Global and Local Perspectives on Cranial Shape Variation in Indonesian Homo Erectus

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Global and Local Perspectives on Cranial Shape Variation in Indonesian Homo Erectus ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE Vol. 125(2), 67–83, 2017 Global and local perspectives on cranial shape variation in Indonesian Homo erectus Karen L. BAAB1*, Yahdi ZAIM2 1Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, 19555 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85012, USA 2Department of Geology, Institut Technologi Bandung (ITB), Jl. Ganesa No. 10, Bandung–40132, Indonesia Received 5 December 2016; accepted 13 April 2017 Abstract Homo erectus is among the best-represented fossil hominin species, with a particularly rich record in Indonesia. Understanding variation within this sample and relative to other groups of H. erectus in China, Georgia, and Africa is crucial for answering questions about H. erectus migration, local adap- tation, and evolutionary history. Neurocranial shape is analyzed within the Indonesian sample, including representatives from Sangiran, Ngandong, Sambungmacan, and Ngawi, as well as a comparative sample of H. erectus from outside of Java, using three-dimensional geometric morphometric techniques. This study includes several more recently described Indonesian fossils, including Sambungmacan 4 and Skull IX, producing a more complete view of Indonesian variation than seen in previous shape analyses. While Asian fossils can be distinguished from the African/Georgian ones, there is not a single cranial Bauplan that distinguishes all Indonesian fossils from those in other geographic areas. Nevertheless, late Indone- sian H. erectus, from sites such as Ngandong, are quite distinct relative to all other H. erectus groups, including earlier fossils from the same region. It is possible that this pattern represents a loss of genetic diversity through time on the island of Java, coupled with genetic drift, although other interpretations are plausible. A temporal pattern of diachronic change was identified within Indonesia for the posterior neu- rocranium such that younger Sangiran fossils more closely approached the Ngandong/Sambungmacan/ Ngawi pattern, but there was not a linear trend of shape change from Sangiran to Sambungmacan to Ngandong, as has been suggested previously. The Sambungmacan 3 fossil, which often appears as a morphological outlier, fits the general pattern of late Indonesian vault shape, but has a more extreme expression of the shape trends for this group than other individuals. Key words: Homo erectus, Sangiran, Ngandong, cranial shape, geometric morphometrics dong, Sambungmacan, and Ngawi is generally considered to Introduction be Middle Pleistocene or even Late Pleistocene in age. The The Homo erectus fossil record from Java is extensive and Ngandong fossils, consisting of numerous partial and com- has wide-ranging implications for evolutionary questions plete calvaria and well as a few postcranial elements, were about the timing of early Homo migration, the effects of recovered from excavations on the high terraces of the Solo stochastic evolution on islands, local adaptation, and a po- River. However, the three Sambungmacan and single Ngawi tential speciation event that gave rise to Homo floresiensis, calvaria were recovered by local inhabitants from three dif- known from the nearby island of Flores (Brown et al., 2004; ferent sites along this river, and the exact stratigraphic prov- Baab, 2016a). Moreover, the time span, which may encom- enance of these fossils is uncertain. Most of these sites are pass more than a million years of evolution, allows us to situated along the Solo River in east Java, with the exception probe issues of diachronic change in this species. The oldest of the more eastern site of Modjokerto, which has yielded fossils (early Pleistocene) from Java are those from Trinil one young individual, and the more western site of Cisanca, and the Sangiran dome. The young individual recovered from which a single incisor was recovered (Kramer et al., from Modjokerto may also be Early Pleistocene in age, but 2005). this is less certain. A second group of fossils from Ngan- The Asian hominin record has been subject to a continu- ous stream of analyses beginning with the initial description of the Trinil fossils by Dubois (1894). Additional earlier * Correspondence to: Karen Baab, Department of Anatomy, Mid- western University, 19555 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85012, discoveries were also from the earlier time frame. The first USA. fossils recovered from the Middle/Late Pleistocene were E-mail: [email protected] from Ngandong in the 1930s. The Ngandong fossils were Published online 30 June 2017 initially placed in a distinct species, Homo (Javanthropus) in J-STAGE (www.jstage.jst.go.jp) DOI: 10.1537/ase.170413 soloensis (Oppenoorth, 1932), and similarities to other Mid- © 2017 The Anthropological Society of Nippon 67 68 K.L. BAAB AND Y. ZAIM ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE dle Pleistocene hominins or late Pleistocene Homo sapiens descent” and Antón (2002: 319), who asserted that “the rela- from Australasia were noted. However, monographs on the tively small differences between the earlier and later Indone- Zhoukoudian (China) and Ngandong fossils by Weidenreich sian fossils must certainly be accepted as temporal changes were particularly influential (Weidenreich, 1943, 1951) in within a lineage, rather than indicative of a different line- establishing two common themes that have persisted until age.” Both workers identified non-metric features (e.g. fron- the present: the fossils from Trinil/Sangiran, Zhoukoudian, tal keel and anterior projection of the medial part of the su- and Ngandong share a common Bauplan but with regional praorbital torus) unique to this group, and Antón (2002) and temporal variations overprinted on this shared architec- further found similarity in size/shape of the cranial vault ture. Santa Luca’s (1980) in-depth analysis of the Ngandong based on quantitative measures. fossils further solidified this sample as part of the broader Nevertheless, there are differences of opinion regarding H. erectus type. Additional fossil discoveries have occurred the details of that evolutionary transition. In particular, re- in both the earlier time frame, including additional Sangiran cent analyses of 2D linear dimensions and non-metric fea- dome localities (Sartono and Tyler, 1993; Widianto et al., tures supported a linear transition from Sangiran/Trinil 1994; Widianto and Grimaud-Herve, 2000; Grimaud-Hervé through Sambungmacan/Ngawi and onto Ngandong (Baba et al., 2005; Zaim et al., 2011), and the later time frame, such et al., 2003; Kaifu et al., 2006, 2008, 2015), a view also em- as the three calvaria from Sambungmacan (Jacob et al., braced by Wolpoff (1999). This conclusion was based on 1978; Márquez et al., 2001; Baba et al., 2003) and the one observations that geochronologically younger Sangiran fos- from Ngawi (Sartono, 1991). Sambungmacan and Ngawi sils were more similar to later Indonesian fossils than were are considered to have particular affinities with Ngandong. older ones, and that both Ngawi and the three Sambung- More recent work that has focused on the cranial mor- macan specimens displayed intermediate morphologies be- phology of the Asian H. erectus fossil record includes evalu- tween Sangiran/Trinil and Ngandong. Durband (2006) sug- ations of the metric and non-metric diversity of Asian or gested near stasis in the vault shape in Indonesia for specifically the Indonesian fossil record (Antón, 2002; Kaifu 0.7–1.0 Myr based on canonical variate analysis of size- et al., 2008), cranial shape variation in the Asian fossils corrected neurocranial length and breadth dimensions, but (Baab, 2010; Zeitoun et al., 2010), and analyses focused on identified a handful of non-metric features in the later Indo- the affinities of particular fossils (Delson et al., 2001; nesian sample not present in Sangiran/Trinil. He attributed Widianto et al., 2001; Antón et al., 2002; Widianto and this combined pattern to geographic and genetic isolation of Zeitoun, 2003; Durband, 2006; Kaifu et al., 2006, 2015; these populations on Java. In contrast, analysis of vault Indriati and Antón, 2010). It was demonstrated that Asian, shape via 3D landmarks demonstrated distinct neurocranial along with numerous African and Georgian fossils assigned shape in the Sambungmacan/Ngawi, Ngandong, and Trinil/ to H. erectus, were distinct from or displayed minimal over- Sangiran groups, and the differences among them were lap with other archaic Homo species on the basis of three- non-linear (Baab, 2010; Zeitoun et al., 2010). At least some dimensional (3D) neurocranial shape (Zeitoun et al., 2010; of the differences between the early Indonesian and the Baab, 2016b). There is substantial