Microenvironment and the initial hominid settlement in Western Asia

The initial settlement of tool-making hominids 'out of Africa' 2.0 - 1.8 Ma. ago proceeded in an environment of climatic cooling and aridity. The spreading groups of hominids followed a similar environmental pattern which was largely defined by the tectonics: the junction of African, Arabian and Eurasian plates. In these conditions special types of landscapes have developed, which included lacustrine basins with the diversity of savannah-like grassland, open and closed woodland. These landscapes became particularly attractive for hominids. From the very beginning the subsistence of tool-making hominids was based on scavenging with the wide use of aquatic resources and plant life. These habitats provided the hominids with comparatively stable food resources, yet they did not preclude competition with other predators and scavengers.