The Polycentric Bush: Reimagining Early-to-Middle Pleistocene Homo Evolution
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| Formato: | Recurso digital |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866901677725974528 |
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| author | Revista, Zen HISTORY, 10 |
| author_facet | Revista, Zen HISTORY, 10 |
| contents | The traditional understanding of early-to-Middle Pleistocene Homo evolution has largely been dominated by a linear, single-species model, often centered on the dispersal of Homo erectus out of Africa. However, an accumulating body of paleontological, archaeological, and genetic evidence increasingly challenges this simplistic narrative. This paper proposes a "polycentric bush" model, arguing for a more complex and dynamic evolutionary landscape characterized by multiple coexisting Homo lineages across Africa, Asia, and potentially Europe. We critically review key fossil discoveries from sites such as Dmanisi, Sangiran, Zhoukoudian, Gran Dolina, and the Rising Star Cave system, highlighting the significant morphological variation and chronological overlap that defy a straightforward unilineal progression. We integrate archaeological data on stone tool technologies (Mode 1 and Mode 2 industries) and discuss their regional variability and implications for diverse cognitive and adaptive strategies. Furthermore, we consider the role of paleogenomic insights, particularly regarding ancient gene flow, in shaping the intricate relationships between these early hominin populations. The polycentric bush model emphasizes that early Homo evolution was not a single, unidirectional march towards Homo sapiens but rather a complex web of adaptive radiations, local extinctions, interbreeding events, and reticulate evolution, fundamentally reshaping our perception of human origins. |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_17790973 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | The Polycentric Bush: Reimagining Early-to-Middle Pleistocene Homo Evolution Revista, Zen HISTORY, 10 The traditional understanding of early-to-Middle Pleistocene Homo evolution has largely been dominated by a linear, single-species model, often centered on the dispersal of Homo erectus out of Africa. However, an accumulating body of paleontological, archaeological, and genetic evidence increasingly challenges this simplistic narrative. This paper proposes a "polycentric bush" model, arguing for a more complex and dynamic evolutionary landscape characterized by multiple coexisting Homo lineages across Africa, Asia, and potentially Europe. We critically review key fossil discoveries from sites such as Dmanisi, Sangiran, Zhoukoudian, Gran Dolina, and the Rising Star Cave system, highlighting the significant morphological variation and chronological overlap that defy a straightforward unilineal progression. We integrate archaeological data on stone tool technologies (Mode 1 and Mode 2 industries) and discuss their regional variability and implications for diverse cognitive and adaptive strategies. Furthermore, we consider the role of paleogenomic insights, particularly regarding ancient gene flow, in shaping the intricate relationships between these early hominin populations. The polycentric bush model emphasizes that early Homo evolution was not a single, unidirectional march towards Homo sapiens but rather a complex web of adaptive radiations, local extinctions, interbreeding events, and reticulate evolution, fundamentally reshaping our perception of human origins. |
| title | The Polycentric Bush: Reimagining Early-to-Middle Pleistocene Homo Evolution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17790973 |