Back to 86,000 Years with New Discovery in Laos Cave

Newly discovered fossils from a cave in Laos offer the earliest proof of human presence in mainland Southeast Asia. According to the report of New Scientist, these bone fragments, believed to belong to Homo sapiens, could potentially be dated back 86,000 years. The findings provide valuable insights into the migration of our species from Africa to Asia.

Before this discovery, other human fossils dating between 46,000 and 70,000 years old were already found in the same cave named Tam Pà Ling. Building upon previous findings, Fabrice Demeter and a team from the University of Copenhagen have unearthed two additional fossils.

(CHINA OUT) Chinese scientists show unea — Chinese scientists show unearthed bones of a man who lived 25,000 years ago in a cave in Zhoukoudian 07 July 2003, an area of Beijing where the world-renowed Peking man fossils were found 84 years ago. The latest find will likely turn out to be a long-lost piece of evidence linking Peking man -- who lived about 500,000 years ago -- and modern man, scientists believe. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Luminescence Dating Helped Determine Human Bone Age

In a recent study, titled "Early presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia by 86-68 kyr at Tam Pà Ling, Northern Laos" published in Nature Communications, the research team reported their discovery of two additional bones in the Tam Pà Ling cave.

These bones, fragments of a frontal skull and a shin bone are believed to have been washed into the cave during a monsoon event. Despite their fragmented and incomplete state, the researchers were able to analyze their dimensions and shape. They concluded that the bones closely resemble Homo sapiens rather than other archaic human species like Homo erectus, Neanderthals, or Denisovans.

To determine the age of the human remains, Live Science reported that the team utilized luminescence dating of nearby sediments and uranium-series dating of mammalian teeth found in the same layers.

Luminescence dating measures the last time crystalline materials were exposed to sunlight or heat, while uranium-series dating examines the decay of uranium over time into thorium, radium, and lead, similar to carbon-14 dating. Based on these methods, the researchers estimated that the skull could be up to 73,000 years old, while the shin bone dates back as far as 86,000 years ago.

This early timeline for the presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia is a significant discovery, as researchers have debated the timing of human arrival in Asia. Due to limited anthropological research in Laos since World War II, the findings from Tam Pà Ling provide valuable insights into the migration patterns and timelines of early humans in the region.

Lead author Fabrice Demeter, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Copenhagen, highlighted the importance of investigating migration questions in mainland Southeast Asia, given its strategic location at the crossroads of East Asia, island Southeast Asia, and Australia.

Failed Human Population From the Prehistoric Era

While existing genetic and stone tool evidence strongly supports a single, rapid dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa around 60,000 years ago, recent studies like this one are revealing evidence of earlier migrations that may have been unsuccessful ventures. These findings challenge the notion of a linear migration pattern and expand our understanding of the complexities of human dispersal.

Michael B.C. Rivera, a biological anthropologist from the University of Hong Kong not involved in the research, wrote in an email to Live Science that these "failed" populations may have dispersed to Southeast Asia but did not contribute to the modern human gene pool. By considering the stories of these populations, researchers gain a more comprehensive view of human migration beyond the "successful" groups.

While no stone tools or indications of the lifestyles of these ancient humans have been discovered in Tam Pà Ling, archaeologists studying the prehistory of Asia have long speculated that humans possessed the capability to reach islands and undertake sea crossings to populate remote regions even before 65,000 years ago.

Rivera emphasizes that although the claim of Homo sapiens' presence in this region before 60,000 years ago is not entirely novel, the additional confirmation helps fill gaps in the archaeological record and further supports these hypotheses.