1
|
Arsuaga JL. Imagine. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2222-2224. [PMID: 38804049 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Facultad de Ciencias Geologicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sala N, Pantoja-Pérez A, Gracia A, Arsuaga JL. Taphonomic-forensic analysis of the hominin skulls from the Sima de los Huesos. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2259-2277. [PMID: 35195943 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominin assemblage is composed of thousands of fossil fragments, including pieces of crania and mandibles. The main objective of this work is to address the main taphonomic features of the cranial and mandibular remains from the SH sample, including antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem skeletal disturbances. We present an updated assessment of healed cranial trauma, first described in 1997 and now including new skulls. In addition, this study reviews the perimortem fractures in relation to their location and features of the affected individuals. Finally, this paper deals with the modifications affecting the cranial sample from the SH at the postmortem stage, including physical and biological postdepositional modifications. The SH collection provides a unique opportunity for conducting a complete forensic-taphonomic study on a Middle Pleistocene population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nohemi Sala
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana-CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana-CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Quam R, Arsuaga JL. The ear of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Atapuerca, Spain). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2410-2424. [PMID: 36825485 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies on the morphology of the inner ear (semicircular canals and cochlea) in the Sima de los Huesos hominin sample have provided important results on the evolution of these structures in the Neandertal lineage. Similarly, studies of the anatomy of the external and middle ear cavities of the Sima de los Huesos hominins have also provided important data on the auditory capacities of this European Middle Pleistocene population. The present contribution provides unpublished data on three new middle ear variables from the Sima de los Huesos fossils and compares these data with values from samples of Pan troglodytes, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. The results of this analysis are combined with those obtained in previous studies to characterize the anatomy of the outer, middle and inner ear in the Sima de los Huesos fossils, as well as to establish the order of appearance of the features that characterize Neandertal ears. As in other cranial structures, the ear region in the Sima de los Huesos show a mosaic evolutionary pattern that includes primitive traits, others shared exclusively with Neandertals, and others that are specific to the Sima de los Huesos hominins. Neandertals and Sima de los Huesos hominins share two exclusive features of the middle ear that are among the first characteristics of the Neandertal lineage: a long tympanic cavity and a large entrance and exit of the mastoid antrum. Along with these traits, the Sima de los Huesos hominins present two specialized features: large volumes of the tympanic cavity and the mastoid antrum. Finally, the middle ear of the Neandertals is characterized by the presence of small angles between the tympanic axis and the plane of the oval window.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), New York, USA
- Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rolf Quam
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), New York, USA
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pantoja-Pérez A, Arsuaga JL. The Cranium I: Neurocranium. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2278-2324. [PMID: 38454744 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The Sima de los Huesos (SH) site has provided a significant collection of hominin remains, including numerous cranial fragments, which have contributed to our understanding of the MP human population. The taxonomic classification of the SH hominins remains a topic of debate, with some studies suggesting a close relationship to Neandertals based on nuclear DNA analysis. The cranial morphology of the SH specimens exhibits a mix of Neandertal-like features and primitive traits observed in earlier Homo populations, providing insights into the evolutionary pattern of the Neanderthal lineage. This study focuses on the neurocranial traits of the SH population and describes three previously undescribed cranial individuals. The SH cranial collection now comprises 20 nearly complete crania, representing approximately two-thirds of the estimated population size. The analysis of the SH population reveals variations in robustness, frontal torus development, sagittal keeling, and occipital torus morphology, which may be related to sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic factors. The suprainiac region exhibits notable ontogenetic changes, while suture obliteration patterns do not strictly correlate with dental age. Metric measurements, particularly cranial breadths, highlight significant intrapopulation variation within the SH sample. Compared with other Middle Pleistocene (MP) hominins, the SH cranial vault displays archaic characteristics but differs from Homo erectus and Neandertals. The SH individuals have relatively short and tall cranial vaults, distinguishing them from other MP fossils. These findings contribute to our understanding of the MP human populations and their evolutionary trajectories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana-CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gómez-Olivencia A, Arsuaga JL. The Sima de los Huesos thorax and lumbar spine: Selected traits and state-of-the-art. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2465-2490. [PMID: 38450997 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Information on the evolution of the thorax and lumbar spine in the genus Homo is hampered by a limited fossil record due to the inherent fragility of vertebrae and ribs. Neandertals show significant metric and morphological differences in these two anatomical regions, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information on the evolution of these anatomical regions within the Neandertal lineage but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of these regions at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the costal skeleton, and the thoracic and lumbar spine anatomy of the hominins found in Sima de los Huesos compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans. The current SH fossil record comprises 738 vertebral specimens representing a minimum of 70 cervical, 95 thoracic and 47 lumbar vertebrae, 652 rib fragments representing a minimum of 118 ribs, and 26 sternal fragments representing 4 sterna. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their thorax and lumbar spine more similar to that of Neandertals than to that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in these anatomical regions, primarily in the orientation of the lumbar transverse processes and in the robusticity of the second ribs. The presence of some but not all of the suite of Neandertal-derived features is consistent with the pattern found in the cranium and other postcranial regions of this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Dept. Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pablos A, Arsuaga JL. Tarsals from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2635-2664. [PMID: 38477186 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Here, we provide a complete, updated, and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the tarsals (rearfoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossil. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimated from the tarsals has been established as 15, which represents 51.7% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample. Within the SH hominin foot sample, an exclusive combination of primitive or plesiomorphic and derived or autapomorphic traits can be observed when compared with other Homo individuals/populations. Other characters are shared among SH hominins and Neandertals that might represent shared derived or autapomorphic traits for this evolutionary line, and most are likely related to robusticity (e.g., rectangular-like trochlea of the talus, broad calcanei, broad naviculars, and short lateral cuneiforms). Additionally, we observed some exclusive autapomorphic traits in the SH tarsal sample (e.g., narrow head of the talus and short intermediate cuneiforms). A few exclusive traits in SH tarsal remains are even more robust than in Neandertals (e.g., broad lateral malleolar facet in talus, more projected sustentaculum tali, and broad medial cuneiform). These traits could suggest a slightly higher level of gracilization in the tarsal bones of Neandertals compared to the SH sample that is also supported by other anatomical postcranial skeleton elements. Additionally, some paleobiological inferences are made in relation to body size (stature and body mass) and some associations are proposed within the SH sample. In conclusion, the morphology of the SH tarsi confirms an evolutionary relationship of sister groups between this population and Neandertals, probably representing a morphotype similar to the Neandertal ancestors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Pablos
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pablos A, Arsuaga JL. Metatarsals and foot phalanges from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2665-2707. [PMID: 38380556 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
This study provides a complete, updated and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the metatarsals and foot phalanges (forefoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossils. This current updated review has established a minimum number of individuals (MNI) of 17, which represent 58.6% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample. An exclusive or autoapomorphic combination of traits can be recognized within the SH hominin foot sample. A few traits appear primitive or plesiomorphic when compared with earlier Homo individuals and other recent modern humans. There are other metrical and morphological traits that SH hominins and Neandertals have in common that sometimes represent shared derived traits in this evolutionary line, most of which are probably related to robusticity. Furthermore, some exclusive autoapomorphic traits are observed in the SH sample: a very broad first metatarsal, long and broad hallucal proximal foot phalanges and possibly extremely robust lateral distal foot phalanges compared to those of Neandertals and modern humans. In these last traits, the SH metatarsals and pedal phalanges are even more robust than in Neandertals. They are herein named as "hyper-Neandertal" traits, which could suggest a slight gracilization process in this evolutionary line, at least in the hallux toe. Finally, some paleobiological inferences are made in relation to body size (stature and body mass) and some associations are proposed within the SH sample.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Pablos
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martínez de Pinillos M, Martín-Francés L, Modesto-Mata M, García-Campos C, Arsuaga JL, Martinón-Torres M. Dental remains of the Middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): Maxillary dentition. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2325-2342. [PMID: 34866354 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain) has yielded a considerable number of human fossils during the period 1984-2020. Among them, up to 253 maxillary teeth have been recovered. In this article, we present the description of the eight dental classes of the maxilla following the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System classification. In addition, we present the mean mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters of these teeth compared to those of Neanderthals and a modern human sample. The morphology of both the anterior and posterior teeth suggests a close relationship of the Sima de los Huesos hominins with the populations of the second half of the Middle Pleistocene of Europe and the Near East, as well as with the so-called classic Neanderthals of Europe. Features with a recognizable taxonomic signal allow grouping the Sima de los Huesos hominins with different paleodemes into a Neanderthal clade. The dental evidence of the Sima de los Huesos hominins is key to suggest a complex model for the settlement of Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. During this period, different migrations of human groups probably coming from Southwest Asia, replacements, prolonged isolations, as well as hybridization and introgression processes would have contributed to the diversity of hominins in Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Department of Paleobiology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Department of Paleobiology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- Department of Paleobiology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Fundación Atapuerca, Carretera de Logroño 44, Ibeas de Juarros, Burgos, 09198, Spain
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura, Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez Moñino, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Cecilia García-Campos
- Department of Paleobiology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
- Fundación Atapuerca, Carretera de Logroño 44, Ibeas de Juarros, Burgos, 09198, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Department of Paleobiology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martínez de Pinillos M, Martín-Francés L, Modesto-Mata M, García-Campos C, Arsuaga JL, Martinón-Torres M. Dental remains of the Middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): Mandibular dentition. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2394-2409. [PMID: 34851548 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain) has yielded a considerable number of human fossils during the period 1984-2020. Among them, up to 314 mandibular teeth have been identified. In this second paper dedicated to the dentition we present the description of the eight dental classes of the mandible following the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS) classification. In addition, we show the mean mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters obtained in these teeth compared to those of Neanderthals and a modern human sample. The morphology of both the anterior and posterior teeth suggests a close relationship of the Sima de los Huesos hominins with the populations of the second half of the Middle Pleistocene of Europe and the Near East, as well as with the so-called classic Neanderthals of Europe. The combination of dental traits in these populations is characteristic and diagnostic and suggests grouping the Sima de los Huesos hominins with the other paleodemes in a Neanderthal clade. The dental evidence of the Sima de los Huesos hominins is key to propose a complex model for the settlement of Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. In this period, different migrations of human groups probably coming from Southwest Asia, replacements, prolonged isolations, as well as hybridization and introgression processes would have contributed to the diversity of hominins in Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José María Bermúdez de Castro
- CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana), Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Laura Martín-Francés
- CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana), Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Fundación Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura, Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez Moñino, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Cecilia García-Campos
- CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana), Burgos, Spain
- Fundación Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana), Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Carretero JM, García-González R, Rodríguez L, Arsuaga JL. Main anatomical characteristics of the hominin fossil humeri from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain: An update. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2519-2549. [PMID: 36916962 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Some of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) humeri have been previously studied and described elsewhere. Here we present an updated inventory and a review of the specimens recovered to the present day. The morphological key traits of the adult and subadult specimens are described, discussed, and illustrated. The SH humeri share with Neandertals many traits usually considered to be Neandertal specializations, thus, most of this morphological pattern is not exclusive to them. The variation found within fossil samples stresses the frequential nature of all these traits and in the specific case of the SH humeri, most of the traits considered as phylogenetically relevant are retained by their descendants, the Neandertals. Some traits are plesiomorphic for the entire genus Homo or are present in European hominins since the early Pleistocene. Finally, some other traits display high variability within the SH sample or different hominin samples and are of uncertain phylogenetic value. Altogether, this evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the overall cranial and postcranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José-Miguel Carretero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
- Unidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC Vidrio y Materiales del Patrimonio Cultural (VIMPAC), Burgos, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Laura Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Arsuaga JL, Martínez I, Gracia-Téllez A, Carretero JM, Esquivel A, García N, Lorenzo C, Quam R, Aramburu A, Sala N, Trueba J. How the Sima de los Huesos was won. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2225-2245. [PMID: 38813936 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Although the first discovery of a human fossil in the Sima de los Huesos took place in 1976, systematic excavations did not begin there until 1984. Since then, this site has been continuously excavated in month-long camps. The site is dated by different radiometric techniques to between 430,000 and 300,000 years ago. Until the 2023 campaign, just over 7000 human fossils have been recovered, constituting the largest collection of fossils prior to Homo sapiens ever discovered. The fossils correspond to a minimum of 29 individuals of both sexes and different ages at death, from preadolescents to a specimen of advanced age. Comparative anatomy and ancient DNA studies both suggest that this is a population closely related to Homo neanderthalensis. The great variety and extraordinary quality of the fossils recovered have allowed us to carry out a series of investigations that have greatly increased our knowledge about the evolution of Homo in the Middle Pleistocene. Among the most important discoveries, it has been possible to establish body size and proportions, the confirmation that the origin of the accumulation of human fossils was of an anthropic nature, that those past humans took care of disabled individuals and who were capable of having an oral language almost as complex and efficient as that of our own species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia-Téllez
- Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, Área de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - José-Miguel Carretero
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
- Unidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC Vidrio y Materiales del Patrimonio Cultural (VIMPAC), Burgos, Spain
| | - Alfonso Esquivel
- Fundación Ciudad de la Energía - CIUDEN, F.S.P. Cl. de la Energía, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Nuria García
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Grupo UCM Ecosistemas Cuaternarios Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Àrea de Prehistòria, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Rolf Quam
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), New York, New York, USA
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Arantza Aramburu
- Departamento de Geología, Área de Mineralogía y Petrología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Leioa, Spain
| | - Nohemi Sala
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana-CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
| | - Javier Trueba
- Madrid Scientific Films, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Carretero JM, Rodríguez L, García-González R, Arsuaga JL. Main morphological characteristics and sexual dimorphism of hominin adult femora from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2575-2605. [PMID: 37794824 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The excellent fossil record from Sima de los Huesos (SH) includes three well-known complete adult femora and several partial specimens that have not yet been published in detail. This fossil record provides an opportunity to analyze the morphology of European pre-Neandertal adult femur and its variation with different evolution patterns. Currently, there are a minimum of five adult individuals (males or females). In this study, we compiled previously published basic anatomical and biometric characteristics of SH adult femora, emphasizing the most relevant features compared to other recent and fossil hominins. The SH femora exhibited a primitive morphological pattern common to all non-Homo sapiens femora, as well as most of the Neandertal traits. Therefore, the complete Upper Pleistocene Neandertal pattern was well-established in Middle Pleistocene ancestors long before the proper Neandertals appeared. Additionally, we highlight that the SH and Neandertal femora share some morphological traits and proportions with modern humans that hold sexual significance in our species, regardless of size. Keeping this in mind, we discussed the sex determination of the complete SH specimens and re-evaluated sex allocation in two of them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José-Miguel Carretero
- Dpto. de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
- Unidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC, Vidrio y Materiales del Patrimonio Cultural (VIMPAC), Burgos, Spain
| | - Laura Rodríguez
- Dpto. de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
- Area de Antropología Física, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Rebeca García-González
- Dpto. de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Departamento de Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rodríguez L, García-González R, Arsuaga JL, Carretero JM. Exploring the morphology of adult tibia and fibula from Sima de los Huesos site in sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2606-2634. [PMID: 37792425 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The analysis of the locomotor anatomy of Late Pleistocene Homo has largely focused on changes in proximal femur and pelvic morphologies, with much attention centered on the emergence of modern humans. Although much of the focus has been on changes in the proximal femur, some research has also been conducted on tibiae and, to a lesser extent, fibulae. With this in mind, we present one of the largest samples of the same population of human tibiae and fibulae from the Middle Pleistocene to determine their main characteristic traits and establish similarities and differences, primarily with those of Neanderthals and modern humans, but also with other Middle Pleistocene specimens in the fossil record. Through this study, we established that the Middle Pleistocene population from the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain) had lower leg long bones similar to those of Neanderthals, although there were some important differences, such as bone length, which this fossil individuals resembled those of modern humans and not to Neanderthals. This fact is related to the crural index and leg length, even though we do not have any true association between femora and tibiae yet, it has implications for establishing locomotor efficiency and climate adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rodríguez
- Area de Antropología Física. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad de León. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales. Campus De Vegazana, León, España
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España
| | | | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - José-Miguel Carretero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC Vidrio y Materiales del Patrimonio Cultural (VIMPAC), Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sala N, Martínez I, Lorenzo C, García R, Carretero JM, Rodríguez L, Gómez-Olivencia A, Aranburu A, García N, Quam R, Gracia A, Ortega MC, Arsuaga JL. Taphonomic skeletal disturbances in the Sima de los Huesos postcranial remains. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2437-2450. [PMID: 36877151 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins is crucial for reconstructing the processes that occurred between the time of death and the recovery of the bones. Thousands of postcranial skeletal fragments from at least 29 hominin individuals have been recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site in Spain. This study's primary objective is to address the main taphonomic features of the postcranial remains from the Sima de los Huesos sample, including antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem skeletal disturbances. We present an updated assessment of the bone surface modification analysis, the fracture pattern analysis, and the skeletal part representation to facilitate interpretation of the biostratinomic and fossil-diagenetic processes in this large paleoanthropological collection. We conclude that carnivores (probably bears) had limited access to the hominin bones and complete bodies were probably placed in the site.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nohemi Sala
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana-CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias Alcalá de Henares, Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- IPHES, Universidad de Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Rebeca García
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - José Miguel Carretero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
- Unidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC, Vidrio y Materiales del Patrimonio Cultural (VIMPAC), Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento Geología, Universidad País Vasco UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Arantza Aranburu
- Departamento Geología, Universidad País Vasco UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Nuria García
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf Quam
- University of Binghamton, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ana Gracia
- Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mª Cruz Ortega
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Quam R, Martínez I, Rak Y, Hylander B, Pantoja A, Lorenzo C, Conde-Valverde M, Keeling B, Ortega Martínez MC, Arsuaga JL. The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2343-2393. [PMID: 36998196 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The recovery of additional mandibular fossils from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) site provides new insights into the evolutionary significance of this sample. In particular, morphological descriptions of the new adult specimens are provided, along with standardized metric data and phylogenetically relevant morphological features for the expanded adult sample. The new and more complete specimens extend the known range of variation in the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in some metric and morphological details. In other aspects, the addition of new specimens has made it possible to confirm previous observations based on more limited evidence. Pairwise comparisons of individual metric variables revealed the only significant difference between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals was a more vertical symphysis in the latter. Similarly, principal components analysis of size-adjusted variables showed a strong similarity between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals. Morphologically, the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show nearly the full complement of Neandertal-derived features. Nevertheless, the Neandertals differ from the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in showing a high frequency of the H/O mandibular foramen, a truncated, thinned and inverted gonial margin, a high placement of the mylohyoid line at the level of the M3, a more vertical symphysis and somewhat more pronounced expression of the chin structures. Size-related morphological variation in the SH hominins includes larger retromolar spaces, more posterior placement of the lateral corpus structures, and stronger markings associated with the muscles of mastication in larger specimens. However, phylogenetically relevant features in the SH sample are fairly stable and do not vary with the overall size of the mandible. Direct comparison of the enlarged mandibular sample from Atapuerca (SH) with the Mauer mandible, the type specimen of H. heidelbergensis, reveals important differences from the SH hominins, and there is no morphological counterpart of Mauer within the SH sample, suggesting the SH fossils should not be assigned to this taxon. The Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show a greater number of derived Neandertal features, particularly those related to midfacial prognathism and in the configuration of the superior ramus, than other European middle Pleistocene specimens. This suggests that more than one evolutionary lineage co-existed in the middle Pleistocene, and, broadly speaking, it appears possible to separate the European middle Pleistocene mandibular remains into two distinct groupings. One group shows a suite of derived Neandertal features and includes specimens from the sites of Atapuerca (SH), Payre, l'Aubesier and Ehringsdorf. The other group includes specimens that generally lack derived Neandertal features and includes the mandibles from the sites of Mauer, Mala Balanica, Montmaurin and (probably) Visogliano. The two published Arago mandibles differ strongly from one another, with Arago 2 probably belonging to this former group, and Neandertal affinities being more difficult to identify in Arago 13. Outside of the SH sample, derived Neandertal features in the mandible only become more common during the second half of the middle Pleistocene. Acceptance of a cladogenetic pattern of evolution during the European middle Pleistocene has the potential to reconcile the predictions of the accretion model and the two phases model for the appearance of Neandertal morphology. The precise taxonomic classification of the SH hominins must contemplate features from the dentition, cranium, mandible and postcranial skeleton, all of which are preserved at the SH site. Nevertheless, the origin of the Neandertal clade may be tied to a speciation event reflected in the appearance of a suite of derived Neandertal features in the face, dentition and mandible, all of which are present in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins. This same suite of features also provides a useful anatomical basis to include other European middle Pleistocene mandibles and crania within the Neandertal clade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
- Centro de Investigación UCM-ISCIII sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Universidad de Alcalá. Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá. Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yoel Rak
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Bill Hylander
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Biological Sciences Building, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ana Pantoja
- Centro de Investigación UCM-ISCIII sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departamento d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
- Universidad de Alcalá. Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brian Keeling
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
| | | | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro de Investigación UCM-ISCIII sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gómez-Olivencia A, Arsuaga JL. The Sima de los Huesos cervical spine. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2451-2464. [PMID: 37070424 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Information regarding the evolution of the neck in genus Homo is hampered owing to a limited fossil record. Neandertals display significant metric and/or morphological differences in all the cervical vertebrae, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information about the evolution of this anatomical region within the Neandertal lineage, but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of this region at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the anatomy of the cervical spine of the hominins found in SH compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans, and, when possible, to Homo erectus and Homo antecessor. The current SH fossil record comprises 172 cervical specimens (after refittings) belonging to a minimum of 11 atlases, 13 axes, and 52 subaxial cervical vertebrae. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their cervical spine more similar to that of Neandertals than that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in this anatomical region, primarily in the length and robusticity, and to a lesser extent in the orientation of the spinous processes of the lowermost cervical vertebrae. We hypothesize that these differences in the lowermost subaxial cervical vertebrae could be related to the increase in the brain size and/or changes in the morphology of the skull that occurred in the Neandertal lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Martínez I, Conde-Valverde M, Quam R, Arsuaga JL. Fusion of the occipitomastoidal synchondrosis as a developmental marker in the Sima de los Huesos Crania (Atapuerca, Spain). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2425-2436. [PMID: 37909253 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The basicranium contains multiple synchondroses potentially informative for estimating the developmental stage of individuals. The basilar synchondrosis has been routinely used for this purpose in bioarchaeological, forensic and paleoanthropological research, and studies carried out in modern human populations have shown a close relationship between the fusion of the occipitomastoidal synchondrosis and developmental processes. This synchondrosis articulates the jugular process of the occipital bone with the jugular surface of the temporal bone. As the process of fusion of the synchondrosis progresses, the jugular surface undergoes a series of alterations whose study allows to establish the state of fusion of the synchondrosis when the individual died. The extraordinary preservation of the jugular surface in a large number of individuals represented in the fossil hominin sample from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) has made it possible to carry out the first systematic study to assess the usefulness of occipitomastoidal synchondrosis in the establishment of the state of development in fossil hominins. Our results show that the complete closure of the occipitomastoidal synchondrosis occurred toward the end of the growth period in the SH fossils. This result opens up the possibility of using it to determine the developmental stage of fossil hominins for which no other information is available, such as the state of the dentition or the degree of closure of the basilar synchondrosis. This has allowed us to infer a state of development for three SH crania where it could not previously be established with certainty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Catedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcala), Alcala de Henares, Spain
| | - Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Catedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcala), Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Rolf Quam
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Catedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcala), Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Gennai J. The Mousterian in North-Western Tuscany: publishing fieldwork documentation leads to a new stratigraphical interpretation of the Piano di Mommio sites. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2024; 4:37. [PMID: 38779339 PMCID: PMC11109565 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.17018.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Background The Mousterian technocomplex is commonly associated with Neanderthals and therefore serves as a proxy for their presence across Europe. Stratified archaeological sites are the most informative because they can yield information about artefacts' spatial distribution and dating. Only a few of the Mousterian sites in Tuscany (Italy) met these conditions and most of these sites are concentrated in the North-Western area, with three specific sites situated in proximity to the village of Piano di Mommio, on the slopes of a small river canyon. Nevertheless, research on the sites stopped early on due to their small extent and complete excavation, which does not allow for additional fieldwork. Methods This article presents previously unpublished field notes, reports, and images, which are then correlated with recent archaeological surveys. Results This combination of historical and contemporary data aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the context in which the assemblages at these sites were found. The insights gained from this research shed light on the arrangement and positioning of artefacts at these locations, offering valuable information to guide future investigations on the assemblages. Conclusions The proposed stratigraphical interpretation adheres to the available information and therefore contributes to a future baseline for new research on the sites and on Neanderthal presence in the area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Gennai
- Civilisations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, Pisa, Tuscany, 56126, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Hautavoine H, Arnaud J, Balzeau A, Mounier A. Quantifying hominin morphological diversity at the end of the middle Pleistocene: Implications for the origin of Homo sapiens. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24915. [PMID: 38444398 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Middle Pleistocene (MP) saw the emergence of new species of hominins: Homo sapiens in Africa, H. neanderthalensis, and possibly Denisovans in Eurasia, whose most recent common ancestor is thought to have lived in Africa around 600 ka ago. However, hominin remains from this period present a wide range of morphological variation making it difficult to securely determine their taxonomic attribution and their phylogenetic position within the Homo genus. This study proposes to reconsider the phenetic relationships between MP hominin fossils in order to clarify evolutionary trends and contacts between the populations they represent. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a Geometric Morphometrics approach to quantify the morphological variation of the calvarium of controversial MP specimens from Africa and Eurasia by using a comparative sample that can be divided into 5 groups: H. ergaster, H. erectus, H. neanderthalensis, and H. sapiens, as well as individuals from current modern human populations. We performed a Generalized Procrustes Analysis, a Principal Component Analysis, and Multinomial Principal Component Logistic Regressions to determine the phenetic affinities of the controversial Middle Pleistocene specimens with the other groups. RESULTS MP African and Eurasian specimens represent several populations, some of which show strong affinities with H. neanderthalensis in Europe or H. sapiens in Africa, others presenting multiple affinities. DISCUSSION These MP populations might have contributed to the emergence of these two species in different proportions. This study proposes a new framework for the human evolutionary history during the MP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Hautavoine
- PaléoFED, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194), MNHN/CNRS/UPVD, Paris, France
| | - Julie Arnaud
- PaléoFED, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194), MNHN/CNRS/UPVD, Paris, France
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Antoine Balzeau
- PaléoFED, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194), MNHN/CNRS/UPVD, Paris, France
- Département de Zoologie Africaine, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Mounier
- PaléoFED, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194), MNHN/CNRS/UPVD, Paris, France
- Turkana Basin Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Roca-Ayats N, Maceda I, Bruque CD, Martínez-Gil N, Garcia-Giralt N, Cozar M, Mellibovsky L, Van Hul W, Lao O, Grinberg D, Balcells S. Evolutionary and functional analyses of LRP5 in archaic and extant modern humans. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:53. [PMID: 38802968 PMCID: PMC11131306 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00616-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human lineage has undergone a postcranial skeleton gracilization (i.e. lower bone mass and strength relative to body size) compared to other primates and archaic populations such as the Neanderthals. This gracilization has been traditionally explained by differences in the mechanical load that our ancestors exercised. However, there is growing evidence that gracilization could also be genetically influenced. RESULTS We have analyzed the LRP5 gene, which is known to be associated with high bone mineral density conditions, from an evolutionary and functional point of view. Taking advantage of the published genomes of archaic Homo populations, our results suggest that this gene has a complex evolutionary history both between archaic and living humans and within living human populations. In particular, we identified the presence of different selective pressures in archaics and extant modern humans, as well as evidence of positive selection in the African and South East Asian populations from the 1000 Genomes Project. Furthermore, we observed a very limited evidence of archaic introgression in this gene (only at three haplotypes of East Asian ancestry out of the 1000 Genomes), compatible with a general erasing of the fingerprint of archaic introgression due to functional differences in archaics compared to extant modern humans. In agreement with this hypothesis, we observed private mutations in the archaic genomes that we experimentally validated as putatively increasing bone mineral density. In particular, four of five archaic missense mutations affecting the first β-propeller of LRP5 displayed enhanced Wnt pathway activation, of which two also displayed reduced negative regulation. CONCLUSIONS In summary, these data suggest a genetic component contributing to the understanding of skeletal differences between extant modern humans and archaic Homo populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neus Roca-Ayats
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and IBUB, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iago Maceda
- CNAG, Centre Nacional d'Analisi Genòmic, C/ Baldiri I Reixach 4, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos David Bruque
- Unidad de Conocimiento Traslacional Hospitalaria Patagónica, Hospital de Alta Complejidad El Calafate - S.A.M.I.C., Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - Núria Martínez-Gil
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and IBUB, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natàlia Garcia-Giralt
