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Smith GM, Ruebens K, Zavala EI, Sinet-Mathiot V, Fewlass H, Pederzani S, Jaouen K, Mylopotamitaki D, Britton K, Rougier H, Stahlschmidt M, Meyer M, Meller H, Dietl H, Orschiedt J, Krause J, Schüler T, McPherron SP, Weiss M, Hublin JJ, Welker F. The ecology, subsistence and diet of ~45,000-year-old Homo sapiens at Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:564-577. [PMID: 38297138 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02303-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Recent excavations at Ranis (Germany) identified an early dispersal of Homo sapiens into the higher latitudes of Europe by 45,000 years ago. Here we integrate results from zooarchaeology, palaeoproteomics, sediment DNA and stable isotopes to characterize the ecology, subsistence and diet of these early H. sapiens. We assessed all bone remains (n = 1,754) from the 2016-2022 excavations through morphology (n = 1,218) or palaeoproteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (n = 536) and species by proteome investigation (n = 212)). Dominant taxa include reindeer, cave bear, woolly rhinoceros and horse, indicating cold climatic conditions. Numerous carnivore modifications, alongside sparse cut-marked and burnt bones, illustrate a predominant use of the site by hibernating cave bears and denning hyaenas, coupled with a fluctuating human presence. Faunal diversity and high carnivore input were further supported by ancient mammalian DNA recovered from 26 sediment samples. Bulk collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data from 52 animal and 10 human remains confirm a cold steppe/tundra setting and indicate a homogenous human diet based on large terrestrial mammals. This lower-density archaeological signature matches other Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician sites and is best explained by expedient visits of short duration by small, mobile groups of pioneer H. sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff M Smith
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Kent, UK.
| | - Karen Ruebens
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241-U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Elena Irene Zavala
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Virginie Sinet-Mathiot
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Ministère de la Culture, PACEA, UMR 5199, Pessac, France
| | - Helen Fewlass
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Ancient Genomics Lab, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Sarah Pederzani
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Lab, University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Toulouse, France
| | - Dorothea Mylopotamitaki
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241-U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Hélène Rougier
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Mareike Stahlschmidt
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Harald Meller
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt-State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany
| | - Holger Dietl
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt-State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany
| | - Jörg Orschiedt
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt-State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany
| | - Johannes Krause
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tim Schüler
- Thuringian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Archaeology, Weimar, Germany
| | - Shannon P McPherron
- Department of Human Origins, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcel Weiss
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241-U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Frido Welker
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Bennett EA, Fu Q. Ancient genomes and the evolutionary path of modern humans. Cell 2024; 187:1042-1046. [PMID: 38428387 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence from archaic and early modern human genomes brings new insights to the emergence of modern humans. We recount recent information collected from ancient DNA studies that inform us about the evolutionary pathway to modern humanity. These findings point to both individual- and population-level advantages underlying modern human expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Andrew Bennett
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Qiaomei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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3
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Badino F, Pini R, Ravazzi C, Chytrý M, Bertuletti P, Bortolini E, Dudová L, Peresani M, Romandini M, Benazzi S. High-resolution ecosystem changes pacing the millennial climate variability at the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in NE-Italy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12478. [PMID: 37528143 PMCID: PMC10394073 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38081-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Observation of high-resolution terrestrial palaeoecological series can decipher relationships between past climatic transitions, their effects on ecosystems and wildfire cyclicity. Here we present a new radiocarbon dated record from Lake Fimon (NE-Italy) covering the 60-27 ka interval. Palynological, charcoal fragments and sediment lithology analysis were carried out at centennial to sub-centennial resolutions. Identification of the best modern analogues for MIS 3 ecosystems further enabled to thoroughly reconstruct structural changes in the vegetation through time. This series also represents an "off-site" reference record for chronologically well-constrained Palaeolithic sites documenting Neanderthal and Homo sapiens occupations within the same region. Neanderthals lived in a mosaic of grasslands and woodlands, composed of a mixture of boreal and broad-leaved temperate trees analogous to those of the modern Central-Eastern Europe, the Southern Urals and central-southern Siberia. Dry and other grassland types expanded steadily from 44 to 43 ka and peaked between 42 and 39 ka, i.e., about the same time when Sapiens reached this region. This vegetation, which finds very few reliable modern analogues in the adopted Eurasian calibration set, led to the expansion of ecosystems able to sustain large herds of herbivores. During 39-27 ka, the landscape was covered by steppe, desert-steppe and open dry boreal forests similar to those of the modern Altai-Sayan region. Both Neanderthal and Sapiens lived in contexts of expanded fire-prone ecosystems modulated by the high-frequency climatic cycles of MIS 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Badino
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Roberta Pini
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Ravazzi
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Milan Chytrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Bertuletti
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Lydie Dudová
- Department of Paleoecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marco Peresani
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
- Department of Humanities, Prehistoric and Anthropology Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44100, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
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4
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Malegori C, Sciutto G, Oliveri P, Prati S, Gatti L, Catelli E, Benazzi S, Cercatillo S, Paleček D, Mazzeo R, Talamo S. Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging to map collagen content in prehistoric bones for radiocarbon dating. Commun Chem 2023; 6:54. [PMID: 37041241 PMCID: PMC10090164 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00848-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Many of the rarest prehistoric bones found by archaeologists are enormously precious and are considered to be part of our cultural and historical patrimony. Radiocarbon dating is a well-established technique that estimates the ages of bones by analysing the collagen still present. However, this method is destructive, and its use must be limited. In this study, we used imaging technology to quantify the presence of collagen in bone samples in a non-destructive way to select the most suitable samples (or sample regions) to be submitted to radiocarbon dating analysis. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) that was connected to a camera with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used along with a chemometric model to create chemical images of the distribution of collagen in ancient bones. This model quantifies the collagen at every pixel and thus provides a chemical mapping of collagen content. Our results will offer significant advances for the study of human evolution as we will be able to minimise the destruction of valuable bone material, which is under the protection and enhancement of European cultural heritage and thus allow us to contextualise the valuable object by providing an accurate calendar age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Malegori
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Viale Cembrano 4, I-16148, Genova, Italy.
| | - Giorgia Sciutto
- University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", Ravenna Campus, Via Guaccimanni, 42, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.
| | - Paolo Oliveri
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Viale Cembrano 4, I-16148, Genova, Italy.
| | - Silvia Prati
- University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", Ravenna Campus, Via Guaccimanni, 42, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Gatti
- University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", Ravenna Campus, Via Guaccimanni, 42, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Emilio Catelli
- University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", Ravenna Campus, Via Guaccimanni, 42, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Silvia Cercatillo
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Dragana Paleček
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rocco Mazzeo
- University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", Ravenna Campus, Via Guaccimanni, 42, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
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5
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Marín-Arroyo AB, Terlato G, Vidal-Cordasco M, Peresani M. Subsistence of early anatomically modern humans in Europe as evidenced in the Protoaurignacian occupations of Fumane Cave, Italy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3788. [PMID: 36882431 PMCID: PMC9992387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30059-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Documenting the subsistence strategies developed by early modern humans is relevant for understanding the success of their dispersal throughout Eurasia. Today, we know that there was not a single colonization event and that the process was progressive while coping with the MIS3 abrupt climatic oscillations. Modern humans expanded into the continent by adapting to different topographic situations and by exploiting resources in diverse ecological niches. The northern part of Italy is one of the first European regions where early modern humans are documented. Here, we present the subsistence regimen adopted by the Protoaurignacian groups in two different levels in Fumane Cave based on archaeozoological data. New radiocarbon dates confirm an overlap between Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian occupations, around 42 and 41,000 cal BP, and reveal that modern humans occupied the cave from GI10 to GS9, the last level coinciding with the Heinrich Event 4. The data indicate seasonal site occupations during late spring/summer and that prey exploitation was focused mostly on ibex and chamois, killed in nearby areas. The whole faunal assemblage suggests the presence of early modern humans in a cold environment with mostly open landscapes and patchy woodlands. The estimation of net primary productivity (NPP) in Fumane, compared with other contemporaneous Italian sites, reflects how the NPP fluctuations in the Prealpine area, where Fumane is located, affected the biotic resources in contrast to known Mediterranean sites. From a pan-European perspective, the spatiotemporal fluctuation of the NPP versus the subsistence strategies adopted by Protoaurignacian groups in the continent supports rapid Homo sapiens dispersal and resilience in a mosaic of environments that were affected by significant climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B Marín-Arroyo
- Grupo de I+D+I EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de Los Castros 44, 39005, Santander, Spain.
| | - Gabriele Terlato
- Grupo de I+D+I EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de Los Castros 44, 39005, Santander, Spain.
