1
|
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. [PMID: 38813936 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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
|
2
|
Arsuaga JL. Imagine. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38804049 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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
|
3
|
Pantoja-Pérez A, Arsuaga JL. The Cranium I: Neurocranium. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38454744 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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
|
4
|
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) 2023. [PMID: 37909253 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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
|
5
|
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) 2023. [PMID: 37794824 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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
|
6
|
Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Quam R, Arsuaga JL. The ear of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Atapuerca, Spain). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023. [PMID: 36825485 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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
|
7
|
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
|
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) 2021. [PMID: 34866354 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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) 2021. [PMID: 34851548 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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
|
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
|
11
|
Schwartz JH, Pantoja-Pérez A, Arsuaga JL. The nasal region of the ~417 ka Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) Hominin: New terminology and implications for later human evolution. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1991-2029. [PMID: 34166582 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Circum-nasal and nasal cavity morphology add to the picture of the Sima de los Huesos specimens as, at one level, representing a distinct morph and, at another, displaying individual variation. They developed a robust, midline-grooved, three-dimensional spinal ridge lying anteriorly in the nasal cavity floor that was distended posteriorly over the nasal cavity floor, and, typically, an expansive, three-dimensional patch of rugose bone on the nasal cavity wall where a conchal crest would otherwise lie. They vary, for example, in degree of topographic relief of the nasal cavity wall, expression of the spinal ridge, and development of nasal crests and fossae. Lacking an anterior nasal spine, Sima specimens differ from extant and most fossil Homo sapiens, some specimens attributed to H. heidelbergensis, and the Gran Dolina partial face, whose anterior nasal spine is a superoanterior distention of the nasoalveolar clivus, and also from Neanderthals, whose anterior nasal spine projects anteriorly away from the nasoalveolar clivus. Comparison of Neanderthals, the Sima hominin, and specimens regarded as H. heidelbergensis calls for re-evaluating the integrity of "heidelbergensis" and rethinking the phylogenetic relationships of them all. To precisely describe the numerous features and combinations thereof of the nasal region in Sima specimens, and compare them with Neandertals and "H. heidelbergensis", we developed terminology that is applicable not only to hominins, but to mammals in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey H Schwartz
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain.,Facultad de Geología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Quam RM, Rosa M, Velez AD, Lorenzo C, Jarabo P, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Carbonell E, Arsuaga JL. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had similar auditory and speech capacities. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:609-615. [PMID: 33649543 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01391-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The study of audition in fossil hominins is of great interest given its relationship with intraspecific vocal communication. While the auditory capacities have been studied in early hominins and in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos hominins, less is known about the hearing abilities of the Neanderthals. Here, we provide a detailed approach to their auditory capacities. Relying on computerized tomography scans and a comprehensive model from the field of auditory bioengineering, we have established sound power transmission through the outer and middle ear and calculated the occupied bandwidth in Neanderthals. The occupied bandwidth is directly related to the efficiency of the vocal communication system of a species. Our results show that the occupied bandwidth of Neanderthals was greater than the Sima de los Huesos hominins and similar to extant humans, implying that Neanderthals evolved the auditory capacities to support a vocal communication system as efficient as modern human speech.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- 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 Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf M Quam
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA.,Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manuel Rosa
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Teoría de la Señal y Comunicaciones, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Alex D Velez
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Pilar Jarabo
- Departamento de Teoría de la Señal y Comunicaciones, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eudald Carbonell
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain.,Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, 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
|
13
|
Vernot B, Zavala EI, Gómez-Olivencia A, Jacobs Z, Slon V, Mafessoni F, Romagné F, Pearson A, Petr M, Sala N, Pablos A, Aranburu A, de Castro JMB, Carbonell E, Li B, Krajcarz MT, Krivoshapkin AI, Kolobova KA, Kozlikin MB, Shunkov MV, Derevianko AP, Viola B, Grote S, Essel E, Herráez DL, Nagel S, Nickel B, Richter J, Schmidt A, Peter B, Kelso J, Roberts RG, Arsuaga JL, Meyer M. Unearthing Neanderthal population history using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from cave sediments. Science 2021; 372:science.abf1667. [PMID: 33858989 DOI: 10.1126/science.abf1667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bones and teeth are important sources of Pleistocene hominin DNA, but are rarely recovered at archaeological sites. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been retrieved from cave sediments but provides limited value for studying population relationships. We therefore developed methods for the enrichment and analysis of nuclear DNA from sediments and applied them to cave deposits in western Europe and southern Siberia dated to between 200,000 and 50,000 years ago. We detected a population replacement in northern Spain about 100,000 years ago, which was accompanied by a turnover of mtDNA. We also identified two radiation events in Neanderthal history during the early part of the Late Pleistocene. Our work lays the ground for studying the population history of ancient hominins from trace amounts of nuclear DNA in sediments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Vernot
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Elena I Zavala
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - 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 Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Zenobia Jacobs
- 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