- Musculoskeletal Research Group, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), ISCIII, Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, UB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica Cozar
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and IBUB, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leonardo Mellibovsky
- Musculoskeletal Research Group, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wim Van Hul
- Center of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, 2650, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Oscar Lao
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Daniel Grinberg
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and IBUB, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Balcells
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and IBUB, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhang Y, Urciuoli A, Zanolli C, Kullmer O, Wu X. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth of Xujiayao 6. J Hum Evol 2024; 189:103514. [PMID: 38547737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Yameng Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environmental and Social Archaeology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Alessandro Urciuoli
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-UAH), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, F-33600, Pessac, France
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Xiujie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bailey SE, Davies TW, Imbrasas MD, Lazuen T, Hublin JJ, González-Urquijo J. New Neanderthal remains from Axlor cave (Dima, Biscay, northern Iberian Peninsula). J Hum Evol 2024; 187:103483. [PMID: 38262226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Shara E Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Human Evolution, Deutscher Pl. 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Tom W Davies
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Giles Ln, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Mykolas D Imbrasas
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Giles Ln, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Talia Lazuen
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistoricas de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria, Av. De los Castros, s/n, 39005, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Human Evolution, Deutscher Pl. 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; College de France, 11 Pl. Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris, France
| | - Jesus González-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistoricas de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria, Av. De los Castros, s/n, 39005, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ascunce MS, Toloza AC, González-Oliver A, Reed DL. Nuclear genetic diversity of head lice sheds light on human dispersal around the world. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293409. [PMID: 37939041 PMCID: PMC10631634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The human louse, Pediculus humanus, is an obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite that has coevolved with humans for millennia. Given the intimate relationship between this parasite and the human host, the study of human lice has the potential to shed light on aspects of human evolution that are difficult to interpret using other biological evidence. In this study, we analyzed the genetic variation in 274 human lice from 25 geographic sites around the world by using nuclear microsatellite loci and female-inherited mitochondrial DNA sequences. Nuclear genetic diversity analysis revealed the presence of two distinct genetic clusters I and II, which are subdivided into subclusters: Ia-Ib and IIa-IIb, respectively. Among these samples, we observed the presence of the two most common louse mitochondrial haplogroups: A and B that were found in both nuclear Clusters I and II. Evidence of nuclear admixture was uncommon (12%) and was predominate in the New World potentially mirroring the history of colonization in the Americas. These findings were supported by novel DIYABC simulations that were built using both host and parasite data to define parameters and models suggesting that admixture between cI and cII was very recent. This pattern could also be the result of a reproductive barrier between these two nuclear genetic clusters. In addition to providing new evolutionary knowledge about this human parasite, our study could guide the development of new analyses in other host-parasite systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina S. Ascunce
- Department of Plant Pathology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ariel C. Toloza
- Centro de Investigaciones de Plagas e Insecticidas (CONICET-UNIDEF), Villa Martelli, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Angélica González-Oliver
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - David L. Reed
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Richards GD, Jabbour RS, Guipert G, Defleur A. Neanderthal child's maxilla from Baume Moula-Guercy (Soyons, Ardèche, France). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2484-2513. [PMID: 37010952 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
This article provides an ontogenetically-based comparative description of the Guercy 3 partial child's maxilla with Rdm2 -RM1 and unerupted RI2 -RP4 from Baume Moula-Guercy (MIS 5e) and examines its affinities to European and Middle Eastern Middle-to-Late Pleistocene (≈MIS 14-MIS 1) Homo. Description of the Guercy 3 maxilla and dentition (7.0 year ± 0.9 month) is based on observations of original fossils, casts, CT scans, literature descriptions, and virtual reconstructions. Our ontogenetic sample comprises a Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group and a Homo sapiens group. These groups are subdivided into (1) Preneanderthals (≈MIS 14-9), Early Neanderthals (MIS 7-5e), and Late Neanderthals (MIS 5d-3), and (2) Middle (MIS 5), Upper (MIS 3-2), and Late Upper Paleolithic (≈MIS 1), and recent H. sapiens. Standard techniques were employed for measurements and developmental age determinations.The Guercy 3 maxilla lacks changes found in Late Neanderthals, including the positioning of the root of the zygomatic process, infraorbital and nasal plates, premaxilla, buccal and labial alveolus, maxillary sinus, nasal cavity, and verticality of anterior tooth implantation. The morphology of the Guercy 3 maxilla more closely approximates that of Sima de los Huesos Preneanderthals, while the dentition more closely approximates the Early-Late Neanderthal condition. Maxillary remains of children and juveniles between MIS 14-MIS 5e are rare, and the available sample is fragmentary and distorted. Although fragmentary, the Guercy 3 maxilla is undistorted and provides new insights into the evolution of the midface in Neanderthals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary D Richards
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, A. A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rebecca S Jabbour
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's College of California, Moraga, California, USA
| | - Gaspard Guipert
- Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Fondation Albert Ier Prince de Monaco, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Alban Defleur
- CEPAM-UMR 7264 CNRS, Université de Nice, Campus SJA3 24, avenue des Diables Bleus, 06357, Nice Cedex 4, France
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Petersen BC. An economic model and evidence of the evolution of human intelligence in the Middle Pleistocene: Climate change and assortative mating. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287964. [PMID: 37531351 PMCID: PMC10395973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A main objective of this paper is to provide the first model of how climate change, working through sexual selection, could have led to dramatic increases in hominin brain size, and presumably intelligence, in the Middle Pleistocene. The model is built using core elements from the field of family economics, including assortative mating and specialization and complementarities between mates. The main assumptions are that family public goods (e.g., conversation, shelter, fire) were particularly cognitively intensive to produce and became increasingly important for child survival during glacial phases. Intermediate climates (e.g., not the depths of severe glacial phases) create the largest gains from specialization, encouraging negative assortative mating. In contrast, severe glacial phases encourage positive assortative mating because of the rising importance of family public goods. One testable hypothesis is that absence of severe glacial phases should have led to stasis in brain size. Two other testable hypotheses are that severe glacial phases should have led to speciation events, as well as increases in brain size. The evidence shows that there was a million-year stasis in cranial size prior to the start of the severe glacial phases. This stasis is broken by a speciation event (Homo heidelbergensis), with the oldest fossil evidence dated near the close of the first severe glacial phase. In the next 300 kyr, there are two additional severe glacial phases, accompanied by considerable increases in cranial capacity. The last speciation event is Homo sapiens, with the earliest fossils dated near the end of the last of these two glacial phases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce C Petersen
- Department of Economics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Tattersall I. Endocranial volumes and human evolution. F1000Res 2023; 12:565. [PMID: 37744765 PMCID: PMC10517302 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.131636.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Enlarging brains have been held up as the classic (if not the only) example of a consistent long-term trend in human evolution. And hominin endocranial volumes certainly expanded four-fold over the subfamily's seven-million-year history, while on a very coarse scale later hominids showed a strong tendency to have larger brains than earlier ones. However, closer scrutiny of this apparent trend reveals that it was extremely episodic and irregular, a fact that argues against the notion that it was driven by social interactions internal to the hominin clade. In addition, an overall tendency to brain volume increase was expressed independently and concurrently within at least three separate lineages of the genus Homo - suggesting that, whatever the exact influences were that promoted this global trend, they need to be sought among stimuli that acted comprehensively over the entire vast range of periods, geographies and environments that members of our subfamily occupied. Significantly, though, the dramatic recent shrinkage of the brain within the species Homo sapiens implies that the emergence of modern human cognition (via the adoption of the symbolic information processing mode, likely driven by the spontaneous invention of language in an exaptively enabled brain) was not the culmination of the overall hominin trend towards brain enlargement, but rather a departure from it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Tattersall
- Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10014, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Grine FE, Mongle CS, Kollmer W, Romanos G, du Plessis A, Maureille B, Braga J. Hypercementosis in Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossils from Klasies River Main Site, South Africa. Arch Oral Biol 2023; 149:105664. [PMID: 36889227 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine early Homo sapiens fossils from the Late Pleistocene site of Klasies River Main Site, South Africa for evidence of hypercementosis. The specimens represent seven adult individuals dated to between 119,000 and 58,000 years ago. These observations are contextualized in relation to the incidences of hypercementosis among recent human populations and fossil human samples and the potential etiologies of hypercementosis. DESIGN The fossils were investigated utilizing micro-CT and nano-CT scanning to visualize and measure cementum apposition on permanent incisor, premolar and molar roots. Cementum thickness was measured at mid-root level, and the volume of the cementum sleeve was calculated for the two fossil specimens that display marked hypercementosis. RESULTS Two of the fossils display no evidence of cementum hypertrophy. Three exhibit moderate cementum thickening, barely attaining the quantitative threshold for hypercementosis. Two evince marked hypercementosis. One of the Klasies specimens with marked hypercementosis is judged to be an older individual with periapical abscessing. The second specimen is a younger adult, and seemingly similar in age to other Klasies fossils that exhibit only minimal cementum apposition. However, this second specimen exhibits dento-alveolar ankylosis of the premolar and molars. CONCLUSIONS These two fossils from Klasies River Main Site provide the earliest manifestation of hypercementosis in Homo sapiens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Carrie S Mongle
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - William Kollmer
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Periodontology, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Georgios Romanos
- Department of Periodontology, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Anton du Plessis
- Department of Physics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa; Object Research Systems, 460 Saint-Catherine St. W, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1A7, Canada
| | - Bruno Maureille
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Ministère de la Culture, PACEA, UMR5199, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - José Braga
- Center for Anthrobiology & Genomics Institute of Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse 31000, France
