Aggiornamento 28/05/2024

Linking the proximal tibiofibular joint to hominid locomotion: A morphometric study of extant species, di A. Pietrobelli, R. Sorrentino, S. Benazzi, M. G. Belcastro, D. Marchi, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", Volume 184, Issue 2, June 2024, e24696 - open access -

We perform a comparative assessment of shape variation of the proximal fibula in extant humans and great apes, intending to investigate the possible link between proximal fibular shape and locomotor patterns. Our sample includes 94 fibulae of 37 Homo sapiens, 15 Gorilla, 17 Pongo, and 25 Pan. Fibular morphology was investigated through three-dimensional (semi)landmark-based geometric morphometric methods. (...)

Quantifying hominin morphological diversity at the end of the middle Pleistocene: Implications for the origin of Homo sapiens, di H. Hautavoine, J. Arnaud, A. Balzeau, A. Mounier, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", Volume 184, Issue 2, June 2024, e24915 - open access -

The Middle Pleistocene (MP) saw the emergence of new species of hominins: Homo sapiens in Africa, H. neanderthalensis, and possibly Denisovans in Eurasia, whose most recent common ancestor is thought to have lived in Africa around 600 ka ago. However, hominin remains from this period present a wide range of morphological variation making it difficult to securely determine their taxonomic attribution and their phylogenetic position within the Homo genus. This study proposes to reconsider the phenetic relationships between MP hominin fossils in order to clarify evolutionary trends and contacts between the populations they represent. (...)

Chert sourcing using LIBS: The case of Cova del Parco, Spain, di J. Le Guirriec et alii, "Archaeometry", Volume 66, Issue 3, June 2024, Pages 493-505

Cherts originating from carbonate lacustrine environments have been widely exploited by Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers in the south of the Pyrenees. Archaeo-petrographic sourcing studies have identified different potential sources but were unable to distinguish them. This study conducted geochemical characterisation of geological and archaeological lacustrine chert samples using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) (...)

Reframing Prehistoric Human-Proboscidean Interactions: on the Use and Implications of Ethnohistoric Records for Understanding the Productivity of Hunting Megaherbivores, di K. D. Lupo, D. N. Schmitt, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", Volume 31, Issue 2, June 2024 - open access -

The role that humans played in the extinction of Pleistocene proboscideans is highly controversial. Ethnohistoric records of elephant hunting, in concert with theoretical rationales, are often used as proxy evidence to support the view that ancient humans regularly and efficiently targeted large-sized proboscideans to the point of extinction. This paper examines the socioeconomic and technological contexts of elephant hunting in contemporary and ethnohistoric records to show how these circumstances influenced the scale of harvest, productivity, and valuation of elephants. Quantitative and qualitative evidence derived from some of these records are used to analyze the efficiency of elephant capture using traditional hunting technologies (spears, poisoned projectiles, traps, and drives). This analytical framework provides a systematic method for evaluating the productivity of proboscidean predation. (...)

A Middle Palaeolithic incised bear bone from the Dziadowa Skała Cave, Poland: the oldest marked object north of the Carpathian Mountains, di T. Płonka et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 166, June 2024, 105971 - open access -

A fragment of an ursid radius with seventeen incisions (one of them incomplete) was excavated in the 1950s in the Dziadowa Skała Cave in the Częstochowa Upland in southern Poland from a deposit with faunal remains from the Eemian (ca 130–115 kyr). This object has been cited as the earliest evidence of Neanderthal cognitive abilities in the region, but it has been never studied in detail. The artefact has now been re-examined using microscopy and X-ray computed tomography. For this study we revised the determination of the bone and studied the morphology and metric parameters of the incisions (length, width, depth and opening angle). We also used experiments, statistical analysis and an analysis of the incisions' topography to establish the techniques behind their manufacture. (...)

MIS5-MIS3 Neanderthal occupations at Amalda III cave (Northern Iberian Peninsula), di J. Rios-Garaizar et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 333, 1 June 2024, 108666

The arrival, occupation, and disappearance of Neanderthals in the Cantabrian region is the subject of a long-running debate that continues to this day. Knowledge of the evolution of Neanderthal societies since the end of the Middle Pleistocene in the north of the Iberian Peninsula is greatly impacted by the scarcity of a good chronological framework. This absence of good data creates difficulties in evaluating the cultural adaptations of these populations to environmental changes and their historical dynamics. (...)

East and Southeast Asian hominin dispersal and evolution: A review, di R. Sawafuji et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 333, 1 June 2024, 108669 - open access -

East and Southeast Asia have served as significant habitats for diverse hominins for more than one million years. This has been demonstrated by numerous studies over the past decade that have reported new discoveries, ages, morphological evidence, and ancient biomolecules from fossils. This has revolutionized our understanding of their evolution and dispersal. However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive overview that combines insights from different scientific disciplines that are needed to address the still-uncertain or contentious aspects of this field. Here, we provide a synthesis of the timing and distribution of the different hominins that lived in East and Southeast Asia. (...)

Evolving landscape and cultural change during the Middle Palaeolithic in Southeast Zagros (Iran): Insights from a micromammal assemblage, di J. Rofes et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 333, 1 June 2024, 108657

The Iranian Zagros is a remarkable zone to study Middle and Upper Palaeolithic human occupations and Tang-e Shikan (Arsanjan) is a strategic cave site which archaeological evidence can be taken as a proxy for the southeast portion. Micromammals have been extensively used as palaeoecological indicators and here we use the assemblage from Tang-e Shikan to infer the landscape and environment that framed and arguably triggered cultural change. A thorough taphonomic analysis was undertaken prior to any interpretation. Fourteen taxa have been identified: two “insectivores” s.l., nine rodents, two lagomorphs, and unidentified chiropterans. The remains would be the digestion by-products of a category 5 opportunistic predator: either an avian raptor or a mammalian carnivore. Our results show that shrubland and grassland dominated the distribution of habitats in the area during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP), followed by moderate rocky, desert, and steppe components, and sparse patches of woodland. (...)

