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Bardo A, Filippo A, Balzeau A. Lateralized behaviors in living humans: Application in the context of hominin brain evolution. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 275:143-164. [PMID: 36841567 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The left and right hemispheres of our brains differ subtly in structure, and each is dominant in processing specific cognitive tasks. Our species has a unique system of distributing behavior and cognition between each cerebral hemisphere, with a preponderance of pronounced side biases and lateralized functions. This hemisphere-dependent relationship between cognitive, sensory or motor function and a set of brain structures is called hemispheric specialization. Hemispheric specialization has led to the emergence of model systems to link anatomical asymmetries to brain function and behavior. Scientific research on hemispheric specialization and lateralized functions in living humans focuses on three major domains: (1) hand preferences, (2) language, and (3) visuospatial skills and attention. In this chapter we present an overview of this research with a specific focus on living humans and the applications of this research in the context of hominin brain evolution. Our objective is to put into perspective what we know about brain-behavior relationships in living humans and how we can apply the same methods to investigate this relationship in fossil hominin species, and thus improve our understanding of the emergence and development of complex cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameline Bardo
- UMR 7194, CNRS-MNHN, Département Homme et Environnement, Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France; Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.
| | - Andréa Filippo
- UMR 7194, CNRS-MNHN, Département Homme et Environnement, Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Balzeau
- UMR 7194, CNRS-MNHN, Département Homme et Environnement, Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France; Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium & Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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2
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Evidence of habitual behavior from non-alimentary dental wear on deciduous teeth from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Cantabrian region, Northern Spain. J Hum Evol 2021; 158:103047. [PMID: 34403991 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The use of 'teeth as tools' (non-masticatory or cultural-related dental wear) has largely been employed as a proxy for studying of past human behavior, mainly in permanent dentition from adult individuals. Here we present the analysis of the non-masticatory dental wear modifications on the deciduous dentition assigned to eight Neanderthal and anatomically modern human subadult individuals from Mousterian to Magdalenian technocultural contexts in the Cantabrian region (Northern Spain). Although preliminary, we tentatively suggest that these eight subadults present activity-related dental wear, including cultural striations, chipped enamel, toothpick grooves, and subvertical grooves. We also found evidence of habitual dental hygienic practices in the form of toothpicking on a deciduous premolar. Orientation of the cultural striations indicates similar handedness development as in modern children. Taken together, these dental wear patterns support the participation of young individuals in group activities, making them potential contributors to group welfare. This study potentially adds new evidence to the importance of the use of the mouth in paramasticatory activities or as a third hand throughout the Pleistocene, which can be confirmed with a more specific reference sample.
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Get a Grip: Variation in Human Hand Grip Strength and Implications for Human Evolution. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13071142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Although hand grip strength is critical to the daily lives of humans and our arboreal great ape relatives, the human hand has changed in form and function throughout our evolution due to terrestrial bipedalism, tool use, and directional asymmetry (DA) such as handedness. Here we investigate how hand form and function interact in modern humans to gain an insight into our evolutionary past. We measured grip strength in a heterogeneous, cross-sectional sample of human participants (n = 662, 17 to 83 years old) to test the potential effects of age, sex, asymmetry (hand dominance and handedness), hand shape, occupation, and practice of sports and musical instruments that involve the hand(s). We found a significant effect of sex and hand dominance on grip strength, but not of handedness, while hand shape and age had a greater influence on female grip strength. Females were significantly weaker with age, but grip strength in females with large hands was less affected than those with long hands. Frequent engagement in hand sports significantly increased grip strength in the non-dominant hand in both sexes, while only males showed a significant effect of occupation, indicating different patterns of hand dominance asymmetries and hand function. These results improve our understanding of the link between form and function in both hands and offer an insight into the evolution of human laterality and dexterity.
