Ao, Hong, Rohling, Eelco J., Stringer, Chris, Roberts, Andrew P., Dekkers, Mark J., Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume, Yu, Jimin, Liu, Qingsong, Zhang, Peng, Liu, Zhonghui, Ma, Xiaolin, Zhou, Weijian, Jin, Zhangdong, Xiao, Guoqiao, Wang, Hong, Sun, Qiang, Yang, Pingguo, Peng, Xianzhe, Shi, Zhengguo, Qiang, Xiaoke, An, Zhisheng, Paleomagnetism, China University of Geosciences [Wuhan] (CUG), Australian National University (ANU), The Natural History Museum [London] (NHM), Utrecht University [Utrecht], Géosciences Rennes (GR), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), Universität Potsdam, Southern University of Science and Technology [Shenzhen] (SUSTech), Institute of Earth Environment [Xi’an], Chinese Academy of Sciences [Xi’an], The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology, FL120100050, Australian Research Council, 2019QZKK0707, Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research, Outstanding young talent pogram of Shaanxi province, DP120103952, ARC, Calleva Foundation and Human Origins Research Fund, Paleomagnetism, Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Potsdam = Universität Potsdam, and Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)
International audience; Global climate shifted to markedly warmer interglacial conditions across the “mid-Brunhes transition” (MBT, ~400 ka). However, a global MBT synthesis that spans marine and terrestrial evidence remains elusive, which limits our understanding of the role of the MBT in mid-Pleistocene human evolution. We synthesize Asian precipitation reconstructions within a context of global palaeoclimatic records and find that the MBT occurred in two stages. First, stronger warming of northern hemisphere continents, weaker southern hemisphere warming, and related more extensive northward displacement of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) during interglacial marine isotope stage (MIS) 13 intensified and expanded precipitation in Asian monsoon regions and in other widespread northern hemisphere regions, with accompanying carbon reservoir changes featuring globally high marine benthic δ13C values because of vegetation expansion at ~500 ka. Subdued southern hemisphere warming and northward ITCZ displacement decreased southern hemisphere precipitation simultaneously during MIS 13. Second, a shift to globally warmer interglacials at ~400 ka, with elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, smaller ice volume, and higher sea level resulted in sustained high interglacial precipitation in East Asia from MIS 11 onward and sustained high marine benthic δ13C values during MIS 11. We also synthesize palaeoanthropological data and find that the climate and ecosystem changes across the MBT coincided with the timing of human lineage diversification, including the emergence of Neanderthals and Denisovans in Eurasia and Homo sapiens in Africa, and their potential coexistence with H. heidelbergensis, H. erectus, H. floresiensis, H. naledi, and other Homo archaics. The timing of the MBT also coincided with novel hominin behavioural developments, including fire control and the transition from handaxe industries to more versatile Levallois techniques. Combined with environmental theories of human evolution, this chronological coincidence suggests a potential link between mid-Pleistocene environmental and human evolution.