Initial speleothem results from western Flores and eastern Java, Indonesia : were climate changes from 47 to 5 ka responsible for the extinction of 'Homo floresiensis'? | Macquarie University ResearchOnline

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Initial speleothem results from western Flores and eastern Java, Indonesia : were climate changes from 47 to 5 ka responsible for the extinction of 'Homo floresiensis'?

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/148791

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Title: Initial speleothem results from western Flores and eastern Java, Indonesia : were climate changes from 47 to 5 ka responsible for the extinction of 'Homo floresiensis'?
Related: Journal of quaternary science, Vol. 22, No. 5, (2007), p.429-438
DOI: 10.1002/jqs.1122
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Date: 2007
FoR/RFCD Code(s): 040600 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience 260109 Geochronology 430299 Archaeology and Prehistory not elsewhere classified 430207 Archaeological Science
Author/Creator: Westaway, K. E
Author/Creator: Zhao, J.-X
Author/Creator: Roberts, R. G
Author/Creator: Chivas, A. R
Author/Creator: Morwood, M. J
Author/Creator: Sutikna, T
Description: Little is known about climate changes on Flores that influenced Homo floresiensis during the period of occupation of Liang Bua (95–12 ka) or the late-surviving pygmy Stegodon lineage; both species became locally extinct at ca. 12 ka. Previous palaeoclimate analysis in this region has established that a prolonged dry period (ca. 45–12 ka) was followed by a rapid increase in rainfall, but lacks a firm chronology. Here we report initial results for stalagmites from western Flores and eastern Java. Using δ18O data from contemporaneous records, a series of isotopic shifts has been identified that reflects changes in the amount of rainfall, and in moisture sources. The isotopic signals from oxygen and carbon suggest differing ages for the rapid increase in rainfall, at ca. 13 ka and 17–16.5 ka, respectively. Thus, it cannot be determined from this evidence whether the abrupt disappearance of Stegodon and Homo floresiensis in western Flores was coincident with a major change in climate, or was caused instead, or as well, by a volcanic eruption at ca. 12 ka, or was related to the arrival of Homo sapiens at Liang Bua by ca. 10.5 ka.
Description: 10 page(s)
Subject Keyword: 040600 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
Subject Keyword: 260109 Geochronology
Subject Keyword: 430299 Archaeology and Prehistory not elsewhere classified
Subject Keyword: 430207 Archaeological Science
Subject Keyword: palaeoclimate changes
Subject Keyword: stable isotopes
Subject Keyword: effective precipitation
Subject Keyword: human occupation
Subject Keyword: Homo floresiensis
Resource Type: journal article
Organisation: Macquarie University. Dept. of Environment and Geography

Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/148791
Identifier: ISSN:0267-8179
Identifier: mq-rm-2008003083
Language: eng
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