| | - Viviane Slon
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Anatomy and Anthropology and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,The Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Tel Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Fabrizio Mafessoni
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frédéric Romagné
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alice Pearson
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Petr
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nohemi Sala
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Adrián Pablos
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Arantza Aranburu
- 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
| | | | - Eudald Carbonell
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.,Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Bo Li
- 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
| | - Maciej T Krajcarz
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Andrey I Krivoshapkin
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Kseniya A Kolobova
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Maxim B Kozlikin
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Michael V Shunkov
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anatoly P Derevianko
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Bence Viola
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steffi Grote
- 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
| | - David López Herráez
- 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
| | - Birgit Nickel
- 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
| | - Anna Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benjamin Peter
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Janet Kelso
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - 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
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bermúdez de Castro JM, Modesto‐Mata M, Martín‐Francés L, García‐Campos C, Martínez de Pinillos M, Martinón‐Torres M. Testing the inhibitory cascade model in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) hominin sample. J Anat 2021; 238:173-184. [PMID: 32839991 PMCID: PMC7755082 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13292] [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: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) site has yielded more than 7.500 human fossil remains belonging to a minimum of 29 individuals. Most of these individuals preserve either the complete mandibular molar series or at least the first (M1 ) and second (M2 ) molars. The inhibitory cascade mathematical model was proposed by Kavanagh et al. (Nature, 449, 427-433 [2007]) after their experimental studies on the dental development of murine rodent species. The activator-inhibitor mechanism of this model has shown its ability for predicting evolutionary size patterns of mammalian teeth, including hominins. The main aim of this study is to test whether the size molar patterns observed in the SH hominins fit the inhibitory cascade model. With this purpose, we have measured the crown area of all SH molars in photographs, using a planimeter and following techniques used and well contrasted in previous works. Following one of the premises of the inhibitory cascade model, we expect that the central tooth (M2 in our case) of a triplet would have the average size of the two outer teeth. The absolute difference between the observed and the expected values for the M2 s ranges from 0.23 to 8.46 mm2 in the SH sample. In terms of percentage, the difference ranges between 0.25% and 10.34%, although in most cases, it is below 5%. The plot of the estimated M3 /M1 and M2 /M1 size ratios obtained in the SH hominins occupies a small area of the theoretical developmental morphospace obtained for rodent species. In addition, the majority of the values are placed near the theoretical line which defines the relationship predicted by the inhibitory cascade model in these mammals. The values of the slope and intercept of the reduced major regression obtained for the SH individuals do not differ significantly from those obtained for rodent species, thus confirming that the size of the molars of the SH hominins fits the inhibitory cascade model. We discuss these results in terms of dental development. Despite the promising results in the SH sample, we draw the attention to the fact that most Early Pleistocene Homo specimens exhibit a pattern (M1 < M2 > M3 ), which is outside the expected theoretical morphospace predicted by the inhibitory cascade model. The shift from the M1 < M2 < M3 size relationship observed in early hominins (including H. habilis) to the M1 > M2 > M3 size relationship, which is predominant in modern humans, includes sequences that depart from predictions of the inhibitory cascade model. Additional studies are required to understand these deviations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José María Bermúdez de Castro
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human EvolutionBurgosSpain,Anthropology DepartmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Mario Modesto‐Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de ExtremaduraCasa de la Cultura Rodríguez MoñinoCáceresSpain,Fundación AtapuercaBurgosSpain
| | - Laura Martín‐Francés
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human EvolutionBurgosSpain,Anthropology DepartmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK,Fundación AtapuercaBurgosSpain
| | - Cecilia García‐Campos
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human EvolutionBurgosSpain,Fundación AtapuercaBurgosSpain
| | | | - María Martinón‐Torres
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human EvolutionBurgosSpain,Anthropology DepartmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
A comprehensive survey of Retzius periodicities in fossil hominins and great apes. J Hum Evol 2020; 149:102896. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
16
|
Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martínez I, Gracia-Téllez A, Martinón-Torres M, Arsuaga JL. The Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene hominin site (Burgos, Spain). Estimation of the number of individuals. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:1463-1477. [PMID: 33099880 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
After 34 years of research and findings in the Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain), we present an update of the estimation of the number of individuals (ENI) identified in the SH hominin assemblage. The last ENI, published in 2004, was 28. Although the number of specimens recovered has almost doubled since then and more complete information is now available, this new analysis suggests that the ENI is 29. Some individuals are still represented by only one or a few teeth and the upper and lower jaws of various individuals have not been completed. We suggest that the amateur cavers, who accessed the SH site for years looking for bear fossils, destroyed a significant number of hominin fossils. Despite this, we have a good picture of the group of hominins represented in the SH assemblage. Because complete corpses were accumulated in SH and it is a closed cavity, it is expected that a significant number of hominin fossils remains to be discovered. According to the previous estimates, the representation of females is greater than that of males. However, the observed sex ratio is not significantly different from the 1:1 ratio. With the exception of the possible presence of a child individual, most of the remaining 28 individuals are teenagers or young adults (24/28 = 0.857). The ages of death of SH hominins appear to conform to a catastrophic profile.
