Climate and habitat reconstruction of hominid sites in northern China with paleosol stable isotopes
The environment of early hominids in the Loess Plateau region of China is a highly debated subject. Interpretations of past habitats and climates derived from fossil faunal and floral assemblages, paleosols, and geochemistry are often contradictory. In order to understand paleoenvironments and the nature of hominid adaptations, evolution and behavioral change, more accurate reconstructions of their environments are needed. Stable isotope geochemistry of paleosols, including carbon isotopes of soil organic matter and pedogenic carbonates, and oxygen isotopes of pedogenic carbonates, can provide evidences for tree:grass ratios, air surface temperature and soil moisture conditions. These data can also help resolve disagreements about paleoenvironments at hominid sites from other lines of evidence and provide a secure understanding of the environmental contexts of early hominids. This framework can help to understand the adaptative strategies of Pleistocene hominids in northern China and the evolution of adaptability to colder environments.
Anthropology, Archaeology, Paleoecology, Geochemistry
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign