Hominins on Sulawesi during the Early Pleistocene

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Conflicts of Interest

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Paper Summary

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Early Pleistocene Stone Tools Suggest Hominins on Sulawesi: Were They There Before Flores?

Stone tools found at the Calio site in Sulawesi, Indonesia, date to at least 1.04 million years ago, potentially pushing back the timeline for hominin presence on the island to around the same time as Flores, if not earlier. This challenges previous understandings of hominin dispersal in the region, as it suggests Sulawesi may have been populated before other islands like Luzon.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Weaknesses

Reliance on indirect dating

The paper uses dating methods on associated materials (fossil teeth, surrounding sediment) rather than directly on the stone tools. This introduces a degree of uncertainty, as the tools could potentially have been transported from older deposits.

Small sample size of artefacts

Only seven stone tools were found in situ, which limits the inferences that can be made about hominin behavior and technology. A larger sample would provide more robust evidence.

Limited contextual information

The paper primarily focuses on the age of the artefacts but provides limited information about the surrounding archaeological context. More detailed excavation could reveal more about the hominin activity at the site and their interactions with the environment.

Uncertainty about hominin species

The paper does not identify which hominin species was responsible for making the stone tools. Future discoveries of hominin fossils at the site or in the surrounding area could help resolve this question.

Rating Explanation

The study presents significant and intriguing evidence for Early Pleistocene hominin presence on Sulawesi, potentially rewriting our understanding of hominin dispersal patterns. While the limitations regarding dating and sample size are acknowledged, the findings are robust enough to warrant a strong rating. Further research at the site is clearly needed, but the current work makes a strong contribution to the field.

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