variation within this sam- Ngandong fossils appear to relate to the increased size of the ple that spans three continents and more than a million years latter (Antón, 2002; Baab, 2016b). A small number of work- of evolutionary change. Some of this variation is attributable ers argue that the morphological distance between the Trinil/ to diachronic change (Wolpoff et al., 1994; Antón, 2003; Sangiran and later Indonesian fossils should perhaps be rec- Kaifu et al., 2005, 2008), and to geography (perhaps related ognized at the species level (Schwartz and Tattersall, 2005; to genetic drift or local adaptation) (Antón, 2002; Kidder Zeitoun et al., 2010), with a further possible split between and Durband, 2004; Durband, 2006; Baab, 2010), but is also Sambungmacan/Ngawi and Ngandong (Tattersall and influenced by cranial size (Santa Luca, 1980; Antón et al., Schwartz, 2009), but with the recognition
Recommended publications
  • Homo Erectus Foodways
    Homo Erectus Foodways ENVIRONMENT 3 RAINFOREST 4 OUT OF AFRICA 4 DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS 5 MORPHOLOGY & LOCOMOTION 7 Did Homo Erectus still sleep in the trees? 11 CAPTURE 14 TEETH AND JAW 15 C3/C4 ANALYSIS 16 HOARDING 21 ANIMAL FOODS 21 HUNTING AND SCAVENGING 22 HUNTING METHODS 29 SEAFOOD 35 SUMMARY 37 PROCESSING & INGESTION 38 TOOLS 38 THROWN TOOLS 41 BUTCHERY 43 PLANT TOOLS 44 DENTAL ADAPTATIONS 44 MICROWEAR 46 COOKING 51 FIRE 53 COOKING SUMMARY 60 COOKED VS RAW CONSUMPTION 60 FERMENTED FOODS 61 COOKING TECHNOLOGIES 61 COOKING STARCHES 62 COOKING PROTEINS 64 COOKING FATS 67 VITAMINS AND MINERALS 69 PLANT DEFENSES 70 DIGESTION 70 METABOLISM 73 EXPENSIVE TISSUE HYPOTHESIS 74 NUTRIENTS FOR ENCEPHALIZATION 75 PROTEIN 77 CARBOHYDRATES 81 INTELLIGENCE 81 SOCIAL DYNAMICS 83 CULTURE 86 MATING & CHILD REARING 87 LIFE HISTORY 91 GROUP SIZE 93 SEXUAL DIMORPHISM 93 DIVISION OF LABOR 95 FOOD SHARING 98 CHIMPS 98 CULTURE 101 CARE FOR OTHERS 102 References 103 HOMO ERECTUS Extinction of Early Homo, Homo Rudolfensis & Habilis, and the Emergence of Erectus Around two million years ago, another hominid emerged in Africa called Homo Erectus that survived for over one million years, becoming extinct only about one hundred and fifty thousand years ago. At the beginning of its existence, it evidently co-existed with both Homo Hablis and Rudolfensis, as well as Australopithecus Boisei and at the end of its time, it overlapped with itself, Homo Sapien. In any case, soon after its emergence, Homo Habilis and Rudolfensis went extinct; at least that is what we have concluded based on our limited number of fossils.
    [Show full text]
  • Anthropological Science 110(2), 165-177, 2002 Preliminary
    Anthropological Science 110(2), 165-177, 2002 Preliminary Observation of a New Cranium of •ôNH•ôHomoerectus•ôNS•ô (Tjg-1993.05) from Sangiran, Central Jawa Johan Arif1, Yousuke Kaifu2, Hisao Baba2, Made Emmy Suparka1, Yahdi Zaim1, and Takeshi Setoguchi3 1 Department of Geology, Institute of Technology Bandung, Indonesia 2 Department of Anthropology , National Science Museum, Tokyo 3 Department of Geology and Mineralogy , Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Received October 5, 2001; accepted February 13, 2002) Abstract In May of 1993, a new well-preserved hominid skull was recovered from the Bapang (Kabuh) Formation of the Sangiran region, Central Jawa. In this paper, we provisionally describe the skull and compare it with •ôNH•ôHomo erectus•ôNS•ô.crania from Jawa and China. The new skull possesses a series of characteristic features of Asian •ôNH•ôH.erectus•ôNS•ô in overall size and shape of the vault, the expression of various ectocranial structures, and other details. Among three geographical and chronolog icalsubgroups of Asian •ôNH•ôH.erectus•ôNS•ô, the new skull shows affinities with the Jawanese Early Pleistocene subgroup (specimens from the Sangiran and Trinil regions), as expected from its provenance. •ôGH•ô Keywords•ôGS•ô: •ôNH•ôHomo erectus•ôNS•ô,human evolution, Indonesia, paleoanthropology Introduction In May of 1993, a new hominid skull of an adult individual was recovered from the Sangiran area, Central Jawa (Figs. 1 and 2). There is no formal specimen number for this skull. Sartono called it Skull IX, and Larick et al. (2001) provisionally la beledit as Tjg-1993.05. The discovery of the skull was first announced in academic meetings in the Netherlands (Sartono et al, 1995), Indonesia (Sartono and Tyler, 1993), and America (Tyler et al., 1994).
