Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years ago

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01919-1
Abstract
Questions about when early members of the
genus Homo adapted to extreme environments
like deserts and rainforests have
traditionally focused on Homo sapiens. Here,
we present multidisciplinary evidence from
Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania’s Oldupai Gorge,
revealing that Homo erectus thrived in
hyperarid landscapes one million years ago.
Using biogeochemical analyses, precise
chronometric dating, palaeoclimate
simulations, biome modeling, fire history
reconstructions, palaeobotanical studies,
faunal assemblages, and archeological
evidence, we reconstruct an environment
dominated by semidesert shrubland. Despite
these challenges, Homo erectus repeatedly
occupied fluvial landscapes, leveraging
water sources and ecological focal points
to mitigate risk. These findings suggest
archaic humans possessed an ecological
flexibility previously attributed only to
later hominins. This adaptability likely
facilitated the expansion of Homo erectus
into the arid regions of Africa and Eurasia,
redefining their role as ecological
generalists thriving in some of the most
challenging landscapes of the Middle
Pleistocene.
"Within the context of Engaji Nanyori,
evidence of Homo erectus’ adaptability to
extreme and highly variable mid-Pleistocene
climates becomes apparent amidst arid
conditions, reduced plant cover, and
frequent ecological disturbances due to
fire. Fossil pollen analysis, from a
semidesert plant community characterized
by a considerable proportion of gymnosperms
compared to angiosperms (10:1), with
Gnetales being the dominant order, reveals
the presence of at least six species of
xeric ephedroid shrubs. Notably, the
pollen record is predominantly composed of
Ephedripites pollen, primarily produced by
Ephedra, a genus known for its
drought-resistant characteristics
indicative of peri-Saharan ecosystems."