Regional insights into Upper Palaeolithic territorial strategies and the factors of habitat choice in the territory of the Hungarian Central Mountains, di A. J. Trájer, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 333, 1 June 2024, 108686 - open access -

The investigation into regional occurrence patterns contributes to a deeper understanding of Palaeolithic habitat exploitation. To explore this, geological, spatial, and environmental factors influencing the distribution of Upper Palaeolithic archaeological sites are studied in the Hungarian Central Mountains, focusing on Szeletian, Aurignacian, Gravettian, and Epigravettian cultures. The study employs a combination of spatial, statistical, classification analyses, and decision tests, including Kernel Density Estimation, Voronoi tessellation, the Dunn-Bonferroni test, Principal Component and Coordinate Analyses, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Random Forest Analysis, to examine the reasons behind the spatial distributions of archaeological sites by cultures. (...)

A diachronic study of human-bear interactions: An overview of ursid exploitation during the Paleolithic of Germany, di G. Toniato et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 333, 1 June 2024, 108601 - open access -

In the Palearctic region interactions between hominins and ursids date as far back as the Lower Paleolithic. Archeological evidence from open-air settings and cave environments shows that Paleolithic people and bears shared the same habitats and living spaces. Additionally, anthropogenic marks on bear remains indicate that hominins regarded bears as an occasional source of food and raw material. While scholars have largely focused on solving the conundrum between opportunistic predation and strategic hunting of bears by hominins, little attention has been given to categorizing the anthropogenic modifications on bear remains. (...)

Sand, hearths, lithics and a bit of bioturbation: Site formation processes at Umhlatuzana rockshelter, South Africa, di I. Sifogeorgaki, H. Huisman, P. Karkanas, V. C. Schmid, G. L. Dusseldorp, "Geoarchaeology", Volume 39, Issue 3, May/June 2024, Pages 212-237 - open access -

Umhlatuzana rockshelter is known for its continuous record of Middle and Later Stone Age lithic assemblages. This study presents multiproxy geoarchaeological data (micromorphology, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy) to reconstruct the depositional and post-depositional history of the site. Although the Stone Age deposits macroscopically appear homogeneous, micromorphological analysis reveals the existence of primary, unaltered depositional microlayering throughout the sequence. Sediments related to combustion activities on-site are observed in both the Holocene and Pleistocene deposits. Post-depositional geochemical alterations result in the formation of several phosphatic minerals that significantly affect the site's preservation conditions. (...)

Demographic models predict end-Pleistocene arrival and rapid expansion of pre-agropastoralist humans in Cyprus, di C. J. A. Bradshaw et alii, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 21 may 2024, vol. 121, n, 21, e2318293121

The antiquity of human dispersal into Mediterranean islands and ensuing coastal adaptation have remained largely unexplored due to the prevailing assumption that the sea was a barrier to movement and that islands were hostile environments to early hunter-gatherers [J. F. Cherry, T. P. Leppard, J. Isl. Coast. Archaeol. 13, 191–205 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1080/15564894.2016.1276489]. Using the latest archaeological data, hindcasted climate projections, and age-structured demographic models, we demonstrate evidence for early arrival (14,257 to 13,182 calendar years ago) to Cyprus and predicted that large groups of people (~1,000 to 1,375) arrived in 2 to 3 main events occurring within <100 y to ensure low extinction risk. (...)

Revisiting macromammal exploitation in the Spanish Cantabrian region during the lower Magdalenian (ca. 20-17 ky cal BP), di R. Portero, M. J. Fernández-Gómez, E. Álvarez-Fernández, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 332, 15 May 2024, 108651 - open access -

Understanding the ways in which human groups use the environment for their survival is one of the main fields of study in Prehistory. Subsistence strategies, understood as the set of techniques, processes and activities through which human groups organise the tasks related to their survival, are a fundamental element for understanding the economic and sociocultural processes derived from these practices in the past. In this sense, archaeozoological and taphonomic studies are the main tool to reconstruct the ways in which our ancestors acquired, processed, consumed, and managed meat resources for their survival. In this research we examine the ways in which hunter-gatherer groups in the Spanish Cantabrian region exploited ungulates through a palaeoecological and palaeoeconomic analysis of a total of 32 archaeological levels at 19 sites dated between 20 and 17 ky cal BP. (...)

Evidence of bears exploitation by early Neanderthals at the middle pleistocene site of payre (MIS 8-6, Southeastern France), di N. Lateur et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 332, 15 May 2024, 108653

The archaeological site of Payre (South-eastern France) has yielded a remarkable Early Middle Palaeolithic sequence with mixed occupations of Neanderthal and large carnivore occupations ranging from MIS 8 to 6. Recent discoveries during the reassessment of collections brought to light at least a dozen cave (Ursus spelaeus) and brown bear (Ursus arctos) remains bearing cut marks, indicating the in situ carcass processing (skinning, evisceration, dismembering, defleshing) of these large carnivores by early Neanderthals. This is just one of an increasing number of such examples throughout Europe, highlighting once again the diversity of food and non-food resources exploited by these hominins. (...)

A regulatory variant impacting TBX1 expression contributes to basicranial morphology in Homo sapiens, di N. Funato, A. Heliövaara, C. Boeckx, "American Journal of Human Genetics", 02 may 2024, volume 111, issue 5 - open access -

Changes in gene regulatory elements play critical roles in human phenotypic divergence. However, identifying the base-pair changes responsible for the distinctive morphology of Homo sapiens remains challenging. Here, we report a noncoding single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs41298798, as a potential causal variant contributing to the morphology of the skull base and vertebral structures found in Homo sapiens. Screening for differentially regulated genes between Homo sapiens and extinct relatives revealed 13 candidate genes associated with basicranial development, with TBX1, implicated in DiGeorge syndrome, playing a pivotal role. Epigenetic markers and in silico analyses prioritized rs41298798 within a TBX1 intron for functional validation. CRISPR editing revealed that the 41-base-pair region surrounding rs41298798 modulates gene expression at 22q11.21. (...)

Revealed: face of 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal from cave where species buried their dead, 1 may 2024

A new Netflix documentary has recreated the face of a 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal whose flattened skull was discovered and rebuilt from hundreds of bone fragments by a team of archaeologists and conservators led by the University of Cambridge. The team excavated the female Neanderthal in 2018 from inside a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan where the species had repeatedly returned to lay their dead to rest. The cave was made famous by work in the late 1950s that unearthed several Neanderthals which appeared to have been buried in succession. ‘Secrets of the Neanderthals’, produced by BBC Studios Science Unit, is released on Netflix worldwide. The documentary follows the team led by the universities of Cambridge and Liverpool John Moores as they return to Shanidar Cave to continue excavations. (...)

