Confirmation of a late middle Pleistocene age for the Omo Kibish 1 cranium by direct uranium-series dating
Confirmation of a late middle Pleistocene age for the Omo Kibish 1 cranium by direct uranium-series dating
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.07.006
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发表时间：
2012-11-01
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Gruen, Rainer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Aubert, Maxime;Pike, Alistair W. G.;Gruen, Rainer
尽管人们普遍认为现代人类是在非洲进化的，但这一起源的具体物理证据仍然存在争议。 1967 年在埃塞俄比亚基比什地区发现的具有现代外观的 Omo 1 骨架，通过对相关软体动物的 U 系列测年，将其定年为大约 130 ka（数千年前），而直到 2005 年，对浮石碎屑中的相关长石晶体进行 Ar-Ar 测年，才提供了更古老的年龄（大约 195 ka）的证据。然而，关于这个重要化石标本的年龄和地层位置的问题仍然存在。在这里，我们展示了 Omo 1 颅骨的直接 U 系列测定。尽管详细讨论了显着的方法学复杂性，但结果表明人类遗骸不属于后来的侵入式埋葬，并且是解剖学上现代人类的最早代表。鉴于明显同时代的 Omo 2 颅骨显示出更古老的形态，我们建议也对这块化石应用直接 U 系测年法，以确认其与 Omo 1 相关的年龄。(C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. 保留所有权利。
While it is generally accepted that modern humans evolved in Africa, the specific physical evidence for that origin remains disputed. The modern-looking Omo 1 skeleton, discovered in the Kibish region of Ethiopia in 1967, was controversially dated at similar to 130 ka (thousands of years ago) by U-series dating on associated Mollusca, and it was not until 2005 that Ar-Ar dating on associated feldspar crystals in pumice clasts provided evidence for an even older age of similar to 195 ka. However, questions continue to be raised about the age and stratigraphic position of this crucial fossil specimen. Here we present direct U-series determinations on the Omo 1 cranium. In spite of significant methodological complications, which are discussed in detail, the results indicate that the human remains do not belong to a later intrusive burial and are the earliest representative of anatomically modern humans. Given the more archaic morphology shown by the apparently contemporaneous Omo 2 calvaria, we suggest that direct U-series dating is applied to this fossil as well, to confirm its age in relation to Omo 1. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.