Homo erectus, recognized as the first human ancestor to exhibit modern-like body proportions and to migrate beyond Africa, is the central focus of the study. Researchers examined data from Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania's Oldupai Gorge and concluded that the species thrived in harsh environments long before Homo sapiens emerged.
"Now extinct, Homo erectus existed for more than 1.5 million years, marking them as a species survival success in the human evolution story when compared with our own estimated existence of around 300,000 years to date," said Professor Michael Petraglia, Director of the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University.
Lead author Professor Julio Mercader from the University of Calgary highlighted their resilience. "That success came down to their ability to survive over a long period marked by many changes to the environment and climate," he explained.
The research team employed a diverse range of methods, including biogeochemical analyses, chronometric dating, palaeoclimate simulations, biome modeling, fire history reconstructions, and archaeological evidence, to reconstruct the environment. Their findings depict a semidesert shrubland, interspersed with rivers and streams that served as crucial ecological refuges. Despite these challenging conditions, Homo erectus repeatedly occupied these landscapes, leveraging water and resources to minimize risk.
The study also suggests archaic humans had a level of ecological flexibility previously thought unique to later hominins. "Debate has long centred on when the genus Homo acquired the adaptability to thrive in extreme environments such as deserts and rainforests," said Dr Abel Shikoni of the University of Dodoma, Tanzania. "Traditionally, only Homo sapiens was thought capable of sustained occupation in such ecosystems, with archaic hominins seen as restricted to narrower ranges."
Professor Petraglia added, "The evidence we analyzed suggests early Homo had the ability to adapt to diverse and unstable environments from the East African Rift floor and Afromontane areas as early as two million years ago." He emphasized that this resilience challenges traditional assumptions about the environmental limits of early hominin dispersals.
Professor Paul Durkin from the University of Manitoba concluded, "This adaptability likely facilitated the expansion of Homo erectus into the arid regions of Africa and Eurasia, redefining their role as ecological generalists thriving in some of the most challenging landscapes of the Middle Pleistocene."
Research Report:Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago
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