Reevaluating the “elephant butchery area” at the Middle Pleistocene site of Notarchirico (MIS 16) (Venosa Basin, Basilicata, Italy), di A. Pineda et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 331, 1 May 2024, 108603 - open access -

The archaeological site of Notarchirico, chronologically placed at the end of MIS 17 and MIS 16 (675-610 ka), is a key site for studying Acheulean technology in southern Europe and gaining a better understanding of human occupation in that region during the Middle Pleistocene. It was excavated between 1979 and 1995 by Marcello Piperno and re-opened since 2016. Between 1990 and 1991, around forty remains of Palaeloxodon antiquus, mostly comprising the head of the animal, such as cranium, mandible and tusks fragments belonging to a sub-adult male were discovered as a result of the excavation of a lateral discontinuity of the level A, situated in an area known as the “elephant butchery area”. Remains of deer, mainly assigned to Dama sp., and 42 stone tools, including choppers, hand-axes, cores and some flakes were also identified in the surroundings. (...)

Late Pleistocene prey mobility in southwestern France and its implications for reconstructing Neandertal ranging behaviors, di J. Hodgkins et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 331, 1 May 2024, 108610

As hunter-gatherers, Neandertal mobility and corresponding adaptations were influenced by the mobility of their prey; thus, it is critical to track how the movement patterns of each species varied over time at specific sites. Here, prey paleomobility is reconstructed by measuring radiogenic strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in herbivore teeth recovered from two archaeological sites (Pech de l’Azé IV and Roc de Marsal) in the Dordogne Valley (Aquitaine Basin) of southwestern France that span marine isotope stages (MIS) 5-3. These ratios are compared to a published isoscape as well as new environmental samples (soil, Helix shells, rodent teeth, water, and wine). (...)

Behind the waterfall - Interdisciplinary results from Holley Shelter and their implications for understanding human behavioral patterns at the end of the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa, di G. D. Bader et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 331, 1 May 2024, 108633 - open access -

Holley Shelter is a Middle (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) site in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The rock shelter is located at the intersection of three ecosystems, in a strip of the Savanna Biome between the Grassland and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biomes. Initial excavations in the 1950s by Gordon Cramb yielded large amounts of unifacial points and splintered pieces, as well as organic remains associated with MSA occupations. Our comparative techno-typological evaluation of this material in 2015 suggested the occupations may date to early MIS 3. We then initiated new excavations at the site using modern field methods and controlled sampling for lithic and organic material. Following the initial round of interdisciplinary analysis, we herein report the first absolute ages for Holley Shelter, a detailed technological analysis of new lithic material from the uppermost MSA layers at the site, and a preliminary study of the associated faunal remains. (...)

Grotta Grande (southern Italy). Disentangling the Neandertal and carnivore interaction in a short-term palimpsest at the last glacial onset (~116-109 ka), di V. Spagnolo et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 331, 1 May 2024, 108628 - open access -

The Mousterian of the Grotta Grande (Southern Italy) is here subject to new dating, which provide a surprisingly high-resolution on the stratigraphic sequence. Overall, the deposit in the Trench F appears framed in the MIS 5, into a brief chronological time span immediately after the Last Interglacial, between ~116 ka and 109 ka. Significant archaeological evidence has been found in this sector on the cave, consisting in two high-resolution archaeological records (layers 8 and 6) with evidence of anthropic organization of the space, involving possible constructed features, use of fire and, possibly, different activity areas. Here we focus on the layer 8, excavated for 10.5 m2, which returned an intriguing entanglement of human and carnivore evidence. (...)

"PaleoAnthropology", volume 2024, issue 1, 01-05-2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.48738/2024.iss1:

- The Neanderthal Occupations at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater (Belgium) and the Challenge of the Eemian Forest in Northwest Europe, di P. Bringmans

- Hominin Occupation of the North-Central Caucasus During the Middle Paleolithic: New Results from Saradj-Chuko Grotto and the State of Research, di
E. V. Doronicheva et alii

- New Additions to the Paranthropus boisei Mandibular Hypodigm from Koobi Fora, Kenya, di L. Nadal, L. Leakey, M. Leakey, M. Mirazón Lahr

- Comparative 3D Shape Analysis of the Iwo Eleru Mandible, Nigeria The Iwo Eleru Mandible, di K. Harvati, C. Stringer, C. Adebayo Folorunso

- Early Hominin Movement Patterns at Laetoli, Northern Tanzania, di C. K. Miller, R. A. McCann, K. G. Hatala, C. Musiba, J. M. DeSilva

Human-like enamel growth in Homo naledi, di P. Mahoney et alii, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", Volume 184, Issue 1, May 2024, e24893 - open access -

A modern pattern (rate and duration) of dental development occurs relatively recently during human evolution. Given the temporal overlap of Homo naledi with the first appearance of fossil Homo sapiens in Africa, this small-bodied and small-brained hominin presents an opportunity to elucidate the evolution of enamel growth in the hominin clade. Here we conduct the first histological study of two permanent mandibular canines and one permanent maxillary first molar, representing three individuals attributed to H. naledi. We reconstruct the rate and duration of enamel growth and compare these findings to those reported for other fossil hominins and recent humans. (...)

Cortical bone architecture of hominid intermediate phalanges reveals functional signals of locomotion and manipulation, di S. M. Syeda, Z. J. Tsegai, M. Cazenave, M. M. Skinner, T. L. Kivell,  "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", Volume 184, Issue 1, May 2024, e24902 - open access -

Reconstruction of fossil hominin manual behaviors often relies on comparative analyses of extant hominid hands to understand the relationship between hand use and skeletal morphology. In this context, the intermediate phalanges remain understudied. Thus, here we investigate cortical bone morphology of the intermediate phalanges of extant hominids and compare it to the cortical structure of the proximal phalanges, to investigate the relationship between cortical bone structure and inferred loading during manual behaviors. (...)