| | - Marco Vidal-Cordasco
- Grupo de I+D+I EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de Los Castros 44, 39005, Santander, Spain
| | - Marco Peresani
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
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6
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Slimak L. The three waves: Rethinking the structure of the first Upper Paleolithic in Western Eurasia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0277444. [PMID: 37134082 PMCID: PMC10155996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Neronian is a lithic tradition recognized in the Middle Rhône Valley of Mediterranean France now directly linked to Homo sapiens and securely dated to 54,000 years ago (ka), pushing back the arrival of modern humans in Europe by 10 ka. This incursion of modern humans into Neandertal territory and the relationships evoked between the Neronian and the Levantine Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) question the validity of concepts that define the first H. sapiens migrations and the very nature of the first Upper Paleolithic in western Eurasia. Direct comparative analyses between lithic technology from Grotte Mandrin and East Mediterranean archeological sequences, especially Ksar Akil, suggest that the three key phases of the earliest Levantine Upper Paleolithic have very precise technical and chronological counterparts in Western Europe, recognized from the Rhône Valley to Franco-Cantabria. These trans-Mediterranean technical connections suggest three distinct waves of H. sapiens expansion into Europe between 55-42 ka. These elements support an original thesis on the origin, structure, and evolution of the first moments of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe tracing parallel archaeological changes in the East Mediterranean region and Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Slimak
- CNRS, UMR 5288, Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse, Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
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7
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Djakovic I, Key A, Soressi M. Optimal linear estimation models predict 1400-2900 years of overlap between Homo sapiens and Neandertals prior to their disappearance from France and northern Spain. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15000. [PMID: 36229473 PMCID: PMC9561710 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19162-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent fossil discoveries suggest that Neandertals and Homo sapiens may have co-existed in Europe for as long as 5 to 6000 years. Yet, evidence for their contemporaneity at any regional scale remains highly elusive. In France and northern Spain, a region which features some of the latest directly-dated Neandertals in Europe, Protoaurignacian assemblages attributed to Homo sapiens appear to ‘replace’ Neandertal-associated Châtelperronian assemblages. Using the earliest and latest known occurrences as starting points, Bayesian modelling has provided indication that these occupations may in fact have been partly contemporaneous. The reality, however, is that we are unlikely to ever identify the ‘first’ or ‘last’ appearance of a species or cultural tradition in the archaeological and fossil record. Here, we use optimal linear estimation modelling to estimate the first appearance date of Homo sapiens and the extinction date of Neandertals in France and northern Spain by statistically inferring these ‘missing’ portions of the Protoaurignacian and Châtelperronian archaeological records. Additionally, we estimate the extinction date of Neandertals in this region using a dataset of directly-dated Neandertal fossil remains. Our total dataset consists of sixty-six modernly produced radiocarbon determinations which we recalibrated using the newest calibration curve (IntCal20) to produce updated age ranges. The results suggest that the onset of the Homo sapiens occupation of this region likely preceded the extinction of Neandertals and the Châtelperronian by up to 1400–2900 years. This reaffirms the Bayesian-derived duration of co-existence between these groups during the initial Upper Palaeolithic of this region using a novel independent method, and indicates that our understanding of the timing of these occupations may not be suffering from substantial gaps in the record. Whether or not this co-existence featured some form of direct interaction, however, remains to be resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Djakovic
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Alastair Key
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK
| | - Marie Soressi
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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8
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Giovannetti G, Guerrini A, Minozzi S, Panetta D, Salvadori PA. Computer tomography and magnetic resonance for multimodal imaging of fossils and mummies. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 94:7-17. [PMID: 36084902 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The study of fossils and mummies has largely benefited from the use of modern noninvasive and nondestructive imaging technologies and represents a fast developing area. In this review, we describe the emerging role of imaging based on Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Computer Tomography (CT) employed for the study of ancient remains and mummies. For each methodology, the state of the art in paleoradiology applications is described, by emphasizing new technologies developed in the field of both CT, such as micro- and nano-CT, dual-energy and multi-energy CT, and MR, with the description of novel dedicated sequences, radiofrequency coils and gradients. The complementarity of CT and MR in paleoradiology is also discussed, by pointing out what MR provides in addition to CT, with an overview on the state of the art of emerging strategies in the use of CT/MR combination for the study of a sample following a multimodal integrated approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Andrea Guerrini
- Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese, Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Simona Minozzi
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Panetta
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Piero A Salvadori
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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9
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Oxilia G, Bortolini E, Marciani G, Menghi Sartorio JC, Vazzana A, Bettuzzi M, Panetta D, Arrighi S, Badino F, Figus C, Lugli F, Romandini M, Silvestrini S, Sorrentino R, Moroni A, Donadio C, Morigi MP, Slon V, Piperno M, Talamo S, Collina C, Benazzi S. Direct evidence that late Neanderthal occupation precedes a technological shift in southwestern Italy. Am J Biol Anthropol 2022; 179:18-30. [PMID: 36790758 PMCID: PMC9541503 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES During the middle-to-upper Paleolithic transition (50,000 and 40,000 years ago), interaction between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens varied across Europe. In southern Italy, the association between Homo sapiens fossils and non-Mousterian material culture, as well as the mode and tempo of Neanderthal demise, are still vividly debated. In this research, we focus on the study of two human teeth by using 3D geometric morphometric approaches for a reliable taxonomical attribution as well as obtaining new radiometric dates on the archeological sequence. MATERIAL AND METHODS This work presents two lower deciduous molars uncovered at Roccia San Sebastiano (Mondragone-Caserta, Italy), stratigraphically associated with Mousterian (RSS1) and Uluzzian (RSS2) artifacts. To obtain a probabilistic attribution of the two RSS teeth to each reference taxa group composed of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, we performed and compared the performance of three supervised learning algorithms (flexible discriminant analysis, multiadaptive regression splines, and random forest) on both crown and cervical outlines obtained by virtual morphometric methods. RESULTS We show that RSS1, whose Mousterian context appears more recent than 44,800-44,230 cal BP, can be attributed to a Neanderthal, while RSS2, found in an Uluzzian context that we dated to 42,640-42,380 cal BP, is attributed to Homo sapiens. DISCUSSION This site yields the most recent direct evidence for a Neanderthal presence in southern Italy and confirms a later shift to upper Paleolithic technology in southwestern Italy compared to the earliest Uluzzian evidence at Grotta del Cavallo (Puglia, Italy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly,Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyInstitució Milà i Fontanals de Investigación en Humanidades, CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Giulia Marciani
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly,Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Siena, U. R. Preistoria e AntropologiaSienaItaly
| | | | - Antonino Vazzana
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Matteo Bettuzzi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi”University of BolognaBolognaItaly
| | | | - Simona Arrighi
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly,Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Siena, U. R. Preistoria e AntropologiaSienaItaly
| | - Federica Badino
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly,CNR Institute of Environmental Geology and GeoengineeringMilanItaly
| | - Carla Figus
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Federico Lugli
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly,Department of Chemical and Geological SciencesUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModenaItaly
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Sara Silvestrini
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Rita Sorrentino
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Adriana Moroni
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Siena, U. R. Preistoria e AntropologiaSienaItaly
| | - Carlo Donadio
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and ResourcesUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
| | - Maria Pia Morigi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi”University of BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - Viviane Slon
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Evolutionary GeneticsLeipzigGermany,Tel Aviv University, Department of Anatomy and Anthropology and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and BiochemistrySackler Faculty of MedicineTel AvivIsrael,Tel Aviv University, The Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory ResearchTel AvivIsrael
| | | | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”University of BolognaBolognaItaly,Department of Human EvolutionMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | | | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of BolognaRavennaItaly,Department of Human EvolutionMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
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10
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Frouin M, Douka K, Dave AK, Schwenninger JL, Mercier N, Murray AS, Santaniello F, Boschian G, Grimaldi S, Higham T. A refined chronology for the Middle and early Upper Paleolithic sequence of Riparo Mochi (Liguria, Italy). J Hum Evol 2022; 169:103211. [PMID: 35753141 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Riparo Mochi rock shelter, located on the Ligurian coast of Italy, is one of the most important early Upper Paleolithic sites on the Mediterranean rim. Its ∼10-m-deep stratigraphy comprises a Mousterian sequence, followed by various development stages of the Upper Paleolithic. A series of radiometric dates on marine shells bearing traces of human modification has provided a chronological framework for the final Mousterian and the Proto-Aurignacian of the site. Based on modeling results, the end of the Mousterian was dated between 44.0 and 41.8 ka cal BP (68% probability) and the beginning of the Proto-Aurignacian between 42.7 and 41.6 ka cal BP (68% probability). However, these estimates were based on a limited number of radiocarbon ages in the Mousterian levels. Here, we report new dating of the Mochi sequence using luminescence techniques, along with new radiocarbon measurements. The combination of these results using a Bayesian modeling approach allows for the first time the establishment of a more precise timing for the Mousterian occupation at the site. We show that Mousterian groups were already present at Riparo Mochi by at least 65 ka and continued to occupy the site for another 20 ka. The transition to the earliest Upper Paleolithic at the site is centered around 44.3-41.1 ka (95.4% probability), providing our best age estimate for the beginning of the Early Upper Paleolithic and the establishment of modern human groups in the Balzi Rossi. The sequence continues upward with a more evolved Aurignacian phase and a Gravettian phase starting at ∼26 ka or earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Frouin
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Sciences Building (ESS), Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA; Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, United Kingdom.
