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Problems with Paranthropus,
di M. Sponheimer, D. J. Daegling, P. S. Ungar,
R. Bobe, O. C. C. Paine, "Quaternary
International", Volume 650, 20 March 2023, Pages
40-51 - open access -
Carbon isotopic
analysis has been challenging our ideas about
hominin diet for nearly 30 years. The first
study in 1994 revealed that Paranthropus
robustus from South Africa consumed principally
C3 foods (e.g., tree fruits and leaves) but also
about 25% C4/CAM resources (e.g., tropical
grasses and sedges). This result was largely
consistent with morphological and dental
microwear evidence suggesting P. robustus had a
diet which included hard objects like nuts and
seeds. Decades later, however, P. boisei from
eastern Africa was shown to have eaten nearly
80% C4/CAM plants like the contemporaneous
grass-eating primate Theropithecus. Moreover,
dental microwear revealed no evidence of hard
object consumption in P. boisei, suggesting a
diet of tough foods such as grass or sedge leaf
and stem. (...) |
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Dental tissue proportions and linear dimensions
of Sima de los Huesos lower incisors,
di A. L. Lockey et alii, Volume 180,
Issue 3, March 2023, Pages 472-487
To assess the
phenotypic affinities of the Sima de los Huesos
(SH) mandibular incisors dental tissue
proportions, and radicular dimensions, relative
to Neandertals, recent modern humans (RMH), and
a large comparative sample of Pleistocene
hominins. (...) |
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Unusual pubic bone morphology in A.L. 288-1 (Australopithecus
afarensis) and MH2 (Australopithecus sediba),
di J. Eyre, J. M. DeSilva, S. Semaw, S. A.
Williams, Volume 180, Issue 3, March 2023, Pages
573-582
We describe a
novel pelvic feature, the “ventral sulcus,”
located on the pubic bone ventrolateral to the
pubic symphysis, which is present in A.L. 288-1
(Australopithecus afarensis) and MH2 (Australopithecus
sediba). We determine how widespread the
appearance of the ventral sulcus is in fossil
hominins, modern humans, and other extant
hominoids. (...) |
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Using GIS and
Geostatistical Techniques to Identify
Neanderthal Campsites at archaeolevel Ob at
Abric Romaní,
di M. J. Gabucio, A. Bargalló, P. Saladié, F.
Romagnoli, M. G. Chacón, J. Vallverdú, M.
Vaquero, "Archaeological and Anthropological
Sciences", Volume 15, issue 3, March 2023
- open access -
Although
intra-site spatial approaches are considered a
key factor when interpreting archaeological
assemblages, these are often based on
descriptive, qualitative, and subjective
observations. Currently, within the framework of
research into spatial taphonomy and palimpsest
dissection, several studies have begun to employ
more quantitative and objective techniques,
implementing tools such as geostatistics and
geographic information system (GIS) methods.
This is precisely the approach that the Abric
Romaní team is following. In this work, we
present GIS and geostatistics methods applied to
the faunal and lithic assemblages from
archaeolevel Ob, including an analysis of the
spatial structure, the identification of
clusters and sectors, size and fabric analyses,
the projection of vertical profiles, and the
reconstruction of a digital elevation model of
the paleosurface. The results obtained indicate
a clustered distribution, primarily concentrated
into four dense accumulations. (...) |
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Dietary traits of the
ungulates from the Middle Pleistocene sequence
of Lazaret Cave: palaeoecological and
archaeological implications,
di F. Rivals, J. Cohen, E. Desclaux, "Archaeological
and Anthropological Sciences", Volume 15, issue
3, March 2023 - open
access -
Dietary traits in
ungulates from Lazaret Cave were analysed for
possible changes in ecological niches throughout
the marine isotopic stage (MIS) 6 sequence of
the site and to investigate the duration of the
occupations corresponding to the accumulation of
ungulate remains by human groups. The analysis
revealed changes in dietary diversity throughout
the sequence related to the climatic and
environmental changes of the MIS 6. These
changes affected the availability of vegetal
resources, competition among species, and the
distribution and movement of the ungulates in
the territory. Human groups were also affected
by these changes, as the archaeological record
of Lazaret Cave in the duration of occupations
at the different levels shows. (...) |
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Oral Storytelling and Knowledge Transmission in
Upper Paleolithic Children and Adolescents,
di A. Nowell, "Journal of Archaeological Method
and Theory", Volume 30, issue 1, March 2023
The ways in which
children learn in foraging societies differ from
the classroom-based style of learning and
teaching typical of industrialized societies in
the West. This difference, however, has often
been mischaracterized by anthropologists as an
absence or rarity of direct teaching in foraging
societies. In this paper, following Scalise
Sugiyama (Evolution and Human Behavior
22:221–240, 2001), I argue that oral
storytelling is a form of pedagogy in foraging
societies that shares all of the key features of
direct teaching including the signaling of an
intention to share information (...) |
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Learning by Doing: Investigating Skill Through
Techno-Functional Study of Recycled Lithic Items
from Qesem Cave (Israel),
di E. Assaf, S. Nunziante-Cesaro, A. Gopher, F.
Venditti, "Journal of Archaeological Method and
Theory", Volume 30, issue 1, March 2023
In this study, we
discuss learning aspects related to the
production of prehistoric stone tools and their
use as a holistic process, with a case study
from the late Lower Paleolithic Levant—recycled
items from the site of Qesem Cave (420–200,000
bp), Israel. Qesem Cave is a central and
well-studied Acheuleo-Yabrudian site. Among the
set of distinct behaviors documented in this
site, the use of small flakes systematically
produced from old-discarded flakes (i.e., lithic
recycling) stands out. We will present an
exploratory techno-functional study of the
recycled items from the Amudian context of the
southern area of the cave. Previous observations
highlighted some unique features characterizing
the lithic assemblages of this area, including
the possibility that inexperienced knappers in
the process of learning had been practicing
there. (...) |
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To
Err Is Human: Knapping Expertise and
Technological Variability at the Middle
Palaeolithic Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel,
di L. Centi, F. Valletta, Y. Zaidner, "Journal
of Archaeological Method and Theory", Volume 30,
issue 1, March 2023
One important
aspect affecting variability in core reduction
technology is the degree of expertise of
knappers. In the present paper, we show that, at
the Middle Palaeolithic open-air site of Nesher
Ramla, the degree of expertise of ancient
knappers played a major role in shaping the
composition of the lithic assemblage. Using
robust markers of knapping skill, such as the
frequency and reiteration of decision mistakes
in the knapping process, allowed us to establish
that a clear relationship exists between the
degree of structuring of core technologies and
the degree of expertise of the knapper at Nesher
Ramla. Simple core technologies (e.g. pebble and
multiple surface cores) can be linked to the
work of novices, while more structured
technologies (e.g. Levallois) are linked to the
work of more experienced individuals. (...) |
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Revealing Evolutionary Patterns Behind
Homogeneity: the Case of the Palaeolithic
Assemblages from Notarchirico (Southern Italy),
di V. Rineau, M. H. Moncel, V. Zeitoun, "Journal
of Archaeological Method and Theory", Volume 30,
issue 1, March 2023
Notarchirico is at
a nodal point in time and space for
understanding the settlement of Europe in terms
of migration or in situ evolution. Former
technological analyses have not shown
significant differences between the different
lithic assemblages at Notarchirico. Our approach
here is to produce a phylogenetic analysis of
the lithic assemblages taken as the terminal of
the analysis and interpreted as cultural units.