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Richards G, Beking T, Kreukels BPC, Geuze RH, Beaton AA, Groothuis T. An examination of the influence of prenatal sex hormones on handedness: Literature review and amniotic fluid data. Horm Behav 2021; 129:104929. [PMID: 33454315 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Competing theories have posited roles for foetal androgen exposure in the development of human handedness. However, due to practical and ethical considerations, few studies have used hormonal measures to examine this possibility. The current paper reviews this literature and reveals a generally inconsistent pattern of results. We also present data from a longitudinal study of prenatal sex hormone exposure and subsequent handedness. More specifically, we examine correlations between testosterone and estradiol measured from second trimester amniotic fluid and hand preference (Dutch language version of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory) and hand skill asymmetry (pegboard task) measured at 15 years of age. Prenatal sex hormone exposure was not associated with the direction of hand preference in either males or females. However, in females, high levels of prenatal testosterone were associated with weaker lateralisation of hand skill, and high levels of prenatal estradiol were associated with weaker hand preference. In addition, high levels of prenatal testosterone were associated with increased task duration (i.e., slow hand speed) for the right and left hands of males. The pattern of results observed here is not entirely consistent with any of the main theories linking sex hormones with handedness, suggesting that an association between these variables may be more complex than initially thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Richards
- Newcastle University, School of Psychology, Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; University of Cambridge, Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK.
| | - Tess Beking
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Baudewijntje P C Kreukels
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Reint H Geuze
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alan A Beaton
- Swansea University, Department of Psychology, School of Human & Health Sciences, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; Aberystwyth University, Department of Psychology, Aberystwyth SY23 3UX, UK
| | - Ton Groothuis
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
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Estalrrich A, Alarcón JA, Rosas A. Toothpicking in early Homo OH 62 from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania): An indirect evidence of intensive meat consumption? J Hum Evol 2020; 143:102769. [PMID: 32247059 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Almudena Estalrrich
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria IIIPC (Universidad de Cantabria, Gobierno de Cantabria, Santander), Avda. de los Castros 52, 39005, Santander, Cantabria, Spain.
| | - José Antonio Alarcón
- Department of Stomatology, Section of Orthodontics, Faculty of Odontology, University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Grupo de Paleoantropología, Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/ José Guitérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Belcastro MG, Mariotti V, Pietrobelli A, Sorrentino R, García-Tabernero A, Estalrrich A, Rosas A. The study of the lower limb entheses in the Neanderthal sample from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain): How much musculoskeletal variability did Neanderthals accumulate? J Hum Evol 2020; 141:102746. [PMID: 32163763 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Entheses have rarely been systematically studied in the field of human evolution. However, the investigation of their morphological variability (e.g., robusticity) could provide new insight into their evolutionary significance in the European Neanderthal populations. The aim of this work is to study the entheses and joint features of the lower limbs of El Sidrón Neanderthals (Spain; 49 ka), using standardized scoring methods developed on modern samples. Paleobiology, growth, and development of both juveniles and adults from El Sidrón are studied and compared with those of Krapina Neanderthals (Croatia, 130 ka) and extant humans. The morphological patterns of the gluteus maximus and vastus intermedius entheses in El Sidrón, Krapina, and modern humans differ from one another. Both Neanderthal groups show a definite enthesis design for the gluteus maximus, with little intrapopulation variability with respect to modern humans, who are characterized by a wider range of morphological variability. The gluteus maximus enthesis in the El Sidrón sample shows the osseous features of fibrous entheses, as in modern humans, whereas the Krapina sample shows the aspects of fibrocartilaginous ones. The morphology and anatomical pattern of this enthesis has already been established during growth in all three human groups. One of two and three of five adult femurs from El Sidrón and from Krapina, respectively, show the imprint of the vastus intermedius, which is absent among juveniles from those Neanderthal samples and in modern samples. The scant intrapopulation and the high interpopulation variability in the two Neanderthal samples is likely due to a long-term history of small, isolated populations with high levels of inbreeding, who also lived in different ecological conditions. The comparison of different anatomical entheseal patterns (fibrous vs. fibrocartilaginous) in the Neanderthals and modern humans provides additional elements in the discussion of their functional and genetic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giovanna Belcastro
- Dept. of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Valentina Mariotti
- Dept. of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pietrobelli
- Dept. of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rita Sorrentino