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Antón SC, Middleton ER. Making meaning from fragmentary fossils: Early Homo in the Early to early Middle Pleistocene. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103307. [PMID: 37030994 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Human Evolution, we re-evaluate the fossil record for early Homo (principally Homo erectus, Homo habilis, and Homo rudolfensis) from early diversification and dispersal in the Early Pleistocene to the ultimate demise of H. erectus in the early Middle Pleistocene. The mid-1990s marked an important historical turning point in our understanding of early Homo with the redating of key H. erectus localities, the discovery of small H. erectus in Asia, and the recovery of an even earlier presence of early Homo in Africa. As such, we compare our understanding of early Homo before and after this time and discuss how the order of fossil discovery and a focus on anchor specimens has shaped, and in many ways biased, our interpretations of early Homo species and the fossils allocated to them. Fragmentary specimens may counter conventional wisdom but are often overlooked in broad narratives. We recognize at least three different cranial and two or three pelvic morphotypes of early Homo. Just one postcranial morph aligns with any certainty to a cranial species, highlighting the importance of explicitly identifying how we link specimens together and to species; we offer two ways of visualizing these connections. Chronologically and morphologically H. erectus is a member of early Homo, not a temporally more recent species necessarily evolved from either H. habilis or H. rudolfensis. Nonetheless, an ancestral-descendant notion of their evolution influences expectations around the anatomy of missing elements, especially the foot. Weak support for long-held notions of postcranial modernity in H. erectus raises the possibility of alternative drivers of dispersal. New observations suggest that the dearth of faces in later H. erectus may mask taxonomic diversity in Asia and suggest various later mid-Pleistocene populations could derive from either Asia or Africa. Future advances will rest on the development of nuanced ways to affiliate fossils, greater transparency of implicit assumptions, and attention to detailed life history information for comparative collections; all critical pursuits for future research given the great potential they have to enrich our evolutionary reconstructions for the next fifty years and beyond.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, NY, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Emily R Middleton
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Profico A, Buzi C, Di Vincenzo F, Boggioni M, Borsato A, Boschian G, Marchi D, Micheli M, Cecchi JM, Samadelli M, Tafuri MA, Arsuaga JL, Manzi G. Virtual excavation and analysis of the early Neanderthal cranium from Altamura (Italy). Commun Biol 2023; 6:316. [PMID: 36964200 PMCID: PMC10039001 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04644-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Complete Neanderthal skeletons are almost unique findings. A very well-preserved specimen of this kind was discovered in 1993 in the deepest recesses of a karstic system near the town of Altamura in Southern Italy. We present here a detailed description of the cranium, after we virtually extracted it from the surrounding stalagmites and stalactites. The morphology of the Altamura cranium fits within the Neanderthal variability, though it retains features occurring in more archaic European samples. Some of these features were never observed in Homo neanderthalensis, i.e. in fossil specimens dated between 300 and 40 ka. Considering the U-Th age we previously obtained (>130 ka), the morphology of Altamura suggests that the archaic traits it retains may have been originated by geographic isolation of the early Neanderthal populations from Southern Italy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Profico
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Costantino Buzi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
- Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, 43005, Spain
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, 43005, Spain
| | - Fabio Di Vincenzo
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
- Natural History Museum - Palazzo Nonfinito, University of Florence, Florence, 50122, Italy
| | - Marco Boggioni
- School of Paleoanthropology, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06123, Italy
| | - Andrea Borsato
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Giovanni Boschian
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Johannesburg - Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
| | - Damiano Marchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Mario Micheli
- Department of Humanities, Roma Tre University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | | | - Marco Samadelli
- Institute for Mummy Studies, EURAC Research, Bolzano, 39100, Italy
| | - Mary Anne Tafuri
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, 28029, Spain
- Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Giorgio Manzi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pomeroy E. Review: The different adaptive trajectories in Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and their implications for contemporary human physiological variation. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 280:111420. [PMID: 37001690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Neanderthals are our one of our closest evolutionary cousins, but while they evolved in Eurasia, we (anatomically modern humans, AMH) originated in Africa. This contrasting evolutionary history has led to morphological and genetic distinctions between our species. Neanderthals are characterised by a relatively stocky build, high body mass, proportionally wide bodies and shorter limbs, a bell-shaped ribcage with a wide pelvis, and a long, low cranial vault compared with AMH. Classic readings of Neanderthal morphology link many of these traits to cold climate adaptations, however these interpretations have been questioned and alternative hypotheses including behavioural factors, dietary adaptations, locomotor specialisations, evolutionary history and neutral evolutionary processes have been invoked. Compared with AMH, Neanderthals may have been adapted for strength and power rather than endurance and may have consumed a diet high in animal products. However, reviewing these hypotheses highlights a number of limitations in our understanding of contemporary human physiology and metabolism, including the relationship between climate and morphology in AMH and Neanderthals, physiological limits on protein consumption, and the relationship between gut morphology and diet. As various relevant factors are clearly linked (e.g. diet, behaviour, metabolism, morphology, activity), ultimately a more integrated approach may be needed to fully understand Neanderthal biology. Variation among contemporary AMHs may offer, with caveats, a useful model for understanding the evolution of both Neanderthal and modern human characteristics, which in turn may further deepen our understanding of variability within and between contemporary humans. Neanderthals; Anatomically modern humans; morphology; climate adaptation; power adaptations; metabolism; diet; physiology; endurance running.
Collapse
|
31
|
Velez AD, Quam R, Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Lorenzo C, Arsuaga JL. Geometric morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth of the Sima de los Huesos hominins. J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103280. [PMID: 36455404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The bony labyrinth contains phylogenetic information that can be used to determine interspecific differences between fossil hominins. The present study conducted a comparative 3D geometric morphometric analysis on the bony labyrinth of the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominins. The findings of this study corroborate previous multivariate analyses of the SH hominin bony labyrinth. The analysis of the semicircular canals revealed the SH hominin canal morphologies appear closer to those of the Neandertals than to those of Homo sapiens. This is attributable to a Neandertal-like ovoid anterior canal, and mediolaterally expanded, circular posterior canal. However, the SH hominins lack the increased torsion in the anterior canal and the inferior orientation of the lateral canal seen in Neandertals. The results of the cochlear analysis indicated that, although there is some overlap, there are notable differences between the SH hominins and the Neandertals. In particular, the SH hominin cochlea appears more constricted than in Neandertals in the first and second turns. A principal component analysis of the full bony labyrinth separated most SH hominins from the Neandertals, which largely clustered with modern humans. A covariance ratio analysis found a significant degree of modularity within the bony labyrinth of all three groups, with the SH hominins and Neandertals displaying the highest modularity. This modular signal in the bony labyrinth may be attributable to different selective pressures related to locomotion and audition. Overall, the results of this study confirm previous suggestions that the semicircular canals in the SH hominins are somewhat derived toward Neandertals, while their cochlea is largely primitive within the genus Homo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex D Velez
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina; Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV, Zona Educacional 4, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Keeling BA, Quam R, Martínez I, Arsuaga JL, Maroto J. Reassessment of the human mandible from Banyoles (Girona, Spain). J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103291. [PMID: 36493597 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of a human mandible in 1887 near the present-day city of Banyoles, northeastern Spain, researchers have generally emphasized its archaic features, including the lack of chin structures, and suggested affinities with the Neandertals or European Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian) specimens. Uranium-series and electron spin resonance dating suggest the mandible dates to the Late Pleistocene (Tarantian), approximately ca. 45-66 ka. In this study, we reassessed the taxonomic affinities of the Banyoles mandible by comparing it to samples of Middle Pleistocene fossils from Africa and Europe, Neandertals, Early and Upper Paleolithic modern humans, and recent modern humans. We evaluated the frequencies and expressions of morphological features and performed a three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis on a virtual reconstruction of Banyoles to capture overall mandibular shape. Our results revealed no derived Neandertal morphological features in Banyoles. While a principal component analysis based on Euclidean distances from the first two principal components clearly grouped Banyoles with both fossil and recent Homo sapiens individuals, an analysis of the Procrustes residuals demonstrated that Banyoles did not fit into any of the comparative groups. The lack of Neandertal features in Banyoles is surprising considering its Late Pleistocene age. A consideration of the Middle Pleistocene fossil record in Europe and southwest Asia suggests that Banyoles is unlikely to represent a late-surviving Middle Pleistocene population. The lack of chin structures also complicates an assignment to H. sapiens, although early fossil H. sapiens do show somewhat variable development of the chin structures. Thus, Banyoles represents a non-Neandertal Late Pleistocene European individual and highlights the continuing signal of diversity in the hominin fossil record. The present situation makes Banyoles a prime candidate for ancient DNA or proteomic analyses, which may shed additional light on its taxonomic affinities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Keeling
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, SUNY, New York, USA.
| | - Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, SUNY, New York, USA; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA; Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julià Maroto
- Grup d'Arqueologia i Prehistòria, Universitat de Girona, pl. Ferrater Mora, 1, 17071 Girona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Harvati K, Reyes-Centeno H. Evolution of Homo in the Middle and Late Pleistocene. J Hum Evol 2022; 173:103279. [PMID: 36375244 PMCID: PMC9703123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The Middle and Late Pleistocene is arguably the most interesting period in human evolution. This broad period witnessed the evolution of our own lineage, as well as that of our sister taxon, the Neanderthals, and related Denisovans. It is exceptionally rich in both fossil and archaeological remains, and uniquely benefits from insights gained through molecular approaches, such as paleogenetics and paleoproteomics, that are currently not widely applicable in earlier contexts. This wealth of information paints a highly complex picture, often described as 'the Muddle in the Middle,' defying the common adage that 'more evidence is needed' to resolve it. Here we review competing phylogenetic scenarios and the historical and theoretical developments that shaped our approaches to the fossil record, as well as some of the many remaining open questions associated with this period. We propose that advancing our understanding of this critical time requires more than the addition of data and will necessitate a major shift in our conceptual and theoretical framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Harvati
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences and Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 19-23, Tübingen 72070, Germany; DFG Centre for Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools: Tracking Linguistic, Cultural and Biological Trajectories of the Human Past', Rümelinstrasse 19-23, Tübingen 72070, Germany.
| | - Hugo Reyes-Centeno
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 211 Lafferty Hall, Lexington, KY 40506, USA; William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 1020 Export St, Lexington, KY 40504, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Dating the Paleolithic: Trapped charge methods and amino acid geochronology. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2109324119. [PMID: 36252044 PMCID: PMC9618083 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109324119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the vast array of different geochronological tools available, dating the Paleolithic remains one of the discipline’s greatest challenges. This review focuses on two different dating approaches: trapped charge and amino acid geochronology. While differing in their fundamental principles, both exploit time-dependent changes in signals found within crystals to generate a chronology for the material dated and hence, the associated deposits. Within each method, there is a diverse range of signals that can be analyzed, each covering different time ranges, applicable to different materials and suitable for different paleoenvironmental and archaeological contexts. This multiplicity of signals can at first sight appear confusing, but it is a fundamental strength of the techniques, allowing internal checks for consistency and providing more information than simply a chronology. For each technique, we present an overview of the basis for the time-dependent signals and the types of material that can be analyzed, with examples of their archaeological application, as well as their future potential.