In the cladistic framework, characters are
hypotheses of relationships between lithic
assemblages, and homologies are hypotheses of
relationships between lithic objects: cores,
flakes, nodules. To effectively grasp
informative lithic innovations in the
assemblages, we formalise cladistic hypotheses
as hierarchical characters in the framework of
three-item analysis and propose a new algorithm
to remove the high number of repeated terminals
among trees inherent to a cladistic analysis of
assemblages. (...) |
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Catching a Glimpse of Mesolithic Settlement
Patterns and Site Re-occupation Through Lithic
Refitting, Raw Material Characterizations and
Absolute Dating,
di H. Vandendriessche, E. Van Maldegem, P.
Crombé, "Journal of Archaeological Method
and Theory", Volume 30, issue 1, March 2023
Contemporaneity of
spatially distinct activity areas at prehistoric
sites is often inferred based on lithic refit
connections alone. These connections are, in
addition, only rarely discussed in detail, nor
are they explicitly subjected to any form of
critical assessment. In this paper, we present a
combined use of Bayesian modeling of 14C-dates,
raw material characterizations and lithic
refitting to investigate the occurrence of
interconnected artefact clusters at the Belgian
Mesolithic site of Kerkhove (...) |
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Bovid Bone Accumulation in
Late Middle Palaeolithic Poland,
di A. Wiśniewski, J. Wilczyński, B.Przybylski,
M. Ciombor, K. Stefaniak, "Journal of Field
Archaeology", Volume 48, 2023 - Issue 3
The hunting
activities of Neanderthals inhabiting the
European Lowlands during the Weichsel glaciation
are poorly understood due to the scarcity of
faunal remains. This work concerns the puzzling
accumulation of mammalian remains at the Middle
Palaeolithic site Haller Av. in Wrocław,
southwestern Poland. The site yielded lithic
artifacts in two levels and numerous bone
remains typical for steppe-tundra fauna,
dominated by steppe bison (Bison priscus). As
the site was transformed by fluvial processes,
the question arose whether the accumulation of
faunal bones was the result of human activity.
To resolve this question, we used a multiproxy
approach, including spatial analysis with GIS,
as well as taphonomic and paleozoological
analyses. (...) |
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A
Techno-Functional Analysis of Acheulean Backed
Knives from Wonderboom, South Africa,
di M. V. Caruana, M. G. Lotter, M. Lombard,
"Journal of Field Archaeology", Volume 48, 2023
- Issue 3
We present the
first techno-functional examination of backed
knives from the southern African Acheulean. Our
results suggest that they were opportunistically
produced, although they demonstrate a unique
ergonomic design that may have increased their
efficiency in subsistence activities. Moreover,
the frequency of backed knives at Wonderboom may
be associated with possible meat harvesting at a
nearby gap (...) |
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Paléolithique de l'Europe,
"L'Anthropologie", Volume 127, Issue 1, January–March
2023: -
The Technological Multiplicity of the Acheulean
of the Southern Iberian Peninsula,
di F. J. García-Vadillo et alii
- À propos de
l’éclairage à la Grotte du Bison, Arcy-sur-Cure,
Yonne, France,
di M. Hardy
- Les silex et
autres matières premières comme preuves de
contacts entre les groupes de
chasseurs-cueilleurs pendant le Paléolithique
supérieur de la région cantabrique (nord de
l’Espagne): synthèse de l’information disponible,
di S. Martín-Jarque et alii
- Pigment
spectroscopy analyses in Maltravieso cave, Spain,
di P. Rosina et alii
- Le Jas d’en
Biel 2, nouveau site gravettien du piémont
est-méditerranéen des Pyrénées,
di H. Baills
- A Botanical
Classroom of the Early Upper Paleolithic: The
vault fragments of the Grotta di Fumane depict
geophytes,
di R. Jürgen Koch, L. Grützmacher, N. Friesen
- Re-dating the
Early Upper Paleolithic Levels of Le Trou
Magrite (Pont-à-Lesse, Belgium),
di L. Guy Straus, M. Otte, J. Southon, T. W.
Stafford
-
Chronostratigraphy and the Palaeoenvironment of
the Bistrița Valley. New Interpretations and a
Critical Retrospective Evaluation,
di M. Cârciumaru et alii
- A new
Palaeolithic female figurine from Piatra Neamț,
Romania, di
E. C. Nițu et alii
- Armes de
chasse dans l’Épipaléolithique du Caucase du
Nord, di L.
Golovanova et alii
- Le
Mésolithique. Continuité et développement
métaphysique,
di D. Delnoÿ |
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Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to
Neolithic European hunter-gatherers,
di C. Posth et alii, "Nature", Volume 615
Issue 7950, 2 March 2023
- open access -
Modern humans have
populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2.
Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and
structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however
limited, owing to the scarceness and poor
molecular preservation of human remains from
that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient
hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic
data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in
western and central Eurasia, spanning between
35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a
genetic ancestry profile in individuals
associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian
assemblages from western Europe that is distinct
from contemporaneous groups related to this
archaeological culture in central and southern
Europe4, but resembles that of preceding
individuals associated with the Aurignacian
culture. (...) |
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Were Neanderthals and Homo sapiens ‘good species’?
di A. Meneganzin, M. Bernardi, "Quaternary
Science Reviews", Volume 303, 1 March 2023,
107975 - open access -
Prior to the
advent of whole-genome sequencing in ancient
humans, the likelihood that Homo sapiens and
Neanderthals admixed has long been debated,
mostly on the basis of phenotypic assessments
alone. Today, evidence for archaic hominin
admixture is being documented in an increasing
number of studies, expanding the evidential
basis of the debate on whether Homo sapiens and
Neanderthals merit separate specific taxonomic
status. (...) |
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Life on the edge or living in the middle? New
perspectives on southern Africa's Middle Stone
Age, di D.
S. G. Thomas, R. Bynoe, "Quaternary Science
Reviews", Volume 303, 1 March 2023, 107965
- open access -
Much archaeological research is
conducted within the environments, locational
and cultural, that archaeologists are familiar
and comfortable with. But that which is marginal
and difficult today, and that which is central
and convenient, may not have been so in the past.
To answer new and pressing questions about human
evolution, less familiar and less comfortable
environments therefore require systematic and
prolonged multidisciplinary investigation. With
a focus on the extensive Makgadikgadi salt pans
of the Middle Kalahari Desert, Botswana, six
papers represent the output of systematic
investigations and excavations of, predominantly,
Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeology.