Masticatory habits of the adult Neanderthal individual BD 1 from La Chaise-de-Vouthon (France), di M. Hernaiz-García et alii,  "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", Volume 184, Issue 1, May 2024, e24926 - open access -

The analysis of dental wear provides a useful approach for dietary and cultural habit reconstructions of past human populations. The analysis of macrowear patterns can also be used to better understand the individual chewing behavior and to investigate the biomechanical responses during different biting scenarios. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diet and chewing performance of the adult Neanderthal Bourgeois-Delaunay 1 (BD 1) and to investigate the relationship between wear and cementum deposition under mechanical demands. (...)

What function(s) for Palaeolithic polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas? Cases from France and North Africa, di J. Cabanès, A. Borel, J. Baena Preysler, D. Cliquet, D. Colonge, M. H. Moncel, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", Volume 16, Issue 5, May 2024

Polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas (PSBs) have been found in lithic series spanning two million years, but their purpose remains largely unknown. In this study, we propose a functional analysis of PSBs from nine assemblages from France and North Africa, ranging from 1.78 to 0.169 Ma. By combining use-wear, ergonomic and metric analyses with sequential experiments, we explore the meaning and diversity of these objects. Our experiments revealed two key findings: 1) the manufacture process creates intense traces on removal scars used as striking platforms, and 2) the existence of a paradox between the complexity of the manufacture process and their efficiency equal to that of cobbles. (...)

The habitat utilization and environmental resilience of Homo heidelbergensis in Europe, di A. J. Trájer, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", Volume 16, Issue 5, May 2024 - open access -

The European populations of Homo heidelbergensis may have contributed to the genetic heritage of modern Eurasians. A better understanding of the possible effects of palaeoenvironmental alterations on the evolution of ancient humans can help to understand the origin of developed traits. For this purpose, the spatiotemporal alterations of physical factors were modelled in Europe for the period of 670–190 ka, covering the existence of Homo heidelbergensis in Europe. The factors included the following: paleoclimatic conditions, climatic suitability values of ancient humans, two prey species, and the European beech. Furthermore, the distribution and features of wood used for toolmaking were also investigated. Finally, changes in the relative mortality risk, the percentage of the body covered by clothing, and daily energy expenditure values in the coldest quarter of the year were modelled. The results suggest that H. heidelbergensis inhabited dominantly temperate regions in Europe where prey such as red deer were present. (...)

Acheulean Handaxes in Medieval France: An Earlier ‘Modern’ Social History for Palaeolithic Bifaces, di A. Key, J. Clark, J. DeSilva, S. Kangas, "Cambridge Archaeological Journal", Volume 34 - Issue 2 - May 2024 - open access -

Handaxes have a uniquely prominent role in the history of Palaeolithic archaeology, and their early study provides crucial information concerning the epistemology of the field. We have little conclusive evidence, however, of their investigation or societal value prior to the mid seventeenth century. Here we investigate the shape, colour and potential flake scarring on a handaxe-like stone object seen in the Melun Diptych, painted by the French fifteenth-century artist Jean Fouquet, and compare its features with artefacts from diverse (including French) Acheulean handaxe assemblages. Commissioned by a high-status individual, Étienne Chevalier, Fouquet's work (Étienne Chevalier with Saint Stephen) depicts an important religious context, while the handaxe-like object points to the stoning to death of an important Christian saint. (...)

Conversations with Caves: The Role of Pareidolia in the Upper Palaeolithic Figurative Art of Las Monedas and La Pasiega (Cantabria, Spain), di I. Wisher, P. Pettitt, R. Kentridge, "Cambridge Archaeological Journal", Volume 34 - Issue 2 - May 2024 - open access -

The influence of pareidolia has often been anecdotally observed in examples of Upper Palaeolithic cave art, where topographic features of cave walls were incorporated into images. As part of a wider investigation into the visual psychology of the earliest known art, we explored three hypotheses relating to pareidolia in cases of Late Upper Palaeolithic art in Las Monedas and La Pasiega Caves (Cantabria, Spain). Deploying current research methods from visual psychology, our results support the notion that topography of cave walls played a strong role in the placement of figurative images—indicative of pareidolia influencing art making—although played a lesser role in determining whether the resulting images were relatively simple or complex. (...)

New Oldowan locality Sare-Abururu (ca. 1.7 Ma) provides evidence of diverse hominin behaviors on the Homa Peninsula, Kenya, di E. M. Finestone et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 190, May 2024, 103498 - open access -

The Homa Peninsula, in southwestern Kenya, continues to yield insights into Oldowan hominin landscape behaviors. The Late Pliocene locality of Nyayanga (~3–2.6 Ma) preserves some of the oldest Oldowan tools. At the Early Pleistocene locality of Kanjera South (~2 Ma) toolmakers procured a diversity of raw materials from over 10 km away and strategically reduced them in a grassland-dominated ecosystem. Here, we report findings from Sare-Abururu, a younger (~1.7 Ma) Oldowan locality approximately 12 km southeast of Kanjera South and 18 km east of Nyayanga. Sare-Abururu has yielded 1754 artifacts in relatively undisturbed low-energy silts and sands. Stable isotopic analysis of pedogenic carbonates suggests that hominin activities were carried out in a grassland-dominated setting with similar vegetation structure as documented at Kanjera South. (...)

Behavioral and phylogenetic correlates of limb length proportions in extant apes and monkeys: Implications for interpreting hominin fossils, di V. C. R. Powell, W. A. Barr, A. S. Hammond, B. A. Wood, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 190, May 2024, 103494

The body proportions of extant animals help inform inferences about the behaviors of their extinct relatives, but relationships between body proportions, behavior, and phylogeny in extant primates remain unclear. Advances in behavioral data, molecular phylogenies, and multivariate analytical tools make it an opportune time to perform comprehensive comparative analyses of primate traditional limb length proportions (e.g., intermembral, humerofemoral, brachial, and crural indices), body size-adjusted long bone proportions, and principal components. In this study we used a mix of newly-collected and published data to investigate whether and how the limb length proportions of a diverse sample of primates, including monkeys, apes, and modern humans, are influenced by behavior and phylogeny. (...)