| | - Katerina Douka
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria; Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, A-1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Aditi Krishna Dave
- Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstrasse 94-96, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Schwenninger
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, United Kingdom
| | - Norbert Mercier
- Archéosciences Bordeaux, UMR 6034 CNRS - Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Maison de l'archéologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Andrew S Murray
- The Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University and DTU Physics, DTU Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Fabio Santaniello
- Dipartimento di Lettere e Filosofia, Università di Trento, Trento, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Boschian
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
| | - Stefano Grimaldi
- Dipartimento di Lettere e Filosofia, Università di Trento, Trento, Italy; Istituto Italiano di Paleontologia Umana, Anagni, Italy
| | - Thomas Higham
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria; Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, A-1030, Vienna, Austria; Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, United Kingdom
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11
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Översti S, Palo JU. Variation in the substitution rates among the human mitochondrial haplogroup U sublineages. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6613373. [PMID: 35731946 PMCID: PMC9250076 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Resolving the absolute timescale of phylogenetic trees stipulates reliable estimates for the rate of DNA sequence evolution. For this end, various calibration methods have been developed and studied intensively. Intraspecific rate variation among distinct genetic lineages, however, has gained less attention. Here, we have assessed lineage-specific molecular rates of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by performing tip-calibrated Bayesian phylogenetic analyses. Tip-calibration, as opposed to traditional nodal time stamps from dated fossil evidence or geological events, is based on sample ages and becoming ever more feasible as ancient DNA data from radiocarbon-dated samples accumulate. We focus on subhaplogroups U2, U4, U5a, and U5b, the data including ancient mtDNA genomes from 14C-dated samples (n = 234), contemporary genomes (n = 301), and two outgroup sequences from haplogroup R. The obtained molecular rates depended on the data sets (with or without contemporary sequences), suggesting time-dependency. More notable was the rate variation between haplogroups: U4 and U5a stand out having a substantially higher rate than U5b. This is also reflected in the divergence times obtained (U5a: 17,700 years and U5b: 29,700 years), a disparity not reported previously. After ruling out various alternative causes (e.g., selection, sampling, and sequence quality), we propose that the substitution rates have been influenced by demographic histories, widely different among populations where U4/U5a or U5b are frequent. As with the Y-chromosomal subhaplogroup R1b, the mitochondrial U4 and U5a have been associated with remarkable range extensions of the Yamnaya culture in the Bronze Age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanni Översti
- Transmission, Infection, Diversification and Evolution Group, Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany Kahlaische Straße 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jukka U Palo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland P.O. Box 40, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Forensic Chemistry Unit, Forensic Genetics Team, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, Finland
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12
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Falcucci A, Peresani M. The contribution of integrated 3D model analysis to Protoaurignacian stone tool design. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268539. [PMID: 35584150 PMCID: PMC9116640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Protoaurignacian foragers relied heavily on the production and use of bladelets. Techno-typological studies of these implements have provided insights into crucial aspects of cultural variability. However, new technologies have seldom been used to quantify patterns of stone tool design. Taking advantage of a new scanning protocol and open-source software, we conduct the first 3D analysis of a Protoaurignacian assemblage, focusing on the selection and modification of blades and bladelets. We study a large dataset of complete blanks and retouched tools from the early Protoaurignacian assemblage at Fumane Cave in northeastern Italy. Our main goal is to validate and refine previous techno-typological considerations employing a 3D geometric morphometrics approach complemented by 2D analysis of cross-section outlines and computation of retouch angle. The encouraging results show the merits of the proposed integrated approach and confirm that bladelets were the main focus of stone knapping at the site. Among modified bladelets, various retouching techniques were applied to achieve specific shape objectives. We suggest that the variability observed among retouched bladelets relates to the design of multi-part artifacts that need to be further explored via renewed experimental and functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Falcucci
- Department of Geosciences, Prehistory and Archaeological Sciences Research Unit, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Marco Peresani
- Department of Humanities, Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences Unit, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, National Research Council, Milano, Italy
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13
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Bayle P, Armand D, Bessou M, Cochard D, Couture C, Deguilloux M, Ferrier C, Haget C, Jaubert J, Knüsel C, Martins S, Pubert É, Rottier S, Souron A, Beauval C, Caillo A, Dutailly B, Girault T, Hesry M, Lacrampe‐Cuyaubère F, Ledevin R, Masset C, Mesa‐Saborido M, Mora P, Muth X, Pinson R, Thibeault A, Thomas M, Vanderesse N, Bordes J. Enhancing the learning of evolutionary anthropology skills by combining student‐active teaching with actual and virtual immersion of Master's students in fieldwork, laboratory practice, and dissemination. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8825. [PMID: 35441006 PMCID: PMC9012909 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher education in evolutionary anthropology involves providing students with in‐depth knowledge of biological and cultural heritage sites and collections that are frequently inaccessible. Indeed, most sites, fossils, and archaeological remains can be visited or manipulated only rarely and solely by specialists with extensive experience. Owing to the development of 3D and medical imaging techniques, this fragile heritage is now more widely accessible, and in a dynamic way. However, exclusive adoption of virtual teaching and learning has a negative impact on student engagement and, naturally, on exchanges with instructors, and thus cannot be used without some reservations. In the ITAP (Immersion dans les Terrains de l’Anthropologie biologique et de la Préhistoire) project of the higher education STEP (Soutien à la Transformation et à l’Expérimentation Pédagogiques) transformation program at the University of Bordeaux, we combine student‐active teaching with Master's students fully immersed in ongoing fieldwork, laboratory study, and dissemination of research results in order to develop more individually shaped learning curricula and to foster both professional and new interdisciplinary skills. Here, we present examples of experiments conducted in the ITAP project using both authentic and virtual collections of archaeological, experimental, and reference materials that help to break down the barriers between research activities and higher education, as well as providing a more general appraisal of the appropriate use of virtual tools in higher education by combining them with real‐life situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Bayle
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | - Maryelle Bessou
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | - David Cochard
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | | | | | - Cathy Haget
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | - Jacques Jaubert
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | - Stéphanie Martins
- Mission d'Appui à la Pédagogie et à l'Innovation University of Bordeaux Bordeaux France
| | - Éric Pubert
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | - Antoine Souron
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | - Arnaud Caillo
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | - Bruno Dutailly
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
- UMS 3657 CNRS, Archéovision Bordeaux Montaigne University Pessac France
| | - Thomas Girault
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | - Malo Hesry
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | - Ronan Ledevin
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | | | - Pascal Mora
- UMS 3657 CNRS, Archéovision Bordeaux Montaigne University Pessac France
| | | | - Raphaël Pinson
- UMR5199 CNRS, MC, PACEA University of Bordeaux Pessac France
| | | | - Marc Thomas
- UMR 5608 CNRS, TRACES University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès Toulouse France
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14
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Slimak L, Zanolli C, Higham T, Frouin M, Schwenninger JL, Arnold LJ, Demuro M, Douka K, Mercier N, Guérin G, Valladas H, Yvorra P, Giraud Y, Seguin-Orlando A, Orlando L, Lewis JE, Muth X, Camus H, Vandevelde S, Buckley M, Mallol C, Stringer C, Metz L. Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabj9496. [PMID: 35138885 PMCID: PMC8827661 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Determining the extent of overlap between modern humans and other hominins in Eurasia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, is fundamental to understanding the nature of their interactions and what led to the disappearance of archaic hominins. Apart from a possible sporadic pulse recorded in Greece during the Middle Pleistocene, the first settlements of modern humans in Europe have been constrained to ~45,000 to 43,000 years ago. Here, we report hominin fossils from Grotte Mandrin in France that reveal the earliest known presence of modern humans in Europe between 56,800 and 51,700 years ago. This early modern human incursion in the Rhône Valley is associated with technologies unknown in any industry of that age outside Africa or the Levant. Mandrin documents the first alternating occupation of Neanderthals and modern humans, with a modern human fossil and associated Neronian lithic industry found stratigraphically between layers containing Neanderthal remains associated with Mousterian industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Slimak
- CNRS, UMR 5608, TRACES, Université de Toulouse Jean Jaurès, 5 Allées Antonio Machado, 31058 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600 Pessac, France
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Tom Higham
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, University Biology Building, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marine Frouin
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Sciences Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Jean-Luc Schwenninger
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Lee J. Arnold
- School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Martina Demuro
- School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Katerina Douka
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, University Biology Building, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische, Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Norbert Mercier
- CNRS, UMR 5060, Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux and Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l’Archéologie (CRP2A), Maison de l’Archéologie, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 33607 Pessac, France
| | - Gilles Guérin
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, UMR 8212 CEA CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hélène Valladas
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, UMR 8212 CEA CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pascale Yvorra
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Min. Culture, UMR 7269, LAMPEA, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l’Homme, BP 647, 5 rue du Château de l’Horloge, F-13094, Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France
| | - Yves Giraud
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Min. Culture, UMR 7269, LAMPEA, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l’Homme, BP 647, 5 rue du Château de l’Horloge, F-13094, Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France
| | | | - Ludovic Orlando
- CNRS, UMR 5288, CAGT, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Jason E. Lewis
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | | | - Hubert Camus
- PROTEE-EXPERT, 4 rue des Aspholdèles, 34750 Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, France
| | - Ségolène Vandevelde
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, UMR 8212 CEA CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris 1–Panthéon-Sorbonne, Équipe Archéologies Environnementales, UMR 7041, ArScAn, Équipe Archéologies Environnementales, 21 allée de l’Université, 92023 Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Mike Buckley
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, UDI Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Chris Stringer
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Laure Metz
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Min. Culture, UMR 7269, LAMPEA, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l’Homme, BP 647, 5 rue du Château de l’Horloge, F-13094, Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, 215 Glenbrook Road, U-4098, Storrs, CT 06269-4098, USA
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15
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Silvestrini S, Romandini M, Marciani G, Arrighi S, Carrera L, Fiorini A, López‐García JM, Lugli F, Ranaldo F, Slon V, Tassoni L, Higgins OA, Bortolini E, Curci A, Meyer M, Meyer MC, Oxilia G, Zerboni A, Benazzi S, Spinapolice EE. Integrated multidisciplinary ecological analysis from the Uluzzian settlement at the Uluzzo C Rock Shelter, south-eastern Italy. J Quat Sci 2022; 37:235-256. [PMID: 35874301 PMCID: PMC9290050 DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, between 50 000 and 40 000 years ago, is a period of important ecological and cultural changes. In this framework, the Rock Shelter of Uluzzo C (Apulia, southern Italy) represents an important site due to Late Mousterian and Uluzzian evidence preserved in its stratigraphic sequence. Here, we present the results of a multidisciplinary analysis performed on the materials collected between 2016 and 2018 from the Uluzzian stratigraphic units (SUs) 3, 15 and 17. The analysis involved lithic technology, use-wear, zooarchaeology, ancient DNA of sediments and palaeoproteomics, completed by quartz single-grain optically stimulated luminescence dating of the cave sediments. The lithic assemblage is characterized by a volumetric production and a debitage with no or little management of the convexities (by using the bipolar technique), with the objective to produce bladelets and flakelets. The zooarchaeological study found evidence of butchery activity and of the possible exploitation of marine resources, while drawing a picture of a patchy landscape, composed of open forests and dry open environments surrounding the shelter. Ancient mitochondrial DNA from two mammalian taxa were recovered from the sediments. Preliminary zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry results are consistent with ancient DNA and zooarchaeological taxonomic information, while further palaeoproteomics investigations are ongoing. Our new data from the re-discovery of the Uluzzo C Rock Shelter represent an important contribution to better understand the meaning of the Uluzzian in the context of the Middle/Upper Palaeolithic transition in south-eastern Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Silvestrini
