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Modelling Neanderthals' dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east - PubMed

  • ️Sun Jan 01 2023

Modelling Neanderthals' dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east

Elham Ghasidian et al. PLoS One. 2023.

Erratum in

Abstract

The study of the cultural materials associated with the Neanderthal physical remains from the sites in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberian Altai and adjacent areas documents two distinct techno-complexes of Micoquian and Mousterian. These findings potentially outline two dispersal routes for the Neanderthals out of Europe. Using data on topography and Palaeoclimate, we generated computer-based least-cost-path modelling for the Neanderthal dispersal routes from Caucasus towards the east. In this regard, two dispersal routes have been identified: A northern route from Greater Caucasus associated with Micoquian techno-complex towards Siberian Altai and a southern route from Lesser Caucasus associated with Mousterian towards Siberian Altai via the Southern Caspian Corridor. Based on archaeological, bio- and physio-geographical data, our model hypothesises that during climatic deterioration phases (e.g. MIS 4) the connection between Greater and Lesser Caucasus was limited. This issue perhaps resulted in the separate development and spread of two cultural groups of Micoquian and Mousterian with an input from two different population sources of Neanderthal influxes: eastern and southern Europe refugia for these two northern and southern dispersal routes respectively. Of these two, we focus on the southern dispersal route, for it comprises a 'rapid dispersal route' towards east. The significant location of the Southern Caspian corridor between high mountains of Alborz and the Caspian Sea, provided a special biogeographical zone and a refugium. This exceptional physio-geographic condition brings forward the Southern Caspian corridor as a potential place of admixture of different hominin species including Neanderthals and homo sapiens.

Copyright: © 2023 Ghasidian et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. The study area and important Middle Palaeolithic sites mentioned in the text: 1. Crimean sites, 2. Mezmaiskaya, 3. Trans Ural sites, 4. Siberian Altai sites (Chagyrskaya, Denisova, Okladnikov), 5. Azokh, 6. Taglar, 7. Liben, 8. Shoupari, 9. Wezwar, 10. Keyaram, 11. Teshik-Tash, 12. Shanidar, 13. Qale Kord, 14. Bawa Yawan, 15. Bisetun.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Heterogeneous environment of Southern Caspian Corridor.

Figure on top is the reconstruction of the surface profile line depicted in picture low left. Contrast of mountain and plain is depicted on photo low right (photo credit A. Bavand Savadkouhi).

Fig 3
Fig 3. Distribution of terrestrial biomes in the study area.

The Southern Caspian Corridor (SCC) is covered by Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests. The biomes data is based on the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Terrestrial Ecoregions [119].

Fig 4
Fig 4. Present day temperature change velocity in Southern Caspian Sea Corridor and neighbouring areas.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Reconstruction of spatial variations of annual precipitation during MIS 4.

A: 50 ka, B: 60 ka, C: 70 ka (maps created based on Oscillayers dataset68).

Fig 6
Fig 6. Reconstruction of spatial variations of annual temperature during MIS 4.

A: 50 ka, B: 60 ka, C: 70 ka (maps created based on Oscillayers dataset68).

Fig 7
Fig 7. Reconstruction of Caspian Sea level at late Pleistocene.

A: MIS 5e (Late Khazarian transgression), B: MIS 4 (Atelian regression), C: MIS 3 (Khvalynian transgression).

Fig 8
Fig 8. Least-cost-path from Caucasus towards east.

1: Azokh, 2. Teshik-Tash, 3. Mezmaiskaya, 4. Chagyrskaya. The yellow line indicates the Northern Caspian dispersal route and the green line indicates the Southern Caspian dispersal route.

Fig 9
Fig 9. Southern Caspian Sea dispersal route.

1. Azokh, 2. Keyaram, 3. Teshik-Tash.

Fig 10
Fig 10. The southern dispersal route with 30 km buffer zone as highly potential hominin settlements (1. Azokh and Taglar, 2. Keyaram, 3. Teshik-Tash, 4. Darband, 5. Eskouldar, 6. Garmroud, 7. Liben, 8. Komishani, 9. Kolet, 10. Rostamkola, 11. Shoupari, 12. Khanesar, 13. Wezwar, 14. Kiyasar, 15. Anghilak, 16. Aman Kutan, 17. Khodjamazgil.
Fig 11
Fig 11. Wezwar open air site in eastern SCC (photos by E. Ghasidian).

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Grants and funding

This research was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) – Project no. 414357211 to Elham Ghasidian. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.