New research uses landscape evolution models to uncover the migration patterns of Sahul’s First Peoples. Credit: SciTechDaily.comsheds light on the migration patterns of the First Peoples of Australia and New Guinea, as well as their habitats over the 40,000 years following humanity’s arrival on the then-unified continent of Sahul. This continent included present-day Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.
Lead author Associate Professor Tristan Salles from the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. Credit: Stefanie Zingsheim/The University of SydneyThe research also revealed diverse interior habitats ranging from high-altitude tropical forests and subtropical savannahs to semiarid woodlands and grasslands. Interestingly, the study suggests a radiating wave of migration along rivers and coastlines, aligning with known migration corridors.
Reference: “Physiography, foraging mobility, and the first peopling of Sahul” by Tristan Salles, Renaud Joannes-Boyau, Ian Moffat, Laurent Husson and Manon Lorcery, 23 April 2024,SciTechDaily: Home of the best science and technology news since 1998. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media.