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
| | - Giulia Marciani
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
- U.R. Università di SienaDipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'AmbienteSienaItaly
| | - Simona Arrighi
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
- U.R. Università di SienaDipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'AmbienteSienaItaly
| | - Lisa Carrera
- Università degli Studi di Bologna, Dipartimento di Scienze BiologicheGeologiche e AmbientaliBolognaItaly
| | - Andrea Fiorini
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
| | - Juan Manuel López‐García
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES‐CERCA)TarragonaSpain
- Universitat Rovira i VirgiliDepartament d'Història i Història de l'ArtTarragonaSpain
| | - Federico Lugli
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
| | - Filomena Ranaldo
- U.R. Università di SienaDipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'AmbienteSienaItaly
- Museo della Preistoria Nardò
| | - Viviane Slon
- Department of Evolutionary GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and BiochemistrySackler Faculty of MedicineTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
- The Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory ResearchTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Laura Tassoni
- Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Studi UmanisticiSezione di Scienze Preistoriche e AntropologicheFerraraItaly
| | | | | | - Antonio Curci
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Storia Culture CiviltàBolognaItaly
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | | | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
| | - Andrea Zerboni
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di Scienze delle Terra “A. Desio”MilanoItaly
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Università di BolognaDipartimento di Beni Culturali di RavennaItaly
| | - Enza Elena Spinapolice
- Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”Dipartimento di Scienze dell'AntichitàRoma00185Italy
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16
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Picin A, Benazzi S, Blasco R, Hajdinjak M, Helgen KM, Hublin JJ, Rosell J, Skoglund P, Stringer C, Talamo S. Comment on "A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago". Science 2021; 374:eabi8330. [PMID: 34793212 PMCID: PMC7612203 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi8330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Cooper et al. (Research Articles, 19 February 2021, p. 811) propose that the Laschamps geomagnetic inversion ~42 ka BP drove global climatic shifts, causing major behavioural changes within prehistoric groups, and events of human and megafaunal extinction. Other scientific studies indicate that this proposition is unproven from the current archaeological, paleoanthropological, and genetic records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Picin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna 48121, Italy
| | - Ruth Blasco
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona 43007, Spain.,Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43002, Spain
| | - Mateja Hajdinjak
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, Collège de France, Paris 75231, France
| | - Jordi Rosell
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona 43007, Spain.,Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43002, Spain
| | | | - Chris Stringer
- CHER, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician," University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
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17
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Modi A, Vai S, Posth C, Vergata C, Zaro V, Diroma MA, Boschin F, Capecchi G, Ricci S, Ronchitelli A, Catalano G, Lauria G, D'Amore G, Sineo L, Caramelli D, Lari M. More data on ancient human mitogenome variability in Italy: new mitochondrial genome sequences from three Upper Palaeolithic burials. Ann Hum Biol 2021; 48:213-222. [PMID: 34459344 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2021.1942549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, the study of mitochondrial variability in ancient humans has allowed the definition of population dynamics that characterised Europe in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. Despite the abundance of sites and skeletal remains few data are available for Italy. AIM We reconstructed the mitochondrial genomes of three Upper Palaeolithic individuals for some of the most important Italian archaeological contexts: Paglicci (South-Eastern Italy), San Teodoro (South-Western Italy) and Arene Candide (North-Western Italy) caves. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We explored the phylogenetic relationships of the three mitogenomes in the context of Western Eurasian ancient and modern variability. RESULTS Paglicci 12 belongs to sub-haplogroup U8c, described in only two other Gravettian individuals; San Teodoro 2 harbours a U2'3'4'7'8'9 sequence, the only lineage found in Sicily during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene; Arene Candide 16 displays an ancestral U5b1 haplotype already detected in other Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from Central Europe. CONCLUSION Regional genetic continuity is highlighted in the Gravettian groups that succeeded in Paglicci. Data from one of the oldest human remains from Sicily reinforce the hypothesis that Epigravettian groups carrying U2'3'4'7'8'9 could be the first inhabitants of the island. The first pre-Neolithic mitogenome from North-Western Italy, sequenced here, shows more affinity with continental Europe than with the Italian peninsula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Modi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Stefania Vai
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Cosimo Posth
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Chiara Vergata
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Valentina Zaro
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Boschin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giulia Capecchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Ricci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Annamaria Ronchitelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giulio Catalano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriele Lauria
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Giuseppe D'Amore
- Istituto di Studi Archeo-antropologici - I.S.A, Scandicci, Italy
| | - Luca Sineo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - David Caramelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Martina Lari
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
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Heydari-Guran S, Benazzi S, Talamo S, Ghasidian E, Hariri N, Oxilia G, Asiabani S, Azizi F, Naderi R, Safaierad R, Hublin JJ, Foley RA, Lahr MM. The discovery of an in situ Neanderthal remain in the Bawa Yawan Rockshelter, West-Central Zagros Mountains, Kermanshah. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253708. [PMID: 34437543 PMCID: PMC8389444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neanderthal extinction has been a matter of debate for many years. New discoveries, better chronologies and genomic evidence have done much to clarify some of the issues. This evidence suggests that Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000–37,000 years before present (BP), after a period of coexistence with Homo sapiens of several millennia, involving biological and cultural interactions between the two groups. However, the bulk of this evidence relates to Western Eurasia, and recent work in Central Asia and Siberia has shown that there is considerable local variation. Southwestern Asia, despite having a number of significant Neanderthal remains, has not played a major part in the debate over extinction. Here we report a Neanderthal deciduous canine from the site of Bawa Yawan in the West-Central Zagros Mountains of Iran. The tooth is associated with Zagros Mousterian lithics, and its context is preliminary dated to between ~43,600 and ~41,500 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Heydari-Guran
- Stiftung Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, Germany
- Department of Prehistoric Archaeology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elham Ghasidian
- Stiftung Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, Germany
- Department of Prehistoric Archaeology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nemat Hariri
- Department of Prehistoric Archaeology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Samran Asiabani
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Faramarz Azizi
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Rahmat Naderi
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Reza Safaierad
- Department of Physical Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Collège de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris, France
| | - Robert A. Foley
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marta M. Lahr
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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19
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Richards MP, Mannino MA, Jaouen K, Dozio A, Hublin JJ, Peresani M. Strontium isotope evidence for Neanderthal and modern human mobility at the upper and middle palaeolithic site of Fumane Cave (Italy). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254848. [PMID: 34428206 PMCID: PMC8384160 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate the mobility patterns of Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe during the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition period, we applied strontium isotope analysis to Neanderthal (n = 3) and modern human (n = 2) teeth recovered from the site of Fumane Cave in the Monti Lessini region of Northern Italy. We also measured a large number of environmental samples from the region, to establish a strontium 'baseline', and also micromammals (vole teeth) from the levels associated with the hominin teeth. We found that the modern humans and Neanderthals had similar strontium isotope values, and these values match the local baseline values we obtained for the site and the surrounding region. We conclude that both groups were utilizing the local mountainous region where Fumane Cave is situated, and likely the nearby Lessini highlands and Adige plains, and therefore the strontium evidence does not show differening mobility patterns between Neanderthals and modern humans at the Fumane site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Richards
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Marcello A. Mannino
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563, CNRS, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Alessandro Dozio
- Department of Humanities, Section of Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marco Peresani
- Department of Cultural Heritage, Bologna University, Ravenna, Italy
- Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, National Council of Research, Milano, Italy
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20
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Sun XF, Wen SQ, Lu CQ, Zhou BY, Curnoe D, Lu HY, Li HC, Wang W, Cheng H, Yi SW, Jia X, Du PX, Xu XH, Lu YM, Lu Y, Zheng HX, Zhang H, Sun C, Wei LH, Han F, Huang J, Edwards RL, Jin L, Li H. Ancient DNA and multimethod dating confirm the late arrival of anatomically modern humans in southern China. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2019158118. [PMID: 33558418 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019158118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) from Africa around 65,000 to 45,000 y ago (ca. 65 to 45 ka) led to the establishment of present-day non-African populations. Some paleoanthropologists have argued that fossil discoveries from Huanglong, Zhiren, Luna, and Fuyan caves in southern China indicate one or more prior dispersals, perhaps as early as ca. 120 ka. We investigated the age of the human remains from three of these localities and two additional early AMH sites (Yangjiapo and Sanyou caves, Hubei) by combining ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis with a multimethod geological dating strategy. Although U-Th dating of capping flowstones suggested they lie within the range ca. 168 to 70 ka, analyses of aDNA and direct AMS 14C dating on human teeth from Fuyan and Yangjiapo caves showed they derive from the Holocene. OSL dating of sediments and AMS 14C analysis of mammal teeth and charcoal also demonstrated major discrepancies from the flowstone ages; the difference between them being an order of magnitude or more at most of these localities. Our work highlights the surprisingly complex depositional history recorded at these subtropical caves which involved one or more episodes of erosion and redeposition or intrusion as recently as the late Holocene. In light of our findings, the first appearance datum for AMHs in southern China should probably lie within the timeframe set by molecular data of ca. 50 to 45 ka.
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21
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Pan L, Ji X, Liao W, Wang W, Liu J, Xing S. Premolar enamel thickness and distribution of a Miocene hominid Lufengpithecus hudienensis compared with Pleistocene and extant hominids. J Hum Evol 2021; 157:103030. [PMID: 34274567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Lufengpithecus hudienensis is a Late-Miocene hominid from the Yuanmou basin of southwestern China. Previous studies link Lufengpithecus to either the Sivapithecus-orangutan clade or a derived branch from the basal stem of the Hominidae. Despite a rich fossil assemblage, the taxonomy of L. hudienensis and its phylogenetic relationship with other hominids is still unclear. Enamel thickness in fossil and modern hominids can provide insights into taxonomy, phylogeny, and dietary reconstructions. In this study, 24 upper and lower L. hudienensis premolars were imaged using high-resolution microcomputed tomography. Three-dimensional average enamel thickness and relative enamel thickness (RET) indices, as well as whole-crown enamel distribution patterns were recorded for the L. hudienensis specimens and compared with a total of 113 specimens of fossil and extant apes and recent modern humans (RMH): fossil Pongo (n = 36), Gigantopithecus blacki (n = 21), Pan troglodytes (n = 11), Gorilla gorilla (n = 7), and RMH (n = 38). RET of the premolars of L. hudienensis was found to be similar to that of fossil Pongo, P. troglodytes, and G. gorilla, but less than Gi. blacki and RMH values. The distribution of enamel thickness shows a taxon-specific pattern for L. hudienensis, generally characterized by thicker enamel on the lateral wall than on the cusp apex, on the lingual cusp of the upper and buccal cusp of the lower premolars, with some differences with respect to fossil Pongo, Gi. blacki, P. troglodytes, and G. gorilla patterns. Additional characterizations of enamel thickness distribution patterns of the molars and other dental endostructural morphologies are needed to further explore the phylogenetic relationships of L. hudienensis with other hominids.