- Dept. of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Dept. of Cultural Heritage (campus Ravenna), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonio García-Tabernero
- Group of Paleoanthropology MNCN-CSIC, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Estalrrich
- Group of Paleoanthropology MNCN-CSIC, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Group of Paleoanthropology MNCN-CSIC, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
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Martín-Francés L, Martinón-Torres M, Martínez de Pinillos M, Bayle P, Fernández-Colón P, García-Campos C, Modesto-Mata M, Carbonell E, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM. Ectopic maxillary third molar in Early Pleistocene Homo antecessor from Atapuerca-Gran Dolina site (Burgos, Spain). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171:733-741. [PMID: 31943140 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Here we describe the case of an ectopic maxillary third molar (M3 ), preventing the eruption of the M2 , in the individual H3 of the hominin hypodigm of level TD6.2 of the Early Pleistocene site of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). MATERIALS AND METHODS The fossil remains from the TD6.2 level of the Gran Dolina site (about 170 specimens) are assigned to Homo antecessor. Different geochronological methods place these hominins in the oxygen isotopic stage 21, between 0.8 and 0.85 million years ago (Ma). The immature individual H3 is represented by an almost complete midface (ATD6-69), preserving various teeth in situ. We used high-resolution microtomograhy (mCT) to investigate the abnormal position of the left M3 , virtually reconstruct M2 , and M3 as well as assessing the development stage of these. Finally, we compare this case with extinct and extant populations. RESULTS Based on the identified signs, we suggest that individual H3 suffered from a unilateral impaction of the M2 as a result of the ectopic position of the developing M3 . DISCUSSION We conclude that the most likely etiology for the ectopic position of the M3 is the lack of space in the maxilla. We discuss possible contributing factors, such as morphometric aspects of the maxilla and the early mineralization of the M3 , to support the M2 impaction. Finally, due to the early age at death of this individual we did not identify any secondary lesion associated with the M2 impaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martín-Francés
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Pessac, France.,Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura, Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez Moñino, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Eudald Carbonell
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain.,IPHES, Lithic Technology Research Unit, Subsistence, Technology and Human Evolution research Group, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
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Krueger KL, Willman JC, Matthews GJ, Hublin JJ, Pérez-Pérez A. Anterior tooth-use behaviors among early modern humans and Neandertals. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224573. [PMID: 31774826 PMCID: PMC6880970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Early modern humans (EMH) are often touted as behaviorally advanced to Neandertals, with more sophisticated technologies, expanded resource exploitation, and more complex clothing production. However, recent analyses have indicated that Neandertals were more nuanced in their behavioral adaptations, with the production of the Châtelperronian technocomplex, the processing and cooking of plant foods, and differences in behavioral adaptations according to habitat. This study adds to this debate by addressing the behavioral strategies of EMH (n = 30) within the context of non-dietary anterior tooth-use behaviors to glean possible differences between them and their Neandertal (n = 45) counterparts. High-resolution casts of permanent anterior teeth were used to collect microwear textures of fossil and comparative bioarchaeological samples using a Sensofar white-light confocal profiler with a 100x objective lens. Labial surfaces were scanned, totaling a work envelope of 204 x 276 μm for each individual. The microwear textures were examined for post-mortem damage and uploaded to SSFA software packages for surface characterization. Statistical analyses were performed to examine differences in central tendencies and distributions of anisotropy and textural fill volume variables among the EMH sample itself by habitat, location, and time interval, and between the EMH and Neandertal samples by habitat and location. Descriptive statistics for the EMH sample were compared to seven bioarchaeological samples (n = 156) that utilized different tooth-use behaviors to better elucidate specific activities that may have been performed by EMH. Results show no significant differences between the means within the EMH sample by habitat, location, or time interval. Furthermore, there are no significant differences found here between EMH and Neandertals. Comparisons to the bioarchaeological samples suggest both fossil groups participated in clamping and grasping activities. These results indicate that EMH and Neandertals were similar in their non-dietary anterior tooth-use behaviors and provide additional evidence for overlapping behavioral strategies employed by these two hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin L. Krueger
- Department of Anthropology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John C. Willman
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Tarragona, Spain
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Gregory J. Matthews
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alejandro Pérez-Pérez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Poza-Rey EM, Gómez-Robles A, Arsuaga JL. Brain size and organization in the Middle Pleistocene hominins from Sima de los Huesos. Inferences from endocranial variation. J Hum Evol 2019; 129:67-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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10