Collapse
|
35
|
Balzeau A, Albessard-Ball L, Kubicka AM, Filippo A, Beaudet A, Santos E, Bienvenu T, Arsuaga JL, Bartsiokas A, Berger L, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Brunet M, Carlson KJ, Daura J, Gorgoulis VG, Grine FE, Harvati K, Hawks J, Herries A, Hublin JJ, Hui J, Ives R, Joordens JA, Kaifu Y, Kouloukoussa M, Léger B, Lordkipanidze D, Margvelashvili A, Martin J, Martinón-Torres M, May H, Mounier A, du Plessis A, Rae T, Röding C, Sanz M, Semal P, Stratford D, Stringer C, Tawane M, Temming H, Tsoukala E, Zilhão J, Zipfel B, Buck LT. Frontal sinuses and human evolution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabp9767. [PMID: 36269821 PMCID: PMC9586476 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abp9767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The frontal sinuses are cavities inside the frontal bone located at the junction between the face and the cranial vault and close to the brain. Despite a long history of study, understanding of their origin and variation through evolution is limited. This work compares most hominin species' holotypes and other key individuals with extant hominids. It provides a unique and valuable perspective of the variation in sinuses position, shape, and dimensions based on a simple and reproducible methodology. We also observed a covariation between the size and shape of the sinuses and the underlying frontal lobes in hominin species from at least the appearance of Homo erectus. Our results additionally undermine hypotheses stating that hominin frontal sinuses were directly affected by biomechanical constraints resulting from either chewing or adaptation to climate. Last, we demonstrate their substantial potential for discussions of the evolutionary relationships between hominin species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Balzeau
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Lou Albessard-Ball
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- PalaeoHub, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Anna Maria Kubicka
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andréa Filippo
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Beaudet
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Santos
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain
| | - Thibault Bienvenu
- Department of Anthropology and Anthropological Museum, University of Zurich, CH-8052 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonis Bartsiokas
- Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece
| | - Lee Berger
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michel Brunet
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie Humaine, Collège de France, Paris, France
- UMR 7262 CNRS, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Kristian J. Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Palaeosciences Centre, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Joan Daura
- Departament d’Història i Arqueologia, Facultat de Geografia i Història, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vassilis G. Gorgoulis
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
- Division of Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Frederick E. Grine
- Departments of Anthropology and Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Katerina Harvati
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment and Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - John Hawks
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Andy Herries
- Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jiaming Hui
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Ives
- Centre for Human Evolution Research, History Museum, London, UK
| | - Josephine A. Joordens
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Netherlands
| | - Yousuke Kaifu
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mirsini Kouloukoussa
- Museum of Anthropology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Baptiste Léger
- Columbia University, 116 Street & Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - David Lordkipanidze
- Georgian National Museum, Purtseladze Str. 3, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
- Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Chavchavadze Av. 1, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ann Margvelashvili
- Georgian National Museum, Purtseladze Str. 3, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
- Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Chavchavadze Av. 1, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Jesse Martin
- Palaeoscience, Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hila May
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Post Office Box 39040, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Aurélien Mounier
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece
| | - Anton du Plessis
- Physics Department, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Todd Rae
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, Roehampton University, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Carolin Röding
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Montserrat Sanz
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal
- Grup de Recerca del Quaternari (GRQ-SERP), Departament d’Història i Arqueologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Montalegre, 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrick Semal
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels 1000, Belgium
| | - Dominic Stratford
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Chris Stringer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mirriam Tawane
- Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Heiko Temming
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Evangelia Tsoukala
- Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - João Zilhão
- UNIARQ-Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa, 1600-214 Lisbon, Portugal
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of History and Archaeology, University of Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Laura T. Buck
- Research Centre for Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mayoral E, Duveau J, Santos A, Ramírez AR, Morales JA, Díaz-Delgado R, Rivera-Silva J, Gómez-Olivencia A, Díaz-Martínez I. New dating of the Matalascañas footprints provides new evidence of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 9-8) hominin paleoecology in southern Europe. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17505. [PMID: 36261474 PMCID: PMC9581921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22524-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hominin footprints were recently discovered at Matalascañas (Huelva; South of Iberian Peninsula). They were dated thanks to a previous study in deposits of the Asperillo cliff to 106 ± 19 ka, Upper Pleistocene, making Neandertals the most likely track-makers. In this paper, we report new Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating that places the hominin footprints surface in the range of 295.8 ± 17 ka (MIS 9-MIS 8 transition, Middle Pleistocene). This new age implies that the possible track-makers are individuals more likely from the Neandertal evolutionary lineage. Regardless of the taxon attributed to the Matalascañas footprints, they supplement the existing partial fossil record for the European Middle Pleistocene Hominins being notably the first palaeoanthropological evidence (hominin skeleton or footprints) from the MIS 9 and MIS 8 transition discovered in the Iberian Peninsula, a moment of climatic evolution from warm to cool. Thus, the Matalascañas footprints represent a crucial record for understanding human occupations in Europe in the Pleistocene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Mayoral
- grid.18803.320000 0004 1769 8134Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Campus de El Carmen, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain ,grid.18803.320000 0004 1769 8134CCTH - Centro de Investigación Científico Tecnológico, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Jérémy Duveau
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447DFG Center of Advanced Studies ‘Words, Bones, Genes, Tools’, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany ,UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de L’Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Perpignan Via Domitia, Paris, France
| | - Ana Santos
- grid.10863.3c0000 0001 2164 6351Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Geología, Campus de Llamaquique, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez Ramírez
- grid.18803.320000 0004 1769 8134Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Campus de El Carmen, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain ,grid.18803.320000 0004 1769 8134CCTH - Centro de Investigación Científico Tecnológico, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Juan A. Morales
- grid.18803.320000 0004 1769 8134Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Campus de El Carmen, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain ,grid.18803.320000 0004 1769 8134CCTH - Centro de Investigación Científico Tecnológico, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Ricardo Díaz-Delgado
- grid.418875.70000 0001 1091 6248Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jorge Rivera-Silva
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229Centro de Investigación, Tecnología e Innovación (CITIUS), Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Dept. Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain ,Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain ,Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación Sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos. Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Díaz-Martínez
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro-IIPG, General Roca, Río Negro Argentina ,grid.507426.2Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología Y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, General Roca, Río Negro Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Skov L, Peyrégne S, Popli D, Iasi LNM, Devièse T, Slon V, Zavala EI, Hajdinjak M, Sümer AP, Grote S, Bossoms Mesa A, López Herráez D, Nickel B, Nagel S, Richter J, Essel E, Gansauge M, Schmidt A, Korlević P, Comeskey D, Derevianko AP, Kharevich A, Markin SV, Talamo S, Douka K, Krajcarz MT, Roberts RG, Higham T, Viola B, Krivoshapkin AI, Kolobova KA, Kelso J, Meyer M, Pääbo S, Peter BM. Genetic insights into the social organization of Neanderthals. Nature 2022; 610:519-525. [PMID: 36261548 PMCID: PMC9581778 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05283-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Genomic analyses of Neanderthals have previously provided insights into their population history and relationship to modern humans1-8, but the social organization of Neanderthal communities remains poorly understood. Here we present genetic data for 13 Neanderthals from two Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia: 11 from Chagyrskaya Cave9,10 and 2 from Okladnikov Cave11-making this one of the largest genetic studies of a Neanderthal population to date. We used hybridization capture to obtain genome-wide nuclear data, as well as mitochondrial and Y-chromosome sequences. Some Chagyrskaya individuals were closely related, including a father-daughter pair and a pair of second-degree relatives, indicating that at least some of the individuals lived at the same time. Up to one-third of these individuals' genomes had long segments of homozygosity, suggesting that the Chagyrskaya Neanderthals were part of a small community. In addition, the Y-chromosome diversity is an order of magnitude lower than the mitochondrial diversity, a pattern that we found is best explained by female migration between communities. Thus, the genetic data presented here provide a detailed documentation of the social organization of an isolated Neanderthal community at the easternmost extent of their known range.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurits Skov
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Stéphane Peyrégne
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Divyaratan Popli
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Leonardo N M Iasi
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thibaut Devièse
- European Centre for Research and Education in Environmental Geosciences (CEREGE), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Collège de France, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Viviane Slon
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology Sackler, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elena I Zavala
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mateja Hajdinjak
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Arev P Sümer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Steffi Grote
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alba Bossoms Mesa
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - David López Herráez
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Birgit Nickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sarah Nagel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia Richter
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elena Essel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marie Gansauge
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Petra Korlević
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Daniel Comeskey
- Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anatoly P Derevianko
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Aliona Kharevich
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sergey V Markin
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katerina Douka
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maciej T Krajcarz
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Richard G Roberts
- Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas Higham
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bence Viola
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrey I Krivoshapkin
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Kseniya A Kolobova
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Janet Kelso
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benjamin M Peter