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22
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Gelabert P, Sawyer S, Bergström A, Margaryan A, Collin TC, Meshveliani T, Belfer-Cohen A, Lordkipanidze D, Jakeli N, Matskevich Z, Bar-Oz G, Fernandes DM, Cheronet O, Özdoğan KT, Oberreiter V, Feeney RNM, Stahlschmidt MC, Skoglund P, Pinhasi R. Genome-scale sequencing and analysis of human, wolf, and bison DNA from 25,000-year-old sediment. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3564-3574.e9. [PMID: 34256019 PMCID: PMC8409484 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cave sediments have been shown to preserve ancient DNA but so far have not yielded the genome-scale information of skeletal remains. We retrieved and analyzed human and mammalian nuclear and mitochondrial environmental "shotgun" genomes from a single 25,000-year-old Upper Paleolithic sediment sample from Satsurblia cave, western Georgia:first, a human environmental genome with substantial basal Eurasian ancestry, which was an ancestral component of the majority of post-Ice Age people in the Near East, North Africa, and parts of Europe; second, a wolf environmental genome that is basal to extant Eurasian wolves and dogs and represents a previously unknown, likely extinct, Caucasian lineage; and third, a European bison environmental genome that is basal to present-day populations, suggesting that population structure has been substantially reshaped since the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results provide new insights into the Late Pleistocene genetic histories of these three species and demonstrate that direct shotgun sequencing of sediment DNA, without target enrichment methods, can yield genome-wide data informative of ancestry and phylogenetic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pere Gelabert
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Susanna Sawyer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anders Bergström
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Ashot Margaryan
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas C Collin
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tengiz Meshveliani
- Georgian National Museum, Institute of Paleoanthropology and Paleobiology, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Anna Belfer-Cohen
- Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David Lordkipanidze
- Georgian National Museum, Institute of Paleoanthropology and Paleobiology, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Nino Jakeli
- Georgian National Museum, Institute of Paleoanthropology and Paleobiology, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Guy Bar-Oz
- Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Daniel M Fernandes
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; CIAS, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Olivia Cheronet
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kadir T Özdoğan
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Victoria Oberreiter
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Mareike C Stahlschmidt
- Department of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pontus Skoglund
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Ron Pinhasi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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23
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Hajdinjak M, Mafessoni F, Skov L, Vernot B, Hübner A, Fu Q, Essel E, Nagel S, Nickel B, Richter J, Moldovan OT, Constantin S, Endarova E, Zahariev N, Spasov R, Welker F, Smith GM, Sinet-Mathiot V, Paskulin L, Fewlass H, Talamo S, Rezek Z, Sirakova S, Sirakov N, McPherron SP, Tsanova T, Hublin JJ, Peter BM, Meyer M, Skoglund P, Kelso J, Pääbo S. Initial Upper Palaeolithic humans in Europe had recent Neanderthal ancestry. Nature 2021; 592:253-257. [PMID: 33828320 PMCID: PMC8026394 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03335-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Modern humans appeared in Europe by at least 45,000 years ago1-5, but the extent of their interactions with Neanderthals, who disappeared by about 40,000 years ago6, and their relationship to the broader expansion of modern humans outside Africa are poorly understood. Here we present genome-wide data from three individuals dated to between 45,930 and 42,580 years ago from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria1,2. They are the earliest Late Pleistocene modern humans known to have been recovered in Europe so far, and were found in association with an Initial Upper Palaeolithic artefact assemblage. Unlike two previously studied individuals of similar ages from Romania7 and Siberia8 who did not contribute detectably to later populations, these individuals are more closely related to present-day and ancient populations in East Asia and the Americas than to later west Eurasian populations. This indicates that they belonged to a modern human migration into Europe that was not previously known from the genetic record, and provides evidence that there was at least some continuity between the earliest modern humans in Europe and later people in Eurasia. Moreover, we find that all three individuals had Neanderthal ancestors a few generations back in their family history, confirming that the first European modern humans mixed with Neanderthals and suggesting that such mixing could have been common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateja Hajdinjak
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Fabrizio Mafessoni
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Laurits Skov
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benjamin Vernot
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Hübner
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Qiaomei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, IVPP, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
| | - Elena Essel
- 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
| | - Oana Teodora Moldovan
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Cluj Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Silviu Constantin
- Department of Geospeleology and Paleontology, Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Bucharest, Romania
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Nikolay Zahariev
- Archaeology Department, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Rosen Spasov
- Archaeology Department, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Frido Welker
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Geoff M Smith
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Virginie Sinet-Mathiot
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Helen Fewlass
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Chemistry 'G. Ciamician', University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Zeljko Rezek
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Svoboda Sirakova
- National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Nikolay Sirakov
- National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Shannon P McPherron
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tsenka Tsanova
- 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
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin M Peter
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Janet Kelso
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
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24
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Compton T, Skinner MM, Humphrey L, Pope M, Bates M, Davies TW, Parfitt SA, Plummer WP, Scott B, Shaw A, Stringer C. The morphology of the Late Pleistocene hominin remains from the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey (Channel Islands). J Hum Evol 2021; 152:102939. [PMID: 33517134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Thirteen permanent fully erupted teeth were excavated at the Paleolithic site of La Cotte de St Brelade in Jersey in 1910 and 1911. These were all found in the same location, on a ledge behind a hearth in a Mousterian occupation level. They were originally identified as being Neanderthal. A fragment of occipital bone was found in a separate locality in a later season. Recent dating of adjacent sediments gives a probable age of <48 ka. The purpose of this article is to provide an updated description of the morphology of this material and consider its likely taxonomic assignment from comparison with Neanderthal and Homo sapiens samples. One of the original teeth has been lost, and we identify one as nonhominin. At least two adult individuals are represented. Cervix shape and the absence of common Neanderthal traits in several teeth suggest affinities with H. sapiens in both individuals, while crown and root dimensions and root morphology of all the teeth are entirely consistent with a Neanderthal attribution, pointing toward a possible shared Neanderthal and H. sapiens ancestry (the likely date of this material corresponds with the time in which both Neanderthals and H. sapiens were present in Europe). The occipital fragment is stratigraphically more recent and does not exhibit any diagnostic Neanderthal features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Compton
- Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Louise Humphrey
- Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Matthew Pope
- UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Martin Bates
- Faculty of Humanities and Performing Arts, University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter, Ceredigion, SA48 7ED, UK
| | - Thomas W Davies
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon A Parfitt
- Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK; UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - William P Plummer
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Beccy Scott
- The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG, UK
| | - Andrew Shaw
- Wessex Archaeology, Portway House, Old Sarum Park, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6EB, UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
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Nava A, Lugli F, Romandini M, Badino F, Evans D, Helbling AH, Oxilia G, Arrighi S, Bortolini E, Delpiano D, Duches R, Figus C, Livraghi A, Marciani G, Silvestrini S, Cipriani A, Giovanardi T, Pini R, Tuniz C, Bernardini F, Dori I, Coppa A, Cristiani E, Dean C, Bondioli L, Peresani M, Müller W, Benazzi S. Early life of Neanderthals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:28719-26. [PMID: 33139541 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011765117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The early onset of weaning in modern humans has been linked to the high nutritional demand of brain development that is intimately connected with infant physiology and growth rate. In Neanderthals, ontogenetic patterns in early life are still debated, with some studies suggesting an accelerated development and others indicating only subtle differences vs. modern humans. Here we report the onset of weaning and rates of enamel growth using an unprecedented sample set of three late (∼70 to 50 ka) Neanderthals and one Upper Paleolithic modern human from northeastern Italy via spatially resolved chemical/isotopic analyses and histomorphometry of deciduous teeth. Our results reveal that the modern human nursing strategy, with onset of weaning at 5 to 6 mo, was present among these Neanderthals. This evidence, combined with dental development akin to modern humans, highlights their similar metabolic constraints during early life and excludes late weaning as a factor contributing to Neanderthals' demise.
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Raia P, Mondanaro A, Melchionna M, Di Febbraro M, Diniz-filho JA, Rangel TF, Holden PB, Carotenuto F, Edwards NR, Lima-ribeiro MS, Profico A, Maiorano L, Castiglione S, Serio C, Rook L. Past Extinctions of Homo Species Coincided with Increased Vulnerability to Climatic Change. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 3:480-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Romandini M, Oxilia G, Bortolini E, Peyrégne S, Delpiano D, Nava A, Panetta D, Di Domenico G, Martini P, Arrighi S, Badino F, Figus C, Lugli F, Marciani G, Silvestrini S, Menghi Sartorio JC, Terlato G, Hublin JJ, Meyer M, Bondioli L, Higham T, Slon V, Peresani M, Benazzi S. A late Neanderthal tooth from northeastern Italy. J Hum Evol 2020; 147:102867. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Haws JA, Benedetti MM, Talamo S, Bicho N, Cascalheira J, Ellis MG, Carvalho MM, Friedl L, Pereira T, Zinsious BK. The early Aurignacian dispersal of modern humans into westernmost Eurasia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:25414-22. [PMID: 32989161 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016062117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the remarkable discovery of an early Aurignacian occupation, ∼5,000 years older than any Upper Paleolithic site in westernmost Eurasia. The archaeological and radiocarbon data provide definitive evidence that modern humans were in western Iberia at a time when, if present at all, Neanderthal populations would have been extremely sparse. This discovery has important ramifications for our understanding of the process of modern human dispersal and replacement of Neanderthal populations. The results support a very rapid, unimpeded dispersal of modern humans across western Eurasia and support the notion that climate and environmental change played a significant role in this process. Documenting the first appearance of modern humans in a given region is key to understanding the dispersal process and the replacement or assimilation of indigenous human populations such as the Neanderthals. The Iberian Peninsula was the last refuge of Neanderthal populations as modern humans advanced across Eurasia. Here we present evidence of an early Aurignacian occupation at Lapa do Picareiro in central Portugal. Diagnostic artifacts were found in a sealed stratigraphic layer dated 41.1 to 38.1 ka cal BP, documenting a modern human presence on the western margin of Iberia ∼5,000 years earlier than previously known. The data indicate a rapid modern human dispersal across southern Europe, reaching the westernmost edge where Neanderthals were thought to persist. The results support the notion of a mosaic process of modern human dispersal and replacement of indigenous Neanderthal populations.