(...) |
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A
23,000-year-old southern Iberian individual
links human groups that lived in Western Europe
before and after the Last Glacial Maximum,
di V. Villalba-Mouco et alii, "Nature Ecology &
Evolution", 01 March 2023
- open access -
Human populations
underwent range contractions during the Last
Glacial Maximum (LGM) which had lasting and
dramatic effects on their genetic variation. The
genetic ancestry of individuals associated with
the post-LGM Magdalenian technocomplex has been
interpreted as being derived from groups
associated with the pre-LGM Aurignacian. However,
both these ancestries differ from that of
central European individuals associated with the
chronologically intermediate Gravettian. Thus,
the genomic transition from pre- to post-LGM
remains unclear also in western Europe, where we
lack genomic data associated with the
intermediate Solutrean, which spans the height
of the LGM. Here we present genome-wide data
from sites in Andalusia in southern Spain,
including from a Solutrean-associated individual
from Cueva del Malalmuerzo, directly dated to
~23,000 cal yr BP. (...) |
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Defining paleoclimatic routes and opportunities
for hominin dispersals across Iran,
di M. Javad Shoaee et alii, 1 March 2023,
doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281872
- open access -
Fossil and
archaeological evidence indicates that hominin
dispersals into Southwest Asia occurred
throughout the Pleistocene, including the
expansion of Homo sapiens populations out of
Africa. While there is evidence for hominin
occupations in the Pleistocene in Iran, as
evidenced by the presence of Lower to Upper
Paleolithic archaeological sites, the extent to
which humid periods facilitated population
expansions into western Asia has remained
unclear. To test the role of humid periods on
hominin dispersals here we assess Paleolithic
site distributions and paleoenvironmental
records across Iran. We developed the first
spatially comprehensive, high-resolution
paleohydrological model for Iran in order to
assess water availability and its influence on
hominin dispersals. (...) |
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Evidence for Earlier Stone Age ‘coastal use’:
The site of Dungo IV, Benguela Province, Angola,
di I. Mesfin et alii, 24 February 2023,
doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278775
- open access -
The relationship
between Earlier Stone Age (ESA) hominins and the
southern African coastal environment has been
poorly investigated, despite the high
concentration of open-air sites in marine and
fluvial terraces of the coastal plain from c.
1Ma onward during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.
Southern Africa provides some of the earliest
evidence of coastal subsistence strategies since
the end of the Middle Pleistocene, during the
Middle Stone Age (MSA). These coastal MSA sites
showcase the role of coastal environments in the
emergence and development of modern human
behaviors. Given the high prevalence of coastal
ESA sites throughout the region, we seek to
question the relationship between hominins and
coastal landscapes much earlier in time. In this
regard, the +100 m raised beaches of the
Benguela Province, Angola, are key areas as they
are well-preserved and contain a dense record of
prehistoric occupation from the beginning of the
Middle Pleistocene, including sites like Dungo,
Mormolo, Sombreiro, Macaca and Punta das Vacas.
(...) |
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Bow-and-arrow, technology
of the first modern humans in Europe 54,000
years ago at Mandrin, France,
di L. Metz, J. E. Lewis, L. Slimak, Volume 9,
Issue 8, 22 Feb 2023 -
open access -
Consensus in
archaeology has posited that mechanically
propelled weapons, such as bow-and-arrow or
spear-thrower-and-dart combinations, appeared
abruptly in the Eurasian record with the arrival
of anatomically and behaviorally modern humans
and the Upper Paleolithic (UP) after 45,000 to
42,000 years (ka) ago, while evidence for weapon
use during the preceding Middle Paleolithic (MP)
in Eurasia remains sparse. The ballistic
features of MP points suggest that they were
used on hand-cast spears, whereas UP lithic
weapons are focused on microlithic technologies
commonly interpreted as mechanically propelled
projectiles, a crucial innovation distinguishing
UP societies from preceding ones. (...) |
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Modelling Neanderthals’ dispersal routes from
Caucasus towards east,
di E. Ghasidian, A. Kafash, M. Kehl, M. Yousefi,
S. Heydari-Guran, 23 February 2023, doi:
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281978
- open access -
The study of the
cultural materials associated with the
Neanderthal physical remains from the sites in
the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberian Altai
and adjacent areas documents two distinct
techno-complexes of Micoquian and Mousterian.
These findings potentially outline two dispersal
routes for the Neanderthals out of Europe. Using
data on topography and Palaeoclimate, we
generated computer-based least-cost-path
modelling for the Neanderthal dispersal routes
from Caucasus towards the east. In this regard,
two dispersal routes have been identified: A
northern route from Greater Caucasus associated
with Micoquian techno-complex towards Siberian
Altai and a southern route from Lesser Caucasus
associated with Mousterian towards Siberian
Altai via the Southern Caspian Corridor. Based
on archaeological, bio- and physio-geographical
data, our model hypothesises that during
climatic deterioration phases (e.g. MIS 4) the
connection between Greater and Lesser Caucasus
was limited. (...) |
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Back to the future: The
advantage of studying key events in human
evolution using a new high resolution
radiocarbon method,
di S. Talamo, B. Kromer, M. P. Richards, L.
Wacker, 15 February 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280598
- open access -
Radiocarbon dating
is the most widely applied dating method in
archaeology, especially in human evolution
studies, where it is used to determine the
chronology of key events, such as the
replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans in
Europe. However, the method does not always
provide precise and accurate enough ages to
understand the important processes of human
evolution. Here we review the newest method
developments in radiocarbon dating (‘Radiocarbon
3.0’), which can lead us to much better
chronologies and understanding of the major
events in recent human evolution. As an example,
we apply these new methods to discuss the dating
of the important Palaeolithic site of Bacho Kiro
(Bulgaria). (...) |
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An
integrative paleobiological study of woolly
mammoths from the Upper Paleolithic site
Kostenki 14 (European Russia),
di E. A. Petrova, L. L. Voyta, A. A. Bessudnov,
A. A. Sinitsyn, "Quaternary Science Reviews",
Volume 302, 15 February 2023, 107948
- open access -
This paper
presents a thought-out protocol for an
integrative analysis of woolly mammoth (Mammuthus
primigenius) bone accumulation in the upper (I)
cultural layer of the famous Upper Paleolithic
site Kostenki 14 (Markina gora) using Haynes’
concept of a “demographic health measure,” the
advanced concept of the “last glacial body size
decrease,” and precise taphonomic analysis. We
apply linear regression analysis to further
reveal the complex structure of mammoth size
variation, complementary to univariate measures
of body size used in previous studies: body size
variation in woolly mammoths is predominantly
accounted for by sexual dimorphism, size
differences between smaller “East” and larger
“West” mammoth populations, and two types of
allometry (ontogenetic and static). (...) |
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Archaic hominins maiden voyage in the
Mediterranean Sea,
di G. Ferentinos, M. Gkion, M. Prevenios, M.