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Lozano M, Estalrrich A, Bondioli L, Fiore I, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Arsuaga JL, Carbonell E, Rosas A, Frayer DW. Right-handed fossil humans. Evol Anthropol 2017; 26:313-324. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Lozano
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES) and University Rovira i Virgili (URV); Tarragona Spain
| | - Almudena Estalrrich
- Paleoanthropology Group at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC); Madrid Spain
| | - Luca Bondioli
- Sezione di Bioarchaeologia at the Museo delle Civiltà, Servizio di Bioarcheologia; Rome Italy
| | - Ivana Fiore
- Museo delle Civiltà, Servizio di Bioarcheologia; Rome Italy
| | - José-Maria Bermúdez de Castro
- Paleobiology of Hominins Program at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH); Burgos Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- University Complutense de Madrid and Centro UCM-ISCIII of Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos; Madrid Spain
| | - Eudald Carbonell
- University Rovira i Virgili (URV) and Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES); Tarragona Spain
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Department of Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Group at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC); Madrid Spain
| | - David W. Frayer
- Department of Anthropology; University of Kansas; Lawrence KS
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Kivell TL, Rosas A, Estalrrich A, Huguet R, García-Tabernero A, Ríos L, de la Rasilla M. New Neandertal wrist bones from El Sidrón, Spain (1994-2009). J Hum Evol 2017; 114:45-75. [PMID: 29447761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-nine carpal bones of Homo neanderthalensis have been recovered from the site of El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) during excavations between 1994 and 2009, alongside ∼2500 other Neandertal skeletal elements dated to ∼49,000 years ago. All bones of the wrist are represented, including adult scaphoids (n = 6), lunates (n = 2), triquetra (n = 4), pisiforms (n = 2), trapezia (n = 2), trapezoids (n = 5), capitates (n = 5), and hamates (n = 2), as well as one fragmentary and possibly juvenile scaphoid. Several of these carpals appear to belong to the complete right wrist of a single individual. Here we provide qualitative and quantitative morphological descriptions of these carpals, within a comparative context of other European and Near Eastern Neandertals, early and recent Homo sapiens, and other fossil hominins, including Homo antecessor, Homo naledi, and australopiths. Overall, the El Sidrón carpals show characteristics that typically distinguish Neandertals from H. sapiens, such as a relatively flat first metacarpal facet on the trapezium and a more laterally oriented second metacarpal facet on the capitate. However, there are some distinctive features of the El Sidrón carpals compared with most other Neandertals. For example, the tubercle of the trapezium is small with limited projection, while the scaphoid tubercle and hamate hamulus are among the largest seen in other Neandertals. Furthermore, three of the six adult scaphoids show a distinctive os-centrale portion, while another is a bipartite scaphoid with a truncated tubercle. The high frequency of rare carpal morphologies supports other evidence of a close genetic relationship among the Neandertals found at El Sidrón.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Kivell
- Animal Postcranial Evolution (APE) Lab, Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Estalrrich
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Department of Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Rosa Huguet
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social-Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Antonio García-Tabernero
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ríos
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marco de la Rasilla
- Área de Prehistoria Departamento de Historia, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
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12
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Brand CM, Marchant LF, Boose KJ, White FJ, Rood TM, Meinelt A. Laterality of Grooming and Tool Use in a Group of Captive Bonobos ( Pan paniscus). Folia Primatol (Basel) 2017; 88:210-222. [DOI: 10.1159/000477804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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13
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Towle I, Irish JD, De Groote I. Behavioral inferences from the high levels of dental chipping in Homo naledi. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:184-192. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Towle
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores University; Liverpool L3 3AF United Kingdom
| | - Joel D. Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores University; Liverpool L3 3AF United Kingdom
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PaleoSciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Private Bag 3 WITS 2050 South Africa
| | - Isabelle De Groote
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores University; Liverpool L3 3AF United Kingdom
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14
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Krueger KL, Ungar PS, Guatelli-Steinberg D, Hublin JJ, Pérez-Pérez A, Trinkaus E, Willman JC. Anterior dental microwear textures show habitat-driven variability in Neandertal behavior. J Hum Evol 2017; 105:13-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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15
