ARTICLES
Stimulus Material for depth studies, courtesy of Macquarie University (continued)
Humans in SE Asia 20,000 years earlier
Dating of ancient human teeth discovered in a Sumatran cave site suggests modern humans were in Southeast
Asia 20,000 years earlier than previously thought.
The international research led by Macquarie University’s Associate Professor Kira Westaway (Environmental
Sciences) and published in Nature in August, has pushed back the timing of when humans first left Africa, their
arrival in Southeast Asia, and the first time they lived in rainforests.
This evidence of humans living in the Sumatran rainforest more than 63,000 years ago, also suggests they could
have made the crossing to the Australian continent even earlier than the accepted 50,000–60,000 years ago.
Find out more
Syllabus links: Investigating Science: Module 7 – Fact or fallacy. Inquiry question- How does the reporting of
science influence the general public’s understanding of the subject?
E&E Science: Module 5 – Earths processes. Inquiry Question-How did the changes to the biosphere affect the
Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere?
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
AND ENGINEERING
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 3