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Bailey SE, Sorrentino R, Mancuso G, Hublin JJ, Benazzi S. Taxonomic differences in deciduous lower first molar crown outlines of Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis. J Hum Evol 2020; 147:102864. [PMID: 32927399 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that the outline shapes of deciduous upper and lower second molars and the deciduous upper first molar are useful for diagnosing hominin taxa-especially Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. Building on these studies, we use geometric morphometric methods to assess the taxonomic significance of the crown outline of the lower first deciduous molar (dm1). We test whether the crown shape of the dm1 distinguishes H. neanderthalensis from H. sapiens and explore whether dm1 crown shape can be used to accurately assign individuals to taxa. Our fossil sample includes 3 early H. sapiens, 7 Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens, and 13 H. neanderthalensis individuals. Our recent human sample includes 103 individuals from Africa, Australia, Europe, South America, and South Asia. Our results indicate that H. neanderthalensis dm1s cluster fairly tightly and separate well from those of Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens. However, we also found that the range of shapes in the recent human sample completely overlaps the ranges of all fossil samples. Consequently, results of the quadratic discriminant analysis based on the first 8 principal components (PCs) representing more than 90% of the variation were mixed. Lower dm1s were correctly classified in 87.3% of the individuals; the combined H. sapiens sample had greater success (90.2%) in assigning individuals than did the H. neanderthalensis sample (61.5%). When the analysis was run removing the highly variable recent human sample, accuracy increased to 84.6% for H. neanderthalensis, and 57.1% of Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens were classified correctly by using the first 4 PCs (70.3%). We conclude that caution is warranted when assigning isolated dm1 crowns to taxa; while an assignment to H. neanderthalensis has a high probability of being correct, assignment to Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens is less certain.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Bailey
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, USA; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - R Sorrentino
- Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - G Mancuso
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - J-J Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Collège de France, 70005, Paris, France
| | - S Benazzi
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
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Picin A, Hajdinjak M, Nowaczewska W, Benazzi S, Urbanowski M, Marciszak A, Fewlass H, Socha P, Stefaniak K, Żarski M, Wiśniewski A, Hublin JJ, Nadachowski A, Talamo S. New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland). Sci Rep 2020; 10:14778. [PMID: 32901061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71504-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Micoquian is the broadest and longest enduring cultural facies of the Late Middle Palaeolithic that spread across the periglacial and boreal environments of Europe between Eastern France, Poland, and Northern Caucasus. Here, we present new data from the archaeological record of Stajnia Cave (Poland) and the paleogenetic analysis of a Neanderthal molar S5000, found in a Micoquian context. Our results demonstrate that the mtDNA genome of Stajnia S5000 dates to MIS 5a making the tooth the oldest Neanderthal specimen from Central-Eastern Europe. Furthermore, S5000 mtDNA has the fewest number of differences to mtDNA of Mezmaiskaya 1 Neanderthal from Northern Caucasus, and is more distant from almost contemporaneous Neanderthals of Scladina and Hohlenstein-Stadel. This observation and the technological affinity between Poland and the Northern Caucasus could be the result of increased mobility of Neanderthals that changed their subsistence strategy for coping with the new low biomass environments and the increased foraging radius of gregarious animals. The Prut and Dniester rivers were probably used as the main corridors of dispersal. The persistence of the Micoquian techno-complex in South-Eastern Europe infers that this axis of mobility was also used at the beginning of MIS 3 when a Neanderthal population turnover occurred in the Northern Caucasus.
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Columbu A, Chiarini V, Spötl C, Benazzi S, Hellstrom J, Cheng H, De Waele J. Speleothem record attests to stable environmental conditions during Neanderthal-modern human turnover in southern Italy. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1188-95. [PMID: 32632262 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1243-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The causes of Neanderthal-modern human (MH) turnover are ambiguous. While potential biocultural interactions between the two groups are still little known, it is clear that Neanderthals in southern Europe disappeared about 42 thousand years ago (ka) after cohabitation for ~3,000 years with MH. Among a plethora of hypotheses on Neanderthal extinction, rapid climate changes during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) are regarded as a primary factor. Here we show evidence for stable climatic and environmental conditions during the MUPT in a region (Apulia) where Neanderthals and MH coexisted. We base our findings on a rare glacial stalagmite deposited between ~106 and ~27 ka, providing the first continuous western Mediterranean speleothem palaeoclimate archive for this period. The uninterrupted growth of the stalagmite attests to the constant availability of rainfall and vegetated soils, while its δ13C-δ18O palaeoclimate proxies demonstrate that Apulia was not affected by dramatic climate oscillations during the MUPT. Our results imply that, because climate did not play a key role in the disappearance of Neanderthals in this area, Neanderthal-MH turnover must be approached from a perspective that takes into account climatic and environmental conditions favourable for both species.
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Hublin J, Sirakov N, Aldeias V, Bailey S, Bard E, Delvigne V, Endarova E, Fagault Y, Fewlass H, Hajdinjak M, Kromer B, Krumov I, Marreiros J, Martisius NL, Paskulin L, Sinet-mathiot V, Meyer M, Pääbo S, Popov V, Rezek Z, Sirakova S, Skinner MM, Smith GM, Spasov R, Talamo S, Tuna T, Wacker L, Welker F, Wilcke A, Zahariev N, Mcpherron SP, Tsanova T. Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria. Nature 2020; 581:299-302. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2259-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Dinnis R, Bessudnov A, Reynolds N, Pate A, Sablin M, Sinitsyn A. Response to Bataille et al.'s 'Technological differences between Kostenki 17/II (Spitsynskaya industry, Central Russia) and the Protoaurignacian: Reply to Dinnis et al. (2019)' [J. Hum. Evol. (2019), 102685]. J Hum Evol 2020; 146:102792. [PMID: 32359721 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rob Dinnis
- The British Museum, Franks House, 56 Orsman Road, London, N1 5QL, UK.
| | - Alexander Bessudnov
- Institute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dvortsovaia Naberezhnaia 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russia
| | - Natasha Reynolds
- UMR 5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Bâtiment B8, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS 50023, Pessac Cedex, 33615, France
| | | | - Mikhail Sablin
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Nab. 1, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Andrei Sinitsyn
- Institute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dvortsovaia Naberezhnaia 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russia
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Garralda MD, Maureille B, Le Cabec A, Oxilia G, Benazzi S, Skinner MM, Hublin JJ, Vandermeersch B. The Neanderthal teeth from Marillac (Charente, Southwestern France): Morphology, comparisons and paleobiology. J Hum Evol 2019; 138:102683. [PMID: 31765984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Few European sites have yielded human dental remains safely dated to the end of MIS 4/beginning of MIS 3. One of those sites is Marillac (Southwestern France), a collapsed karstic cave where archeological excavations (1967-1980) conducted by B. Vandermeersch unearthed numerous faunal and human remains, as well as a few Mousterian Quina tools. The Marillac sinkhole was occasionally used by humans to process the carcasses of different prey, but there is no evidence for a residential use of the site, nor have any hearths been found. Rare carnivore bones were also discovered, demonstrating that the sinkhole was seasonally used, not only by Neanderthals, but also by predators across several millennia. The lithostratigraphic units containing the human remains were dated to ∼60 kyr. The fossils consisted of numerous fragments of skulls and jaws, isolated teeth and several post-cranial bones, many of them with traces of perimortem manipulations. For those already published, their morphological characteristics and chronostratigraphic context allowed their attribution to Neanderthals. This paper analyzes sixteen unpublished human teeth (fourteen permanent and two deciduous) by investigating the external morphology and metrical variation with respect to other Neanderthal remains and a sample from modern populations. We also investigate their enamel thickness distribution in 2D and 3D, the enamel-dentine junction morphology (using geometric morphometrics) of one molar and two premolars, the roots and the possible expression of taurodontism, as well as pathologies and developmental defects. The anterior tooth use and paramasticatory activities are also discussed. Morphological and structural alterations were found on several teeth, and interpreted in light of human behavior (tooth-pick) and carnivores' actions (partial digestion). The data are interpreted in the context of the available information for the Eurasian Neanderthals.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Dolores Garralda
- Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Bruno Maureille
- UMR5199 PACEA: de la préhistoire à l'actuel: culture, environnement et anthropologie, Université de Bordeaux, bât. B8. Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire - CS 50023, 33615 Pessac, France
| | - Adeline Le Cabec
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig D, 04103, Germany
| | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig D, 04103, Germany; Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Marlowe Building, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig D, 04103, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig D, 04103, Germany
| | - Bernard Vandermeersch
- UMR5199 PACEA: de la préhistoire à l'actuel: culture, environnement et anthropologie, Université de Bordeaux, bât. B8. Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire - CS 50023, 33615 Pessac, France
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Bailey SE, Brophy JK, Moggi-Cecchi J, Delezene LK. The deciduous dentition of Homo naledi: A comparative study. J Hum Evol 2019; 136:102655. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Sponheimer M, Ryder CM, Fewlass H, Smith EK, Pestle WJ, Talamo S. Saving Old Bones: a non-destructive method for bone collagen prescreening. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13928. [PMID: 31558827 PMCID: PMC6763469 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50443-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone collagen is an important material for radiocarbon, paleodietary, and paleoproteomic analyses, but it degrades over time, making such analyses more difficult with older material. Collagen preservation between and within archaeological sites is also variable, so that much time, effort, and money can go into the preparation and initial analysis of samples that will not yield meaningful results. To avoid this, various methods are employed to prescreen bone for collagen preservation (e.g., %N, microporosity, and FTIR spectroscopic analyses), but these are often destructive and/or require exportation for analysis. Here, we explore near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool for gauging the collagen content of ground and whole bone from about 500 to 45,000 years ago. We show that a portable spectrometer’s ability to quantify collagen content and classify specimens by preservation status is comparable to that of other popular prescreening methods. Moreover, near-infrared spectroscopy is non-destructive and spectra can be acquired in a few seconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Sponheimer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
| | - Christina M Ryder
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Helen Fewlass
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Erin K Smith
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - William J Pestle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33124-2005, USA
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi, 2, I-40126, Bologna, Italy
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37
