The Northern Route for Human dispersal in Central and Northeast Asia: New evidence from the site of Tolbor-16, Mongolia

2019/08/13 by Nicolas Zwyns, Cleantha H. Paine, Tsedendorj Bolorbat +18 · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #Archaeology and ancient environmental studies #Pleistocene #Steppe #Biological dispersal #Homo sapiens #Geography #Context (archaeology) #Population #Central asia #Land bridge #Out of africa #Hominidae #Archaeology #Paleontology #Geology #Physical geography #Evolutionary biology #Biology #Biological evolution

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47972-1

openalex publication_date 2019/08/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian steppe during the Late Pleistocene. Neanderthals and Modern Humans moved eastward into Central Asia, a region intermittently occupied by the enigmatic Denisovans. Genetic data indicates that the Denisovans interbred with Neanderthals near the Altai Mountains (South Siberia) but where and when they met H. sapiens is yet to be determined. Here we present archaeological evidence that document the timing and environmental context of a third long-distance population movement in Central Asia, during a temperate climatic event around 45,000 years ago. The early occurrence of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, a techno-complex whose sudden appearance coincides with the first occurrence of H. sapiens in the Eurasian steppes, establishes an essential archaeological link between the Siberian Altai and Northwestern China . Such connection between regions provides empirical ground to discuss contacts between local and exogenous populations in Central and Northeast Asia during the Late Pleistocene.

Citations

• The spread of modern humans in Europe
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Cited by

• Proto-Mongols [wikipedia]

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• Human Colonization of Asia in the Late Pleistocene
• Human dispersal into East Eurasia: ancient genome insights and the need for research on physiological adaptations