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Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (5): 987-997.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.235

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal distribution evolution of the microlithic populations on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau based on MaxEnt

HE Jiahao1(), HOU Guangliang1,2(), AO Min1, TANG Zhonghua1, SHI Hongfei1   

  1. 1 College of Geographical Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
    2 Qinghai Provincial Laboratory of Natural Geography and Surface Processes, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
  • Received:2025-04-28 Revised:2025-06-04 Online:2026-05-25 Published:2026-05-25
  • Contact: HOU Guangliang E-mail:jiahao025@163.com;hgl20@163.com

Abstract:

Human survival has been challenged by the extreme environment of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and the existence of ancient humans on the plateau has long been a focal point of academic attention. As one of the most widely distributed and representative prehistoric human remains on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, microliths are considered important reflections of the production and living patterns of prehistoric plateau populations, holding special research value and significance. This study analyzes the late Paleolithic period (15—6 ka Before Present), when microliths are mainly distributed as the research period, uses microlithic site locations as distribution points, combines relevant environmental factors, and employs the MaxEnt model to dynamically simulate and determine the distribution range of microlithic populations on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The results reveal that (1) During 15—14 ka BP, suitable habitats were mainly distributed in the eastern margins of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, western Sichuan, and the Yarlung Zangbo River valley. (2) During 14—12 ka BP, suitable habitats were primarily distributed along the Huangshui Valley to the north Xizang line and the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, expanding significantly compared to the previous stage, with the most notable expansion occurring in north Xizang and southern Qinghai. (3) During 12—10 ka BP, except for the relatively stable suitable habitats in the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and north Xizang, suitable habitats in other regions shrank significantly, particularly in southern Qinghai and the Huangshui Valley. (4) During 10—8 ka BP, influenced by the Holocene climatic optimum, the suitable habitat area in the plateau expanded rapidly, particularly in the northeastern region. However, the suitable habitat area in north Xizang substantially decreased. (5) During 8—6 ka BP, except for the Qinghai Lake-Huangshui Valley area, highly suitable areas in other regions significantly shrank; however, the overall distribution range changed slightly. Meanwhile, the lowly suitable areas increased by >10%. In general, each region showed significant changes in different periods; however, the overall suitable habitat area remained relatively stable. Different from previous studies focusing on single sites, this study uses the MaxEnt model for a comprehensive and systematic exploration of multiple sites, offering new perspectives for research on human activities on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Key words: microlithic, MaxEnt model, population distribution, spatiotemporal evolution, Qinghai-Xizang Plateau