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
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia-Téllez
- Área de Paleontología, Departamento de Geografía y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana), Burgos, Spain.,Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Martín-Francés L, Martinón-Torres M, Martínez de Pinillos M, García-Campos C, Zanolli C, Bayle P, Modesto-Mata M, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM. Crown tissue proportions and enamel thickness distribution in the Middle Pleistocene hominin molars from Sima de los Huesos (SH) population (Atapuerca, Spain). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233281. [PMID: 32511250 PMCID: PMC7279586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental enamel thickness, topography, growth and development vary among hominins. In Homo, the thickness of dental enamel in most Pleistocene hominins display variations from thick to hyper-thick, while Neanderthals exhibit proportionally thinner enamel. The origin of the thin trait remains unclear. In this context, the Middle Pleistocene human dental assemblage from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos (SH) provides a unique opportunity to trace the evolution of enamel thickness in European hominins. In this study, we aim to test the hypothesis if the SH molar sample approximates the Neanderthal condition for enamel thickness and/or distribution. This study includes 626 molars, both original and comparative data. We analysed the molar inner structural organization of the original collections (n = 124), belonging to SH(n = 72) and modern humans from Spanish origin (n = 52). We compared the SH estimates to those of extinct and extant populations of the genus Homo from African, Asian and European origin (estimates extracted from literature n = 502). The comparative sample included maxillary and mandibular molars belonging to H. erectus, East and North African Homo, European Middle Pleistocene Homo, Neanderthals, and fossil and extant H. sapiens. We used high-resolution images to investigate the endostructural configuration of SH molars (tissue proportions, enamel thickness and distribution). The SH molars exhibit on average thick absolute and relative enamel in 2D and 3D estimates, both in the complete crown and the lateral enamel. This primitive condition is shared with the majority of extinct and extant hominin sample, except for Neanderthals and some isolated specimens. On the contrary, the SH molar enamel distribution maps reveal a distribution pattern similar to the Neanderthal signal (with thicker enamel on the lingual cusps and more peripherally distributed), compared to H. antecessor and modern humans. Due to the phylogenetic position of the SH population, the thick condition in molars could represent the persistence of the plesiomorphic condition in this group. Still, more data is needed on other Early and Middle Pleistocene populations to fully understand the evolutionary meaning of this trait.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martín-Francés
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cecilia García-Campos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
- Anthropology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Clément Zanolli
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Priscilla Bayle
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura, Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez Moñino, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- 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, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
García-Campos C, Modesto-Mata M, Martinón-Torres M, Martínez de Pinillos M, Martín-Francés L, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM. Sexual dimorphism of the enamel and dentine dimensions of the permanent canines of the Middle Pleistocene hominins from Sima de los Huesos (Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol 2020; 144:102793. [PMID: 32442650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is an important component of the total variation seen in populations and plays a key role in taxonomic debates. In this study, microtomographic (microcomputed tomography) techniques were applied to a sample of hominin teeth from the Sima de los Huesos site (Spain). Dental tissue proportions of the permanent canines were assessed to characterize the pattern and degree of sexual dimorphism within this population. In addition, the possible similarities and differences with the Homo neanderthalensis remains from Krapina (Croatia) and with a recent modern human sample were evaluated. A combination of classical statistical approaches with more novel techniques allowed us not only to ratify the sex allocation of the individuals previously assigned in the literature but also to estimate the sex of the youngest individuals, which were not assessed in previous studies. Likewise, the sexes of certain extensively worn canines and isolated pieces were estimated. As a result, the sex ratio observed in our dental sample from the Sima de los Huesos population is 5:9 (Nm:Nf). In general terms, both Sima de los Huesos and Krapina dental samples have a degree of sexual dimorphism in their permanent canine tissue proportions that does not surpass that of modern humans. The marked dimorphic root volume of Sima de los Huesos mandibular canines is the exception, which surpasses the modern human mean, although it falls within the 95% confidence interval. Therefore, our results do not support that dental tissue proportions of the European Middle Pleistocene populations were more dimorphic than in modern humans. However, the differences in canine tissue proportions are great enough to allow sex estimation with a high degree of confidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia García-Campos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana, Paseo de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK.
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana, Paseo de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana, Paseo de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana, Paseo de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana, Paseo de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, F-33615, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana, Paseo de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
A revision of the conductive hearing loss in Cranium 4 from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol 2019; 135:102663. [PMID: 31521027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Pathological conditions have been previously documented in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos hominins from northern Spain, and several of these have clear behavioral implications. Within this fossil assemblage, Cranium 4 shows bilateral external auditory exostoses which have been preliminarily interpreted as causing a significant hearing loss in this individual. If confirmed, this would be the oldest recorded case of deafness in human history and could have important implications for the antiquity of this condition, as well as social interactions. To further investigate this case, the current study presents 3D reconstructions of the entire outer and middle ear, based on computed tomography scans of both temporal bones in Cranium 4. We established the degree of stenosis in both external auditory canals, showing that in both cases the degree of stenosis is less than 52% of the original cross-sectional area of each canal. Based on clinical studies in living humans, the buildup of wax due to the degree of stenosis in Cranium 4 is unlikely to have caused frequent external ear infections. In addition, we estimated the pattern of sound power transmission up to 5 kHz in both ears relying on a comprehensive model developed in the bioengineering literature and which has been applied previously to the Sima de los Huesos hominins. The model was modified to account for the peculiar shape of the pathological external ear canals in Cranium 4. The results show that this pathology had little to no influence on the sound power transmission in this individual. Thus, we conclude that the exostoses present in both ears of Cranium 4 did not significantly affect their hearing.