    [Show full text]
  • Relevance of Aquatic Environments for Hominins: a Case Study from Trinil (Java, Indonesia)
    Journal of Human Evolution 57 (2009) 656–671 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Human Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jhevol Relevance of aquatic environments for hominins: a case study from Trinil (Java, Indonesia) J.C.A. Joordens a,*, F.P. Wesselingh b, J. de Vos b, H.B. Vonhof a, D. Kroon c a Institute of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1056, 1051 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands b Naturalis National Museum of Natural History , P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands c School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JW, UK article info abstract Article history: Knowledge about dietary niche is key to understanding hominin evolution, since diet influences body Received 31 December 2008 proportions, brain size, cognition, and habitat preference. In this study we provide ecological context for Accepted 9 April 2009 the current debate on modernity (or not) of aquatic resource exploitation by hominins. We use the Homo erectus site of Trinil as a case study to investigate how research questions on possible dietary relevance of Keywords: aquatic environments can be addressed. Faunal and geochemical analysis of aquatic fossils from Trinil Hominin evolution Hauptknochenschicht (HK) fauna demonstrate that Trinil at w1.5 Ma contained near-coastal rivers, lakes, Strontium isotopes swamp forests, lagoons, and marshes with minor marine influence, laterally grading into grasslands. Freshwater wetland Marine influence Trinil HK environments yielded at least eleven edible mollusc species and four edible fish species that Stingray could be procured with no or minimal technology. We demonstrate that, from an ecological point of Fish view, the default assumption should be that omnivorous hominins in coastal habitats with catchable Molluscs aquatic fauna could have consumed aquatic resources.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Prehistoric Research in Indonesia to 1950
    The History of Prehistoric Research in Indonesia to 1950 Received 16 January 1968 R. P. SOE]ONO INTRODUCTION HE oldest description of material valuable for prehistoric recording in future times was given by G. E. Rumphius at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Rum­ T phius mentioned the veneration of historical objects by local peoples, and even now survivals of the very remote past retain their respect. On several islands we also notice a continuation of prehistoric traditions and art. Specific prehistoric relics, like many other archaeological remains, are holy to most of the inhabitants because of their quaint, uncommon shapes. As a result, myths are frequently created around these objects. An investigator is not permitted to inspect the bronze kettle­ drum kept in a temple at Pedjeng (Bali) and he must respect the people's devout feelings when he attempts to observe megalithic relics in the Pasemah Plateau (South Sumatra); these facts accentuate the persistence oflocal veneration even today. In spite of the veneration of particular objects, which in turn favors their preservation, many other relics have been lost or destroyed through digging or looting by treasure hunters or other exploiters seeking economic gain. Moreover, unqualified excavators have com­ pounded the problem. P. V. van Stein Callenfels, originally a specialist in Hindu-Indonesian archaeology, be­ came strongly aware of neglect in the field of prehistoric archaeology, and he took steps to begin systematic research. During his visit to kitchen middens in East Sumatra during a tour of inspection in 1920 for the Archaeological Service, he met with the digging of shell heaps for shell for limekilns.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dubois Collection: a New Look at an Old Collection