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lockey AL, Rodríguez L, Martín-Francés L, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Crété L, Martinón-Torres M, Parfitt S, Pope M, Stringer C. Comparing the Boxgrove and Atapuerca (Sima de los Huesos) human fossils: Do they represent distinct paleodemes? J Hum Evol 2022; 172:103253. [PMID: 36162354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The early Middle Pleistocene human material from Boxgrove (West Sussex, UK) consists of a partial left tibia and two lower incisors from a separate adult individual. These remains derive from deposits assigned to the MIS 13 interglacial at about 480 ka and have been referred to as Homo cf. heidelbergensis. The much larger skeletal sample from the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Spain) is dated to the succeeding MIS 12, at about 430 ka. This fossil material has previously been assigned to Homo heidelbergensis but is now placed within the Neanderthal clade. Because of the scarcity of human remains from the Middle Pleistocene and their morphological variability, this study assessed whether the Boxgrove specimens fit within the morphological variability of the homogeneous Sima de los Huesos population. Based on morphometric analyses performed against 22 lower incisors from Sima de los Huesos and published material, the data from the Boxgrove incisors place them comfortably within the range of Sima de los Huesos. Both assemblages present robust incisors distinct from the overall small recent Homo sapiens incisors, and Boxgrove also aligns closely with Homo neanderthalensis and some other European Middle Pleistocene hominins. Following morphological and cross-sectional analyses of the Boxgrove tibia compared to seven adult Sima de los Huesos specimens and a set of comparative tibiae, Boxgrove is shown to be similar to Sima de los Huesos and Neanderthals in having thick cortices and bone walls, but in contrast resembles modern humans in having a straight anterior tibial crest and a suggestion of a lateral concavity. Based on the patterns observed, there is no justification for assigning the Boxgrove and Sima de los Huesos incisors to distinct paleodemes, but the tibial data show greater contrasts and suggest that all three of these samples are unlikely to represent the same paleodeme.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle L Lockey
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Universität Tübingen, 72070, Germany
| | - Laura Rodríguez
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León. Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Facultad de Humanidades y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Edificio I+D+i, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, C/ Villadiego s/n, 09001, Burgos, Spain
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Cátedra de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Lucile Crété
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Simon Parfitt
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK; Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Matt Pope
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Baughan K, Balolia KL, Oxenham MF, Mcfadden C. Comparisons of Age-at-Death Distributions among Extinct Hominins and Extant Nonhuman Primates Indicate Normal Mortality. JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1086/720701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Baughan
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, and School of Geosciences, Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, 44 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Katharine L. Balolia
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, and School of Geosciences, Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, 44 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Marc F. Oxenham
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, and School of Geosciences, Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, 44 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Clare Mcfadden
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, and School of Geosciences, Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, 44 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Hosfield R. Variations by degrees: Western European paleoenvironmental fluctuations across MIS 13-11. J Hum Evol 2022; 169:103213. [PMID: 35704957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 13-11 saw a major transformation in the hominin occupation of Europe, with an expansion in the scale and geographical distribution of sites and artifact assemblages. That expansion is explored here in the context of paleoenvironmental variability, focusing on geographical and chronological trends in climatic and habitat conditions at and between key Lower Paleolithic sites in Western Europe. Climatic conditions at British sites are compared across MIS 13-11, and used to test predicted values from the Oscillayers data set. Conditions at hominin and nonhominin sites are compared to explore possible limitations in hominin tolerances during MIS 13-11. Trends in conditions are explored with reference to long-term global patterns, short-term substage events, and seasonal variations. The apparent increase in the scale of hominin activity in north-western Europe during MIS 13 is surprising in light of the relatively harsh conditions of late MIS 13, and is likely to reflect significant physiological and/or behavioral adaptations, a mild south-north temperature gradient in western Europe during MIS 13, and the relatively mild, sustained conditions spanning MIS 15-13. The expanded occupation of north-western Europe during MIS 11 probably reflects the extended mild conditions of MIS 11c, since marked seasonal temperature differences and substantial behavioral changes between hominin sites in MIS 13 and 11 are not clearly evident. Site-specific conditions in south-western Europe during MIS 11 suggest milder winters, warmer summers, and reduced seasonal variability compared to north-western Europe. Some or all of these conditions may have supported larger, core populations, as may the relatively mild conditions associated with south-western European sites during MIS 12. Finally, comparisons between north-western and north-central European sites indicate relatively small differences in seasonal temperatures, suggesting that climate may only be a partial factor behind the smaller-scale occupations of north-central Europe during MIS 13-11.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hosfield
- Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Whiteknights Campus, Reading, RG6 6AB, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Rodríguez J, Willmes C, Sommer C, Mateos A. Sustainable human population density in Western Europe between 560.000 and 360.000 years ago. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6907. [PMID: 35484382 PMCID: PMC9051054 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10642-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The time period between 560 and 360 ka (MIS14 to MIS11) was critical for the evolution of the Neanderthal lineage and the appearance of Levallois technology in Europe. The shifts in the distribution of the human populations, driven by cyclical climate changes, are generally accepted to have played major roles in both processes. We used a dataset of palaeoclimate maps and a species distribution model to reconstruct the changes in the area of Western Europe with suitable environmental conditions for humans during 11 time intervals of the MIS14 to MIS 11 period. Eventually, the maximum sustainable human population within the suitable area during each time interval was estimated by extrapolating the relationship observed between recent hunter-gatherer population density and net primary productivity and applying it to the past. Contrary to common assumptions, our results showed the three Mediterranean Peninsulas were not the only region suitable for humans during the glacial periods. The estimated total sustainable population of Western Europe from MIS14 to MIS11 oscillated between 13,000 and 25,000 individuals. These results offer a new theoretical scenario to develop models and hypotheses to explain cultural and biological evolution during the Middle Pleistocene in Western Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rodríguez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain.
| | - Christian Willmes
- Institute of Geography, University of Cologne, 50923, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Sommer
- The Role of Culture in Early Expansions of Humans, Research Area Geography, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities at the University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19-23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ana Mateos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Timmermann A, Yun KS, Raia P, Ruan J, Mondanaro A, Zeller E, Zollikofer C, Ponce de León M, Lemmon D, Willeit M, Ganopolski A. Climate effects on archaic human habitats and species successions. Nature 2022; 604:495-501. [PMID: 35418680 PMCID: PMC9021022 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04600-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
It has long been believed that climate shifts during the last 2 million years had a pivotal role in the evolution of our genus Homo1–3. However, given the limited number of representative palaeo-climate datasets from regions of anthropological interest, it has remained challenging to quantify this linkage. Here, we use an unprecedented transient Pleistocene coupled general circulation model simulation in combination with an extensive compilation of fossil and archaeological records to study the spatiotemporal habitat suitability for five hominin species over the past 2 million years. We show that astronomically forced changes in temperature, rainfall and terrestrial net primary production had a major impact on the observed distributions of these species. During the Early Pleistocene, hominins settled primarily in environments with weak orbital-scale climate variability. This behaviour changed substantially after the mid-Pleistocene transition, when archaic humans became global wanderers who adapted to a wide range of spatial climatic gradients. Analysis of the simulated hominin habitat overlap from approximately 300–400 thousand years ago further suggests that antiphased climate disruptions in southern Africa and Eurasia contributed to the evolutionary transformation of Homo heidelbergensis populations into Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, respectively. Our robust numerical simulations of climate-induced habitat changes provide a framework to test hypotheses on our human origin. A new model simulation of climate change during the past 2 million years indicates that the appearances and disappearances of hominin species correlate with long-term climatic anomalies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Axel Timmermann
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea. .,Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea.
| | - Kyung-Sook Yun
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea.,Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Pasquale Raia
- DiSTAR, Università di Napoli Federico II, Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples, Italy
| | - Jiaoyang Ruan
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea.,Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | | | - Elke Zeller
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea.,Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | | | | | - Danielle Lemmon
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea.,Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Matteo Willeit
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Pagano AS, Smith CM, Balzeau A, Márquez S, Laitman JT. Nasopharyngeal morphology contributes to understanding the "muddle in the middle" of the Pleistocene hominin fossil record. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:2038-2064. [PMID: 35394685 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The late archeologist Glynn Isaac first applied the term "muddle in the middle" to a poorly understood period in the Middle Pleistocene human fossil record. This study uses the nasopharyngeal boundaries as a source of traits that may inform this unclear period of human evolution. The nasopharynx lies at the nexus of several vital physiological systems, yet relatively little is known about its importance in human evolution. We analyzed a geographically diverse contemporary Homo sapiens growth series (n = 180 adults, 237 nonadults), Homo neanderthalensis (La Chapelle aux Saints 1, La Ferrassie 1, Forbes Quarry 1, Monte Circeo 1, and Saccopastore 1), mid-Pleistocene Homo (Atapuerca 5, Kabwe 1, Petralona 1, and Steinheim 1), and two Homo erectus sensu lato (KNM-ER 3733 and Sangiran 17). Methods include traditional (Analysis 1) and 3D geometric morphometric analysis (Analysis 2). H. erectus exhibited tall, narrow nasopharyngeal shape, a robust, ancestral morphology. Kabwe 1 and Petralona 1 plotted among H. sapiens in Analysis 2, exhibiting relatively shorter and vertical cartilaginous Eustachian tubes and vertical medial pterygoid plates. Atapuerca 5 and Steinheim 1 exhibited horizontal vomeral orientation similar to H. neanderthalensis, indicating greater relative soft palate length and anteroposterior nasopharynx expansion. They may exhibit synapomorphies with H. neanderthalensis, supporting the accretionary hypothesis. Species-level differences were found among H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis, including relatively longer dilator tubae muscles and extreme facial airorhynchy among Neanderthals. Furthermore, H. neanderthalensis were autapomorphic in exhibiting horizontal pterygoid plate orientation similar to human infants, suggesting that they may have had inferiorly low placement of the torus tubarius and Eustachian tube orifice on the lateral nasopharyngeal wall in life. This study supports use of osseous nasopharyngeal boundaries both for morphological characters and understanding evolution of otitis media susceptibility in living humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony S Pagano
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - Christopher M Smith
- Department of Anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA.,Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Antoine Balzeau
- Department de Homme et environnement, Musée de l'Homme-Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France
| | - Samuel Márquez
- Departments of Cell Biology and Otolaryngology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Laitman