Collapse
|
20
|
Bräuer G, Pitsios T, Säring D, von Harling M, Jessen F, Kroll A, Groden C. Virtual Reconstruction and Comparative Analyses of the Middle Pleistocene Apidima 2 Cranium (Greece). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2019; 303:1374-1392. [PMID: 31336034 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Apidima 2 fossil cranium from South Peloponnese is one of the most important hominin specimens from Southeast Europe. Nevertheless, there has been continuous controversy as to whether it represents a so-called Preneandertal/Homo heidelbergensis such as, for example, the Petralona cranium from Northern Greece or a more derived Neandertal. Recent absolute dating evidence alone cannot clarify the issue because both classifications would be possible during the respective Middle Pleistocene time span. Since only limited data were available on the cranium, there have been repeated claims for the need of a broader comparative study of the hominin. The present article presents a CT-based virtual reconstruction including corrections of postmortem fractures and deformation as well as detailed metrical and morphological analyses of the specimen. Endocranial capacity could be estimated for the first time based on virtual reconstruction. Our multivariate analyses of metric data from the face and vault revealed close affinities to early and later Neandertals, especially showing the derived facial morphometrics. In addition, comparative analyses of Apidima 2 were done for many derived Neandertal features. Here again, a significant number of Neandertal features could be found in the Apidima cranium but no conditions common in Preneandertals. In agreement with a later Middle Pleistocene age Apidima is currently the earliest evidence of a hominin in Europe with such a derived Neandertal facial morphology. The place of Apidima in the complex process of Neandertal evolution as well as its taxonomic classification are discussed as well. Anat Rec, 303:1374-1392, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Günter Bräuer
- Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Theodoros Pitsios
- Museum of Anthropology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dennis Säring
- Department of Medical and Industrial Image Processing, University of Applied Sciences Wedel, Wedel, Germany
| | | | | | - Angelika Kroll
- Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Groden
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg/University Hospital Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Demuro M, Arnold LJ, Aranburu A, Sala N, Arsuaga JL. New bracketing luminescence ages constrain the Sima de los Huesos hominin fossils (Atapuerca, Spain) to MIS 12. J Hum Evol 2019; 131:76-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
|
22
|
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]
|
23
|
Stelzer S, Neubauer S, Hublin JJ, Spoor F, Gunz P. Morphological trends in arcade shape and size in Middle Pleistocene Homo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168:70-91. [PMID: 30351445 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Middle Pleistocene fossil hominins, often summarized as Homo heidelbergensis sensu lato, are difficult to interpret due to a fragmentary fossil record and ambiguous combinations of primitive and derived characters. Here, we focus on one aspect of facial shape and analyze shape variation of the dental arcades of these fossils together with other Homo individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional landmark data were collected on computed tomographic scans and surface scans of Middle Pleistocene fossil hominins (n = 8), Homo erectus s.l. (n = 4), Homo antecessor (n = 1), Homo neanderthalensis (n = 13), recent (n = 52) and fossil (n = 19) Homo sapiens. To increase sample size, we used multiple multivariate regression to reconstruct complementary arches for isolated mandibles, and explored size and shape differences among maxillary arcades. RESULTS The shape of the dental arcade in H. erectus s.l. and H. antecessor differs markedly from both Neanderthals and H. sapiens. The latter two show subtle but consistent differences in arcade length and width. Shape variation among Middle Pleistocene fossil hominins does not exceed the amount of variation of other species, but includes individuals with more primitive and more derived morphology, all more similar to Neanderthals and H. sapiens than to H. erectus s.l. DISCUSSION Although our results cannot reject the hypothesis that the Middle Pleistocene fossil hominins belong to a single species, their shape variation comprises a more primitive morph that represents a likely candidate for the shape of the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and H. sapiens, and a more derived morph resembling Neanderthals. The arcade shape difference between Neanderthals and H. sapiens might be related to different ways to withstand mechanical stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Stelzer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon Neubauer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fred Spoor
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Philipp Gunz
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Hanegraef H, Martinón-Torres M, Martínez de Pinillos M, Martín-Francés L, Vialet A, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM. Dentine morphology of Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos lower molars: Evolutionary implications through three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:276-295. [PMID: 29417989 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to explore the affinities of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) population in relation to Homo neanderthalensis, Arago, and early and contemporary Homo sapiens. By characterizing SH intra-population variation, we test current models to explain the Neanderthal origins. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional reconstructions of dentine surfaces of lower first and second molars were produced by micro-computed tomography. Landmarks and sliding semilandmarks were subjected to generalized Procrustes analysis and principal components analysis. RESULTS SH is often similar in shape to Neanderthals, and both groups are generally discernible from Homo sapiens. For example, the crown height of SH and Neanderthals is lower than for modern humans. Differences in the presence of a mid-trigonid crest are also observed, with contemporary Homo sapiens usually lacking this feature. Although SH and Neanderthals show strong affinities, they can be discriminated based on certain traits. SH individuals are characterized by a lower intra-population variability, and show a derived dental reduction in lower second molars compared to Neanderthals. SH also differs in morphological features from specimens that are often classified as Homo heidelbergensis, such as a lower crown height and less pronounced mid-trigonid crest in the Arago fossils. DISCUSSION Our results are compatible with the idea that multiple evolutionary lineages or populations coexisted in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene, with the SH paradigm phylogenetically closer to Homo neanderthalensis. Further research could support the possibility of SH as a separate taxon. Alternatively, SH could be a subspecies of Neanderthals, with the variability of this clade being remarkably higher than previously thought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hester Hanegraef
- Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL), 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL), 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom.,National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL), 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom.,National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain.,Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199 F_33615, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Amélie Vialet
