VOA科学技术2023--Early Humans in Europe Likely Wiped Out by Cold Weather

Early Humans in Europe Likely Wiped Out by Cold Weather

Scientists say that an early human species that settled in what is now Europe was wiped out by a long ice age over 1 million years ago.

The scientists say Homo erectus, considered the first member of the human family tree to have moved out of Africa, was not able to survive a cold period that lasted 4,000 years. They published the research in early August in the journal Science.

Chris Stringer is an anthropologist¹ at the Natural History Museum in London. He was one of the study's writers. Stringer and his co-writers say they studied fossils and stone tools found in Europe. The fossils showed a gap in the timeline of about 200,000 years.

"There was probably a complete interruption in the early human occupation of Europe," Stringer said.

The researchers say early human species likely did not know how to make warm clothing or find ways to make fire in cold places. The cold weather froze the ground and prevented them from gathering² food and hunting animals.

The scientists used ancient organic compounds left by algae³ and pollen⁴ off Portugal's coast to learn about climate change over 1 million years ago. The study showed the average air temperature dropped by 4.5 degrees Celsius⁵.

Axel Timmermann is a climate physicist⁶ at Pusan National University in South Korea. He said the study shows that human occupation of Europe was not continuous but was interrupted by at least one "climate-induced extinction⁷."

It is not clear how many early humans died off during this cold period, the researchers said. "Probably at best in the tens of thousands in Europe," Stringer said of the population at the time.

Another study writer was Chronis Tzedakis, a physical geography teacher at University College London. He said humans probably returned to Europe about 900,000 years ago after "evolutionary⁸ or behavioral changes" that permitted them to survive in cold conditions.

Scientists have records of human-like species in Spain and Germany from 800,000 to 600,000 years ago. Homo sapiens are known in Africa from 300,000 years ago and may have briefly⁹ come to Europe more than 200,000 years ago. But the main movement of humans into Europe came only 60,000 years ago.

Words in This Story

species –n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

wipe out –v. to eliminate completely

fossil –n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks

interruption –n. a situation where something stops for a period of time

algae –n. simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in or near water

pollen –n. the very fine usually yellow dust that is produced by a plant and that is carried to other plants of the same kind usually by wind or insects so that the plants can produce seeds

induce –v. to cause something to happen

extinction –n. when something stops living or dies out

evolutionary –adj. having to do with the way something changes over time

behavioral –adj. having to do with the way someone or something acts

1 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

4 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

5 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

6 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

7 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

8 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

9 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。