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Sinet-Mathiot V, Smith GM, Romandini M, Wilcke A, Peresani M, Hublin JJ, Welker F. Combining ZooMS and zooarchaeology to study Late Pleistocene hominin behaviour at Fumane (Italy). Sci Rep 2019; 9:12350. [PMID: 31451791 PMCID: PMC6710433 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48706-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Collagen type I fingerprinting (ZooMS) has recently been used to provide either palaeoenvironmental data or to identify additional hominin specimens in Pleistocene contexts, where faunal assemblages are normally highly fragmented. However, its potential to elucidate hominin subsistence behaviour has been unexplored. Here, ZooMS and zooarchaeology have been employed in a complementary approach to investigate bone assemblages from Final Mousterian and Uluzzian contexts at Fumane cave (Italy). Both approaches produced analogous species composition, but differ significantly in species abundance, particularly highlighted by a six fold-increase in the quantity of Bos/Bison remains in the molecularly identified component. Traditional zooarchaeological methods would therefore underestimate the proportion of Bos/Bison in these levels to a considerable extent. We suggest that this difference is potentially due to percussion-based carcass fragmentation of large Bos/Bison bone diaphyses. Finally, our data demonstrates high variability in species assignment to body size classes based on bone cortical thickness and fragment size. Thus, combining biomolecular and traditional zooarchaeological methods allows us to refine our understanding of bone assemblage composition associated with hominin occupation at Fumane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Sinet-Mathiot
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Geoff M Smith
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matteo Romandini
- University of Bologna, Department of Cultural Heritage, Ravenna, Italy.,University of Ferrara, Department of Humanities, Section of Prehistory and Anthropology, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Arndt Wilcke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marco Peresani
- University of Ferrara, Department of Humanities, Section of Prehistory and Anthropology, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frido Welker
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. .,Section for Evolutionary Genomics, the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Gretzinger J, Molak M, Reiter E, Pfrengle S, Urban C, Neukamm J, Blant M, Conard NJ, Cupillard C, Dimitrijević V, Drucker DG, Hofman-Kamińska E, Kowalczyk R, Krajcarz MT, Krajcarz M, Münzel SC, Peresani M, Romandini M, Rufí I, Soler J, Terlato G, Krause J, Bocherens H, Schuenemann VJ. Large-scale mitogenomic analysis of the phylogeography of the Late Pleistocene cave bear. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10700. [PMID: 31417104 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47073-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) is one of the Late Pleistocene megafauna species that faced extinction at the end of the last ice age. Although it is represented by one of the largest fossil records in Europe and has been subject to several interdisciplinary studies including palaeogenetic research, its fate remains highly controversial. Here, we used a combination of hybridisation capture and next generation sequencing to reconstruct 59 new complete cave bear mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) from 14 sites in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. In a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, we compared them to 64 published cave bear mtDNA sequences to reconstruct the population dynamics and phylogeography during the Late Pleistocene. We found five major mitochondrial DNA lineages resulting in a noticeably more complex biogeography of the European lineages during the last 50,000 years than previously assumed. Furthermore, our calculated effective female population sizes suggest a drastic cave bear population decline starting around 40,000 years ago at the onset of the Aurignacian, coinciding with the spread of anatomically modern humans in Europe. Thus, our study supports a potential significant human role in the general extinction and local extirpation of the European cave bear and illuminates the fate of this megafauna species.
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Wißing C, Rougier H, Baumann C, Comeyne A, Crevecoeur I, Drucker DG, Gaudzinski-Windheuser S, Germonpré M, Gómez-Olivencia A, Krause J, Matthies T, Naito YI, Posth C, Semal P, Street M, Bocherens H. Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4433. [PMID: 30872714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41033-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Correlating cultural, technological and ecological aspects of both Upper Pleistocene modern humans (UPMHs) and Neandertals provides a useful approach for achieving robust predictions about what makes us human. Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the time of replacement of Neandertals by modern humans during the Late Pleistocene in Europe. Using the stable isotopic approach, we shed light on aspects of diet and mobility of the late Neandertals and UPMHs from the cave sites of the Troisième caverne of Goyet and Spy in Belgium. We demonstrate that their diet was essentially similar, relying on the same terrestrial herbivores, whereas mobility strategies indicate considerable differences between Neandertal groups, as well as in comparison to UPMHs. Our results indicate that UPMHs exploited their environment to a greater extent than Neandertals and support the hypothesis that UPMHs had a substantial impact not only on the population dynamics of large mammals but also on the whole structure of the ecosystem since their initial arrival in Europe.
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40
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Dinnis R, Bessudnov A, Reynolds N, Devièse T, Pate A, Sablin M, Sinitsyn A, Higham T. New data for the Early Upper Paleolithic of Kostenki (Russia). J Hum Evol 2019; 127:21-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Caricola I, Zupancich A, Moscone D, Mutri G, Falcucci A, Duches R, Peresani M, Cristiani E. An integrated method for understanding the function of macro-lithic tools. Use wear, 3D and spatial analyses of an Early Upper Palaeolithic assemblage from North Eastern Italy. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207773. [PMID: 30540784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The article presents an original analysis which combines use-wear, 3D modelling and spatial analyses to experimental archaeology in order to investigate Early Upper Palaeolithic flint-knapping gestures and techniques involving the use of macro-lithic tools. In particular, the methodological framework proposed in this paper was applied to the study of Protoaurignacian and Aurignacian macro-tools from Fumane Cave (Verona, Italy). Combining spatial analysis and use wear investigation, both at low and high magnifications, permitted the identification and detailed description of the use-related traces affecting both the hammerstones and retouchers which, at Fumane Cave, were used at different stages during flint tool production. Several experimental activities were performed including core reduction, maintenance, and blank production together with different types of edge retouching. From a methodological perspective, the protocol of analysis permitted to codify specific traces and to produce quantitative data related to their geometry and distribution over the tool's surface, according to the activities and gestures performed. The results obtained allowed a careful investigation of the function and the gestures associated to the use of the macro-lithic tools coming from the Protoaurignacian and Aurignacian levels of Fumane Cave while providing a methodological tool for interpreting different archaeological samples.
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Becam G, Chevalier T. Neandertal features of the deciduous and permanent teeth from Portel-Ouest Cave (Ariège, France). Am J Phys Anthropol 2018; 168:45-69. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 09/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Becam
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique; Université de Perpignan/MNHN/CERP de Tautavel; Tautavel France
| | - Tony Chevalier
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique; Université de Perpignan/MNHN/CERP de Tautavel; Tautavel France
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Cabrera VM, Marrero P, Abu-Amero KK, Larruga JM. Carriers of mitochondrial DNA macrohaplogroup L3 basal lineages migrated back to Africa from Asia around 70,000 years ago. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:98. [PMID: 29921229 PMCID: PMC6009813 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1211-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The main unequivocal conclusion after three decades of phylogeographic mtDNA studies is the African origin of all extant modern humans. In addition, a southern coastal route has been argued for to explain the Eurasian colonization of these African pioneers. Based on the age of macrohaplogroup L3, from which all maternal Eurasian and the majority of African lineages originated, the out-of-Africa event has been dated around 60-70 kya. On the opposite side, we have proposed a northern route through Central Asia across the Levant for that expansion and, consistent with the fossil record, we have dated it around 125 kya. To help bridge differences between the molecular and fossil record ages, in this article we assess the possibility that mtDNA macrohaplogroup L3 matured in Eurasia and returned to Africa as basal L3 lineages around 70 kya. Results The coalescence ages of all Eurasian (M,N) and African (L3 ) lineages, both around 71 kya, are not significantly different. The oldest M and N Eurasian clades are found in southeastern Asia instead near of Africa as expected by the southern route hypothesis. The split of the Y-chromosome composite DE haplogroup is very similar to the age of mtDNA L3. An Eurasian origin and back migration to Africa has been proposed for the African Y-chromosome haplogroup E. Inside Africa, frequency distributions of maternal L3 and paternal E lineages are positively correlated. This correlation is not fully explained by geographic or ethnic affinities. This correlation rather seems to be the result of a joint and global replacement of the old autochthonous male and female African lineages by the new Eurasian incomers. Conclusions These results are congruent with a model proposing an out-of-Africa migration into Asia, following a northern route, of early anatomically modern humans carrying pre-L3 mtDNA lineages around 125 kya, subsequent diversification of pre-L3 into the basal lineages of L3, a return to Africa of Eurasian fully modern humans around 70 kya carrying the basal L3 lineages and the subsequent diversification of Eurasian-remaining L3 lineages into the M and N lineages in the outside-of-Africa context, and a second Eurasian global expansion by 60 kya, most probably, out of southeast Asia. Climatic conditions and the presence of Neanderthals and other hominins might have played significant roles in these human movements. Moreover, recent studies based on ancient DNA and whole-genome sequencing are also compatible with this hypothesis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1211-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente M Cabrera
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, E-38271 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Patricia Marrero
- Research Support General Service, E-38271, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Khaled K Abu-Amero
- Glaucoma Research Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jose M Larruga
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, E-38271 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Villa P, Pollarolo L, Conforti J, Marra F, Biagioni C, Degano I, Lucejko JJ, Tozzi C, Pennacchioni M, Zanchetta G, Nicosia C, Martini M, Sibilia E, Panzeri L. From Neandertals to modern humans: New data on the Uluzzian. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196786. [PMID: 29742147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Having thrived in Eurasia for 350,000 years Neandertals disappeared from the record around 40,000-37,000 years ago, after modern humans entered Europe. It was a complex process of population interactions that included cultural exchanges and admixture between Neandertals and dispersing groups of modern humans. In Europe Neandertals are always associated with the Mousterian while the Aurignacian is associated with modern humans only. The onset of the Aurignacian is preceded by "transitional" industries which show some similarities with the Mousterian but also contain modern tool forms. Information on these industries is often incomplete or disputed and this is true of the Uluzzian. We present the results of taphonomic, typological and technological analyses of two Uluzzian sites, Grotta La Fabbrica (Tuscany) and the newly discovered site of Colle Rotondo (Latium). Comparisons with Castelcivita and Grotta del Cavallo show that the Uluzzian is a coherent cultural unit lasting about five millennia, replaced by the Protoaurignacian before the eruption of the Campanian Ignimbrite. The lack of skeletal remains at our two sites and the controversy surrounding the stratigraphic position of modern human teeth at Cavallo makes it difficult to reach agreement about authorship of the Uluzzian, for which alternative hypotheses have been proposed. Pending the discovery of DNA or further human remains, these hypotheses can only be evaluated by archaeological arguments, i.e. evidence of continuities and discontinuities between the Uluzzian and the preceding and succeeding culture units in Italy. However, in the context of "transitional" industries with disputed dates for the arrival of modern humans in Europe, and considering the case of the Châtelperronian, an Upper Paleolithic industry made by Neandertals, typo-technology used as an indicator of hominin authorship has limited predictive value. We corroborate previous suggestions that the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition occurred as steps of rapid changes and geographically uneven rates of spread.