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Estalrrich A, El Zaatari S, Rosas A. Dietary reconstruction of the El Sidrón Neandertal familial group (Spain) in the context of other Neandertal and modern hunter-gatherer groups. A molar microwear texture analysis. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:13-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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16
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Nakahashi W. The effect of trauma on Neanderthal culture: A mathematical analysis. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017; 68:83-100. [PMID: 28238406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic lesions are often observed in ancient skeletal remains. Since ancient medical technology was immature, severely traumatized individuals may have frequently lost the physical ability for cultural skills that demand complex body movements. I develop a mathematical model to analyze the effect of trauma on cultural transmission and apply it to Neanderthal culture using Neanderthal fossil data. I estimate from the data that the proportion of adult individuals who suffered traumatic injuries before death was approximately 0.79-0.94, in which 0.37-0.52 were injured severely and 0.13-0.19 were injured before adulthood. Assuming that every severely traumatized individual and a quarter to a half of the other traumatized individuals lost the capacity for a cultural skill that demands complex control of the traumatized body part, I estimate that if an upper limb is associated with a cultural skill, each individual had to communicate closely with at least 1.5-2.6 individuals during adulthood to maintain the skill in Neanderthal society, and if a whole body is associated, at least 3.1-11.5 individuals were necessary. If cultural transmissions between experts and novices were inaccurate, or if low frequency skills easily disappeared from the population due to random drift, more communicable individuals were necessary. Since the community size of Neanderthals was very small, their high risk of injury may have inhibited the spread of technically difficult cultural skills in their society. It may be important to take this inhibition into consideration when we study Neanderthal culture and the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Nakahashi
- School of Advanced Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan.
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17
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PÉREZ-CRIADO LAURA, ROSAS ANTONIO, BASTIR MARKUS, PASTOR JUANFRANCISCO. Humeral laterality in modern humans and Neanderthals: a 3D geometric morphometric analysis. ANTHROPOL SCI 2017. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.170610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- LAURA PÉREZ-CRIADO
- Group of Paleoanthropology, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales–CSIC, Madrid
| | - ANTONIO ROSAS
- Group of Paleoanthropology, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales–CSIC, Madrid
| | - MARKUS BASTIR
- Group of Paleoanthropology, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales–CSIC, Madrid
| | - JUAN FRANCISCO PASTOR
- Museo Anatómico, Departamento de Anatomía Humana, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid
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18
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Estalrrich A, Alarcón JA, Rosas A. Evidence of toothpick groove formation in Neandertal anterior and posterior teeth. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 162:747-756. [PMID: 28035661 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES During the microscopic examination of the Neandertal dentitions from El Sidrón (Spain) and Hortus (France), we found unusual fine parallel microstriations on the mesial and distal sides of all tooth types, near the cervix. As its appearance was similar to toothpick grooves described in other Homo species, it could correspond to early stages on its formation. To test this hypothesis we developed an experimental replication of a groove using grass stalks. MATERIALS AND METHODS Comparisons between 204 isolated Neandertal teeth and the two experimental dental specimens corroborate that the marks correspond to initial stages of toothpick groove formation, and we propose a five-grade recording scale that summarized the groove formation process. RESULTS Using this new recording procedure, we found that Hortus individuals have higher incidence of this trait (eight individuals out of nine) than the El Sidrón individuals (nine out of 11). Toothpick grooves from El Sidrón show the earliest stages of development, whereas the grooves found on Hortus Neandertals were well-developed. Toothpick grooves were also found in 21 incisors and canines. CONCLUSIONS These differences could be due to the more advanced occlusal dental wear in Hortus individuals, maybe age-related and with a more meat-based diet maybe favoring the inclusion of food debris and thus probing as the cleaning methodology. Our results allow the identification and characterization of incipient toothpick grooves on the human fossil record and contribute to increase our knowledge on Neandertals behavioral and oral care habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almudena Estalrrich
- Department of Paleobiology, Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain.,Sections Paleoanthropology and Tertiary Mammals, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - José Antonio Alarcón
- Department of Stomatology, Section of Orthodontics, Faculty of Odontology, University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Department of Paleobiology, Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
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19
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Frayer DW, Clarke RJ, Fiore I, Blumenschine RJ, Pérez-Pérez A, Martinez LM, Estebaranz F, Holloway R, Bondioli L. OH-65: The earliest evidence for right-handedness in the fossil record. J Hum Evol 2016; 100:65-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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20
