Towards an astronomical age model for the Lower to Middle Pleistocene hominin-bearing succession of the Sangiran Dome area on Java, Indonesia

Astronomical age models for the Lower to Middle Pleistocene hominin-bearing succession of the Sangiran Dome area on Java, Indonesia, reveal that Homo erectus likely arrived later than previously thought. The study used a semi-quantitative grain size record from the Sangiran and Bapang Formations to develop two initial age models, one based on constant sedimentation rates and another using Bayesian age modeling. These were then tuned to the LR04 benthic δ18O isotope stack, constrained by an abrupt shift in grain size cycles linked to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (~1.2 Ma). The preferred model supports a late arrival of H. erectus on Java, aligning with the short paleoanthropological chronology. This high-resolution age control provides insights into the influence of regional and global climate change on Pleistocene paleoenvironment and hominin populations.

Hilgen, S. L., Hilgen, F. J., Adhityatama, S., Kuiper, K. F., & Joordens, J. C. A. (2022). Towards an astronomical age model for the Lower to Middle Pleistocene hominin-bearing succession of the Sangiran Dome area on Java, Indonesia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 297, 107788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107788