Paleoenvironments at the Homo erectus type locality of Trinil (Java, Indonesia): The artiodactyl evidence

Gruwier, Ben; Kovarovic, K

Abstract

In this study we assess the artiodactyl fossil record of the Homo erectus type locality of Trinil (Indonesia) and explore the paleoenvironmental implications for the site and for our understanding of early hominin paleoecology. Combining ecomorphological analyses on postcranial elements of cervids from Trinil (N=43) with a range of existing paleobiological and paleoecological data on the bovids and cervids, a holistic reconstruction is made of the ecology of the artiodactyl community. The ecomorphological analyses indicate that the cervid Axis lydekkeri was adapted to relatively open environments with wet substrate. In combination with evidence of the other families, these results are compared in a correspondence analysis with the artiodactyl communities of contemporary Asian nature reserves. Trinil was shown to be similar to a number of mainland Southeast Asian sites and reconstructed as an open woodland habitat with a wet component, possibly in the form of alluvial grasslands. The paleoenvironmental conditions reconstructed for Trinil, indicate that Homo erectus was present in relatively open environments, but that it still had a significant degree of environmental flexibility and was able to persist in wet and dry environments with a vegetation structure ranging from grassland to open woodland.

Citation

Gruwier, B., & Kovarovic, K. (2025). Paleoenvironments at the Homo erectus type locality of Trinil (Java, Indonesia): The artiodactyl evidence. Journal of Human Evolution, 200, Article 103638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103638

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 22, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Feb 17, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-03
• Deposit Date: Feb 18, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 25, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Human Evolution
• Print ISSN: 0047-2484
• Electronic ISSN: 1095-8606
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 200
• Article Number: 103638
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103638
• Keywords: Cervids, Paleoecology, Pleistocene, Bovids, Hominin, Ecomorphology
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3489742