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Condemi S, Monge J, Quertelet S, Frayer DW, Combier J. Vergisson 4: a left-handed Neandertal. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 162:186-190. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Condemi
- UMR 7268-ADÉS (Anthropologie bio-culturelle, Droit, Éthique and Santé), CNRS/Université d'Aix-Marseille/EFS, Faculté de Médecine-Secteur Nord; Marseille Cédex 15 France
| | - Janet Monge
- University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104 USA
| | - Sylvain Quertelet
- Maison du Grand Site & Musée de Préhistoire; Solutré Pouilly Vergisson, Grand Site de France; Solutré Pouilly 71960 France
| | - David W. Frayer
- Department of Anthropology; University of Kansas; Lawrence Kansas 66045
| | - Jean Combier
- Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles Lettres de Mâcon; 71870 Mâcon France
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21
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Williams FL, Cofran Z. Postnatal craniofacial ontogeny in neandertals and modern humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:394-409. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zachary Cofran
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences; Nazarbayev University; Kabanbay Batyr 53 Astana 010000 Kazakhstan
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22
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Possible Further Evidence of Low Genetic Diversity in the El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) Neandertal Group: Congenital Clefts of the Atlas. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136550. [PMID: 26418427 PMCID: PMC4587856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We present here the first cases in Neandertals of congenital clefts of the arch of the atlas. Two atlases from El Sidrón, northern Spain, present respectively a defect of the posterior (frequency in extant modern human populations ranging from 0.73% to 3.84%), and anterior (frequency in extant modern human populations ranging from 0.087% to 0.1%) arch, a condition in most cases not associated with any clinical manifestation. The fact that two out of three observable atlases present a low frequency congenital condition, together with previously reported evidence of retained deciduous mandibular canine in two out of ten dentitions from El Sidrón, supports the previous observation based on genetic evidence that these Neandertals constituted a group with close genetic relations. Some have proposed for humans and other species that the presence of skeletal congenital conditions, although without clinical significance, could be used as a signal of endogamy or inbreeding. In the present case this interpretation would fit the general scenario of high incidence of rare conditions among Pleistocene humans and the specific scenariothat emerges from Neandertal paleogenetics, which points to long-term small and decreasing population size with reduced and isolated groups. Adverse environmental factors affecting early pregnancies would constitute an alternative, non-exclusive, explanation for a high incidence of congenital conditions. Further support or rejection of these interpretations will come from new genetic and skeletal evidence from Neandertal remains.
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23
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Oxilia G, Peresani M, Romandini M, Matteucci C, Spiteri CD, Henry AG, Schulz D, Archer W, Crezzini J, Boschin F, Boscato P, Jaouen K, Dogandzic T, Broglio A, Moggi-Cecchi J, Fiorenza L, Hublin JJ, Kullmer O, Benazzi S. Earliest evidence of dental caries manipulation in the Late Upper Palaeolithic. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12150. [PMID: 26179739 PMCID: PMC4504065 DOI: 10.1038/srep12150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prehistoric dental treatments were extremely rare, and the few documented cases are known from the Neolithic, when the adoption of early farming culture caused an increase of carious lesions. Here we report the earliest evidence of dental caries intervention on a Late Upper Palaeolithic modern human specimen (Villabruna) from a burial in Northern Italy. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy we show the presence of striations deriving from the manipulation of a large occlusal carious cavity of the lower right third molar. The striations have a “V”-shaped transverse section and several parallel micro-scratches at their base, as typically displayed by cutmarks on teeth. Based on in vitro experimental replication and a complete functional reconstruction of the Villabruna dental arches, we confirm that the identified striations and the associated extensive enamel chipping on the mesial wall of the cavity were produced ante-mortem by pointed flint tools during scratching and levering activities. The Villabruna specimen is therefore the oldest known evidence of dental caries intervention, suggesting at least some knowledge of disease treatment well before the Neolithic. This study suggests that primitive forms of carious treatment in human evolution entail an adaptation of the well-known toothpicking for levering and scratching rather than drilling practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Oxilia
- 1] Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, 50122 Firenze, Italy [2] Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy [3] Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Peresani
- Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Matteucci
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Cynthianne Debono Spiteri
- 1] Plant Foods in Hominin Dietary Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [2] Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelaters, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Amanda G Henry
- 1] Plant Foods in Hominin Dietary Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [2] Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dieter Schulz