- Département de Préhistoire du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René-Panhard, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avd. Monforte de Lemos 5, Pabellón 14, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL), 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom.,National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Hochadel O. Spain's magic mountain: narrating prehistory at Atapuerca. BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE 2016; 49:453-472. [PMID: 27719698 DOI: 10.1017/s0007087416000686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain is ranked among the most important excavation sites in human origins research worldwide. The project boasts not only spectacular hominid fossils, among them the 'oldest European', but also a fully fledged 'popularization industry'. This article interprets this multimedia industry as a generator of different narratives about the researchers as well as about the prehistoric hominids of Atapuerca. It focuses on the popular works of the three co-directors of the project. Juan Luis Arsuaga, José María Bermúdez de Castro and Eudald Carbonell make deliberate use of a variety of narrative devices, resonant cultural references and strategies of scientific self-commodification. All three, in different ways, use the history of science and of their own research project to mark their place in the field of human origins research, drawing on mythical elements to tell the story of the rise of a humble Spanish team overcoming all odds to achieve universal acclaim. Furthermore, the co-directors make skilful use of palaeofiction - that of Björn Kurtén and Jean Auel, as well as writing their own - in order to tell gripping stories about compassion and solidarity in human prehistory. This mixture of nationalist and universalist narratives invites the Spanish audience to identify not just with 'their ancestors' but also with the scientists, as objects and subjects of research become conflated through popularization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hochadel
- *Institució Milà i Fontanals,Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas,Carrer Egipcíaques,15, 08001 Barcelona,Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Cornélio AM, de Bittencourt-Navarrete RE, de Bittencourt Brum R, Queiroz CM, Costa MR. Human Brain Expansion during Evolution Is Independent of Fire Control and Cooking. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:167. [PMID: 27199631 PMCID: PMC4842772 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
What makes humans unique? This question has fascinated scientists and philosophers for centuries and it is still a matter of intense debate. Nowadays, human brain expansion during evolution has been acknowledged to explain our empowered cognitive capabilities. The drivers for such accelerated expansion remain, however, largely unknown. In this sense, studies have suggested that the cooking of food could be a pre-requisite for the expansion of brain size in early hominins. However, this appealing hypothesis is only supported by a mathematical model suggesting that the increasing number of neurons in the brain would constrain body size among primates due to a limited amount of calories obtained from diets. Here, we show, by using a similar mathematical model, that a tradeoff between body mass and the number of brain neurons imposed by dietary constraints during hominin evolution is unlikely. Instead, the predictable number of neurons in the hominin brain varies much more in function of foraging efficiency than body mass. We also review archeological data to show that the expansion of the brain volume in the hominin lineage is described by a linear function independent of evidence of fire control, and therefore, thermal processing of food does not account for this phenomenon. Finally, we report experiments in mice showing that thermal processing of meat does not increase its caloric availability in mice. Altogether, our data indicate that cooking is neither sufficient nor necessary to explain hominin brain expansion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alianda M Cornélio
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do NorteNatal, Brazil; Department of Morphology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do NorteNatal, Brazil
| | | | | | - Claudio M Queiroz
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Natal, Brazil
| | - Marcos R Costa
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Natal, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wood B, K. Boyle E. Hominin taxic diversity: Fact or fantasy? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S37-78. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University; Washington DC 20052
| | - Eve K. Boyle
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University; Washington DC 20052
- Hominid Paleobiology Graduate Program, George Washington University; Washington DC 20052
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Rodríguez L, Carretero JM, García-González R, Lorenzo C, Gómez-Olivencia A, Quam R, Martínez I, Gracia-Téllez A, Arsuaga JL. Fossil hominin radii from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). J Hum Evol 2016; 90:55-73. [PMID: 26767960 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Complete radii in the fossil record preceding recent humans and Neandertals are very scarce. Here we introduce the radial remains recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site in the Sierra de Atapuerca between 1976 and 2011 and which have been dated in excess of 430 ky (thousands of years) ago. The sample comprises 89 specimens, 49 of which are attributed to adults representing a minimum of seven individuals. All elements are described anatomically and metrically, and compared with other fossil hominins and recent humans in order to examine the phylogenetic polarity of certain radial features. Radial remains from SH have some traits that differentiate them from those of recent humans and make them more similar to Neandertals, including strongly curved shafts, anteroposterior expanded radial heads and both absolutely and relatively long necks. In contrast, the SH sample differs from Neandertals in showing a high overall gracility as well as a high frequency (80%) of an anteriorly oriented radial tuberosity. Thus, like the cranial and dental remains from the SH site, characteristic Neandertal radial morphology is not present fully in the SH radii. We also analyzed the cross-sectional properties of the SH radial sample at two different levels: mid-shaft and at the midpoint of the neck length. When standardized by shaft length, no difference in the mid-shaft cross-sectional properties were found between the SH hominins, Neandertals and recent humans. Nevertheless, due to their long neck length, the SH hominins show a higher lever efficiency than either Neandertals or recent humans. Functionally, the SH radial morphology is consistent with more efficient pronation-supination and flexion-extension movements. The particular trait composition in the SH sample and Neandertals resembles more closely morphology evident in recent human males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Dpto. de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Universidad de Burgos, Edificio I+D+i. Plaza Misael de Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca s/n, 09002 Burgos, Spain.
| | - José Miguel Carretero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Dpto. de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Universidad de Burgos, Edificio I+D+i. Plaza Misael de Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rebeca García-González
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Dpto. de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Universidad de Burgos, Edificio I+D+i. Plaza Misael de Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Institut de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Área de Prehistoria, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya, 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Dept. Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV-EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, USA
| | - Rolf Quam
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Dept. of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia-Téllez
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Área de Paleontología, Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ontogeny of the maxilla in Neanderthals and their ancestors. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8996. [PMID: 26639346 PMCID: PMC4686851 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neanderthals had large and projecting (prognathic) faces similar to those of their putative ancestors from Sima de los Huesos (SH) and different from the retracted modern human face. When such differences arose during development and the morphogenetic modifications involved are unknown. We show that maxillary growth remodelling (bone formation and resorption) of the Devil's Tower (Gibraltar 2) and La Quina 18 Neanderthals and four SH hominins, all sub-adults, show extensive bone deposition, whereas in modern humans extensive osteoclastic bone resorption is found in the same regions. This morphogenetic difference is evident by ∼5 years of age. Modern human faces are distinct from those of the Neanderthal and SH fossils in part because their postnatal growth processes differ markedly. The growth remodelling identified in these fossil hominins is shared with Australopithecus and early Homo but not with modern humans suggesting that the modern human face is developmentally derived. Unlike modern humans, Neanderthals had large and projecting faces. Here, the authors show that the maxilla of modern humans is distinct from those of the Neanderthal and Middle Pleistocene hominins from Sima de los Huesos because their growth processes differ markedly during the postnatal period.