Geraga, G. Papatheodorou, "Quaternary
International", Volume 646, 10 February 2023,
Pages 11-21 - open
access -
When archaic
hominins started sea-crossings and whether or
not seas were barriers to their dispersal, is
highly debated. This paper attempts to provide
insights into these issues, focusing on the
Aegean Sea. The study shows that the Central
Aegean Island Chain was insular from the
surrounding landmasses over the last 450 ka and
contests previously available Aegean Sea
palaeo-geography. This, in association with the
spatiotemporal patterning of Lower and Middle
Paleolithic assemblages in the margin of the
Mediterranean Sea, implies that pre-sapiens, as
early as 450 ka BP: (a) were sea-crossing the
Aegean Sea; (b) were encouraged by the favorable
land/seascape configuration to attempt
sea-crossings and (c) spread to the
Circum-Mediterranean basin sourcing from the
Levant, following two converging routes, the one
via the Aegean Sea and/or the Bosporus
land-bridge and the other via the Gibraltar
straits. (...) |
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Expanded geographic
distribution and dietary strategies of the
earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus,
di T. W. Plummer et alii, "Science", 9
Feb 2023, Vol 379, Issue 6632, pp. 561-566
The oldest Oldowan
tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago,
have previously been confined to Ethiopia’s Afar
Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya,
dated to 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago and
expand this distribution by over 1300 kilometers.
Furthermore, we found two hippopotamid butchery
sites associated with mosaic vegetation and a C4
grazer–dominated fauna. Tool flaking proficiency
was comparable with that of younger Oldowan
assemblages, but pounding activities were more
common. Tool use-wear and bone damage indicate
plant and animal tissue processing. Paranthropus
sp. teeth, the first from southwestern Kenya,
possessed carbon isotopic values indicative of a
diet rich in C4 foods. (...)
·
2.9-million-year-old butchery site reopens case
of who made first stone tools, "EurekAlert!", 9
feb. 2023
·
2.9-million-year-old butchery site reopens case
of who made first stone tools, "ScienceDaily", 9
February 2023
·
Des hippopotames des outils et des paranthropes,
"Hominides", 19 février 2023 |
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Neanderthals lived in groups big enough to eat
giant elephants,
di A. Curry, "Science news", 1 feb 2023
On the muddy
shores of a lake in east-central Germany,
Neanderthals gathered some 125,000 years ago to
butcher massive elephants. With sharp stone
tools, they harvested up to 4 tons of flesh from
each animal, according to a new study that is
casting these ancient human relatives in a new
light. The degree of organization required to
carry out the butchery—and the sheer quantity of
food it provided—suggests Neanderthals could
form much larger social groups than previously
thought.
The find comes from a trove of animal bones and
stone tools uncovered in the 1980s by coal
miners near the town of Neumark-Nord. Beginning
in 1985, archaeologists spent a decade observing
the mining work, recovering animal bones and
stone tools from a sprawling site. Dating to a
relatively warm period in Europe known as the
Eemian interglacial, 75,000 years before modern
humans arrived in Western Europe, the
discoveries include the bones and tusks of more
than 70 mostly adult male straight-tusked
elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), an extinct
species almost twice the size of modern African
elephants that stood nearly 4 meters tall at the
shoulder. Most had been left in dozens of piles
along the ancient lakeshore over the course of
about 300 years.
“We wondered, ‘What the hell are 70 elephants
doing there?’” says Lutz Kindler, an
archaeozoologist at the MONREPOS Archaeological
Research Center. (...) |
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The Acheulean is a
temporally cohesive tradition,
di A. Key, "World Archaeology", 01 Feb 2023, doi:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2023.2169340
- open access -
The Acheulean has
long been considered a single, unified tradition.
Decades of morphometric and technological
evidence supports such an understanding by
demonstrating that a single fundamental Bauplan
was followed for more than 1.6 million years.
What remains unknown is whether sites assigned
to the Acheulean represent multiple
socially-independent iterations of the same
technological solution to shared ecological (functional)
and ergonomic demands. Here, using the ‘surprise
test’, the temporal cohesion of the Acheulean
record is statistically assessed for the first
time. (...) |
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Hunting and processing of
straight-tusked elephants 125.000 years ago:
Implications for Neanderthal behavior, di
S. Gaudzinski-Windheuser, L. Kindler, K.
Macdonald, W. Roebroeks, "Science Advances",
volume 9, Issue 5, 1 feb 2023
- open access -
Straight-tusked
elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) were the
largest terrestrial mammals of the Pleistocene,
present in Eurasian landscapes between 800,000
and 100,000 years ago. The occasional
co-occurrence of their skeletal remains with
stone tools has generated rich speculation about
the nature of interactions between these
elephants and Pleistocene humans: Did hominins
scavenge on elephants that died a natural death
or maybe even hunt some individuals? Our
archaeozoological study of the largest P.
antiquus assemblage known, excavated from
125,000-year-old lake deposits in Germany, shows
that hunting of elephants weighing up to 13
metric tons was part of the cultural repertoire
of Last Interglacial Neanderthals there, over
>2000 years, many dozens of generations.
(...) |
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Revised age and stratigraphy of the classic Homo
erectus-bearing succession at Trinil (Java,
Indonesia),
di S. L. Hilgen et alii, "Quaternary
Science Reviews", Volume 301, 1 February 2023,
107908 - open access -
Obtaining accurate
age control for fossils found on Java
(Indonesia) has been and remains challenging due
to geochronologic and stratigraphic
uncertainties. In the 1890s, Dubois excavated
numerous faunal fossils—including the first
remains of Homo erectus—in sediments exposed
along the Solo River at Trinil. Since then,
various, and often contradictory age estimates
have been proposed for the Trinil site and its
fossils. However, the age of the fossil-bearing
layers and the fossil assemblage remains
inconclusive. This study constructs a
chronostratigraphic framework for the Trinil
site by documenting new stratigraphic sections
and test pits, and by applying 40Ar/39Ar,
paleomagnetic, and luminescence (pIRIR290)
dating methods. Our study identifies two
distinct, highly fossiliferous channel fills at
the Trinil site. (...) |
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Reassessing palaeoenvironmental conditions
during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic
transition in the Cantabrian region (Southwestern
Europe), di
M. Fernández-García, M. Vidal-Cordasco, J. R.
Jones, A. B. Marín-Arroyo, "Quaternary Science
Reviews", Volume 301, 1 February 2023, 107928
- open access -
Climatic and
environmental changes have been commonly
proposed as driving factors behind the decline
of Neanderthals in Europe. The Cantabrian region,
in northern Iberia, is a key area for
understanding the replacement of Neanderthals by
Anatomically Modern Humans, where an early
disappearance of Neanderthals in relation to
other areas of Iberia has been proposed. To
evaluate how climate might have influenced human
behaviour during Marine Isotope Stage 3, an
accurate review of palaeoecological conditions
is required. For the first time, an assessment
of the regional available terrestrial proxies
linked to archaeo-palaeontological sites,
including small vertebrate assemblages, pollen
sequences, charcoal data and stable isotope
studies on macromammals is undertaken in this
region. In addition, records from macrofaunal
assemblages and glacial records have also been
considered. (...) |
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Making Points: The Middle Stone Age lithic
industry of the Makgadikgadi Basin, Botswana,
di S. Staurset, S. D. Coulson, S. Mothulatshipi,
S. L. Burrough, D. J. Nash, D. S. G. Thomas, "Quaternary
Science Reviews", Volume 301, 1 February 2023,
107823 - open access -
Studies of early
human occupation of Africa over recent decades
have profoundly changed how we understand our
early ancestors, their inventiveness and
adaptability. The spread of Homo sapiens to new
environmental settings, the expansion of diet
breadth, the development of more complex
technology and the use of personal ornaments
have all been recognized at well-documented
Middle Stone Age (MSA) cave and shelter sites,
particularly along the South African coast. This
paper addresses two under-represented aspects of
MSA research: open-air sites and the African
interior. We present here recent surveys and
excavations in Ntwetwe Pan, Botswana, a remote,
open landscape, that formerly contained a vast
palaeolake. (...) |
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Post-depositional disturbance and spatial
organization at exposed open-air sites: Examples
from the Middle Stone Age of the Makgadikgadi
Basin, Botswana,
di S. Staurset, S. D. Coulson, S. Mothulatshipi,
S. L. Burrough, D. J. Nash, D. S. G. Thomas, "Quaternary
Science Reviews", Volume 301, 1 February 2023,
107824 - open access -
The influence of
natural factors such as bioturbation or sediment
movement caused by wind and water is a perennial
concern for Stone Age site selection and
subsequent interpretation. This paper discusses
the spatial artefact distribution of five
recently excavated, open-air exposed Middle
Stone Age (MSA) sites in Ntwetwe Pan, Botswana.