    The Dubois collection: a new look at an old collection John de Vos Vos, }. de. The Dubois collection: a new look at an old collection. In: Winkler Prins, CF. & Donovan, S.K. (eds.), VII International Symposium 'Cultural Heritage in Geosciences, Mining and Metallurgy: Libraries - Archives - Museums': "Museums and their collections", Leiden (The Netherlands), 19-23 May 2003. Scripta Geologic, Special Issue, 4: 267-285, 9 figs.; Leiden, August 2004. J. de Vos, Department of Palaeontology, Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands ([email protected]). Key words - Dubois, Pithecanthropus erectus, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens, Java. One of the most exciting episodes of paleoanthropology was the find of the first transitional form, the Pithecanthropus erectus, by the Dutchman Eugène Dubois in Java during 1891-1892. The history of Dubois and his finds of the molar, skullcap and femur, forming his transitional form, are described. Besides the human remains, Dubois made a large collection of vertebrate fossils, mostly of mammals, now united in the so-called Dubois Collection. This collection played an important role in unravelling the biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy of Java. Questions, such as from where were those mam• mals coming, when did Homo erectus arrive in Java, and when did it become extinct, and when did Homo sapiens reach Java, are discussed. Contents Introduction 267 Early theories about the evolution of Man 268 The role of Dubois (1858-1940) in paleoanthropology ... 269 Important hominid sites of Java 273 The role of the Dubois Collection in biostratigraphy 274 Dispersal of faunas in southeast Asia 276 The chronostratigraphy of Java 279 Time of arrival of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens in Java 280 Conclusions 281 References 282 Introduction The Dubois Collection of vertebrate fossils was made by Eugène Dubois in the former Netherlands East Indies, nowadays Indonesia, at the end of the 19th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Hominidshominids
    EarlyEarly HominidsHominids TheThe FossilFossil RecordRecord TwoTwo StoriesStories toto Tell:Tell: 1.1. HowHow hominidshominids evolvedevolved 2.2. HowHow interpretationsinterpretations changechange InsightInsight intointo processprocess PastPast && futurefuture changeschanges InteractingInteracting elements...elements... InterplayInterplay ofof ThreeThree ElementsElements “Hard” evidence Fossils Archeological associations Explanation Dates Reconstructions Anatomy Behavior Phylogeny Reconstruction Evidence Explanatory Frames Why did it happen? What does it mean? MutualMutual InfluenceInfluence WhereWhere toto start?start? SouthSouth Africa,Africa, 19241924 TaungTaung ChildChild Raymond Dart, 1924 Taung, South Africa Why did Dart call it a Hominid? TaungTaung ChildChild Raymond Dart, 1924 Taung, South Africa Australopithecus africanus 2.5 mya Four-year old with an ape-sized brain, humanlike small canines, and foramen magnum shifted forward NeanderthalNeanderthal HomoHomo sapienssapiens neanderthalensis neanderthalensis NeanderNeander Valley,Valley, Germany, Germany, 18561856 Age: 40-50,000 Significance: First human fossil acknowledged as such, and first specimen of Neanderthal. First dismissed as a freak, but Doctor J. C. Fuhlrott speculated that it was an ancient human. TrinilTrinil 1:1: “Java“Java Man”Man” HomoHomo erectuserectus Eugene Dubois, 1891 Trinil, Java, Indonesia Age: 500,000 yrs Significance: The Java hominid, originally classified as Pithecanthropus erectus, was the controversial “missing link” of its day.
    [Show full text]
  • Homo Erectus Erectus: the Search for His Artifacts Bartstra, G J
    University of Groningen Homo erectus erectus: The Search for His Artifacts Bartstra, G J Published in: Current Anthropology IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 1982 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Bartstra, G. J. (1982). Homo erectus erectus: The Search for His Artifacts. Current Anthropology, 23(3), 318-320. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 25-09-2021 Homo Erectus Erectus: The Search for His Artifacts Author(s): Gert-Jan Bartstra Source: Current Anthropology, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Jun., 1982), pp. 318-320 Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2742319 Accessed: 29-10-2018 11:17 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive.