Collapse
|
30
|
Quam R, Lorenzo C, Martínez I, Gracia-Téllez A, Arsuaga JL. The bony labyrinth of the middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos hominins (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). J Hum Evol 2015; 90:1-15. [PMID: 26767955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 07/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We performed 3D virtual reconstructions based on CT scans to study the bony labyrinth morphology in 14 individuals from the large middle Pleistocene hominin sample from the site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. The Atapuerca (SH) hominins represent early members of the Neandertal clade and provide an opportunity to compare the data with the later in time Neandertals, as well as Pleistocene and recent humans more broadly. The Atapuerca (SH) hominins do not differ from the Neandertals in any of the variables related to the absolute and relative sizes and shape of the semicircular canals. Indeed, the entire Neandertal clade seems to be characterized by a derived pattern of canal proportions, including a relatively small posterior canal and a relatively large lateral canal. In contrast, one of the most distinctive features observed in Neandertals, the low placement of the posterior canal (i.e., high sagittal labyrinthine index), is generally not present in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins. This low placement is considered a derived feature in Neandertals and is correlated with a more vertical orientation of the ampullar line (LSCm < APA), posterior surface of the petrous pyramid (LSCm > PPp), and third part of the facial canal (LSCm < FC3). Some variation is present within the Atapuerca (SH) sample, however, with a few individuals approaching the Neandertal condition more closely. In addition, the cochlear shape index in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins is low, indicating a reduction in the height of the cochlea. Although the phylogenetic polarity of this feature is less clear, the low shape index in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins may be a derived feature. Regardless, cochlear height subsequently increased in Neandertals. In contrast to previous suggestions, the expanded data in the present study indicate no difference across the genus Homo in the angle of inclination of the cochlear basal turn (COs < LSCm). Principal components analysis largely confirms these observations. While not fully resolved, the low placement of the posterior canal in Neandertals may be related to some combination of absolutely large brain size, a wide cranial base, and an archaic pattern of brain allometry. This more general explanation would not necessarily follow taxonomic lines, even though this morphology of the bony labyrinth occurs at high frequencies among Neandertals. While a functional interpretation of the relatively small vertical canals in the Neandertal clade remains elusive, the relative proportions of the semicircular canals is one of several derived Neandertal features in the Atapuerca (SH) crania. Examination of additional European middle Pleistocene specimens suggests that the full suite of Neandertal features in the bony labyrinth did not emerge in Europe until perhaps <200 kya.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Area de Prehistòria, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Spain; Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia-Téllez
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Área de Paleontología, Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Arsuaga JL, Carretero JM, Lorenzo C, Gómez-Olivencia A, Pablos A, Rodríguez L, García-González R, Bonmatí A, Quam RM, Pantoja-Pérez A, Martínez I, Aranburu A, Gracia-Téllez A, Poza-Rey E, Sala N, García N, Alcázar de Velasco A, Cuenca-Bescós G, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Carbonell E. Postcranial morphology of the middle Pleistocene humans from Sima de los Huesos, Spain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:11524-9. [PMID: 26324920 PMCID: PMC4577189 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1514828112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a geographically and chronologically scattered fossil record. Here we present a complete characterization of the postcranium of the middle Pleistocene paleodeme from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) and its paleobiological implications. The SH hominins show the following: (i) wide bodies, a plesiomorphic character in the genus Homo inherited from their early hominin ancestors; (ii) statures that can be found in modern human middle-latitude populations that first appeared 1.6-1.5 Mya; and (iii) large femoral heads in some individuals, a trait that first appeared during the middle Pleistocene in Africa and Europe. The intrapopulational size variation in SH shows that the level of dimorphism was similar to modern humans (MH), but the SH hominins were less encephalized than Neandertals. SH shares many postcranial anatomical features with Neandertals. Although most of these features appear to be either plesiomorphic retentions or are of uncertain phylogenetic polarity, a few represent Neandertal apomorphies. Nevertheless, the full suite of Neandertal-derived features is not yet present in the SH population. The postcranial evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the cranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals. Comparison of the SH postcranial skeleton to other hominins suggests that the evolution of the postcranium occurred in a mosaic mode, both at a general and at a detailed level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - José-Miguel Carretero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Departamento de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Universidad de Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, 48080 Bilbao, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain; UMR 7194, CNRS, Département Préhistoire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 75016 Paris, France; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Pablos
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Departamento de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Universidad de Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana, 09002 Burgos, Spain
| | - Rebeca García-González
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Departamento de Ciencias Históricas y Geografía, Universidad de Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Alejandro Bonmatí
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf M Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024-5192; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Arantza Aranburu
- Departamento Mineralogía y Petrología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia-Téllez
- Área de Paleontología, Departamento de Geografía y Geología, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Poza-Rey
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nohemi Sala
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria García
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Alcázar de Velasco
- Centro Mixto Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gloria Cuenca-Bescós
- Paleontología, Aragosaurus-Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón and Facultad Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Eudald Carbonell
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Beijing, 100044 Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diagnosing Homo sapiens is a critical question in the study of human evolution. Although what constitutes living members of our own species is straightforward, in the fossil record this is still a matter of much debate. The issue is complicated by questions of species diagnoses and ideas about the mode by which a new species is born, by the arguments surrounding the behavioural and cognitive separateness of the species, by the increasing appreciation of variation in the early African H. sapiens record and by new DNA evidence of hybridization with extinct species. METHODS AND RESULTS This study synthesizes thinking on the fossils, archaeology and underlying evolutionary models of the last several decades with recent DNA results from both H. sapiens and fossil species. CONCLUSION It is concluded that, although it may not be possible or even desirable to cleanly partition out a homogenous morphological description of recent H. sapiens in the fossil record, there are key, distinguishing morphological traits in the cranium, dentition and pelvis that can be usefully employed to diagnose the H. sapiens lineage. Increasing advances in retrieving and understanding relevant genetic data provide a complementary and perhaps potentially even more fruitful means of characterizing the differences between H. sapiens and its close relatives.