The finds comprise lithic assemblages dominated
by MSA points, manufactured in a variety of
silcretes. The sites were examined following the
assumption that archaeological sites are the
product of a combination of natural and cultural
factors, occurring both during and after
artefacts are deposited. The results indicate
that some of these exposed pan floor sites do
preserve cultural artefact distribution patterns,
and that the level of post-depositional
disturbance varies locally. (...) |
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Les lampes à graisse au paléolithique,
Février 2023
La lampe à graisse
ou lampe à huile est une invention humaine qui
va permettre aux paléolithiques de maîtriser la
lumière, en particulier pour s’enfoncer dans les
grottes et les cavités. On dénombre seulement
quelques 300 lampes paléolithiques recensées et
identifiées. En effet, il existe un grand nombre
d’objets dont l’étude ne permet pas de définir
notamment s’ls ont été utilisées comme lampes à
graisse. « L’invention d’un moyen d’éclairage
portatif au Paléolithique a accru cette
indépendance vis-à-vis du milieu et a sans doute
influencé profondément la vie quotidienne de ces
hommes en élargissant les limites de leur
environnement» Sophie Archambault de Beaune
(...) |
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Coordination of trunk motion during bipedal
walking in the frontal plane: A comparison
between Homo sapiens, Macaca fuscata, and an
exploratory study on a gibbon,
di Y. Kinoshita, R. Goto, Y. Nakano, E. Hirasaki,
"American Journal of Physical Anthropology",
Volume 180, Issue 2, February 2023, Pages
316-327
In human walking,
the pelvis lists toward the swing side during
the support phase while the thorax lists toward
the stance side. In contrast, during bipedal
walking in chimpanzees, both the pelvis and
thorax list toward the stance side during the
support phase, making their body mass
oscillation larger than that in humans. However,
aside from a few reports on chimpanzees and
macaques, studies on the relationship between
trunk movements and step width during bipedal
walking in nonhuman primates are limited.
(...) |
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Crown tissue proportions and enamel thickness
distribution in early Pleistocene Homo
antecessor maxillary premolars (Atapuerca, Spain),
di L. Martín-Francés et alii, "American
Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 180,
Issue 2, February 2023, Pages 370-385
Both morphometric
and proteomic studies have revealed the close
relationship of Homo antecessor with
Neanderthals and H. sapiens. Considering this
relationship, we aim to characterize the Early
Pleistocene Atapuerca-Gran Dolina (TD6)
maxillary premolars to test if their pattern of
enamel thickness is shared with Neanderthals or
H. sapiens. (...) |
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A human lower third molar
from the Acheulean site of Cueva del Ángel (Lucena,
Córdoba, Spain),
di F. J. Bermúdez et alii, "American
Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 180,
Issue 2, February 2023, Pages 386-400
To present a new
dental specimen that will provide additional
evidence for a better understanding of early
European Upper Pleistocene hominin morphological
variability. We described the morphology of this
human right lower third molar at both the outer
enamel surface and the enamel–dentine junction
by means of micro-computed tomography. In order
to better understand hominin diversity, our
morphological and metrical results were compared
with those of other hominins obtained from
published research. We provide a direct aspartic
acid racemization dating of the molar. (...) |
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Cooking in caves: Palaeolithic carbonised plant
food remains from Franchthi and Shanidar,
di C. Kabukcu et alii, "Antiquity",
Volume 97, Issue 391, February 2023, pp.
12-28 - open access -
Research on
Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer diet has focused on
the consumption of animals. Evidence for the use
of plant foods is comparatively limited but is
rapidly expanding. The authors present an
analysis of carbonised macro-remains of
processed plants from Franchthi Cave in the
Aegean Basin and Shanidar Cave in the north-west
Zagros Mountains. Microscopic examination of the
charred food remains reveals the use of pounded
pulses as a common ingredient in cooked plant
foods. The results are discussed in the context
of the regional archaeobotanical literature,
leading the authors to argue that plants with
bitter and astringent tastes were key
ingredients of Palaeolithic cuisines in
South-west Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean.
(...) |
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New radiocarbon dates for ornamented Mesolithic
objects from north-west Poland: chronology and
regional connections in the western Baltic
region, di
T. Płonka, M. Adamczyk, M. Diakowski, Antiquity, Volume 97, Issue 391, February 2023, pp. 29
- 49 - open access -
During the
northern European Mesolithic, new types of
objects were ornamented with different geometric
motifs. Many examples, however, are stray finds
and their dating is poorly understood. The
authors present new AMS radiocarbon dates for
ornamented artefacts from Pomerania that
contribute to an absolute chronology of
Mesolithic art and allow for new consideration
of connections between cultural groups in the
western Baltic region. A baton, featuring an
anthropomorphic figure, dates to the end of the
Boreal period; three other objects date to the
early Atlantic period, revealing a combination
of regional and local innovations. The results
demonstrate the value of absolute dating of
stray finds for refining knowledge of wider
cultural trends. (...) |
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Déjà vu: on the use of meat resources by
sabretooth cats, hominins, and hyaenas in the
Early Pleistocene site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Guadix-Baza
Depression, SE Spain),
di P. Palmqvist et alii, "Archaeological
and Anthropological Sciences", Volume 15, issue
2, February 2023 - open
access -
The late Early
Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva
3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain),
dated to ~1.4 Ma, provides evidence on the
subsistence strategies of the first hominin
population that dispersed in Western Europe. The
site preserves Oldowan tool assemblages
associated with abundant remains of large
mammals. A small proportion of these remains
show cut marks and percussion marks resulting
from defleshing and bone fracturing, and a small
proportion of bones also show tooth marks.