- Department of Anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA.,Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Roksandic M, Radović P, Lindal J, Mihailović D. Early Neanderthals in contact: The Chibanian (Middle Pleistocene) hominin dentition from Velika Balanica Cave, Southern Serbia. J Hum Evol 2022; 166:103175. [PMID: 35339947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neanderthals are Eurasian fossil hominins whose distinctive morphology developed in the southwestern corner of Europe and later spread throughout the continent, reaching Southwest Asia before the Late Pleistocene and spreading into Central Asia by 59-49 ka. The timing, tempo, and route of the Neanderthal movements eastward are poorly documented. The earliest probable evidence of Neanderthals in Asia comes from Karain E Cave (Anatolia, Turkey), dated to 250-200 ka. We present four Chibanian (Middle Pleistocene) hominin specimens, representing at least two individuals, from Velika Balanica Cave (Serbia): a permanent upper third molar (BH-2), a deciduous upper fourth premolar (BH-3) refitted to a poorly preserved maxillary fragment with the permanent first molar in the alveolus (BH-4), and a permanent upper central incisor (BH-5). We provide descriptions of the teeth, as well as a comparative analysis of the well-preserved M1 (BH-4), including assessments of cusp angles, relative occlusal polygon area, relative cusp base areas, two- and three-dimensional enamel thickness, and taurodontism. Morphology of both the occlusal surface and the enamel dentine junction of the M1 indicates that the maxillary fragment and associated dP4 belonged to an early Neanderthal child. The heavily worn I1 and M3 are consistent with the Neanderthal morphology, although they are less distinct taxonomically. These Chibanian remains with provenance from layer 3a are constrained by two thermoluminescence dates: 285 ± 34 ka and 295 ± 74 ka. They represent the earliest current evidence of Neanderthal spread into the Eastern Mediterranean Area. We discuss these findings in light of recent direct evidence for cultural connections between Southwestern Asia and Southeast Europe in the Chibanian.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Roksandic
- Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9, Canada; Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, 432 Fletcher Argue Building, 15 Chancellor Circle, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada; Fellow, DFG Center for Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', University of Tübingen, 23 Rümelinstrasse, Room 603a, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Predrag Radović
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, 18-20 Čika Ljubina Belgrade, 11000, Serbia; National Museum Kraljevo, 2 Trg Svetog Save, Kraljevo, 36000, Serbia
| | - Joshua Lindal
- Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, 432 Fletcher Argue Building, 15 Chancellor Circle, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Dušan Mihailović
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, 18-20 Čika Ljubina Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Urciuoli A, Kubat J, Schisanowski L, Schrenk F, Zipfel B, Tawane M, Bam L, Alba DM, Kullmer O. Cochlear morphology of Indonesian Homo erectus from Sangiran. J Hum Evol 2022; 165:103163. [PMID: 35299091 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Homo erectus s.l. is key for deciphering the origin and subsequent evolution of genus Homo. However, the characterization of this species is hindered by the existence of multiple variants in both mainland and insular Asia, as a result of divergent chronogeographical evolutionary trends, genetic isolation, and interbreeding with other human species. Previous research has shown that cochlear morphology embeds taxonomic and phylogenetic information that may help infer the phylogenetic relationships among hominin species. Here we describe the cochlear morphology of two Indonesian H. erectus individuals (Sangiran 2 and 4), and compare it with a sample of australopiths, Middle to Late Pleistocene humans, and extant humans by means of linear measurements and both principal components and canonical variates analyses performed on shape ratios. Our results indicate that H. erectus displays a mosaic morphology that combines plesiomorphic (australopithlike) features (such as a chimplike round cochlear cross section and low cochlear thickness), with derived characters of later humans (a voluminous and long cochlea, possibly related to hearing abilities)-consistent with the more basal position of H. erectus. Our results also denote substantial variation between the two studied individuals, particularly in the length and radius of the first turn, as well as cross-sectional shape. Given the small size of the available sample, it is not possible to discern whether such differences merely reflect intraspecific variation among roughly coeval H. erectus individuals or whether they might result from greater age differences between them than currently considered. However, our results demonstrate that most characters found in later humans were already present in Indonesian H. erectus, with the exception of Neanderthals, which display an autapomorphic condition relative to other Homo species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Urciuoli
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain.
| | - Jülide Kubat
- CNRS UMR 8045 Babel, Université de Paris, Faculté de chirurgie dentaire, 1 rue Maurice Arnoux, Montrouge, 92120, France; Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lisa Schisanowski
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Friedemann Schrenk
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mirriam Tawane
- Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lunga Bam
- Department of Radiation Science, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - David M Alba
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Neanderthal Fossils, Mobile Toolkit and a Hyena Den: The Archaeological Assemblage of Lateral Gallery 1 in Cova Del Gegant (NE Iberian Peninsula). QUATERNARY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/quat5010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Lateral Gallery 1 (GL1) in Cova del Gegant is a Middle Palaeolithic assemblage yielding diagnostic Neanderthal remains, together with Mousterian tools and faunal remains. It is a good archive for evaluating the environmental conditions of the coastal areas during MIS 4 and MIS 3 in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, and also the Neanderthals’ behaviour and mobility. Here we provide a comprehensive assessment of all of the data available from GL1, such as lithics, human remains, fauna and chronostratigraphic details. The biotic ecofacts studied point to the development of a coastal plain in front of the cave and indicate that local conditions likely favoured a large variety of ecosystems characterised by open environments and woodland-edge taxa, and favoured repeated visits by humans during the Middle Palaeolithic. The evidence suggests that the gallery was mainly used by carnivores, such as hyenas, and also by Neanderthals as a brief stopping place, in view of the presence of transported and abandoned ergonomic lithic artifacts and/or the placement of bodies (or parts of bodies). The regional context suggests high human mobility and emphasises the variability of Neanderthal behaviour.
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
The genetic basis for the emergence of creativity in modern humans remains a mystery despite sequencing the genomes of chimpanzees and Neanderthals, our closest hominid relatives. Data-driven methods allowed us to uncover networks of genes distinguishing the three major systems of modern human personality and adaptability: emotional reactivity, self-control, and self-awareness. Now we have identified which of these genes are present in chimpanzees and Neanderthals. We replicated our findings in separate analyses of three high-coverage genomes of Neanderthals. We found that Neanderthals had nearly the same genes for emotional reactivity as chimpanzees, and they were intermediate between modern humans and chimpanzees in their numbers of genes for both self-control and self-awareness. 95% of the 267 genes we found only in modern humans were not protein-coding, including many long-non-coding RNAs in the self-awareness network. These genes may have arisen by positive selection for the characteristics of human well-being and behavioral modernity, including creativity, prosocial behavior, and healthy longevity. The genes that cluster in association with those found only in modern humans are over-expressed in brain regions involved in human self-awareness and creativity, including late-myelinating and phylogenetically recent regions of neocortex for autobiographical memory in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, as well as related components of cortico-thalamo-ponto-cerebellar-cortical and cortico-striato-cortical loops. We conclude that modern humans have more than 200 unique non-protein-coding genes regulating co-expression of many more protein-coding genes in coordinated networks that underlie their capacities for self-awareness, creativity, prosocial behavior, and healthy longevity, which are not found in chimpanzees or Neanderthals.
Collapse
|
48
|
Shteynberg G, Hirsh JB, Garthoff J, Bentley RA. Agency and Identity in the Collective Self. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2021; 26:35-56. [PMID: 34969333 DOI: 10.1177/10888683211065921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary research on human sociality is heavily influenced by the social identity approach, positioning social categorization as the primary mechanism governing social life. Building on the distinction between agency and identity in the individual self ("I" vs. "Me"), we emphasize the analogous importance of distinguishing collective agency from collective identity ("We" vs. "Us"). While collective identity is anchored in the unique characteristics of group members, collective agency involves the adoption of a shared subjectivity that is directed toward some object of our attention, desire, emotion, belief, or action. These distinct components of the collective self are differentiated in terms of their mental representations, neurocognitive underpinnings, conditions of emergence, mechanisms of social convergence, and functional consequences. Overall, we show that collective agency provides a useful complement to the social categorization approach, with unique implications for multiple domains of human social life, including collective action, responsibility, dignity, violence, dominance, ritual, and morality.
Collapse
|
49
|
White S, Pope M, Hillson S, Soligo C. Geometric morphometric variability in the supraorbital and orbital region of Middle Pleistocene hominins: Implications for the taxonomy and evolution of later Homo. J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103095. [PMID: 34847365 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed variation in the supraorbital and orbital region of the Middle Pleistocene hominins (MPHs), sometimes called Homo heidelbergensis s.l., to test whether it matched the expectations of intraspecific variation. The morphological distinctiveness and relative variation of this region, which is relatively well represented in the hominin fossil record, was analyzed quantitatively in a comparative taxonomic framework. Coordinates of 230 3D landmarks (20) and sliding semilandmarks (210) were collected from 704 specimens from species of Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Gorilla, Pan, Papio, and Macaca. Results showed that the MPHs had expected levels of morphological distinctiveness and intragroup and intergroup variation in supraorbital and orbital morphology, relative to commonly recognized non-hominin catarrhine species. However, the Procrustes distances between this group and H. sapiens were significantly higher than expected for two closely related catarrhine species. Furthermore, this study showed that variation within the MPH could be similarly well contained within existing hypodigms of H. sapiens, H. neanderthalensis, and H. erectus s.l. Although quantitative assessment of supraorbital and orbital morphology did not allow differentiation between taxonomic hypotheses in later Homo, it could be used to test individual taxonomic affiliation and identify potentially anomalous individuals. This study confirmed a complicated pattern of supraorbital and orbital morphology in the MPH fossil record and raises further questions over our understanding of the speciation of H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis and taxonomic diversity in later Homo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanna White
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK.
| | - Matt Pope
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Simon Hillson
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Christophe Soligo
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Rahman MA, de la Fuente GF, Carretero JM, Maingi EM, Alonso Abad MP, Alonso Alcalde R, Chapoulie R, Schiavon N, Angurel LA. Sub-ns-pulsed laser cleaning of an archaeological bone from the Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain: a case study. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04850-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractControlled laser irradiation parameters using recently developed sub-nanosecond pulsed laser technology with emission wavelength in the near Infrared regime (1064 nm) have been assessed on a Pleistocene bone from the archaeological site of Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. Burst pulse mode was employed to explore contaminant removal efficiency, while at the same time, assessing the degree of damage produced to the underlying original substrate surface. The surface morphology and composition of the deteriorated bone have been characterized, along with the effects of laser irradiation at 1064 nm, using Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy–with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (SEM–EDS), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The most effective laser cleaning parameters in burst mode have been identified in order to optimize the emission parameters of the laser, thus localizing its interaction within the outermost layers of contaminants and degradation products, avoiding damage to the underlying original bone surface. Hence, threshold cleaning and substrate damage values have been determined for this new sub-ns laser, paving the way to safer laser cleaning procedures that may be useful for the effective conservation of bone archaeological artifacts.
Collapse
|