The fauna from Mughr el-Hamamah, Jordan: Insights on human hunting behavior during the Early Upper Paleolithic, di J. L. Clark, G. Hartman, L. Nilsson-Stutz, A. J. Stutz, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 190, May 2024, 103518

As a corridor for population movement out of Africa, the southern Levant is a natural laboratory for research exploring the dynamics of the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition. Yet, the number of well-preserved sites dating to the initial millennia of the Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP; ∼45–30 ka) remains limited, restricting the resolution at which we can study the biocultural and techno-typological changes evidenced across the transition. With EUP deposits dating to 45–39 ka cal BP, Mughr el-Hamamah, Jordan, offers a key opportunity to expand our understanding of EUP lifeways in the southern Levant. Mughr el-Hamamah is particularly noteworthy for its large faunal assemblage, representing the first such assemblage from the Jordan Valley. In this paper, we present results from taxonomic and taphonomic analyses of the EUP fauna from Mughr el-Hamamah. (...)

Prehistoric ornaments in a changing environment. An integrated approach to the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Columbella rustica shells from the Vlakno cave, Croatia, di B. Cvitkušić, E. Cristiani, A. Zupancich, D. Vujević, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 165, May 2024, 105972 - open access -

This paper advances knowledge of human behavioural and adaptational strategies in coastal areas related to acquiring, producing and distributing ornaments, specifically, the omnipresent marine gastropod Columbella rustica. By applying quantitative and qualitative approaches to the most extensive collection of Columbella rustica shells in the Eastern Adriatic region discovered in the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic levels of Vlakno cave in Croatia, we have determined the complete step-by-step life cycle of this bead type, in particular, where and how shells were collected, produced, used, distributed and discarded. By integrating different methodologies, our data revealed changes in the collection strategies, reduction of the shell size during the Mesolithic period, and standardisation and continuity in production techniques. Detailed analyses of broken shells in the archaeological assemblage identified the presence of technological traces resulting from processing mistakes, supporting our hypothesis of on-site production. (...)

Isotopic evidence of high reliance on plant food among Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers at Taforalt, Morocco, di Z. Moubtahij et alii, "Nature Ecology & Evolution", 29 April 2024 - open access -

The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most important dietary revolutions in human history. Yet, due to a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites, little is known about the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups. Here we present the isotopic evidence of pronounced plant reliance among Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers from North Africa (15,000–13,000 cal BP), predating the advent of agriculture by several millennia. Employing a comprehensive multi-isotopic approach, we conducted zinc (δ66Zn) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) analysis on dental enamel, bulk carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis on dentin and bone collagen, and single amino acid analysis on human and faunal remains from Taforalt (Morocco). (...)

Diversity-dependent speciation and extinction in hominins, di L. A. van Holstein, R. A. Foley, "Nature Ecology & Evolution", 17 April 2024 - open access -

The search for drivers of hominin speciation and extinction has tended to focus on the impact of climate change. Far less attention has been paid to the role of interspecific competition. However, research across vertebrates more broadly has shown that both processes are often correlated with species diversity, suggesting an important role for interspecific competition. Here we ask whether hominin speciation and extinction conform to the expected patterns of negative and positive diversity dependence, respectively. We estimate speciation and extinction rates from fossil occurrence data with preservation variability priors in a validated Bayesian framework and test whether these rates are correlated with species diversity. We supplement these analyses with calculations of speciation rate across a phylogeny, again testing whether these are correlated with diversity. Our results are consistent with clade-wide diversity limits that governed speciation in hominins overall but that were not quite reached by the Australopithecus and Paranthropus subclade before its extinction. (...)

First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia, di M. Stewart et alii, 17 April 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299292 - open access -

Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. (...)

Anatomically modern human dispersals into Europe during MIS 3: Climate stability, paleogeography and habitat suitability, di S. Paquin et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 330, 15 April 2024, 108596 - open access -

The initial large-scale dispersal of Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) into Europe, associated with the Aurignacian technocomplex, occurred during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), a critically unstable climatic period. The impact of climate change (millennial-scale Dansgaard-Oeschger events) and climate variability (annual and seasonal variation) on the mobility and initial dispersal of AMHs on the continent is not fully demonstrated. Here we show that both climate change and variability affected the spatial behavior of Aurignacian groups and structured their arrival on the continent. (...)

Balkan Neanderthals: The Late Pleistocene palaeoecological sequence of Pešturina Cave (Niš, Serbia), di J. Ochando et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 330, 15 April 2024, 108600 - open access -

The Central Balkans are a key biogeographical region in Southern Europe, influenced by a central European-Mediterranean climate, which acted as a refugium for flora and fauna, and favored the dispersion of Neanderthals and migration of modern human populations during Late Glacial Period. This study presents pollen analyses of sediment and hyaena coprolites from Pešturina Cave in Serbia to reconstruct the vegetation landscapes faced by Balkan Neanderthals and early Anatomically Modern Humans between MIS 5e-3. Between MIS 5e-5c (archaeological layers 4c and 4b) and MIS 5b-5a (layer 4a), semi-forested environments prevailed, characterized by Pinus, deciduous Quercus, Tilia and other angiosperm woody taxa, accompanied by heliophytes such as Artemisia and Poaceae. (...)

The wooden artifacts from Schöningen’s Spear Horizon and their place in human evolution, di D. Leder et alii,  "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 9 April 2024, vol. 121, no. 15 - open access -

Ethnographic records show that wooden tools played a pivotal role in the daily lives of hunter-gatherers including food procurement tools used in hunting (e.g., spears, throwing sticks) and gathering (e.g. digging sticks, bark peelers), as well as, domestic tools (e.g., handles, vessels). However, wood rarely survives in the archeological record, especially in Pleistocene contexts and knowledge of prehistoric hunter-gatherer lifeways is strongly biased by the survivorship of more resilient materials such as lithics and bones. Consequently, very few Paleolithic sites have produced wooden artifacts and among them, the site of Schöningen stands out due to its number and variety of wooden tools. The recovery of complete wooden spears and throwing sticks at this 300,000-y-old site (MIS 9) led to a paradigm shift in the hunter vs. scavenger debate. (...)