    [Show full text]
  • SYLLABUS: ANTH 349 ORIGINS of ART Instructor
    SYLLABUS: ANTH 349 ORIGINS OF ART Instructor: Dr. Michelle Scalise Sugiyama GTF: Nikki Cox Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Office: 355 Condon Hall Office: 365A Condon Hall Office Hours: by appointment Office Hours: by appointment “More than 95% of art history falls before 2000 years ago, less than 5% of the pages in art history textbooks are devoted to the subject” (White 2003). Course Content: This course addresses the question: Why do humans make art? The earliest art dates back tens of thousands of years, which means that art behavior emerged in a hunting-and- gathering context. Hunter-gatherer life is dangerous, difficult, and rigorous: why would our ancestors have “wasted” their time and energy on what appear to be non-utilitarian objects and activities? We will explore this question by examining some of the most influential hypotheses regarding the role that art behavior played in early human societies. To evaluate these hypotheses, we will examine the archaeological and ethnographic records to understand: (1) the basic features of hunter-gatherer life; (2) the range of art forms and media that hunter-gatherer peoples employ; (3) the subject matter of hunter-gatherer art; and (4) the occasions and settings in which art behavior occurs in hunter-gatherer societies. By the end of the course, you should have a better understanding of what art is and the role that it played in ancestral human groups, which you can then use to better understand the role that art plays in modern environments. Course reading consists of scientific articles on prehistoric artworks, theories of art behavior, and human evolution, as well as hunter-gatherer ethnography.
    [Show full text]
  • Formation of the Ngandong Paleoanthropological Site and Solo River Terrace Sequence, Central Java, Indonesia
    University of Iowa Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations Spring 2018 Formation of the Ngandong paleoanthropological site and Solo River terrace sequence, Central Java, Indonesia Maija Eliina Sipola University of Iowa Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons Copyright © 2018 Maija Eliina Sipola This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/6286 Recommended Citation Sipola, Maija Eliina. "Formation of the Ngandong paleoanthropological site and Solo River terrace sequence, Central Java, Indonesia." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa, 2018. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.7l1okwsy Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons FORMATION OF THE NGANDONG PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL SITE AND SOLO RIVER TERRACE SEQUENCE, CENTRAL JAVA, INDONESIA by Maija Eliina Sipola A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geoscience in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa May 2018 Thesis Supervisor: Professor E. Arthur Bettis, III Copyright by MAIJA ELIINA SIPOLA 2018 All Rights Reserved Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ______________________________ PH.D. THESIS ________________ This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of Maija Eliina Sipola has been approved by the Examining Committee for the thesis requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geoscience at the May 2018 graduation. Thesis Committee: ____________________________________ E. Arthur Bettis, III, Thesis Supervisor ______________________________________ Russell Ciochon ______________________________________ Jeffrey Dorale ______________________________________ Emily Finzel ______________________________________ Mark Reagan To my friends, family, and teachers ii A computer is not a washing machine in which our data can be purified.
    [Show full text]
  • The Homo Erectus Site of Trinil: Past, Present and Future of a Historic Place
