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Biomes and human distribution during the last ice age
Author(s) -
Gavashelishvili Alexander,
Tarkhnishvili David
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
global ecology and biogeography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.164
H-Index - 152
eISSN - 1466-8238
pISSN - 1466-822X
DOI - 10.1111/geb.12437
Subject(s) - biome , woodland , macrofossil , glacial period , ecology , last glacial maximum , population , geography , climate change , biodiversity , physical geography , biology , paleontology , ecosystem , pollen , demography , sociology
Aim Our research attempts to provide an explicit explanation of human–biome interactions during the last glacial period and how these have influenced current human population genetics at the global scale. Publications to date have not addressed this topic. Location World‐wide. Methods Using climate, terrain, hydrographic, fossil pollen and plant‐macrofossil data we developed a model of the distribution of biomes during climate deteriorations of the last glacial period. Subsequently, we analysed current human genetic diversity, the origins of genetic lineages and Palaeolithic human sites in relation to the inferred biomes. Results Our analyses indicated that: (1) current human Y ‐ DNA diversity, the places of origin of human Y ‐ DNA lineages and the distribution of Palaeolithic human settlements are best explained by distance from savanna and dry woodland during a series of glacial maxima, and (2) during periods of relatively benign climate conditions, humans dispersed through areas of high primary productivity while avoiding dense forest cover. Main conclusions In a metapopulation of P alaeolithic humans, the biome of savanna and dry woodland supported source populations and other biomes acted as sinks. Present‐day genetic, phenotypical and linguistic differences are largely related to discontinuity of and impeded migration between human source populations during glacial periods, rather than simply geographical distance, and in the post‐glacial period there has not been enough time for displacements and admixture of human populations to completely blur these differences.