Publications by authors named "Sebastien Frangeul"

Article Synopsis
  • Secure environmental contexts are key for understanding hominin behaviors and habitats, with the Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra) Cave providing important insights into Denisovan life around 164-131 ka.
  • The analysis reveals that while Denisovans were adapted to various landscapes, including forests and open areas, individuals from Cobra Cave primarily consumed resources from open forests and savannah despite nearby rainforests.
  • Additionally, as local rainforest expanded around 130 ka, the study raises questions about how Denisovans adapted to these changes, contrasting with early Homo sapiens, who were more capable of exploiting rainforest resources.
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The timing of the first arrival of Homo sapiens in East Asia from Africa and the degree to which they interbred with or replaced local archaic populations is controversial. Previous discoveries from Tam Pà Ling cave (Laos) identified H. sapiens in Southeast Asia by at least 46 kyr.

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The Pleistocene presence of the genus Homo in continental Southeast Asia is primarily evidenced by a sparse stone tool record and rare human remains. Here we report a Middle Pleistocene hominin specimen from Laos, with the discovery of a molar from the Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra Cave) limestone cave in the Annamite Mountains. The age of the fossil-bearing breccia ranges between 164-131 kyr, based on the Bayesian modelling of luminescence dating of the sedimentary matrix from which it was recovered, U-series dating of an overlying flowstone, and U-series-ESR dating of associated faunal teeth.

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The capability of Pleistocene hominins to successfully adapt to different types of tropical forested environments has long been debated. In order to investigate environmental changes in Southeast Asia during a critical period for the turnover of hominin species, we analysed palaeoenvironmental proxies from five late Middle to Late Pleistocene faunas. Human teeth discoveries have been reported at Duoi U'Oi, Vietnam (70-60 ka) and Nam Lot, Laos (86-72 ka).

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Article Synopsis
  • * Research focuses on analyzing zinc isotope ratios in the enamel of teeth to study the diet of ancient humans and local mammals, as typical nitrogen isotope analysis is hindered by poor fossil preservation in tropical climates.
  • * Results show that the Homo sapiens individual had low enamel δZn values, indicating an omnivorous diet that included both plant and animal sources, highlighting the resource utilization from tropical rainforests by early modern humans.
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