Lucy's world, di A. Gibbons, "Science", volume 384, issue 6691, 5 apr 2024 - open access -

Zeresenay Alemseged doesn’t remember the 1974 discovery of the famous fossil Lucy at Hadar in Ethiopia, because he was 5 years old, living 600 kilometers away in Axum. Later he saw Lucy’s name on cafes and taxis, but he knew little about her until he became a geologist working at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Then, she changed his life. In 2000, Alemseged was swept into Lucy’s orbit: He discovered “Lucy’s child,” a partial skeleton of a toddler of her species, at Dikika, 10 kilometers from Hadar. In 2015, by then a well-known scientist, he had the honor of showing Lucy to then-President Barack Obama before a state dinner at Ethiopia’s National Palace. Alemseged allowed Obama to touch the prized skeleton, telling him the fossil shows Ethiopia is the birthplace of humankind and that “every single person” on the planet shares an origin in Africa. “Including Donald Trump,” Alemseged joked to Obama. (...)

Interactions in bones but not stone: Anomalous cultural transmission gaps in Romania's Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, di W. Chu, A. Doboș, M. Soressi, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 329, 1 April 2024, 108546 - open access -

The Late Pleistocene archeological record shows emerging patterns of population turnover frequently associated with technological change between c. 50–40 thousand years ago. In Europe, this is thought to be related to indigenous population admixture and/or the diffusion of developing technologies by Homo sapiens resulting in a widely distributed spatiotemporal patchwork of industries with combinations of Middle and Upper Paleolithic traits. The Late Pleistocene record of Romania forms an anomaly in these scenarios. On the one hand, the country has important Pleistocene archives that preserve direct evidence of early modern humans with Neandertal genetic introgression. On the other hand, Romania shows no evidence of novel technology during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Here, we review the Late Middle and Early Upper Paleolithic archeological record of Romania supplemented with new radiocarbon ages and excavation data to clarify the validity of this current archeological interpretation. (...)

Ecospace occupancy and disparity in Pleistocene large carnivorans of Europe and implications for hominin dispersal and ecological role, di A. Iannucci, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 329, 1 April 2024, 108562 - open access -

The evolution of large mammal faunas during the Pleistocene of Europe has been widely investigated using taxonomical and/or ecological-functional categories, with special emphasis on the implications for reconstructing hominin dispersal and ecological role. Here, an ecospace modelling approach is for the first time applied to Pleistocene carnivorans of Europe. Examining ecospace occupancy and disparity through time effectively conveys major aspects of faunal dynamics, while offering new insights into species relationships from a trait-space-explicit perspective. Several replacements occurred within-family and concerned species of similar functional role, but between-family competition was also important, especially for hyaenids. When hominins first dispersed into Europe during the Early Pleistocene, carnivorans of middle size that are deemed either highly social active hunters or primarily scavengers were both lacking, a substantial ecospace vacuum that could have been filled by the newcomers. Hominins then became widespread since the Middle Pleistocene, when a decrease of ecospace density is documented. (...)

Deep learning identification of anthropogenic modifications on a carnivore remain suggests use of hyena pelts by Neanderthals in the Navalmaíllo rock shelter (Pinilla del Valle, Spain), di A. Moclán, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 329, 1 April 2024, 108560 - open access -

The identification of anthropogenically-modified carnivoran bones in archaeological sites is rare in Pleistocene contexts, especially in the most ancient periods. Neanderthal groups have clearly shown a great variety of subsistence activities and the use of carnivoran resources, until rare, is also present in some archaeological sites. However, the identification of the bone surface modifications (BSM) that allow us to infer the presence of anthropogenic marks in faunal remains are usually difficult to be differentiate among other BSM. Recently, several statistical and computing techniques have been developed to differentiate among different types of BSM in an objective way. (...)

Not seen before. Unveiling depositional context and Mammuthus meridionalis exploitation at Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, southern Iberia) through taphonomy and microstratigraphy, di J. Yravedra et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", Volume 329, 1 April 2024, 108561 - open access -

Meat consumption by early hominins is a hotly debated issue. A key question concerns their access to large mammal carcasses, including megafauna. Currently, the evidence of anthropic cut marks on proboscidean bones older than -or close to- 1.0 Ma are restricted to the archaeological sites of Dmanisi (Georgia), Olduvai (Tanzania), Gona (Ethiopia), Olorgesailie (Kenya) and La Boella (Spain). During an inspection of the almost complete carcass of Mammuthus meridionalis (FN3-5-MPS) from the Oldowan site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Spain, c. 1.2 Ma), a few traces compatible with human-made cut marks and carnivore tooth marks were found. From this finding and previous interpretations the following questions arise: When and under what conditions was FN3-5-MPS deposited? What is the nature of the marks found on the surface of the bones of this mammoth? To answer, we have conducted a high-resolution analysis of these remains, combining both taphonomic and microstratigraphic data. (...)

Big enough to matter: on the frequency and chronology of giant handaxes in the British Lower Palaeolithic, di Luke Dale et alii, "Antiquity", Volume 98 - Issue 398 - April 2024 - open access -

Hypertrophic ‘giant’ handaxes are a rare component of Acheulean assemblages, yet have been central to debates relating to the social, cognitive and cultural ‘meaning’ of these enigmatic tools. The authors examine giant handaxes from the perspective of the British record and suggest that they are chronologically patterned, with the great majority originating from contexts broadly associated with Marine Isotope Stage 9. Giant handaxes tend to have higher symmetry than non-giants, and extravagant forms, such as ficrons, are better represented; they may therefore be linked to incipient aesthetic sensibilities and, potentially, to changing cognition at the transition between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic. (...)

Chronology of hominin activity at Vindija Cave, Croatia: new dates recorded via standard and ultrafiltration AMS, di Ivor Karavanić et alii, "Antiquity", Volume 98 - Issue 398 - April 2024 - open access -

The project ‘Last Neanderthals at the Crossroads of Central Europe and the Mediterranean’ (NECEM) combines lithic analyses of previously excavated material with new sampling for dating and environmental DNA. New radiocarbon dates from Vindija, presented here, help clarify the chronology of late Neanderthal and early modern human occupations in South-eastern and Central Europe. (...)

