Early hominins in Europe: The Galerian migration hypothesis

摘要: Abstract Our updated review of sites bearing hominin remains and/or tools from Europe, including new findings the Balkans, still indicates that only compelling evidence main presence in these regions was since ∼0.9 million years ago (Ma), bracketed by end Jaramillo geomagnetic polarity subchron (0.99 Ma) and Brunhes-Matuyama chron boundary (0.78 Ma). This time window straddled late Early Pleistocene climate transition (EPT) at onset enhanced glacial/interglacial activity reverberated worldwide. Europe may have become initially populated during EPT when, possibly for first Pleistocene, vast exploitable ecosystems were generated along eustatically emergent Po-Danube terrestrial conduit. These newly formed settings, characterized stable lowlands with open grasslands reduced woody cover especially transitions, are regarded as optimal several large Galerian immigrant mammals such African Asian megaherbivores, linked hominins a common food web, to expand into en route Europe. The question when arrived thus places issue context changes climate, paleogeography faunal associations potential environmental drivers controlling agents specific frame, key feature migration hypothesis.