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Wolf D, Kolb T, Alcaraz-Castaño M, Heinrich S, Baumgart P, Calvo R, Sánchez J, Ryborz K, Schäfer I, Bliedtner M, Zech R, Zöller L, Faust D. Climate deteriorations and Neanderthal demise in interior Iberia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7048. [PMID: 29728579 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25343-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Time and circumstances for the disappearance of Neanderthals and its relationship with the advent of Modern Humans are not yet sufficiently resolved, especially in case of the Iberian Peninsula. Reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions during the last glacial period is crucial to clarifying whether climate deteriorations or competition and contacts with Modern Humans played the pivotal role in driving Neanderthals to extinction. A high-resolution loess record from the Upper Tagus Basin in central Spain demonstrates that the Neanderthal abandonment of inner Iberian territories 42 kyr ago coincided with the evolvement of hostile environmental conditions, while archaeological evidence testifies that this desertion took place regardless of modern humans’ activities. According to stratigraphic findings and stable isotope analyses, this period corresponded to the driest environmental conditions of the last glacial apart from an even drier period linked to Heinrich Stadial 3. Our results show that during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4 and 2 climate deteriorations in interior Iberia temporally coincided with northern hemisphere cold periods (Heinrich stadials). Solely during the middle MIS 3, in a period surrounding 42 kyr ago, this relation seems not straightforward, which may demonstrate the complexity of terrestrial climate conditions during glacial periods.
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Abstract
Current protocols for ancient DNA and radiocarbon analysis of ancient bones and teeth call for multiple destructive samplings of a given specimen, thereby increasing the extent of undesirable damage to precious archaeological material. Here we present a method that makes it possible to obtain both ancient DNA sequences and radiocarbon dates from the same sample material. This is achieved by releasing DNA from the bone matrix through incubation with either EDTA or phosphate buffer prior to complete demineralization and collagen extraction utilizing the acid-base-acid-gelatinization and ultrafiltration procedure established in most radiocarbon dating laboratories. Using a set of 12 bones of different ages and preservation conditions we demonstrate that on average 89% of the DNA can be released from sample powder with minimal, or 38% without any, detectable collagen loss. We also detect no skews in radiocarbon dates compared to untreated samples. Given the different material demands for radiocarbon dating (500 mg of bone/dentine) and DNA analysis (10-100 mg), combined DNA and collagen extraction not only streamlines the sampling process but also drastically increases the amount of DNA that can be recovered from limited sample material.
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Falcucci A, Conard NJ, Peresani M. A critical assessment of the Protoaurignacian lithic technology at Fumane Cave and its implications for the definition of the earliest Aurignacian. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189241. [PMID: 29216284 PMCID: PMC5720803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the scenario of the spread of the anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Europe, the techno-complex known as Protoaurignacian is defined by the production of blades and bladelets within a single and continuous stone knapping sequence from the same core as the result of its progressive reduction. However, the growing re-evaluation of some assemblages is revealing that bladelets are frequently obtained from independent reduction sequences, hence discouraging the direct application of the model developed in southwestern France. High-resolution regional signatures are thus needed to reconstruct a more accurate portrait of the AMH colonization dynamic. Northeastern Italy, with the key site of Fumane Cave, is one among the regions of Mediterranean Europe worthy of consideration for reconstructing this colonization process and its cultural dynamics. Within the framework of a critical discussion of the technological definition of the Protoaurignacian and its relationship with contemporaneous industries on a regional and supra-regional scale, we present the results of a detailed analysis of the lithic technology from units A2-A1 based on reduction sequence and attribute analyses. Results show that bladelets are the first goal of production and they do not originate from reduced blade cores but from a broad range of independent and simultaneous core reduction strategies. One implication is that the most commonly used technological trait that is said to define the Protoaurignacian has been over-emphasized and that the Protoaurignacian is technologically consistent across its geographical extent. Additional data based on carinated core technology imply that this techno-complex shares a common technological background with the Early Aurignacian and that no features are restricted to one of the two facies. Furthermore, the major difference between the Protoaurignacian and Early Aurignacian appears to be more typological in nature, with retouched bladelets being less common in the Early Aurignacian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Falcucci
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (AF); (MP)
| | - Nicholas J. Conard
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen-Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoecology, Schloss Hohentübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marco Peresani
- Università di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Corso Ercole I d'Este, Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail: (AF); (MP)
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48
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Wakano JY, Gilpin W, Kadowaki S, Feldman MW, Aoki K. Ecocultural range-expansion scenarios for the replacement or assimilation of Neanderthals by modern humans. Theor Popul Biol 2017; 119:3-14. [PMID: 29032037 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent archaeological records no longer support a simple dichotomous characterization of the cultures/behaviors of Neanderthals and modern humans, but indicate much cultural/behavioral variability over time and space. Thus, in modeling the replacement or assimilation of Neanderthals by modern humans, it is of interest to consider cultural dynamics and their relation to demographic change. The ecocultural framework for the competition between hominid species allows their carrying capacities to depend on some measure of the levels of culture they possess. In the present study both population densities and the densities of skilled individuals in Neanderthals and modern humans are spatially distributed and subject to change by spatial diffusion, ecological competition, and cultural transmission within each species. We analyze the resulting range expansions in terms of the demographic, ecological and cultural parameters that determine how the carrying capacities relate to the local densities of skilled individuals in each species. Of special interest is the case of cognitive and intrinsic-demographic equivalence of the two species. The range expansion dynamics may consist of multiple wave fronts of different speeds, each of which originates from a traveling wave solution. Properties of these traveling wave solutions are mathematically derived. Depending on the parameters, these traveling waves can result in replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans, or assimilation of the former by the latter. In both the replacement and assimilation scenarios, the first wave of intrusive modern humans is characterized by a low population density and a low density of skilled individuals, with implications for archaeological visibility. The first invasion is due to weak interspecific competition. A second wave of invasion may be induced by cultural differences between moderns and Neanderthals. Spatially and temporally extended coexistence of the two species, which would have facilitated the transfer of genes from Neanderthal into modern humans and vice versa, is observed in the traveling waves, except when niche overlap between the two species is extremely high. Archaeological findings on the spatial and temporal distributions of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic and the Early Upper Palaeolithic and of the coexistence of Neanderthals and modern humans are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Yuichiro Wakano
- School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences, Meiji University, Nakano 4-21-1, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-8525, Japan
| | - William Gilpin
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305-5020, USA
| | - Seiji Kadowaki
- Nagoya University Museum, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Marcus W Feldman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305-5020, USA.
| | - Kenichi Aoki
- Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties, Meiji University, Nakano 4-21-1, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-8525, Japan
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Abstract
Ancient genomes can help us detect prehistoric migrations, population contractions, and admixture among populations. Knowing the dynamics of demography is invaluable for understanding culture change in prehistory, particularly the roles played by demic and cultural diffusion in transformations of material cultures. Prehistoric Europe is a region where ancient genome analyses can help illuminate the interplay between demography and culture change. In Europe, there is more archeological evidence, in terms of detailed studies, radiometric dates, and explanatory hypotheses that can be evaluated, than in any other region of the world. Here I show some important ways that ancient genomes have given us insights into population movements in European prehistory. I also propose that studies might be increasingly focused on specific questions of culture change, for example in evaluating the makers of "transitional" industries as well as the origins of the Gravettian and spread of the Magdalenian. I also discuss genomic evidence supporting the large role that demic expansion has played in the Neolithization of Europe and the formation of the European population during the Bronze Age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene E Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences and Geology, Queensborough Community College, City University of New York, Medical Arts Building, M-213, 222-05, 56th Avenue Bayside, NY, 1136411364.,Affiliated Researcher, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University
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50
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Vandevelde S, Brochier JÉ, Petit C, Slimak L. Establishment of occupation chronicles in Grotte Mandrin using sooted concretions: Rethinking the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. J Hum Evol 2017; 112:70-8. [PMID: 29037417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Soot marks, witnesses of past human activities, can sometimes be noticed in concretions (speleothem, travertine, carbonated crust, etc.) formed in cavities. We demonstrate here that these deposits, generally ignored in archaeological studies, turned out to be a perfectly suitable material for micro-chronological study of hominin activities in a site. At the Grotte Mandrin (Mediterranean France), thousands of clastic fragments from the rock walls were found in every archaeological level of the shelter. Calcareous crusts containing soot deposits are recorded on some of their surfaces. They appear in thin section as thin black laminae. Microscopic observation of these crusts revealed that they kept track of many occupations. We show that is possible to link them with the archaeological units identified during the excavation. Minimum Number of Occupations (MNO) can be built out of these sooted crusts. MNO are usually high and attest to the cumulative nature of each archaeological unit. They are witnesses of each occupation of hominin groups in each archaeological level of the cave. This study also shows that, in Grotte Mandrin, a very short time separates the first Middle/Upper Paleolithic transitional groups' occupations from those of the last Mousterians. The research perspectives on soot deposits are diversified and raise the possibility of studying multiple aspects of past human life, and in this case, to rethink the Middle/Upper Paleolithic transition, with an unmatched temporal resolution. Sooted concretion analysis provides high temporal resolution archaeology. There is a real possibility of extending this study with chronological implications to cavities of all ages and areas.
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