Previous taphonomic studies of FN3 suggested
that the hominins had secondary access to the
prey leftovers abandoned by sabretooth cats and
other primary predators. However, a recent
analysis by Yravedra et al. (2021) of the
frequency of anthropogenic marks and tooth marks
has concluded that the hominins had primary
access to the carcasses of a wide variety of
ungulate prey, even though the frequency of
evisceration marks is strikingly low (...) |
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Hominins likely occupied northern Europe before
one million years ago,
di A. Key, N. Ashton, "Evolutionary Anthropology",
Volume 32, Issue 1, February 2023, Pages 10-25
Our understanding
of when hominins first reached northern Europe
is dependent on a fragmented archaeological and
fossil record known from as early as marine
isotope stage (MIS) 21 or 25 (c. 840 or 950
thousand years ago [Ka]). This contrasts sharply
with southern Europe, where hominin occupation
is evidenced from MIS 37 to 45 (c. 1.22 or 1.39
million years ago [Ma]). Northern Europe,
however, exhibits climatic, geological,
demographic, and historical disadvantages when
it comes to preserving fossil and archaeological
evidence of early hominin habitation. It is
argued here that perceived differences in first
occupation timings between the two European
regions needs to be revised in light of these
factors. (...) |
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Fossil footprints and what
they mean for hominin paleobiology,
di K. G. Hatala, N. T. Roach, A. K. Behrensmeyer,
"Evolutionary Anthropology", Volume 32, Issue 1,
February 2023, Pages 39-53
Hominin footprints
have not traditionally played prominent roles in
paleoanthropological studies, aside from the
famous 3.66 Ma footprints discovered at Laetoli,
Tanzania in the late 1970s. This contrasts with
the importance of trace fossils (ichnology) in
the broader field of paleontology. Lack of
attention to hominin footprints can probably be
explained by perceptions that these are
exceptionally rare and “curiosities” rather than
sources of data that yield insights on par with
skeletal fossils or artifacts. In recent years,
however, discoveries of hominin footprints have
surged in frequency, shining important new light
on anatomy, locomotion, behaviors, and
environments from a wide variety of times and
places (...) |
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Worldwide research trends on Neanderthals,
di J. L. Guil-Guerrero, F. Manzano-Agugliaro,
"Journal of Quaternary Science", Volume 38,
Issue 2, February 2023, Pages 208-220
- open access -
Research on
Neanderthals is a topic of growing interest and
it may even be considered that this subject will
get more attention in the future. The demise and
diets of the various Neanderthal populations are
controversial issues that promote heated debates.
In this work, a bibliometric study of all the
publications contained in the Scopus database
until 2021 has been conducted, analysing more
than 3800 of them. The main authors,
institutions and countries researching this
subject have been identified, and their future
development. Furthermore, the links between the
authors, the countries and the topics researched
have been analysed through communities
detection. (...) |
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A
step back to move forward: a geological
re-evaluation of the El Castillo Cave Middle
Palaeolithic lithostratigraphic units (Cantabria,
northern Iberia),
di D. M. Martín-Perea, J. M. Maíllo-Fernández,
J. Marín, X. Arroyo, R. Asiaín, "Journal of
Quaternary Science", Volume 38, Issue 2,
February 2023, Pages 221-234
- open access -
El Castillo Cave
is one of the most important sites for
understanding the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic
in Europe. Despite its importance, the absence
of a widely used stratigraphic section with
detailed lithostratigraphic descriptions and
correlations between the different geological
and archaeological interpretations has led to
confusion in the correct identification of
lithostratigraphic units in the lowermost,
Middle Palaeolithic sequence. This study
establishes a new lithostratigraphic framework
for the site, which can be accurately correlated
to previous geological and archaeological
studies and generates a solid working basis for
framing the Mousterian of El Castillo Cave in
the Cantabrian region and southwestern Europe.
(...) |
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Challenges and perspectives on functional
interpretations of australopith postcrania and
the reconstruction of hominin locomotion,
di M. Cazenave, T. L. Kivell, "Journal of Human
Evolution", Volume 175, February 2023, 103304
- open access -
In 1994, Hunt
published the ‘postural feeding hypothesis’—a
seminal paper on the origins of hominin
bipedalism—founded on the detailed study of
chimpanzee positional behavior and the
functional inferences derived from the upper and
lower limb morphology of the Australopithecus
afarensis A.L. 288-1 partial skeleton. Hunt
proposed a model for understanding the potential
selective pressures on hominins, made robust,
testable predictions based on Au. afarensis
functional morphology, and presented a
hypothesis that aimed to explain the dual
functional signals of the Au. afarensis and,
more generally, early hominin postcranium.
(...) |
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An
updated analysis of hominin phylogeny with an
emphasis on re-evaluating the phylogenetic
relationships of Australopithecus sediba,
di C. S. Mongle, D. S. Strait, F. E. Grine,
"Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 175,
February 2023, 103311 -
open access -
The discovery and
description of Australopithecus sediba has
reignited the debate over the evolutionary
history of the australopiths and the genus Homo.
It has been suggested that A. sediba may be an
ancestor of Homo because it possesses a mosaic
of derived Homo-like and primitive
australopith-like traits. However, an
alternative hypothesis proposes that the
majority of the purported Homo-like craniodental
characters can be attributed to the juvenile
status of the type specimen, MH1. We conducted
an independent character assessment of the
craniodental morphology of A. sediba, with
particular emphasis on evaluating whether the
ontogenetic status of MH1 may have affected its
purported Homo-like characteristics. In doing
so, we have also expanded fossil hypodigms to
incorporate the new Australopithecus anamensis
cranium from Woranso-Mille (MRD-VP-1/1), as well
as recently described Paranthropus robustus
cranial remains from Drimolen (DNH 7, DNH 155).
(...) |
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Hominin nomenclature and
the importance of information systems for
managing complexity in paleoanthropology,
di D. N. Reed et alii, "Journal of Human
Evolution", Volume 175, February 2023, 103308
- open access -
Shortly after
Darwin published “On the Origin of Species”
(Darwin, 1859), King (1864) attributed the
fossil remains from the Klein Feldhofer Grotte
in the Neander Valley, Germany to a new species
of extinct human ancestor, Homo neanderthalensis.
King's assertion came amidst a heated debate
about the taxonomic status of these remains (Huxley,
1863). Thirty years later, Dubois (1892, 1894)
expanded human prehistory to Asia with the
discovery of Homo erectus remains in Java. Some
30 years after that, Dart (1925) brought
attention to the African continent with the
discovery of the Taung skull. (...) |
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New insights into the use
and circulation of reindeer antler in northern
Iberia during the Magdalenian (ca. 21-13 cal ka
BP),
di A. Lefebvre et alii, "Journal of
Archaeological Science", Volume 150, February
2023, 105708 - open
access -
Interactions
between prehistoric foragers and reindeer at the
end of the Pleistocene are still poorly
documented in northern Iberia, particularly the
reasons and means by which their antlers were
collected, processed and circulated. Here we
review the main osseous industries dated to
between 21 and 13 cal ka BP, focusing on the use
and circulation of reindeer antler as a raw
material for the production of weapons and tools
by Magdalenian foragers. Thirty-six reindeer
antler artefacts were identified from 11 Iberian
sites that are located at either end of the
Pyrenees: the Cantabrian region to the west, and
to a lesser extent, in Catalonia to the east.
(...) |
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Radiocarbon Dates for Las Chimeneas (Cantabria,
Spain) Palaeolithic Cave Art: Quality of
Radiocarbon and Relevance to Parietal Art,
di M. García-Diez, Á. Ibero, B. Ochoa, P.
