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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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O'Hara MC, Guatelli-Steinberg D. Reconstructing tooth crown heights and enamel caps: A comparative test of three existing methods with recommendations for their use. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:123-143. [PMID: 33843152 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies of enamel growth and thickness, whether in paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, or primatology, require measurements of crown height (CH), cuspal enamel thickness (CET), average (AET), and/or regional enamel thickness (RegAET) on complete, unworn crowns. Yet because fully unworn crowns are uncommon, three methods to bolster sample sizes by reconstructing slightly worn teeth have been developed: Profile, Polynomial, and Pen Tool. Although these methods have been tested for accuracy, no study has yet directly compared the three methods to assess their performance across CH, CET, AET, and RegAET measurements. Moreover, it is currently unclear how accurate the methods are when reconstructing crowns with varying degrees of wear. The present study addresses this gap in our understanding of how these methods perform on four key dental measurements, evaluates the degree of wear for which accurate crown reconstructions can be completed, and offers recommendations for applying these methods. Here, the methods are compared on Paranthropus robustus mandibular molars, a sample chosen because it exhibits variable morphology, presenting a challenge for reconstruction methods. For minimally worn teeth, Profile, Polynomial, and Pen Tool methods can be employed (in that order) for all measurements except CET, which cannot be reliably measured on reconstructions. For teeth with wear that obliterates the nadir of the occlusal basin or dentin horns, CH and AET can be measured using Profile and Polynomial reconstructions; however, no other measurements or methods were reliable. Recommendations provided here will make it possible to increase sample sizes and replicability, enhancing studies of enamel thickness and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackie C O'Hara
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Martínez de Pinillos M, Pantoja-Pérez A, Fernández-Colón P, Martín-Francés L, García-Campos C, Modesto-Mata M, Moreno-Torres C, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martinón-Torres M. The Ratón Pérez collection: Modern deciduous human teeth at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (Burgos, Spain). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:528-535. [PMID: 34382686 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this report is to present the large deciduous tooth collection of identified children that is housed at the National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH) in Burgos, Spain. METHODS Yearly, members of the Dental Anthropology Group of the CENIEH are in charge of collecting the teeth and registering all the relevant information from the donors at the time of collection. In compliance with Spanish Law 14/2007 of July 3, 2007, on Biomedical Research (BOE-A-2007-12945), all individuals are guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality. When the donor hands in the tooth, they fill out a Donor Information Form and sign the Informed Consent Form. At the same time, another person completes the data label for the transparent polyethylene zip lock bag where the tooth is temporarily stored. All teeth are then transferred to the CENIEH Restoration lab, where the specialists apply the same protocol as for the fossil remains. RESULTS Although the sample is still growing, from the first collection campaign in 2014 to date it comprises 2977 teeth of children whose ages of tooth loss are between 2 and 15 years. Each tooth is associated with basic information of the individuals and their parents and grandparents (sex, date, and place of birth, ancestry, country of residence), as well as important data about early life history (pregnancy duration, breastfeeding, bottle-feeding) and other relevant information provided by the donors (such as if they are twins, dental loss, or dental extraction). CONCLUSIONS Due to the scarcity of deciduous dental samples available, the Ratón Pérez collection represents a highly valuable sample for a wide range of disciplines such as forensic, dental, and anthropological fields among others.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain.,Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avenida Monforte de Lemos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Fernández-Colón
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cecilia García-Campos
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura, Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez Moñino, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Chitina Moreno-Torres
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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