    THE HOMO ERECTUS SITE OF TRINIL: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF A HISTORIC PLACE Gerrit Alink1, Wil Roebroeks1, and Truman Simanjuntak2 1 Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands [email protected] 2 Center for Prehistoric and Austronesian Studies, Jl. Ahmad Dahlan IV No. 20 Depok 16425, Indonesia [email protected] Abstrak. Trinil: Masa lalu, Sekarang dan Masa Depan Sebuah Situs Bersejarah. Dusun Trinil menjadi terkenal dengan ditemukannya Pithecanthropus erectus, sekarang Homo erectus, oleh Dubois pada tahun 1891. Setelah ekskavasi Dubois, pada tahun 1907 sebuah ekspedisi besar-besaran dipimpin oleh E. Selenka berlangsung di lokasi yang sama. Selain fosil-fosil sisa manusia, puluhan ribu fosil vertebrata lain dan moluska ditemukan dalam ekskavasi Dubois dan Selenka antara tahun 1891 dan 1907. Koleksi ini sekarang disimpan di Naturalis di Leiden (Belanda) dan di Museum für Naturkunde di Berlin (Jerman). Studi yang berlangsung saat ini terhadap koleksi-koleksi itu mendorong perlunya penelitian baru di lapangan. Tujuannya selain untuk mengetahui potensi situs juga untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang muncul dalam studi koleksi. Parit penggalian Dubois dan ekspedisi Selenka dikontekstualisasikan dalam peta geografi modern berdasarkan data historis, bahan fotografi yang masih ada, dan peninjauan lapangan 2014/2015. Potensi untuk menemukan tinggalan pada ‘Hauptknochenschicht’ (HK) cukup besar di tepi kiri sungai Solo, di selatan penggalian Dubois yang asli, termasuk di tepi kiri disebelah timur lokasi yang digali. Pertanyaan yang masih tersisa, antara lain menyangkut stratigrafi situs, umur fauna Trinil danHomo erectus, dan homogenitas himpunan HK, diharapkan dapat terjawab melalui penelitian baru yang akan dilaksanakan di situs ini. Kata Kunci: Trinil, Arkeologi, Paleoantropologi, Dubois, Selenka Abstract.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomic Assessment of the Trinil Molars Using Non-Destructive 3D Structural and Developmental Analysis
    Taxonomic Assessment of the Trinil Molars Using Non‑Destructive 3D Structural and Development Analysis TANYA M. SMITH Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pla 6, D‑04103, Leipzig, GERMANY; and Department of Anthropology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; [email protected] ANTHONY J. OLEJNICZAK Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pla 6, D‑04103, Leipzig, GERMANY; and Grupo de Antropología Dental, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Avda. de la Paz 28, 09004 Burgos, SPAIN; [email protected] KORNELIUS KUPCZIK Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pla 6, D‑04103, Leipzig, GERMANY; [email protected] VINCENT LAZZARI Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pla 6, D‑04103, Leipzig, GERMANY; and Steinmann‑Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Nußallee 8, 53115 Bonn, GERMANY; and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 6 rue ules Horowi, BP 220, 38043 Grenoble cedex, FRANCE; [email protected] JOHN DE VOS Department of Palaeontology, Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, NL‑2300 RA Leiden, THE NETHERLANDS; [email protected] OTTMAR KULLMER Department of Paleoanthropology and Messel Research, Senckenberg Research Institute, D‑60325 Frankfurt a.M., GERMANY; [email protected] FRIEDEMANN SCHRENK Department
    [Show full text]
  • Homo Erectus : an Old Species with Nerv Problems
    Bull. Soc.roy. belgeAnthrop. Préhist. 97 : 33-44,1986 Homo erectus: an old specieswith nervproblems by M.H. Dey Summary Thehistory of thediscovery of Homo erectusgoes back for almost100 years to the work of Duboisin Java.Subsequent finds in Chinaand North Africa expandedthe sample.Recent finds from EastAfrica (KNM-ER 3 733,3883 ; WTl5 000),Europe (Arago, Bilzingsleben)and India (Hathnora) haveprompted a reappraisalof the speciesHomo erectusand new work on the Trinil remainsfrom Javahas questioned theantiquity of theTrinil I femur.The questionraised by thesenew finds in relation to the origin, the distributionand the fate of Homo erectusare reviewed. Résumé L'histoirede la découvertede l'Homo erectusremonte à presquecent ans avec les travauxde Duboisdans l'île de Java.Les trouvaillesqui ont suivi, en Chineet en Afrique du Nord, ont étendul'échantillon. Les découvertesrécentes en Afrique orientale(KNM-ER 3733,3883; WTl5000), en Europe (Arago, Bilzingsleben) eren Inde(Hathnora) ont incitéà faireune réévaluation de I'espèceHomo erectustandis queles nouveaux travaux sur les restes de Trinil provenantde Java,mettent en doute l'antiquitédu fémurI deTrinil. Lesquestions soulevées par ces nouvelles découvertes et relativesà l'origine, I'extensionet le devenirdes Homo erectussont passéesen revue. Thebeginning of the storyof the discoveryof whatis now knownas Homo erectus took place in Java in 1890-1891when EugeneDubois, the anatomist turned soldier/physicianrecovered the Trinil calotteand Trinil FemurI from thedeposits of the Soloriver. He later
    [Show full text]