- Dental Workshop Bensheim, Private Laboratory for Training, Research and Methods, Siegfriedstraße 104, 64646 Heppenheim, Germany
| | - Will Archer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jacopo Crezzini
- 1] CeSQ, Centro Studi sul Quaternario ONLUS., Via Nuova dell'Ammazzatoio 7, I-52037 Sansepolcro (Arezzo), Italy [2] Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Boschin
- 1] CeSQ, Centro Studi sul Quaternario ONLUS., Via Nuova dell'Ammazzatoio 7, I-52037 Sansepolcro (Arezzo), Italy [2] Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Paolo Boscato
- Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tamara Dogandzic
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alberto Broglio
- Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
- 1] Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, 50122 Firenze, Italy [2] Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Luca Fiorenza
- 1] Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University,Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia [2] Earth Sciences, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- 1] Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy [2] Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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24
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A geometric morphometrics comparative analysis of Neandertal humeri (epiphyses-fused) from the El Sidrón cave site (Asturias, Spain). J Hum Evol 2015; 82:51-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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25
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Estalrrich A, Rosas A. Division of labor by sex and age in Neandertals: an approach through the study of activity-related dental wear. J Hum Evol 2015; 80:51-63. [PMID: 25681013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Revised: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of activity-related dental wear patterns in prehistoric anatomically modern humans and modern hunter-gatherers has shown sex differences attributable to a gendered division of labor. Neandertals are known to have extensive anterior dental wear related to the use of their front teeth as a tool. In this study we analyze the i) cultural striations (scratches on the labial surface of the anterior teeth with a cut-mark morphology), and ii) dental chipping (ante-mortem microfracture involving enamel or both enamel and dentine) in 19 Neandertal individuals from the l'Hortus (France), Spy (Belgium), and El Sidrón (Spain) sites, and compare the characteristics of those traits with the age and sex estimation for the individuals and among samples. The study reveals that all individuals have cultural striations, but those detected on the adult females are longer than the striations found in adult males. Regarding the distribution of dental chipping, the prevalence of this trait is higher in the maxillary dentition of males whereas females have the majority of dental chipping on their mandibular teeth. The differences detected on the overall activity-related dental wear pattern denote a difference or a division of labor by age and sex in Neandertals while using the mouth as a third hand, i.e., in activities other than the provisioning of food, and provide new evidence for the lifestyle of this Pleistocene fossil human species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almudena Estalrrich
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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26
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Dean MC, Rosas A, Estalrrich A, García-Tabernero A, Huguet R, Lalueza-Fox C, Bastir M, de la Rasilla M. Longstanding dental pathology in Neandertals from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) with a probable familial basis. J Hum Evol 2013; 64:678-86. [PMID: 23615378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Two Neandertal specimens from El Sidrón, northern Spain, show evidence of retained left mandibular deciduous canines. These individuals share the same mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplotype, indicating they are maternally related and suggesting a potential heritable basis for these dental anomalies. Radiographs and medical CT scans provide evidence of further, more extensive dental pathology in one of these specimens. An anomalous deciduous canine crown morphology that developed before birth subsequently suffered a fracture of the crown exposing the pulp sometime after eruption into functional occlusion. This led to death of the tooth, periapical granuloma formation and arrested deciduous canine root growth at an estimated age of 2.5 years. At some point the underlying permanent canine tooth became horizontally displaced and came to lie low in the trabecular bone of the mandibular corpus. A dentigerous cyst then developed around the crown. Anterior growth displacement of the mandible continued around the stationary permanent canine, leaving it posteriorly positioned in the mandibular corpus by the end of the growth period beneath the third permanent molar roots, which, in turn, suggests a largely horizontal growth vector. Subsequent longstanding repeated infections of the expanding cyst cavity are evidenced by bouts of bone deposition and resorption of the boundary walls of the cyst cavity. This resulted in the establishment of two permanent bony drainage sinuses, one through the buccal plate of the alveolar bone anteriorly, immediately beneath the infected deciduous canine root, and the other through the buccal plate anterior to the mesial root of the first permanent molar. It is probable that this complicated temporal sequence of dental pathologies had an initial heritable trigger that progressed in an unusually complex way in one of these individuals. During life, this individual may have been largely unaware of this ongoing pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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