Chronological problems in Chinese human fossil sites

A significant age discrepancy exists among dating methods for Chinese human fossil sites, with 17 out of 86 sites showing large divergences. The study attributes this to taphonomy issues and inherent differences in dating techniques. It recommends multi-method strategies for reliable age determination: paleomagnetic dating for Early Pleistocene sites, combined U-series, ESR, and OSL methods for Middle Pleistocene, and U-series, 14C, and OSL for Late Pleistocene. Cross-examination of multiple methods is crucial to avoid errors, particularly in cave sites. While some sites like Zhoukoudian have reliable ages after cross-checking, others require further investigation or dating, such as Yunxian and Meipu Longgu Cave. Accurate age determination is vital for advancing theories on human evolution in China.

Sun, X., Lu, Y., & Wen, S. (2020). Chronological problems in Chinese human fossil sites. Chinese Science Bulletin, 65(20), 2136–2144. https://doi.org/10.1360/tb-2020-0149