Collapse
|
33
|
Pablos A, Martínez I, Lorenzo C, Sala N, Gracia-Téllez A, Arsuaga JL. Human calcanei from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol 2014; 76:63-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
34
|
Gallagher A. Absolute and relative endocranial size in Neandertals and later Pleistocene Homo. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2014; 65:349-75. [PMID: 24954798 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Eurasian Neandertals encompass the entire observed range of recent and fossil Homo sapiens in absolute, but not relative endocranial volume, and Neandertals attest an average EQ significantly lower than their Upper Pleistocene successors. While the cognitive, social, and evolutionary implications of this phenomenon have been emphasised, the statistical basis of a mean inference of EQ in the Neandertal hypodigm has not been appropriately demonstrated. A demonstrable male bias in the available postcranial, not cranial, series has skewed perceptions of Neandertal brain-to-body size scaling towards a rejection of the null hypothesis. A simple resolution to this problem is a concise assessment of paired associated covariates against a suitable recent human comparator series. Permutations of Fisher's z and Student's t statistics are valid metrics in tests of significance in single datum hypotheses. Bootstrapped single observation tests determined significance in body size, absolute and relative endocranial volume in Pleistocene archaic, early modern, and late Pleistocene H. sapiens. With respect to absolute ECV, all current Middle-Upper Pleistocene crania fall within the substantial recent Homo range. Nevertheless, simple indices derived from raw and modified data in normal and logarithmic space reveal that Western European Neandertal males approach the lower extremes of our observed size range in relative ECV, yet none exceed statistical significance. Results confirm that relative ECV/brain size in Neandertals was not significantly depressed relative to recent and fossil H. sapiens and this is consistent with a substantial body of data from living humans dismissing any simple correspondence of relative brain size with intelligence and, by extension, evolutionary success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gallagher
- Centre for Anthropological Research (CAfR), University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Arsuaga JL, Martinez I, Arnold LJ, Aranburu A, Gracia-Tellez A, Sharp WD, Quam RM, Falgueres C, Pantoja-Perez A, Bischoff J, Poza-Rey E, Pares JM, Carretero JM, Demuro M, Lorenzo C, Sala N, Martinon-Torres M, Garcia N, Alcazar de Velasco A, Cuenca-Bescos G, Gomez-Olivencia A, Moreno D, Pablos A, Shen CC, Rodriguez L, Ortega AI, Garcia R, Bonmati A, Bermudez de Castro JM, Carbonell E. Neandertal roots: Cranial and chronological evidence from Sima de los Huesos. Science 2014; 344:1358-63. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1253958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
36
|
Raia P, Rook L. The Evolution of Large Mammal Communities: Beyond Biochronology. ANN ZOOL FENN 2014. [DOI: 10.5735/086.051.0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
37
|
Been E, Gómez-Olivencia A, Kramer PA. Brief communication: Lumbar lordosis in extinct hominins: implications of the pelvic incidence. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 154:307-14. [PMID: 24615397 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Recently, interest has peaked regarding the posture of extinct hominins. Here, we present a new method of reconstructing lordosis angles of extinct hominin specimens based on pelvic morphology, more specifically the orientation of the sacrum in relation to the acetabulum (pelvic incidence). Two regression models based on the correlation between pelvic incidence and lordosis angle in living hominoids have been developed. The mean values of the calculated lordosis angles based on these models are 36°-45° for australopithecines, 45°-47° for Homo erectus, 27°-34° for the Neandertals and the Sima de los Huesos hominins, and 49°-51° for fossil H. sapiens. The newly calculated lordosis values are consistent with previously published values of extinct hominins (Been et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 147 (2012) 64-77). If the mean values of the present nonhuman hominoids are representative of the pelvic and lumbar morphology of the last common ancestor between humans and nonhuman hominoids, then both pelvic incidence and lordosis angle dramatically increased during hominin evolution from 27° ± 5 to 22° ± 3 (respectively) in nonhuman hominoids to 54° ± 10 and 51° ± 11 in modern humans. This change to a more human-like configuration appeared early in the hominin evolution as the pelvis and spines of both australopithecines and H. erectus show a higher pelvic incidence and lordosis angle than nonhuman hominoids. The Sima de los Huesos hominins and Neandertals show a derived configuration with a low pelvic incidence and lordosis angle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ella Been
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel; Department of Physical Therapy Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, 55000, Israel
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Luminescence dating and palaeomagnetic age constraint on hominins from Sima de los Huesos, Atapuerca, Spain. J Hum Evol 2014; 67:85-107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
|
39
|
Meyer M, Fu Q, Aximu-Petri A, Glocke I, Nickel B, Arsuaga JL, Martínez I, Gracia A, de Castro JMB, Carbonell E, Pääbo S. A mitochondrial genome sequence of a hominin from Sima de los Huesos. Nature 2013; 505:403-6. [PMID: 24305051 DOI: 10.1038/nature12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Excavations of a complex of caves in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain have unearthed hominin fossils that range in age from the early Pleistocene to the Holocene. One of these sites, the 'Sima de los Huesos' ('pit of bones'), has yielded the world's largest assemblage of Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils, consisting of at least 28 individuals dated to over 300,000 years ago. The skeletal remains share a number of morphological features with fossils classified as Homo heidelbergensis and also display distinct Neanderthal-derived traits. Here we determine an almost complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a hominin from Sima de los Huesos and show that it is closely related to the lineage leading to mitochondrial genomes of Denisovans, an eastern Eurasian sister group to Neanderthals. Our results pave the way for DNA research on hominins from the Middle Pleistocene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Qiaomei Fu
- 1] Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [2] Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Ayinuer Aximu-Petri
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isabelle Glocke