López-Calle, D. Garrido, "European Journal of
Archaeology", Volume 26 - Issue 1 - February
2023 - open access -
AMS radiocarbon
dating has been widely applied in Palaeolithic
art research and its value has been proven over
the past three decades. Yet it still suffers
from issues that need to be discussed and
analysed to improve future sampling strategies
and strengthen the interpretation of the results.
This study presents new AMS dates for the
parietal art in Cueva de Las Chimeneas in
northern Spain, describes the quality of the
samples, and discusses their reliability. The
joint assessment of the dates and its comparison
with previously obtained dates as well as
stratified and dated portable art makes it
possible to put forward a hypothesis about the
time of creation of the cave's parietal art and
the degree of synchrony or diachrony in its
production. Consequently, it is proposed that
the cave art at Las Chimeneas was created in the
lower Magdalenian, between 19,000 and 17,500 cal
BP. (...) |
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A
symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large
herbivore crania,
di E. Baquedano et alii, "Nature Human
Behaviour", 26 January 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01503-7
- open access -
This work examines
the possible behaviour of Neanderthal groups at
the Cueva Des-Cubierta (central Spain) via the
analysis of the latter’s archaeological
assemblage. Alongside evidence of Mousterian
lithic industry, Level 3 of the cave infill was
found to contain an assemblage of mammalian bone
remains dominated by the crania of large
ungulates, some associated with small hearths.
The scarcity of post-cranial elements, teeth,
mandibles and maxillae, along with evidence of
anthropogenic modification of the crania (cut
and percussion marks), indicates that the
carcasses of the corresponding animals were
initially processed outside the cave, and the
crania were later brought inside. A second round
of processing then took place, possibly related
to the removal of the brain. The continued
presence of crania throughout Level 3 indicates
that this behaviour was recurrent during this
level’s formation. This behaviour seems to have
no subsistence-related purpose but to be more
symbolic in its intent. (...) |
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Study offers new insight on what ancient noses
smelled, 25
january 2023
It sounds a little
like Stone Age standup: A Denisovan and a human
walk past a bees’ nest heavy with honeycomb.
What happens next? According to a study led by
University of Alaska Fairbanks biological
anthropologist Kara C. Hoover and Universite
Paris-Saclay biochemist Claire de March, the
Denisovan, with the species’ greater sensitivity
to sweet smells, may have immediately homed in
on the scent and beat the human to a high-energy
meal. "This research has allowed us to draw some
larger conclusions about the sense of smell in
our closest genetic relatives and understand the
role that smell played in adapting to new
environments and foods during our migrations out
of Africa,” said Hoover, a professor in the
Department of Anthropology at UAF. (...) |
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A
surge in obsidian exploitation more than 1.2
million years ago at Simbiro III (Melka Kunture,
Upper Awash, Ethiopia),
di M. Mussi et alii, "Nature Ecology &
Evolution", 19 January 2023
Pleistocene
archaeology records the changing behaviour and
capacities of early hominins. These behavioural
changes, for example, to stone tools, are
commonly linked to environmental constraints. It
has been argued that, in earlier times, multiple
activities of everyday life were all uniformly
conducted at the same spot. The separation of
focused activities across different localities,
which indicates a degree of planning, according
to this mindset characterizes later hominins
since only 500,000 years ago. Simbiro III level
C, in the upper Awash valley of Ethiopia, allows
us to test this assumption in its assemblage of
stone tools made only with obsidian, dated to
more than 1.2 million years (Myr) old. (...) |
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A
long-term perspective on Neanderthal environment
and subsistence: Insights from the dental
microwear texture analysis of hunted ungulates
at Combe-Grenal (Dordogne, France),
di E. Berlioz, E. Capdepon, E. Discamps, 18
January 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278395
- open access -
Large bovids and
cervids constituted major components of the
European Middle Palaeolithic faunas and hence a
key resource for Neanderthal populations. In
paleoenvironmental reconstructions, red deer (Cervus
elaphus) occurrence is classically considered as
a tree-cover indicator while Bovinae (Bison
priscus and Bos primigenius) and reindeer (Rangifer
tarandus) occurrences are typically associated
with open landscapes. However, insights into the
ecology of extant ungulate populations show a
more complex reality. Exploring the diet of past
ungulates allows to better comprehend the
hunting strategies of Palaeolithic populations
and to reconstruct the modifications through
time of past landscapes (...) |
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Dietary strategies of
Pleistocene Pongo sp. and Homo erectus on Java
(Indonesia),
di J. Kubat et alii, "Nature Ecology &
Evolution", 16 January 2023, volume 7, pages
279–289
During the Early
to Middle Pleistocene, Java was inhabited by
hominid taxa of great diversity. However, their
seasonal dietary strategies have never been
explored. We undertook geochemical analyses of
orangutan (Pongo sp.), Homo erectus and other
mammalian Pleistocene teeth from Sangiran. We
reconstructed past dietary strategies at
subweekly resolution and inferred seasonal
ecological patterns. Histologically controlled
spatially resolved elemental analyses by
laser-based plasma mass spectrometry confirmed
the preservation of authentic biogenic signals
despite the effect of spatially restricted
diagenetic overprint. The Sr/Ca record of faunal
remains is in line with expected trophic
positions, contextualizing fossil hominid diet.
(...) |
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A
taphonomic analysis of PTK (Bed I, Olduvai
Gorge) and its bearing on the interpretation of
the dietary and eco-spatial behaviors of early
humans, di
E. Organista et alii, "Quaternary Science
Reviews", Volume 300, 15 January 2023, 107913
- open access -
Here, we present a
thorough taphonomic analysis of the 1.84
million-year-old site of Phillip Tobias Korongo
(PTK), Bed I, Olduvai Gorge. PTK is one of the
new archaeological sites documented on the FLK
Zinj paleolandscape, in which FLK 22 level was
deposited and covered by Tuff IC. Therefore, PTK
is pene-contemporary with these sites: FLK Zinj,
DS, AMK and AGS. The occurrence of these sites
within a thin clay unit of ∼20 cm, occupying not
only the same vertically discrete stratigraphic
unit, but also the same paleosurface, with an
exceptional preservation of the archaeological
record in its primary depositional locus,
constitutes a unique opportunity to explore
early hominin behavioral diversity at the most
limited geochronological scale possible.
(...) |
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Palaeoenvironmental sequences surrounding Border
Cave, South Africa, and review of conditions
during middle and later stone age occupation,
di L. Scott, F. H. Neumann, A. C. van Aardt, G.
