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The early Aurignacian dispersal of modern humans into westernmost Eurasia.


ABSTRACT: Documenting the first appearance of modern humans in a given region is key to understanding the dispersal process and the replacement or assimilation of indigenous human populations such as the Neanderthals. The Iberian Peninsula was the last refuge of Neanderthal populations as modern humans advanced across Eurasia. Here we present evidence of an early Aurignacian occupation at Lapa do Picareiro in central Portugal. Diagnostic artifacts were found in a sealed stratigraphic layer dated 41.1 to 38.1 ka cal BP, documenting a modern human presence on the western margin of Iberia ?5,000 years earlier than previously known. The data indicate a rapid modern human dispersal across southern Europe, reaching the westernmost edge where Neanderthals were thought to persist. The results support the notion of a mosaic process of modern human dispersal and replacement of indigenous Neanderthal populations.

SUBMITTER: Haws JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7568277 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The early Aurignacian dispersal of modern humans into westernmost Eurasia.

Haws Jonathan A JA   Benedetti Michael M MM   Talamo Sahra S   Bicho Nuno N   Cascalheira João J   Ellis M Grace MG   Carvalho Milena M MM   Friedl Lukas L   Pereira Telmo T   Zinsious Brandon K BK  

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20200928 41


Documenting the first appearance of modern humans in a given region is key to understanding the dispersal process and the replacement or assimilation of indigenous human populations such as the Neanderthals. The Iberian Peninsula was the last refuge of Neanderthal populations as modern humans advanced across Eurasia. Here we present evidence of an early Aurignacian occupation at Lapa do Picareiro in central Portugal. Diagnostic artifacts were found in a sealed stratigraphic layer dated 41.1 to 3  ...[more]

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