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Birgit Nickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- 1] Centro de Investigación Sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain [2] Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- 1] Centro de Investigación Sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain [2] Área de Paleontología, Depto. de Geografía y Geología, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Gracia
- 1] Centro de Investigación Sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain [2] Área de Paleontología, Depto. de Geografía y Geología, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Eudald Carbonell
- 1] Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, C/Marcel·lí Domingo s/n (Edifici W3), Campus Sescelades, 43007 Tarragona, Spain [2] Àrea de Prehistòria, Dept. d'Història i Història de l'Art, Univ. Rovira i Virgili, Fac. de Lletres, Av. Catalunya, 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Lozano S, Rodríguez XP, Arenas A. Atapuerca: evolution of scientific collaboration in an emergent large-scale research infrastructure. Scientometrics 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-013-1162-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
41
|
Rightmire GP. Homo erectus and Middle Pleistocene hominins: Brain size, skull form, and species recognition. J Hum Evol 2013; 65:223-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
42
|
Martinón-Torres M, Spěváčková P, Gracia-Téllez A, Martínez I, Bruner E, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM. Morphometric analysis of molars in a Middle Pleistocene population shows a mosaic of 'modern' and Neanderthal features. J Anat 2013; 223:353-63. [PMID: 23914934 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of upper first molar (M1) crown shape have shown significant differences between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis that were already present in the European Middle Pleistocene populations, including the large dental sample from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos (SH). Analysis of other M1 features such as the total crown base area, cusp proportions, cusp angles and occlusal polygon have confirmed the differences between both lineages, becoming a useful tool for the taxonomic assignment of isolated teeth from Late Pleistocene sites. However, until now the pattern of expression of these variables has not been known for the SH sample. This fossil sample, the largest collection from the European Middle Pleistocene, is generally interpreted as being from the direct ancestors of Neanderthals, and thus is a reference sample for assessing the origin of the Neanderthal morphologies. Surprisingly, our study reveals that SH M(1) s present a unique mosaic of H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens features. Regarding the cusp angles and the relative occlusal polygon area, SH matches the H. neanderthalensis pattern. However, regarding the total crown base area and relative cusps size, SH M(1) s are similar to H. sapiens, with a small crown area, a strong hypocone reduction and a protocone enlargement, although the protocone expansion in SH is significantly larger than in any other group studied. The SH dental sample calls into question the uniqueness of some so-called modern traits. Our study also sounds a note of caution on the use of M(1) occlusal morphology for the alpha taxonomy of isolated M(1) s.
Collapse
|
43
|
Pablos A, Martínez I, Lorenzo C, Gracia A, Sala N, Arsuaga JL. Human talus bones from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol 2013; 65:79-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2012] [Revised: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
44
|
Gómez-Robles A, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martinón-Torres M, Prado-Simón L, Arsuaga JL. A geometric morphometric analysis of hominin upper second and third molars, with particular emphasis on European Pleistocene populations. J Hum Evol 2012; 63:512-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2011] [Revised: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
|
45
|
Maroto J, Julià R, López-García JM, Blain HA. Chronological and environmental context of the Middle Pleistocene human tooth from Mollet Cave (Serinyà, NE Iberian Peninsula). J Hum Evol 2012; 62:655-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2009] [Revised: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
46
|
Arsuaga JL, Fernández Peris J, Gracia-Téllez A, Quam R, Carretero JM, Barciela González V, Blasco R, Cuartero F, Sañudo P. Fossil human remains from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain). J Hum Evol 2012; 62:629-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Revised: 10/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
47
|
López-Valverde A, López-Cristiá M, Gómez de Diego R. Europe's oldest jaw: evidence of oral pathology. Br Dent J 2012; 212:243-5. [PMID: 22402544 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2012.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Atapuerca, in the north of Spain, is the archaeological site where the oldest hominid remains within Europe have been found. In 2008 a jaw fragment, corresponding to the symphyseal area, was discovered in the area called the 'Elephant's pit'. Its age has been estimated at 1.2 million years and it is considered to be the oldest human fossil found in Europe and is from the lower Pleistocene. This work analyses the dental and skeletal damage to the specimen, detected in a macroscopic study of possible horizontal and vertical bone loss at the level of support of the remaining teeth. The limited presence of dental scale, the pattern of destruction and the decreased bone density due to increased marrow spaces suggest the presence of possible periodontal disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A López-Valverde
- School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Salamanca, Spain.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Carretero JM, Rodríguez L, García-González R, Arsuaga JL, Gómez-Olivencia A, Lorenzo C, Bonmatí A, Gracia A, Martínez I, Quam R. Stature estimation from complete long bones in the Middle Pleistocene humans from the Sima de los Huesos, Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain). J Hum Evol 2012; 62:242-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2011] [Revised: 10/26/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
49
|
Prado-Simón L, Martinón-Torres M, Baca P, Olejniczak AJ, Gómez-Robles A, Lapresa M, Luis Arsuaga J, María Bermúdez de Castro J. Three-dimensional evaluation of root canal morphology in lower second premolars of early and middle pleistocene human populations from atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 147:452-61. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2010] [Accepted: 12/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
50
|
Morphological description and comparison of the dental remains from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site (Spain). J Hum Evol 2012; 62:7-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2010] [Revised: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|