Revealing Secrets of the Past: Early Humans Thrived in Rainforests 80,000 Years Sooner Than We Knew!

Scientists have long thought that early humans steered clear of rainforests. They believed these places were too tough to survive in, with thick jungles, few food sources, and dark canopies. But new research is shaking up that idea.

Recent findings indicate that Homo sapiens were actually living in African rainforests as far back as 150,000 years ago—a staggering 80,000 years earlier than we previously thought.

This new outlook on human evolution challenges the traditional belief that our ancestors thrived mainly in open grasslands and savannas, where hunting and gathering were more straightforward. The humid, dense jungles were seen as unsuitable for early human life.

However, a study by the Human Palaeosystems Research Group has uncovered evidence to the contrary. Researchers found signs of human activity in the rainforests of Côte d’Ivoire that date back to about 150,000 years ago.

The journey to this discovery began in the 1980s when Professor Yodé Guédé dug at a site in Côte d’Ivoire during a research mission. Back then, they found ancient stone tools, suggesting human presence. Unfortunately, they lacked the technology to date these artifacts accurately or understand the environment at that time.

Fast forward to now, and modern methods have revealed the real importance of that excavation site. Professor Eleanor Scerri and her team revisited the location, using advanced techniques to unravel its past. Recent climate models hinted that the area might have served as a rainforest refuge, even during drier periods.

Using methods like Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), the team dated the artifacts to about 150,000 years ago. Before this, the oldest known evidence of human life in African rainforests was only around 18,000 years old, while the earliest global evidence dated back 70,000 years in Southeast Asia.

This new understanding pushes the known timeline back significantly, showing that humans adapted to tropical jungles much earlier than we thought.

Dr. Eslem Ben Arous, the lead author of a study in Nature, highlighted the significance of this discovery: “This pushes back the oldest known evidence of humans in rainforests by more than double the previously known estimate.”

To learn more about this ancient environment, researchers looked at sediment samples, examining pollen, plant remains, and leaf wax. These analyses painted a picture of a vibrant rainforest filled with towering trees and lush vegetation, contradicting the previous idea that early humans occupied mostly open spaces. The low levels of grass pollen indicated a thriving, dense forest.

According to Professor Guédé, this finding opens the door to even more discoveries:
“This exciting discovery is the first of a long list as there are other Ivorian sites waiting to be investigated to study the human presence associated with rainforest.”

This research highlights the adaptability of early humans, showing they thrived in diverse environments. Professor Scerri noted that this diversity is vital to understanding our species’ complex history, marked by different populations living in various habitats.