Principal speaker
Associate Professor Qing Yang
Abstract: How did human populations adapt to environmental changes in tropical-subtropical regions? The answer to this question will be helpful for contemporary peoples facing a changing climate. However, to address this issue we currently lack information about human-environment relationships in key regions and time periods. Here, we will examine the capacity of humans to adapt to environments in the southeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau, including the province of Yunnan, China. Abundant Paleolithic and Neolithic sites are preserved in Yunnan, an important corridor for human movements and dispersals. In particular, we will examine the archaeological site of Xiaodong rockshelter. Xiaodong rockshelter is the oldest (~80 ka) and northernmost Hoabinhian site in Asia. A high-resolution age model has been established based on AMS 14C, OSL and U series dating. Pollen, phytolith and starch analysis were applied to extract information on plant utilization and environmental adaptations of human populations. This provides the basis for understanding the human evolution, population diffusion and human-environment relationships in Southwest China since the Late Pleistocene.