"Archaeologies". Special Issue: Ancestral Stones and Stone Stories: Reimagining human relationships with stone from the Palaeolithic to the Present. Volume 20, Issue 1, April 2024. Issue Editors: Kathryn Weedman Arthur, Ran Barkai:

- Ancestral Stones and Stone Stories: Reimagining Human Relationships with Stone from the Paleolithic to the Present, di K. Weedman et alii

- Material Sense: Perceptual Experience in Stone and Mineral Selection for Tool-Making, di B. Efrati

- Set in Stone: Human–Horse Relations as Embodied in Shaped Stone Balls, di E. Assaf

- The Stone, the Deer, and the Mountain: Lower Paleolithic Scrapers and Early Human Perceptions of the Cosmos, di V. Litov, R. Barkai

- Quarries as Places of Significance in the Lower Paleolithic Holy Triad of Elephants, Water, and Stone, di M. Finkel, R. Barkai

- To Computational Archaeology and Back: The Round-Trip Journey of Stone Artifacts Between a Physical and a Digital Existence, di D. Ganchrow

The quantification of surface abrasion on flint stone tools, di G. Bustos-Pérez, A. Ollé, "Archaeometry", Volume 66, Issue 2, April 2024, Pages 247-265 - open access -

Lithic artifacts are some of the most common and numerous remains recovered from paleolithic archaeological sites. However, these materials can undergo multiple post-depositional alterations after their introduction into the archaeological record. Due to the high quantity of lithic remains recovered, a quick, flexible, and effective method for identifying degrees of alteration on the surface of lithic implements is highly desirable. The present study examines the use of gray level images to obtain quantitative data from the surface of flint artifacts and determine whether these images can detect the presence of post-depositional alterations. An experimental collection of flints was subjected to sequential episodes of rounding in a tumbling machine. After each episode, photographs were taken with a microscope, resulting in quantitative surface values using gray level values. (...)

A lineage perspective on hominin taxonomy and evolution, di J. M. Martin, A. B. Leece, S. E. Baker, A. I. R. Herries, D. S. Strait, "Evolutionary Anthropology", Volume 33, Issue 2, April 2024, e22018 - open access -

An uncritical reliance on the phylogenetic species concept has led paleoanthropologists to become increasingly typological in their delimitation of new species in the hominin fossil record. As a practical matter, this approach identifies species as diagnosably distinct groups of fossils that share a unique suite of morphological characters but, ontologically, a species is a metapopulation lineage segment that extends from initial divergence to eventual extinction or subsequent speciation. Working from first principles of species concept theory, it is clear that a reliance on morphological diagnosabilty will systematically overestimate species diversity in the fossil record; (...)

Sex estimation of the adult Neandertal Regourdou 1 (Montignac, France): Implications for sexing human fossil remains, di R. Rmoutilová et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 189, April 2024, 103470

Sex is a biological trait fundamental to the study of hominin fossils. Among the many questions that can be addressed are those related to taxonomy, biological variability, sexual dimorphism, paleoobstetrics, funerary selection, and paleodemography. While new methodologies such as paleogenomics or paleoproteomics can be used to determine sex, they have not been systematically applied to Pleistocene human remains due to their destructive nature. Therefore, we estimated sex from the coxal bone of the newly discovered pelvic remains of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal (Southwest France, MIS 5) based on morphological and metric data employing two methods that have been recently revised and shown to be reliable in multiple studies. Both methods calculate posterior probabilities of the estimate. (...)

Finite element analysis of Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens maxillary central incisor, di A. Najafzadeh et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 189, April 2024, 103512 - open access -

Neanderthal anterior teeth are very large and have a distinctive morphology characterized by robust ‘shovel-shaped’ crowns. These features are frequently seen as adaptive responses in dissipating heavy mechanical loads resulting from masticatory and non-masticatory activities. Although the long-standing debate surrounding this hypothesis has played a central role in paleoanthropology, is still unclear if Neanderthal anterior teeth can resist high mechanical loads or not. A novel way to answer this question is to use a multidisciplinary approach that considers together tooth architecture, dental wear and jaw movements. The aim of this study is to functionally reposition the teeth of Le Moustier 1 (a Neanderthal adolescent) and Qafzeh 9 (an early Homo sapiens adolescent) derived from wear facet mapping, occlusal fingerprint analysis and physical dental restoration methods. (...)

Diet of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens from macrowear analysis of mandibular molars, di M. Hernaiz-García et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 164, April 2024, 105950 - open access -

Neanderthal diet has been on the spotlight of paleoanthropological research for many years. The majority of studies that tried to reconstruct the diet of Neanderthals were based on the analysis of zooarchaeological remains, stable isotopes, dental calculus and dental microwear patterns. In the past few years, there have been a few studies that linked dental macrowear patterns of Neanderthals and modern humans to diet and cultural habits. However, they mostly focused on maxillary molars. Although mandibular molars have been widely used in microwear dietary research, little is known about their usage at the macroscopic scale to detect information about human subsistence strategies. In this study, we compare the macrowear patterns of Neanderthal (NEA), fossil Homo sapiens (FHS), modern hunter-gatherers (MHG), pastoralists, early farmers and Australian Aborigines from Yuendumu mandibular molars in order to assess their utility in collecting any possible information about dietary and cultural habits among diverse human groups. (...)

"L'Anthropologie", Volume 128, Issue 1, March–April 2024:

- Réflexions sur la datation des deux crânes humains Apidima 1 et Apidima 2 découverts dans la cavité Apidima A, Aréopoli, péninsule du Mani, Laconie, Péloponnèse, Grèce, di H. de Lumley et alii

- The earliest human occupation of Atapuerca in the European context, di E. Carbonell, X. Pedro Rodríguez-Álvarez, J. M. Parés, R. Huguet, J. Rosell

- Une nouvelle occurrence de l’Acheuléen pyrénéo-garonnais et la question de la régionalisation des productions lithiques à la fin du Pléistocène moyen: le site du Cassé à Cornebarrieu (Haute-Garonne), di C. Viallet et alii

- First evidence of pleistocene hominin occupations in the Jovin-Joghatai plain, Northeast of the Iranian Plateau, di A. Mirzaye, A. Sadraei

Trajectoires technologiques et dynamiques de niches éco-culturelles du Gravettien moyen au Gravettien récent en France, di A. Vignoles, "Quaternaire", vol. 35/1, 2024

L’un des enjeux majeurs de l’archéologie préhistorique est de mieux comprendre les processus impliqués dans l’évolution culturelle des hominidés. Dans cette thèse de doctorat, nous avons cherché à identifier des mécanismes à l’origine de la variabilité des industries lithiques (i.e., les outils en pierre et leur mode de fabrication) au Gravettien (ca. 34 - 26 ka cal. BP). Ce complexe archéologique du Paléolithique récent est souvent considéré comme un phénomène culturel unitaire à l’échelle de l’Europe (e.g., Otte, 2013), mais une importante diversité chrono- géographique des industries lithiques et osseuses est également soulignée par de nombreux auteurs (e.g., Touzé et al., 2022). Dans ce contexte, nous avons adopté une approche interdisciplinaire et originale permettant de mettre en évidence les différents facteurs environnementaux et culturels à l’origine de cette diversité. (...)

