The Timorese Buru Tuna From 42,000 Years Ago

Tuna was already a food menu is longer than we thought. In fact, 42,000 years ago, the ancient fisherman was able to lure him from the depths of the ocean. These findings update previous data, which states, humans began to use hooks or spear fishing in the 12,000 years ago.

These conclusions were obtained after Sue O'Connor and his team from the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia perform excavation in Jerimalai, East Timor. They found 38 000 bones from 23 species of fish, tuna and fish termask old brother - that could be fished from the sea. Radiocarbon tests show, the bones are 42,000 years old.


Amid the ruins of ancient fish, also found the fish hook of shells - the 16,000 and 23,000 years old. "This is an example of the first known fish hook," said O'Connor, as the site loaded science, New Scientist. Another hook was found allegedly made in the last 11,000 years.


Meanwhile, Sandra Bowdler from the University of Western Australia, Perth - although not involved in the study - believes, that to colonize humans 42,000 years ago East Timor has the ability to provoke a capable. "Man was assumed to have the brain capacity as human beings today.


While other scientists said, the location of the discovery of fossil fish carcasses are very unique. "There's no place like this in the world," said Ian McNiven, of Monash University in Melbourne, who are not members of the team O'Connor. "Maybe this is the location for fishing."


One of the factors why humans have the ability to provoke that time is a factor requirement. East Timor has few animals that can be eaten on the ground, they must have the ability fishing to survive. "Necessity is the mother of invention," says O'Connor. "Apart from the bat and mice, there was no food in there."


But that does not mean the beginning of the fishing area. At that time, sea levels around 60 to 70 meters lower than today.


Any sites that have occupied people that is located on the coast of the Pleistocene - not at the beach cliffs like Jerimalai -, now submerged.


Broader patterns of human migration showed more evidence of fishing cultures found by searching the submerged sites. After leaving Africa around 70,000 years ago, it took only about 20,000 years until they spread in Asia and Australia.


Travel through Europe, though the distance is shorter, takes 30,000 years. "Humans seem to move faster along the coast," said McNiven. "The development of fishing capacity could make them keep moving.

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