Ancient DNA and multimethod dating confirm the late arrival of anatomically modern humans in southern China

作者：Xuefeng Sun, Shaoqing Wen, Cheng-qiu Lu, Bo-yan Zhou, Darren Curnoe, Huayu Lu, Hong‐Chun Li, Hong‐Chun Li, Wei Wang, Hai Cheng, Shuang-wen Yi, Xin Jia, Xing-hua Xu, Yi-ming Lu, Ying Lü, Ying Lu, Hong Zhang, Hong Zhang, Chang Sun, Lan‐Hai Wei, Fei Han, Juan Huang, R. Lawrence Edwards, Hui Li, Hui Li, Hui Li · 发表于：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1073/pnas.2019158118 · 被引用次数：77 · 研究领域：Forensic and Genetic Research、Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies、Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Significance Genetic studies show the founders of all living non-African populations expanded from Africa ca. 65 to 45 ka. This “late dispersal” model has been challenged by the discovery of isolated AMHs at caves in southern China suggested as early as ca. 120 ka. We assessed the age of early AMH fossils from five caves in this region using ancient DNA analysis and a multimethod geological dating strategy. We found they were much younger than previously suggested, with some remains dating to the Holocene owing to the complex depositional history at these subtropical caves. Current evidence shows AMHs settled southern China within the timeframe set by molecular data of less than ca. 50 to 45 ka and no earlier.