Two new Later Stone Age sites from the Final Pleistocene in the Falémé Valley, eastern Senegal, di M. Ndiaye et alii, 28 March 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294346 - open access -

The understanding of cultural dynamics at work at the end of the Final Pleistocene in West Africa suffers from a significant lack of excavated and dated sites, particularly in the Sahelian and Sudanian ecozones. While the Later Stone Age shows varied behavioral developments in different parts of the continent, the chrono-cultural framework of this period remains largely unknown in West Africa. We report on archaeological, geomorphological, and chronological research on two Final Pleistocene Later Stone Age sites in the Falémé Valley, eastern Senegal. Optically stimulated luminescence ages place the site of Toumboura I-2017 between 17 ± 1 and 16 ± 1 ka and the Ravin de Sansandé site between 13 ± 1 ka and 12 ± 1.1 ka. The excavated lithics show typical Later Stone Age industries, characterized by chaînes opératoires of core reduction mainly producing flakes and bladelets as well as blades and laminar flakes. Segments dominate the toolkits but a few backed bladelets and end-scrapers on flake blanks were recognized. (...)

Hominin population bottleneck coincided with migration from Africa during the Early Pleistocene ice age transition, di G. Muttoni, D. V. Kent, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 26 march 2024, vol. 121, no. 13

Two recently published analyses make cases for severe bottlenecking of human populations occurring in the late Early Pleistocene, one case at about 0.9 Mya based on a genomic analysis of modern human populations and the low number of hominin sites of this age in Africa and the other at about 1.1 Mya based on an age inventory of sites of hominin presence in Eurasia. Both models point to climate change as the bottleneck trigger, albeit manifested at very different times, and have implications for human migrations as a mechanism to elude extinction at bottlenecking. Here, we assess the climatic and chronologic components of these models and suggest that the several hundred-thousand-year difference is largely an artifact of biases in the chronostratigraphic record of Eurasian hominin sites. (...)

The long-term expansion and recession of human populations, di J. Freeman et alii, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 19 march 2024, vol. 121, no. 12

Over the last 12,000 y, human populations have expanded and transformed critical earth systems. Yet, a key unresolved question in the environmental and social sciences remains: Why did human populations grow and, sometimes, decline in the first place? Our research builds on 20 y of archaeological research studying the deep time dynamics of human populations to propose an explanation for the long-term growth and stability of human populations. Innovations in the productive capacity of populations fuels exponential-like growth over thousands of years; however, innovations saturate over time and, often, may leave populations vulnerable to large recessions in their well-being and population density. (...)

Earliest Prepared core technology in Eurasia from Nihewan (China): Implications for early human abilities and dispersals in East Asia, di Dong-Dong Ma et alii, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 12 march 2024, vol. 121, no. 11

Organized flaking techniques to obtain predetermined stone tools have been traced back to the early Acheulean (also known as mode 2) in Africa and are seen as indicative of the emergence of advanced technical abilities and in-depth planning skills among early humans. Here, we report one of the earliest known examples of prepared core technology in the archaeological record, at the Cenjiawan (CJW) site in the Nihewan basin of China, dated 1.1 Mya. The operational schemes reconstructed from the CJW refit sets, together with shaping patterns observed in the retouched tools, suggest that Nihewan basin toolmakers had the technical abilities of mode 2 hominins, and developed different survival strategies to adapt to local raw materials and environments. This finding predates the previously earliest known prepared core technology from Eurasia by 0.3 My, and the earliest known mode 2 sites in East Asia by a similar amount of time, thus suggesting that hominins with advanced technologies may have migrated into high latitude East Asia as early as 1.1 Mya. (...)

A quantitative analysis of Final Palaeolithic/earliest Mesolithic cultural taxonomy and evolution in Europe, di F. Riede et alii, 11 March 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299512 - open access -

Archaeological systematics, together with spatial and chronological information, are commonly used to infer cultural evolutionary dynamics in the past. For the study of the Palaeolithic, and particularly the European Final Palaeolithic and earliest Mesolithic, proposed changes in material culture are often interpreted as reflecting historical processes, migration, or cultural adaptation to climate change and resource availability. Yet, cultural taxonomic practice is known to be variable across research history and academic traditions, and few large-scale replicable analyses across such traditions have been undertaken. Drawing on recent developments in computational archaeology, we here present a data-driven assessment of the existing Final Palaeolithic/earliest Mesolithic cultural taxonomy in Europe. Our dataset consists of a large expert-sourced compendium of key sites, lithic toolkit composition, blade and bladelet production technology, as well as lithic armatures. The dataset comprises 16 regions and 86 individually named archaeological taxa (‘cultures’), covering the period between ca. 15,000 and 11,000 years ago (cal BP) (...)

New craniodental fossils of Paranthropus robustus from Kromdraai, South Africa (2014–2017 excavations), di J. Braga, F. E. Grine, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 188, March 2024, 103481

Since the initial discovery of Paranthropus robustus at the site of Kromdraai in 1938, the hypodigm of this species has been expanded by subsequent work at the localities of Swartkrans and Drimolen, with a few fossils also known from Cooper's D, Gondolin and Sterkfontein Member 5. Beginning in 2014, systematic excavations at Kromdraai uncovered a large and previously unknown fossiliferous area, shedding light on Units O and P in the earliest part of the site's stratigraphic sequence. The aim of this paper is to provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of 30 P. robustus craniodental specimens recovered between 2014 and 2017 within the Unit P deposits at Kromdraai. This new sample predates all prior conspecific specimens found at this site (including the holotype of P. robustus from Kromdraai, TM 1517). Its basic dental morphology dimensions and cranial features are compared in a preliminary analysis with other P. robustus samples. (...)