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Magnetostratigraphic age of the Xiantai Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin and implications for early human colonization of Northeast Asia

Magnetostratigraphic age of the Xiantai Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin and implications for early human colonization of Northeast Asia
Magnetostratigraphic age of the Xiantai Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin and implications for early human colonization of Northeast Asia
Timing of the early habitation and stone technologies in the Nihewan Basin, North China has provided insights into our understanding of early human adaptability to high northern latitudes in East Asia. Here we contribute to this topic with detailed magnetostratigraphic investigation, coupled with mineral magnetic measurements and palynological analyses on a lacustrine sequence in this basin, which contains the Xiantai Paleolithic site. Magnetite and hematite were identified as the main carriers for the characteristic remanent magnetizations. Magnetostratigraphic results show that the Xiantai lacustrine sequence recorded the Brunhes chron, the Jaramillo and the Olduvai subchrons, and successive reverse polarity portions of the intervening Matuyama chron. Stratigraphic correlation in terms of lithology, magnetic susceptibility and magnetic polarity sequences between the Xiantai and Xiaochangliang sections indicates that the Xiantai artefact layer is readily contemporary with the Xiaochangliang artefact layer, which has been previously estimated to be about 1.36 Ma [R.X. Zhu, K.A. Hoffman, R. Potts, C.L. Deng, Y.X. Pan, B. Guo, C.D. Shi, Z.T. Guo, B.Y. Yuan, Y.M. Hou, W.W. Huang, Earliest presence of humans in northeast Asia, Nature 413 (2001) 413–417.]. Early humans of the Xiantai Paleolithic site lived in a steppe paleoenvironment indicated from fossil pollens. Furthermore, the combined evidence of our magnetostratigraphy and previously published magnetochronology and paleoclimate data documents that early humans of North China were able to adjust to an increasing variability of paleoclimates and paleoenvironments over the Early Pleistocene.
magnetostratigraphy, Xiantai Paleolithic site, Nihewan Basin, Early Pleistocene, human evolution
0012-821X
336-348
Deng, C-L.
0be5498c-ab71-4750-bc80-837b4cba5668
Wei, Q.
37a85d24-59da-4017-9add-963d999a2588
Zhu, R-X.
43bd30e4-de19-4b2d-8a8f-394a6c00c73f
Wang, H-Q.
72c48af3-d548-425f-a67f-cd59953d9805
Zhang, R.
0db08a43-0be0-46fc-bb29-e28a9d0e3243
Ao, H.
35548737-bd89-4c22-b430-78f449886345
Chang, L.
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Pan, Y-X.
17714e17-f778-4b16-9a12-edc5e8a9f1bb
Deng, C-L.
0be5498c-ab71-4750-bc80-837b4cba5668
Wei, Q.
37a85d24-59da-4017-9add-963d999a2588
Zhu, R-X.
43bd30e4-de19-4b2d-8a8f-394a6c00c73f
Wang, H-Q.
72c48af3-d548-425f-a67f-cd59953d9805
Zhang, R.
0db08a43-0be0-46fc-bb29-e28a9d0e3243
Ao, H.
35548737-bd89-4c22-b430-78f449886345
Chang, L.
d6c90fb1-6a1c-4ac0-9b98-8556d2e80d4c
Pan, Y-X.
17714e17-f778-4b16-9a12-edc5e8a9f1bb

Deng, C-L., Wei, Q., Zhu, R-X., Wang, H-Q., Zhang, R., Ao, H., Chang, L. and Pan, Y-X. (2006) Magnetostratigraphic age of the Xiantai Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin and implications for early human colonization of Northeast Asia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 244 (1-2), 336-348. (doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2006.02.001).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Timing of the early habitation and stone technologies in the Nihewan Basin, North China has provided insights into our understanding of early human adaptability to high northern latitudes in East Asia. Here we contribute to this topic with detailed magnetostratigraphic investigation, coupled with mineral magnetic measurements and palynological analyses on a lacustrine sequence in this basin, which contains the Xiantai Paleolithic site. Magnetite and hematite were identified as the main carriers for the characteristic remanent magnetizations. Magnetostratigraphic results show that the Xiantai lacustrine sequence recorded the Brunhes chron, the Jaramillo and the Olduvai subchrons, and successive reverse polarity portions of the intervening Matuyama chron. Stratigraphic correlation in terms of lithology, magnetic susceptibility and magnetic polarity sequences between the Xiantai and Xiaochangliang sections indicates that the Xiantai artefact layer is readily contemporary with the Xiaochangliang artefact layer, which has been previously estimated to be about 1.36 Ma [R.X. Zhu, K.A. Hoffman, R. Potts, C.L. Deng, Y.X. Pan, B. Guo, C.D. Shi, Z.T. Guo, B.Y. Yuan, Y.M. Hou, W.W. Huang, Earliest presence of humans in northeast Asia, Nature 413 (2001) 413–417.]. Early humans of the Xiantai Paleolithic site lived in a steppe paleoenvironment indicated from fossil pollens. Furthermore, the combined evidence of our magnetostratigraphy and previously published magnetochronology and paleoclimate data documents that early humans of North China were able to adjust to an increasing variability of paleoclimates and paleoenvironments over the Early Pleistocene.

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More information

Published date: 2006
Keywords: magnetostratigraphy, Xiantai Paleolithic site, Nihewan Basin, Early Pleistocene, human evolution

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 44700
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/44700
ISSN: 0012-821X
PURE UUID: 37abd320-1a0c-4949-828b-cdf242207f30

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Date deposited: 08 Mar 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 09:06

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Contributors

Author: C-L. Deng
Author: Q. Wei
Author: R-X. Zhu
Author: H-Q. Wang
Author: R. Zhang
Author: H. Ao
Author: L. Chang
Author: Y-X. Pan

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