A. Botha, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume
300, 15 January 2023, 107894
- open access -
As a result of
selective anthropogenic accumulation of plant
and faunal remains in the sedimentary record at
Border Cave, palaeoclimatological records at the
site can only be broadly interpreted and cannot
be reconstructed with any precision. To aid
environmental reconstructions spanning the
sedimentary record, we review published climate
change proxy records from both marine and
terrestrial archives within 500 km in the
surrounding the summer rainfall region of the
site to derive the history of environmental
change. (...) |
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Balancing selection on genomic deletion
polymorphisms in humans,
di A. Aqil, L. Speidel, P. Pavlidis, O. Gokcume,
10 Jan 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.79111
- open access -
A key question in
biology is why genomic variation persists in a
population for extended periods. Recent studies
have identified examples of genomic deletions
that have remained polymorphic in the human
lineage for hundreds of millennia, ostensibly
owing to balancing selection. Nevertheless,
genome-wide investigation of ancient and
possibly adaptive deletions remains an
imperative exercise. Here, we demonstrate an
excess of polymorphisms in present-day humans
that predate the modern human-Neanderthal split
(ancient polymorphisms), which cannot be
explained solely by selectively neutral
scenarios. We analyze the adaptive mechanisms
that underlie this excess in deletion
polymorphisms. (...) |
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Arched footprints preserve the motions of fossil
hominin feet,
di K. G. Hatala, S. M. Gatesy, P. L. Falkingham,
"Nature Ecology & Evolution", 05 January 2023,
volume 7, pages 32–41
The longitudinal
arch of the human foot is viewed as a pivotal
adaptation for bipedal walking and running.
Fossil footprints from Laetoli, Tanzania, and
Ileret, Kenya, are believed to provide direct
evidence of longitudinally arched feet in
hominins from the Pliocene and Pleistocene,
respectively. We studied the dynamics of track
formation using biplanar X-ray,
three-dimensional animation and discrete element
particle simulation. Here, we demonstrate that
longitudinally arched footprints are false
indicators of foot anatomy; instead they are
generated through a specific pattern of foot
kinematics that is characteristic of human
walking (...) |
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Homo sapiens and
Neanderthals share high cerebral cortex
integration into adulthood,
di G. Sansalone et alii, "Nature Ecology
& Evolution", 05 January 2023, volume 7, pages
42–50
There is controversy around the mechanisms that
guided the change in brain shape during the
evolution of modern humans. It has long been
held that different cortical areas evolved
independently from each other to develop their
unique functional specializations. However, some
recent studies suggest that high integration
between different cortical areas could
facilitate the emergence of equally extreme,
highly specialized brain functions. Here, we
analyse the evolution of brain shape in primates
using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics
of endocasts. We aim to determine, firstly,
whether modern humans present unique
developmental patterns of covariation between
brain cortical areas; and secondly, whether
hominins experienced unusually high rates of
evolution in brain covariation as compared to
other primates. (...) |
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The interaction between
large mammals and Acheulean tools during the
Middle Pleistocene in the Manzanares valley
(Madrid, Spain): new evidence for Santa Elena
and Oxígeno sites,
di I. Claver, J. A. Martos, J. Yravedra, J.
Panera, S. Rubio-Jara, "Archaeological and
Anthropological Sciences", Volume 15, issue 1,
January 2023
- open access
-
The fluvial
deposits of the Manzanares and Jarama rivers
present one of the largest concentrations of
lithic and faunal remains of Pleistocene sites
in Europe. In the Manzanares River close to the
confluence of the Jarama River, the stepped
terrace system disappears and gives way to the
Complex Terrace of Butarque (CTB), where the
sites of Santa Elena and Oxígeno are located.
Different numerical dates obtained from the
visible CTB’s bottom suggest that it was
deposited during the MIS 6 or even MIS 7. This
paper provides the first taphonomic and
palaeoecological interpretation of both
collections. A total of 445 fossil elements have
been recorded in Oxígeno. The most represented
are cranial fragments of Elephas sp. About Santa
Elena, 130 fossil elements have been recorded.
(...) |
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MaLAdapt Reveals Novel Targets of Adaptive
Introgression From Neanderthals and Denisovans
in Worldwide Human Populations,
di X. Zhang, B. Kim, A. Singh, S. Sankararaman,
A. Durvasula, K. E Lohmueller, "Molecular
Biology and Evolution", Volume 40, Issue 1,
January 2023 - open
access -
Adaptive
introgression (AI) facilitates local adaptation
in a wide range of species. Many
state-of-the-art methods detect AI with ad-hoc
approaches that identify summary statistic
outliers or intersect scans for positive
selection with scans for introgressed genomic
regions. Although widely used, approaches
intersecting outliers are vulnerable to a high
false-negative rate as the power of different
methods varies, especially for complex
introgression events. Moreover, population
genetic processes unrelated to AI, such as
background selection or heterosis, may create
similar genomic signals to AI, compromising the
reliability of methods that rely on neutral null
distributions. (...) |
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San Quirce (Palencia, Spain): new chronologies
for the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition
of south-west Europe,
di M. Terradillos-Bernal et alii, "Journal of
Quaternary Science", Volume 38, Issue 1, January
2023, Pages 21-37
San Quirce is an
open-air archaeological site situated on a
fluvial terrace in the Duero basin (Palencia,
northern Iberia). This paper presents new and
consistent chronologies obtained for the
sedimentary sequence using post-infrared
infrared stimulated luminescence (pIR-IR) dating
of K-feldspars and single-grain thermally
transferred optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL)
dating of quartz. The new dating results
indicate that the sequence is older than ~200000
years and place San Quirce Level III within
marine isotope stages (MIS) 8 and 7, between
274±13 ka and 238±13 ka. (...) |
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Coherent changes in wood charcoals, site
occupation and lithic technology across the MIS
4/3 transition at Klein Kliphuis rock shelter,
South Africa,
di A. Mackay, C. R. Cartwright, Volume 38, Issue
1, January 2023, Pages 38-48
- open access -
We explore the
correspondence between changing
palaeoenvironments, patterns of site use, and
lithic technology at the rock shelter site Klein
Kliphuis (South Africa) across the interval
65–55 000 years before present. This period
coincides with the termination of Marine Isotope
Stage (MIS) 4, and the disappearance of an
iconic late Pleistocene archaeological unit
known as the Howiesons Poort. Wood charcoals
indicate sufficient soil moisture around Klein
Kliphuis throughout the Howiesons Poort to
support diverse tree species at a time when site
occupation was relatively intense. At least some
fuelwood-gathering in this period may have been
undertaken to support heat treatment of silcrete,
which was the dominant lithology in tool
production. (...) |
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"Journal of Human
Evolution",
Volume 174, January 2023:
-
Introduction to special
issue: The biotic context of the Early
Pleistocene hominins from Dmanisi (Georgia,
southern Caucasus),
di D. Lordkipanidze, J. Agustí, L. Rook
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The brain of Homo habilis:
Three decades of paleoneurology,
di E. Bruner, A. Beaudet
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Geometric morphometric
analysis of the bony labyrinth of the Sima de
los Huesos hominins,
di A. D. Velez et alii
-
Multi-isotope
zooarchaeological investigations at Abri du
Maras: The paleoecological and
paleoenvironmental context of Neanderthal
subsistence strategies in the Rhône Valley
during MIS 3,
di K. Britton et alii
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Reassessment of the human
mandible from Banyoles (Girona, Spain),
di B. A. Keeling
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Moving beyond the
adaptationist paradigm for human evolution, and
why it matters,
di L. Schroeder, R. Rogers Ackermann |
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Index
di antiqui |
Sommario
bacheca |
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